Digital Tradition Mirror

Hey the Dusty Miller

Hey the Dusty Miller

     Hey the dusty Miller,
       And his dusty coat;
     He will win a shilling
       Or he spend a groat:
     Dusty was the coat,
       Dusty was the colour;
     Dusty was the kiss
       That I got frae the Miller.

     Hey the dusty Miller,
       And his dusty sack;
     Leeze me on the calling
       Fills the dusty peck:
     Fills the dusty peck,
       Brings the dusty siller;
     I wad gie my coatie
       For the dusty Miller.
     ________________________________________________________

     SMM II (1788), 151 (no. 144), Burns's extension of a
     fragment in Herd's MSS. (ed. Hecht, 142), which is
     source for SC (148, no. 267): O the dusty miller, etc.,
 with "He will spend a shilling ere he win a groat",
     which is reversed in Burns's text, perhaps because of
     the legendary greed of the miller.  SMM text in Buchan
     101 SS (1962), 134, with music from Maver's Genuine
     Scottish Melodies, with variant in bar 2: t, r r f m r
     for SMM's t, r r m r d).  See also ODNR 307 (no. 351).
     The air, Dusty Miller, is (Stenhouse) in the Crockat
     MS., 1709; certainly in Walsh (Compleat County Dancing
     Master [1718], and The Lady's Banquet).  In the Blaikie
     MS. (1692) occurs Binny's Jig, which is similar, but in
     6/8 (as opposed to 9/8) time; see Glen ESM 41-42;
     Chappell PMOT 608.  Gillespie MS. (1768), no. 91; Bremner's
     Reels (1758), 27.  Cf. Kinsley Burns no. 201; note, 1264.
     Another song (to a 9/8 version of the tune) is "Andrew
     Carr", q.v.

WBO
OCT98

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!