Stories of Famous Songs, Vol 1

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FAMOUS SONGS
It may be noted that between the version given to Mrs. Dunlop and Johnson and that issued by Thomson there is one important dif-ference in the sequence of the stanzas. In Johnson's publication the last verse is placed as the second, and this arrangement was used for some years, but the order of the stanzas, as given above, is obviously correct, though we fear that there are not many people who could repeat the song right off, much as they rave about it. Generally speaking, after the first and second verses, the singing of the song is aban-doned, as so few know it.
As to the meaning of " willie-waught," several opinions have been offered. However, in a collection of Scotch songs, published by Blackie and Son in 1843, the words "guid" or "gude" and "willie" are joined together by a hyphen, which means, will take a right good-will-ing (God-be-with-you) draught—the draught of good-will and friendship. The grasping of hands in the same verse seems pretty strong proof that that is its meaning. By the way, in the "Museum" the words are signed with a " Z" signifying that it is an old song with addi-tions and alterations. The first, fourth and fifth verses are undeniably fragments of an old ditty; the second and third verses betray the
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