Story Behind Song
Listeners to the 8.8. C. genera! overseas service “Scottish Magazine” programme recently heard from Gordon Irving that “Annie Laurie" is the most popular love song in the world today
The composer of toe song was William Douglas, a young army captain, born in 1672 He came from Kirkcudbrightshire in the south-west of Scotland, and fell in love with Anna Laurie of Maxwelton, and immortalised her in this song But Douglas did not marry his Anna Perhaps she jilted him, or her parents objected; he married Elizabeth Clark from Lanarkshire, and Anna married a rich young man. a colonel of the horse tn toe army of William QL Alex Fergusson. the owner of a goodly house not tar from Maxwelton Braea
ft is often thought, even by Scots, that Robert Burns wrote “Annie Laurie," but ft was bumble William Douglas, her unsuccessful suitor Later, Lady Jane Scott of Buccleuch came across the verses, added the third verse, and the song caught the public fancy, and has remained popular ever since.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CII, Issue 30190, 23 July 1963, Page 8
Word Count
172Story Behind Song Press, Volume CII, Issue 30190, 23 July 1963, Page 8
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Acknowledgements
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