What does "comin' through the rye" mean?

Question

In the song "Comin' through the Rye" one of the lines goes,

"Every lassie has her laddie, and none they say have I, yet all the lads they smile on me, when comin' through the rye."

What is "the rye"? What does coming through it involve? Where does it happen? Why are the "laddies" coming through it?

Hope someone can help, or maybe give me a link to an answer. This has been something I've wanted to know ever since I learned the song as a kid -- never made sense to me, but I'm not from Scotland!

Thanks.

Answer 1

oh god I remember this from "Catcher in the Rye" and we had to analyze it, but as if I could remember :D

I can remember it in the Context of Holdons point of view actually, but I am sure thats not what your looking for.

Answer 2

The poem (song) is by Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns and refers to a girl crossing an unbridged river to meet a lover.  The fact that she was wet from the crossing would lead others to know where she had been and to speculate on why she was there.

Answer 3

It is from the poem by Robert Burns.

The Rye is a river.  

As Jenny holds her petticoats up to ford the river, the boys give a smile in her direction.

Answer 4

I think that coming through the rye means over coming a climax point in your life.

Answer 5

I think it means, going through the "world" or the people of the world that are not followers.

Answer 6

it means "the scottish soldiers coming home from war, to their ladies walking through the fields homeward bound" lol

Answer 7

Hope someone can help, or maybe give me a link to an answer. This has been something I've wanted to know ever since I learned the song as a kid -- never made sense to me, but I'm not from Scotland!

Glad to help.

Here it is:

Yes, Mister Burns used the words, no, he did not create them nor the song. Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796)

The music is from "The Millers daughter" better the "Miller Wedding" are dated before Burns was able to walk :-). Burns always gave credit to thgis song as one he modified.

So, the lyrics are as even the music from unknown sources.  

http://www.robertburns.org/encyclopedia/...

'Comin' Thro the Rye'

Burns's popular song, set to the strathspey 'The Miller's Wedding', appeared in The Scots Musical Museum in 1796. A broader version exists in 'The Merry Muses'. The tune is related to those of 'Auld Lang Syne' and 'O can ye labour lea, young man'.

THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS OF ROBERT BURNS - Page 11

1876

COMIN' THRO' THE RYE. [

This is an old song dressed up a little by the poet. The air is a great favourite,

and the song, having been modernized for concert-rooms, has become very

popular. The following additional verse is said to have been written by Burns

on one of the panes in the Globe Tavern :— ''

Gin a body kiss a body

Comin' through the grain,

Need a body grudge a body

What's a body's ain?"

In the Glasgow Herald of 20th July, 1867, an article appeared—" New Readings

of an Old Poet" — in which it is insinuated that the "comin' through the rye"

refers to the "Bye Water," at Dairy. This we controverted in a following No.

of the Herald, saying that it was an opinion endorsed by the entire common-

sense of mankind, that Burns had no other idea in writing the song than that

of a lass going through a dewy Held of rye.]

COMIN' thro' the rye, poor body,

Comin' thro' the rye ;

She draigl't a' her petticoatie,

Comin' thro' the rye.

CHORUS.

CM, Jenny's a' weet, poor body,

Jenny's seldom dry ;

She draigl't a' her petticoatie,

Comin' thro' the rye.

Gin a body meet a body

Comin' thro' the rye ;

Gin a body kiss a body,

Need a body cry ?