Annie Laurie is known in two versions—the original, which features a traditional Scottish tune and a text by William Douglas (who had a brief romance with Annie Laurie), and this, the Alicia Ann Scott rendition. Scott, also known as Lady John Scott, was greatly moved by Douglas' lyrics and decided to set them to a melody she intended for another song. That necessitated a change in some of the words in the two verses provided by Douglas, but then Scott also added a third verse. It is her version of the song that became immensely popular with British soldiers during the Crimean War and World War I, and it remains the better known one today. The tune is lively and a bit nostalgic, and features a catchy but odd mixture of hymn-like seriousness and folk-ish joy. The melodic material has two parts, the first consisting of two arched-shaped, somewhat sentimental sections, and the second soaring high, attaining an almost ecstatic manner before descending. The text features much Scottish dialect and tells of the poet's (Douglas') love for Annie Laurie. All in all, this is a most charming song.

© Robert Cummings, Rovi