Bluegrass Messengers

Binnorie, O Binnorie- Robert Ford 1901

[The text for Ford's air (from Lugton) seems to be based on Sir Walter Scott's (Child C) Cruel Sister text from 1802 with minor changes. The stanzas at the end are different than Scott's.]
 

From: Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland: Second Series; Volume 2 edited by Robert Ford 1901 (p.190-194)

Few collections of Scottish ballads have appeared within the last two hundred years which do not embrace a copy of the above, in one or other of its many forms, and under one or other of its various titles of, "The Cruel Sister," "The Drowned Lady," "The Bonnie Bows o' London," "Sister, Dear Sister," "The Miller and the King's Daughter," or the one here chosen. And if the text and titles have varied so also have the refrains. Sometimes it has been printed with a deal of repetition, and this curious refrain :—

"There were twa sisters sat in a bour,
Edinborough, Edinborough;
There were twa sisters sat in a bour,
Stirling for aye,
There were twa sisters sat in a bour,
There cam' a knight to be their wooer,
Bonnie Saint Johnstoun stands upon Tay."

Other refrains have been "Hey ho, my Nanny O," and "While the swan swims bonnie O." Whilst on the borderland it has been found with "Norham, O Norham," and "By the bonnie mill-dams o' Norham." For the very excellent melody here printed, perhaps the original air, and which has certainly the real old ballad cry in it, I am indebted to Mr. Thomas Lugton, Glasgow, who says it was noted by a friend of his own from the singing of a country person in the neighbourhood of Coldstream, Berwickshire, in or about the year 1830.



 

1. There were twa sisters lived in a bower,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
There cam' a knight to be their wooer,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

2. He courted the eldest wi' glove and ring,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
But he lo'ed the youngest abune a' thing,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

3. The eldest she was vexed sair,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
And much envied her sister fair,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

4. The eldest said to the youngest ane,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"Will ye see our father's ships come in?"
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

5. She's ta'en her by the lily hand;
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
And led her down to the river strand,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

6. The youngest stood upon a stane;
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
The eldest cam' and pushed her in,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

7. "O sister, sister, reach your hand,"
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"And ye shall be heir o' half my land,"
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

8. "O sister, I'll not reach my hand."
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"And I'll be heir o' a' your land,"
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

9. "Shame fa' the hand that I should take,"
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"It has twined me and my world's make,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie."

10. "O sister, sister, reach your glove,"
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"And sweet William shall be your love,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

11. "Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove,"
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"And sweet William shall better be my love,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie."

12. "Your cherry cheeks, and yellow hair,"
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"Had garr'd me gang maiden evermair,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie."

13. Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
Until she cam' to the miller's dam,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

14. The miller hasted and drew his dam,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
And there he found a drown'd woman,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

15. Upon her fingers, lily-white,—
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
The jewel-rings were shining bright,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

16. Ye couldna see her yellow hair,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
For gowd and pearls, a' sae rare,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

17. Ye couldna see her middle sma',
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
Her gowden girdle was sae braw,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

18. The miller's daughter was baking bread,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
And gaed for water as she had need,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

19. "O father, father, draw your dam!"
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"There's a mermaid or a milk-white swan,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

20. Ye couldna see her lily feet,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
Her gowden fringes were sae deep,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

21. Its by there come a harper fine,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
Wha harp'd to nobles when they dine,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

22. And when he looked that lady on,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
He sighed, and made a heavy moan,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

23. He's made a harp o' her breast bane,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
Whase sounds would melt a heart o' stane,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

24. He's ta'en three locks o' her yellow hair,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
And wi' them strung his harp sae rare,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

25. He went into her father's ha',
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
And played his harp before them a',
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

26. And first the harp sung loud and clear,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"Farewell, my father and mother dear,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie."

27. Neist when the harp began to sing,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
Twas "Farewell, William," said the string,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie.

28. And then as plain as plain could be,
Binnorie, O Binnorie!
"There sits my sister, wha drowned me,
By the bonnie mill-dams o' Binnorie."

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US AND CANADIAN VERSIONS______________________________

 

The Two Sisters- Brown Collection (NC) 1915

[The Brown Collection of NC Folklore is one of the better US collections and has five music examples.]

B. 'Old Man from the North Countree.' Contributed by Otis S. Kuykendall of Asheville in 1939. The intercalated refrain and repeat line run through all the stanzas without change.

1 There was an old man from the North Countree
Bow down
There was an old man from the North Countree
Bow down and balance me
There was an old man from the North Countree,
He had daughters one, two, three.
I'll be true to you, my love, if you'll be true to me.

2 He bought the youngest a silken hat;
The eldest daughter couldn't stand that.

3 They walked down to the water's brink.
The eldest pushed the youngest in.

4 She floated down to the miller's dam.
The miller pulled her to dry ground,

5 From her hands he took five rings,
And then he pushed her in again.

6 They hung the miller on the gallows high;
The eldest daughter hung near by.

Brown (Child 10) Music Section:  A. 'The Two Sisters.' There is no recording of this version, but the Collection contains two manuscript copies, in different hands but otherwise identical, of the words and tune. It is included here, though it is probably not of North Carolina provenience.

For melodic relationship cf. *FSF 243-4, No. 147A. The melodic intervals of the first three measures of our version are the same. Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aa1a1b (4,4,4,4).

E. 'Twa Sisters.' Sung by Pat Frye, of East Bend, Yadkin county, in 1945. From the original recording by Dr. W. A. Abrams. It is quite evident that the singer has shortened the melody at vital cadential points, measures 3 and again 11.

For melodic relationship cf. *BSM i8, version A, last two measures; version B, our measures 6-7 with 7-8; ibid. 21, version E, our measures 3-4 and 6-7 with 3-4 and 7-8; also SharpK I, No. 5B, measures 6-7 and possibly 5K, the latter, however, being in minor key. The general melodic outline of the first four measures has points in common with FMNEE 37: 'Binnorie.'
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: f, or ab (7,7), an unusual build-up. Structure: aa1bb1 (3,4,4,3),

F. 'Twa Sisters.' Sung by Horton Barker. Record contributed by Dr. W. A. Abrams to the present editor in 1951; also sung to the latter personally by the same singer at his home in Chilhowie, Virginia, June, 1952. Cf. FSS 521, 'The Miller's Two Daughters,' to show how different ideas of various songs can be combined to form a new version. [Barker was not from NC but his version is included here.]

For melodic relationship cf. ***JAFL, xlv, 1932, 2-3, No. 175; **FSSH 39, No. 4A. Beginning with the third measure, there is considerable similarity; also SharpK i. No. 5B, measures 8-9 with 5-6 in our version; ibid., first two measures in both, and 5L, our measures 9-12 with 13-16 there.
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: abcdb1a1 (2,2,2,2. 2,2) ; b1 and a1 are considerably varied.

1. There was an old woman lived on the sea shore,
Bow and balance to me.
There was an old woman lived on the sea shore,
Her number of daughters one, two three four,
And I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

2 There was a young man came there to see them,
Bow and balance to me.
There was a young man came there to see them,
And the oldest one got struck on him,
And I'll be true to my love, [dear,]
If my love will be true to me.

The remaining stanzas follow the same pattern.

3 He bought the youngest a beaver hat
And the oldest got mad at that.

4 'O sister, o sister, let's walk the seashore
And see the ships as they sail o'er.'

5 While these two sisters were walking the shore
The oldest pushed the youngest o'er.

6 'O sister, o sister, please lend me your hand
And you may have Willie and all of his land.'

7 T never, I never will lend you my hand.
But I'll have Willie and all of his land.'

8 Sometimes she sank and sometimes she swam
Until she came to the old mill dam.

9 'O father, o father, come draw your dam.
Here's sister a mermaid or a swan.'

10 'O miller, o miller, here's five gold rings
To put me safe on shore again.'

11 The miller received those five gold rings
And pushed the maiden in again.

12 The miller was hung on his old mill gate
For drowning little sister Kate.

G. 'The Twa Sisters.' Sung by Mrs. Anna Johnson. Recorded from the original procured by Dr. W. A. Abrams at North Wilkesboro, Wilkes county, September 14, 1941. The last four measures of our version show some relationship with those of the Horton Barker version.

For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK I, 31, No. 5G, almost throughout; FSSH 39, No. 4A and AMS 27. *DD 70-71 : compare our 'Down and balance to me' with 'Bowes down' and 'Bow and balance to me' ; also the beginning in both which recurs when the phrase is repeated. Likewise our last 6 measures with the last five of the other version. OFS I, 60, No. 4G. Compare the phrase 'daughters one, two, three.'

Scale : Mode II, plagal. Tonal Center: c. Structure : abaca1dea2 (2,1,2,1,2,2,2,2) = aa1a2b (3,3,4.4)-

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The Two Sisters (Peter and I)- Ammerman (Michigan) 1931 Ballads and Songs of Michigan

[Despite the poor visual quality of the music below, this version has a play-party type melody and the lyrics are quite different from the standard ballad. The ballad has been found in Kentucky (with standard lyrics) and Missouri as a play-party song. Under the title, Peter and I, the ballad has been recorded by Peggy Seeger. [Click to play: Peter and I- Peggy Seeger]]

From: Ballads and Songs of Michigan by Emelyn Elizabeth Gardner and Geraldine Jencks Chickering
Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press
London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press : 1939