Three Sisters On The Bonnie Bonnie Banks Of The Rye O- Engler (AR) 1969
[From the Max Hunter Collection. If authentic and it seems to be, this is the only traditional version from the the Mid-West. Because it was collected in 1969, and no information is provided, we just don't know the pedigree of this version. Certainly it could have been taken from a book and passed down a few times.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
Three Sisters On The Bonnie, Bonnie Banks Of The Rye-O- As sung by Mrs. Norman Engler, Lakeview, Arkansas on April 16, 1969; Collected by Jerry Hays from the Max Hunter Collection
[Listen: http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=0815]
VERSE 1
Three sisters went out walking one day
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
An' there they met a bank robber
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 2
He took the first one by the hand
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
He gave her wheel[1] an' made her stan',
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 3
It's, will you be a bank robber's wife
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
Or will you die by my pen knife
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 4
I will not be a bank robber's wife
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
I'd rather die by your pen knife
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 5
So, then he drew his pen knife out
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
And there he ended her sweet life
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 6
He took the second one by the hand
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
He gave her a wheel an' a pitiful offend[2]
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 7
It's, will you be a bank robber's wife
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
Or will you die by my pen knife
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 8
I will not be a bank robber's wife
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
I'd rather die by your pen knife
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 9
So, then he drew his pen knife out
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
And there he ended her sweet life
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 10
He took the third one by the hand
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
He gave her a wheel an' a pitiful offend
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 11
It's, will you be a bank robber's wife
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
Or will you die by my pen knife
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 12
I will not be a bank robber's wife
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
Nor will I die by your pen knife
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 13
If my two brothers, they were here
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
They would not see us dying here
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 14
Pray tell me who your brothers are,
O, by yolly on th low, li, day
One is a minister an' the other like you
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 15
O dear, O dear, what have I done
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
I've killed my sisters, all but one
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
VERSE 16
So, then he drew his pen knife out
O, by yolly on the low, li, day
An' there he ended his own wicked life
On the bonny, bonny banks of the Rye-O
1. He gave her whell an' pin cushioned (originally); transcription is wrong here, I've changed it, *wheel for "whirl." Also pin-cushion is changed to what is probably was at one point, make her stan'.
2. "offend" could easily be "stand."