Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Rattlin', roarin' Willie

Robert Burns

“Rattlin', roarin' Willie” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 312 1887 · historical text
Public domainScottish songSong lyrics
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Poetical Works of Robert Burns, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

O rattlin', roarin' Willie,

O, he held to the fair,

An' for to sell his fiddle,

An' buy some other ware;

But parting wi' his fiddle,

The saut tear blin't his ee;

And rattlin', roarin' Willie,

Ye're welcome hame to me!

Verse 2

O Willie, come sell your fiddle,

O sell your fiddle sae fine;

O Willie, come sell your fiddle,

And buy a pint o' wine!

If I should sell my fiddle,

The warl' would think I was mad;

For mony a rantin' day

My fiddle and I hae had.

Verse 3

As I cam by Crochallan,

I cannily keekit ben

Rattlin', roarin' Willie

Was sitting at yon board en',

Sitting at yon board en',

And amang guid companie;

Rattlin', roarin' Willie,

Ye're welcome hame to me!

Credits

Written by Robert Burns

Words by Robert Burns. Historical text published in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887), “Rattlin', roarin' Willie”

Every text in this 1887 collected edition is by Robert Burns (1759-1796), who died more than 230 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination and a pre-1931 United States publication.

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 2026-10-25. 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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