Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

John Anderson, my Jo

Robert Burns

“John Anderson, my Jo” as printed in The Scottish Minstrel (First Series) (1850).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 74 1850 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Scottish Minstrel (First Series), a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

John Anderson, my jo, John,

When we were first acquent,

Your locks were like the raven,

Your bonnie brow was brent;

But now your brow is bald, John,

Your locks are like the snaw,

But blessings on your frosty pow,

John Anderson, my jo.

Verse 2

John Anderson, my jo, John,

We clamb the hill thegither,

And mony a cantie day, John,

We've had wi' ane anither;

Now we maun totter down, John,

But hand in hand we'll go,

And we'll sleep thegither at the foot,

John Anderson, my jo.

Credits

Written by Robert Burns

Words by Robert Burns. Historical text published in The Scottish Minstrel (First Series) (1850); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Scottish Minstrel (First Series) (1850), “John Anderson, my Jo”

Every contribution in this 1850 anthology predates modern copyright terms; any contributor died more than 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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