Bluegrass Messengers

Binorie- Mrs. J. H. Goodall (Aber) c.1931 Carpenter

[Fragmented short version from James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/2/2/M, p. 05879. Cf. Willie Mathieson (Child M),

R. Matteson 2018]

Binorie- sung by Mrs. J. H. Goodall of East Gate, Alford,  Aberdeenshire about 1931.

1    There were twa sisters lived in yonder toon,
      Binorie, O an' Binorie, O,
A bonnie miller lad came a courtin' o' them,
He was the bonnie miller laddie o Binorie, O.

2    He courted the eldest wi' mony a gowd ring,
      Binorie, O an' Binorie, O,
But he courted the youngest wi' a far better thing,
       She was the bonnie miller lassie o Binorie, O.

3   "O sister, O sister we'll go to the broom,
       Binorie, O an' Binorie, O,
We'll hear the bonnie blackbirds whistlin ower their tune,
     But they didna see the miller o Binorie, O[1]."

4. "O sister, O sister let's go to the dam,
       Binorie, O an' Binorie, O,
An' the eldest knocked the youngest into the dam,
      Into the dam o Binorie, O.

5. "O sister, O sister give me your hand,
       Binorie, O, an' Binorie, O,
I'll gie you all my yellow gowd, I'll gie you all my land,
But I canna gie you the miller o Binorie, O."

6. "It wasna for your yellow gowd I dang you in,
      Binorie, O an' Binorie, O,
But ye're sae very white an' I'm sae very din,
   An' ye're the miller's bonnie lassie o Binorie, O."

7. The miller's servant lass she ran out to the dam,
      Binorie, O an' Binorie, O,
She saw a new droon't lady or a white silken swan,
    Floating up an' doon the dam o Binorie, O.

8. "Miller, miller there's fish in yer dam,
   Binorie, O an' Binorie, O
Or else a new droon't lady or a white silken swan,
Floating up an' doon the dam o Binorie, O."

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1. previous stanza missing- in the missing stanza this line should be where they go try and see the bonnie miller laddie