Bonny Banks of Airdrie Oh- Groome 1881 Child Version F
[Below the standard Child text is an excerpt from Groome's "In Gypsy Tents" page 143-144 from which Child's Version F is taken.]
Bonny Banks of Airdrie Oh- Groome 1881 Version F
1 There were three sisters going from home,
All in a lea and alony, oh
They met a man, and he made them stand,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
2 He took the first one by the hand,
All in a lea and alony, oh
He turned her round, and he made her stand.
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
3 Saying, Will you be a robber's wife?
All in a lea and alony, oh
Or will you die by my penknife?
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
4 'Oh, I wont be a robber's wife,
All in a lea and alony, oh
But I will die by your penknife.'
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
5 Then he took the second by her hand,
All in a lea and alony, oh
He turned her round, and he made her stand.
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
6 Saying, Will you be a robber's wife?
All in a lea and alony, oh
Or will you die by my penknife?
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
7 'Oh, I wont be a robber's wife,
All in a lea and alony, oh
But I will die by your penknife.'
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
8 He took the third one by the hand,
All in a lea and alony, oh
He turned her round, and he made her stand.
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
9 Saying, Will you be a robber's wife?
All in a lea and alony, oh
Or will you die by my penknife?
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
10 'Oh, I wont be a robber's wife,
All in a lea and alony, oh
And I wont die by you penknife.
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
11 'If my two brothers had been here,
All in a lea and alony, oh
You would not have killed my sisters two.'
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
12 'What was your two brothers' names?'
All in a lea and alony, oh
'One was John, and the other was James.'
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
13 'Oh, what did your two brothers do?'
All in a lea and alony, oh
'One was a minister, the other such as you.'
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
14 'Oh, what is this that I have done?
All in a lea and alony, oh
I have killed my sisters, all but one.
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
15 'And now I'll take out my penknife,
All in a lea and alony, oh
And here I'll end my own sweet life.'
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh.
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Excerpt from “In Gipsy Tents” by Francis Hindes Groome; 1881:
Then came The Leather Bottd, roared out by Pyramus with a voice that almost shook the Chair of Idris; and then from Sinfi this Scottish ballad, which she had learnt of Jocky Neilson's wife:—
"There were three sisters going from home,
All in a lea and alony, oh!
They met a man, and he made them stand,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh .'
"He took the first one by the hand,
All in a lea andalony, oh!
He turned her round, and he made her stand,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!
"Saying, 'Will you be a robber's wife?
All in a lea and alony, oh!
Or will you die by my penknife?
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!'
"Oh! I won't be a robber's wife,
All in a lea and alony, oh!
But I will die by your penknife,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!'
"Then he took the second by her hand,
All in a lea and alony, oh!
He turned her round, and he made her stand,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!
"Saying, 'Will you be a robber's wife?
All in a lea and alony, oh!
Or will you die by my penknife?
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!'
Oh! I won't be a robber's wife,
All in a lea and alony, oh!
But I will die by your penknife,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!'
"He took the third one by the hand,
All in a lea and alony, oh!
He turned her round, and he made her stand,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!
"Saying, 'Will you be a robber's wife?
All in a lea and alony, oh!
Or will you die by my penknife?
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!'
''' Oh! I won't be a robber's wife,
All in a lea and alony, oh!
And I won't die by your penknife,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!'
If my two brothers had been here,
All in a lea and alony, oh!
You would not have killed my sisters two,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!'
"'What was your two brothers' names?
All in a lea ami alony, oh!
One was John, and the other was James,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!'
''Oh, what did your two brothers do?
All in a lea and alony, oh!
One was a minister, the other such as you,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!"
"Oh, what is this that I have done?
All in a lea and alony, oh!
I have killed my sisters all but one,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!
"And now I'll take out my penknife,
All in a lea and alony, oh!
And here I'll end my own sweet life,
Down by the bonny banks of Airdrie, oh!"
This, surely, was the "werry lonesome death-song, about a yard and a half long," of which the old Gipsy spoke to Mr Leland. Only that "had no tune in pertick'ler," while this was sung to a kind of monotonous chant, sad and suggestive as a river's flow. And Lancelot played a masterly accompaniment, that pled for the murdered, raved at the murderer, and moaned for his remorseful suicide.