Bonnie Lassie (With My Rolling Eye)- Peter Christie (Aber) c.1929 Carpenter

Bonnie Lassie (With My Rolling Eye)- Peter Christie (Aber) c.1929 Carpenter

[From the Carpenter Collection; has the "Maid and Soldier" text (no ending) and the "With my rollin' eye" chorus.

R. Matteson 2018]

Bonnie Lassie (With My Rolling Eye) sung by Peter Christie, 21 years old of Shorehead, Stonehaven, Scotland (Carpenter 1929-1936)

As I was walking up the street,
I met a bonnie lassie,
She looked to me and I to her,
And O but she was sassy.

CHORUS: Wi' my rollin' eye, fol-de do or die
Rolli-mi-nairin-aido, wi' my rollin' eye.

Where are ye[1] going, my gay bonny lass,
Where are ye going, my honey?
Right modestly she answered me,
An errand to my mammy.

How old are ye, my gay bonny lass,
How old are ye, my honey?
Right modestly she answered me,
I'm sixteen years come Sunday.

Will ye gie me a kiss, my gay bonny lass,
Will ye gie me a kiss, my honey?
Right modestly she answered me,
I dare na for my mommie.

You'll come at night when the moon shines bright[2],
And knock at my bed window
I'll open the door and let you in
And my mommie will na hear you.

He came at night when the moon shone bright[2]
And knocked at her bed window
She opened the door and let him in
And her mommie did na hear them.
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1. MS has "you"
2. wording for this line unconventional, usually subdivided; the standard second line is "When the moon shines bright and clearly,"