The Bonny Bows of London- (N. Scot) Buchan 1828 Child Version O a.
[From Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland, p. 128, Buchan, 1828.
Child Version O. 'The Bonny Bows o London.'
a. Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 128.
b. Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, i, 42. Child version Ob.
Christie has borrowed Buchan's text and made minor changes. Buchan's refrains agree with Motherwell (Child F) and have the standard Scottish text (some variation) with the resuscitation ending.
R. Matteson 2014, 2018]
This was supplied from Digital Tradition as the melody of Buchan's text. See also Christie's version with music.
The "Bows" are a tributary of the Thames in an area of London called "Bow", where the river snakes its way to the Thames.
The Bonny Bows of London
THE BONNY BOWS O' LONDON- Page 128, Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland
NOTES: I have seen four or five different versions of this ballad; but none in this dress, nor with the same chorus, which makes me give its insertion here. In this copy, we are informed that the lady's suitor was a king's son, whereas, in most of the others, he was only a baron. The fatal incidents are nearly the same. The old woman, from whose recitation I took it down, says, she had heard another way of it, quite local, whose burden runs thus :— "Even into Buchanshire, vari, vari, O."
There were twa sisters in a bower,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
And ae king's son hae courted them baith,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
He courted the youngest wi' broach and ring,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
He courted the eldest wi' some other thing,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
It fell ance upon a day,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding,
The eldest to the youngest did say,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
Will ye gae to yon Tweed mill dam,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
And see our father's ships come to land,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
They baith stood up upon a stane,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
The eldest dang the youngest in,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
She swimmed up, sae did she down,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
Till she came to the Tweed mill-dam,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
The millar's servant he came out,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
And saw the lady floating about,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
O master, master, set your mill,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
There is a fish, or a milk-white swan,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
They could not ken her yellow hair,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
The scales o' gowd that were laid there,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
They could not ken her fingers sae white,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
The rings o' gowd they were sae bright,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
They could not ken her middle sae jimp,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
The stays o' gowd were so well laced,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
They could not ken her foot sae fair,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
The shoes o' gowd they were so rare,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
Her father's fiddler he came by,
Hey wi' the gowd and the grinding;
Upstarted her ghaist before his eye,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
Ye'll take a lock o' my yellow hair,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
Ye'll make a string to your fiddle there,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
Ye'll take a lith o' my little finger bane,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
And ye'll make a pin to your fiddle then,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
He's ta'en a lock o' her yellow hair,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
And made a string to his fiddle there,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
He's taen a lrth o' her little finger bane,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
And he's made a pin to his fiddle then,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.
The first and spring the fiddle did play,
Hey wi' the gay and the grinding;
Said, Ye'll drown my sister, as she's dune me,
At the bonny, bonny bows o' London.