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Apr 15
Tax Days
The Exciseman
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"There’s threesome reels, there’s foursome reels,
there’s hornpipes and strathspeys, man,
But the ae best dance ere cam to the land was
The Deil’s Awa wi’ the Exciseman."
~ The Deil's Awa Wi' The Exciseman, Robert Burns, 1792
Knock, knock! Who's there? Oh no, it's the Exciseman! If you're in the United States, April 15th is the last day to file your income taxes! Exhausted self-filers and professional accountants, hopefully soon you can rest soon!
If your filing is done, pour yourself a whisky or make yourself an "Income Tax cocktail" a blend of gin, vermouth, and of course, bitters, and distract yourself with this John Drewry 32 bar jig!
In the time of Robert Burns, the excise man was essentially the government’s tax enforcer on everyday goods—especially whisky, ale, tobacco, and salt. The excise man could appear at anytime at your door to make sure you weren’t quietly avoiding taxes!
Burns himself began working as an exciseman in 1789, and ihe traveled from place to place inspecting goods, ensuring that duties had been properly paid—particularly on spirits. Barrels and stills were measured, inventories carefully recorded. Illegal distilling was widespread, so excise men were also tasked with searching for smugglers, seizing untaxed goods when necessary, and collecting payments owed to the Crown.
Being an excise man was… socially complicated. In whisky-loving Scotland, cracking down on illicit distilling didn’t exactly win you friends. Many saw excise officers as agents of an overreaching government, especially in rural areas where smuggling was almost a community effort.
And although Robert Burns didn’t create “The Deil’s Awa wi’ the Exciseman” entirely from scratch, he refined the lyrics into the perfect recitation for those moments when the taxman feels just a little too close for comfort—and for anyone quietly eyeing government spending with a raised brow. 🕺 💃 🖤 💚 🖤 💸 💸 💸
The Exciseman
In one of his last careers, Robert Burns spent time as an exciseman (tax collector), and although he started out enthusastically, poor health and probable disillusionment with the duties yielded the following poem:
The Deil's Awa Wi' The Exciseman, 1792
The deil cam fiddlin' thro' the town,
And danc'd awa wi' th' Exciseman,
And ilka wife cries, "Auld Mahoun,
I wish you luck o' the prize, man."
Chorus-The deil's awa, the deil's awa,
The deil's awa wi' the Exciseman,
He's danc'd awa, he's danc'd awa,
He's danc'd awa wi' the Exciseman.
We'll mak our maut, and we'll brew our drink,
We'll laugh, sing, and rejoice, man,
And mony braw thanks to the meikle black deil,
That danc'd awa wi' th' Exciseman.
The deil's awa, &c.
There's threesome reels, there's foursome reels,
There's hornpipes and strathspeys, man,
But the ae best dance ere came to the land
Was-the deil's awa wi' the Exciseman.
The deil's awa, &c.
If taxes are due for you today, why not try the Income Tax cocktail, a blend of gin, vermouth, and of course, bitters. Click the illustration for this poem by Thomas Stothard (1755-1834) for the recipe.
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
