The Merry Muses of Caledonia/My Wife's a Wanton Wee Thing

by Robert Burns

MY WIFE'S A WANTON WEE THING.

An old song which appears in Herd's Collection. Burns amended it in his lyric beginning, "She is a winsome wee thing."

My wife's a wanton wee thing,
My wife's a wanton wee thing,
My wife's a wanton wee thing,
⁠She winna be guided by me.
 
She play'd the loon or she was married,
She play'd the loon or she was married.
She play'd the loon or she was married.
⁠She'll do it again or she die.

She sell'd her coat and she drank it,
She sell'd her coat and she drank it;
She row'd hersel' in a blanket,
⁠She winna be guided by me.
 
She mindit na when I forbad her.
She mindit na when I forbad her,
I took a rung and I claw'd her,
⁠An' a braw good bairn was she.

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