There Were Three Sisters- Goldie (Renf) c.1825 Child H
[My location, date. Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 147. The informant may be "J. Goldie" for John Goldie of Paisley.
The opening line "There Were Three Sisters" of Child H compares the first verse lines of Opie-Oxford2 479, "There were three sisters in a hall"- a different song with earliest date in Opie-Oxford2 , c.1630. Opie-Oxford2 479 is a riddle beginning:
"There were three sisters in a hall,
There came a knight amongst them all ...."
which resembles Child H:
"There were three sisters lived in a hall,
And there came a lord to court them all...."
Goldie's ballad has the "bonnie bows" refrains found in another version in Motherwell's MS and Buchan.
R. Matteson 2014, 2018]
THERE WERE THREE SISTERS- taken from I. Goldie (J. Goldie?) in March, 1825.
1 There were three sisters lived in a hall,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And there came a lord to court them all.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
2 He courted the eldest with a penknife,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And he vowed that he would take her life.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
3 He courted the youngest with a glove,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And he said that he'd be her true love.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
4 'O sister, O sister, will you go and take a walk,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And see our father's ships how they float?
At the bonnie bows o London town.
5 'O lean your foot upon the stone,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And wash your hand in that sea-foam.'
At the bonnie bows o London town.
6 She leaned her foot upon the stone,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
But her eldest sister has tumbled her down.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
7 'O sister, sister, give me your hand,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And I'll make you lady of all my land.'
At the bonnie bows o London town.
8 'O I'll not lend to you my hand,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
But I'll be lady of your land.'
At the bonnie bows o London town.
9 'O sister, sister, give me your glove,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And I'll make you lady of my true love.'
At the bonnie bows o London town.
10 'It's I'll not lend to you my glove,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
But I'll be lady of your true love.'
At the bonnie bows o London town.
11 Sometimes she sank, and sometimes she swam,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
Until she came to a miller's dam.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
12 The miller's daughter was coming out wi speed,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
For water for to bake some bread.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
13 'O father, father, stop the dam,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
For it's either a lady or a milk-white swan.'
At the bonnie bows o London town.
14 He dragged her out unto the shore,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And stripped her of all she wore.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
15 By cam a fiddler, and he was fair,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And he buskit his bow in her bonnie yellow hair.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
16 By cam her father's harper, and he was fine,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
he made a harp o her bonny breast-bone.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
17 When they came to her father's court,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
The harp [and fiddle these words] spoke:
At the bonnie bows o London town.
18 'O God bless my father the king,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
And I wish the same to my mother the queen.
At the bonnie bows o London town.
19 'My sister Jane she tumbled me in,
Hey with the gay and the grandeur O
. . . . . . . . .
At the bonnie bows o London town.
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