The use of the terms "lassie" and "laddie" mean that
this song is often attributed to possible origins in
Scotland (by various forms of media; see "references"
section), but it was first collected in the United
States in the last decade of the nineteenth century and
was not found in Great Britain until the mid-twentieth
century. However, it can be surmised that the words to
the song may have come from Scottish immigrants or
Scottish-Americans because of the aforementioned terms. |