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Willie Brew’d a Peck o’ Maut

[ Roud 16787 ; Robert Burns]

Jim and Sylvia Barnes sang Willie Brewed a Peck o’ Maut in 1991 on their album Mungo Jumbo. A live recording from 1987-88 was released in 2020 on their download album Scotch Measure 1987-88.

Tony Cuffe and Rod Paterson sang Willie Brew’d a Peck o’ Maut in 1996 on the Linn anthology The Complete Songs of Robert Burns Volume 2.

Robin Laing sang Willie Brew’d a Peck o’ Maut in 1997 on his Greentrax album The Angels’ Share. He noted:

Burns wrote this after he and his two friends had a memorable night on home-made whisky.

Sangsters sang Willie Brewed a Peck o’ Maut in 2000 on their Greentrax album Sharp and Sweet. They noted:

Inspired by a convivial meeting of Burns, Alan Masterton and William Nicol in the summer of 1789. “We had such a joyous meeting,” wrote Burns, “that Mr. Masterton and I agreed, each in his own way, to celebrate the business.”

Ellen Mitchell sang Willie Brewed a Peck o’ Maut in 2002 on her Tradition Bearers album On Yonder Lea. She noted:

I thought I would open with Burns because there is no better place to start. This is a song sung by many and I cannot really attribute my learning of it to one named person. However, I can attribute my enjoyment of the ‘spirit’ of the song to the fact that it reminds me of parties and sessions I have attended in the past. I have to say that in general I don’t have the stamina for these experiences any more. Probably just as well!

Jonny Hardie and Alyth McCormack sang Willie Brew’d a Peck o’ Maut on Hardy’s 2005 CD Lucky Jonny. He noted:

A couple of years ago Alyth and I worked together on a show for the Highland Festival. The idea of the show was a musical celebration of whisky. This beautiful song is Robert Burns’ contribution.

Jim Malcolm sang Willie Brew’d a Peck o’ Maut on his 2007 album of songs of Robert Burns, Acquaintance, and in 2010 on his Robert Burns DVD Bard Hair Day. He noted:

Those of you who have suffered my company over the years will know that I rarely turn down the offer of a wee dram. Scotch whisky, particularly the single malts, must be so, so much better than the moonshine that Rabbie’s mates would have boiled up. So the hangover after this song must have been monumentally mental. I planned to do this without any accompaniment. However Fraser [Stone] had just finished his percussion session and was travelling down to Ayr (appropriately enough) on an amorous mission (again appropriately). Rather than sit in Glasgow rush-hour traffic for hours he busked a djembe part which I really like and perhaps scotches (ouch) the myth that I like drinking alone.

Janet Russell sang Willie Brewed a Peck o’ Maut in 2008 on her Harbourtown album Love Songs and Fighting Talk.

Alan Prior sang Willie Brewed a Peck o’ Maut at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow, in a concert celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland. This recording was released in 2016 on the DVD 101 Scottish Songs: The Wee Red Book.

Lionel McClelland, Kirsten Easdale and Rod Paterson sang Willie Brewed a Peck o’ Maut an McClelland’s posthumous 2012 album To Wyle Us Hame and on Bring in the Spirit’s 2024 anthology Bring in the Spirit. They noted:

Kirsten: “Burns’s classic song written to Allan Masterton’s tune, celebrates a memorable night he and Masterton had in 1789 at Willie Nicol’s house in Moffat.

The first track laid down for this album, Willie Brew’d includes founder member of Bring in the Spirit the late Lionel McClelland. In many ways, we brought this song back home again, by actually recording it in Lionel’s own native Moffat.”

This recording also appears on Lionel’s album To Wyle Us Hame and was recorded in Moffat in 2010 and 2011 by John Weatherby of Sound Sense.

Lyrics

Jim Malcolm sings Willie Brew’d a Peck o’ Maut

O Willie brew’d a peck o’ maut,
And Rob and Allen cam to see;
Three blyther hearts, that lee-lang night,
Ye wadna found in Christendie.

Chorus (after each verse):
We are na fou, we’re nae that fou,
But just a drappie in our ee;
The cock may craw, the day may daw
And aye we’ll taste the barley bree.

Here are we met, three merry boys,
Three merry boys I trow are we;
And mony a night we’ve merry been,
And mony mae we hope to be.

It is the moon, I ken her horn,
That’s blinkinO in the lift sae hie;
She shines sae bright to wyle us hame,
But, by my sooth, she’ll wait a wee.

Wha first shall rise to gang awa,
A cuckold, coward loun is he!
Wha first beside his chair shall fa’,
He is the King amang us three.