Frank Purslow's notes anent this song suggest "it could be assumed from the rhyming of 'die' and 'be' or 'me' that it has a Scottish origin", but this could equally suggest Northumbrian origin. Robert Burns set his song 'Sweetest May' to the first section of the Northumbrian 'Blow the wind southerly' melody and it is known the bard carried a book of English folksongs everywhere with him when young.