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Bonnie Jeannie O Bethelnie
(Trad)

Song Lyric as sung by Dick Gaughan

Thair wis fower an twanty nobles sat in the king's haa
An bonnie Glenlogie wis the flooer o thaim aa
Thair wis fower an twanty nobles rade thro Banchory fair
An bonnie Glenlogie wis the flooer o thaim thair

Thair wis six and six maidens sat in the king's haa
Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie wis the flooer o thaim aa
Doun cam Jeannie Gordon she cam trippin doun stairs
An she's chosen Glenlogie o aa that wis thair

Glenlogie, Glenlogie, gin ye'll prove kind
My luve is laid on ye an A've tellt ye my mind
Bit he's turnt him roun lichtlie, like the Gordons does aa
A thank ye, Jeannie Gordon, bit A'm promist awa

She's caad tae her maidens tae mak her a bed
Wi ribbons an napkins tae tie up her head
Bit out spak her faither an a wey man wis he
A'll wad ye tae Dumfendrum, he's mair gowd than he

Och, haud yer tongue, faither, for that maunnae be
Gin A getnae Glenlogie than for him will A dee
Bit her faither's ain chaplain, a man o great skill,
He's wrate a braid letter an indytet it weill

A pox on ye, Logie, nou sin it is so
Thair's a ladie's luve is on ye, maun she die in her woe?
An a pox on ye, Logie, nou sin it is time
Thair's a ladie's luve is on ye, maun she die in her prime?

Whan Logie got the letter, he bein amang men
It's out spak Glenlogie, whit does young women mean?
Whan he lookit on the letter, than a licht lauch gied he
Bit ere he read owre it, the tear blint his ee

Gae saddle me the black horse, gae saddle me the broun
Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie'll be deid ere A win
Bit the horses werenae saddled, nor lead on the green
Till bonnie Glenlogie wis three mile his lane

An sae pale an wan wis she whan Glenlogie he cam in
Bit it's reid an rosie grew she whan she kent it wis him
Whaur lies yer pain, ladie, does it lie in yer side?
Whaur lies yer pain, ladie, does it lie in yer heid?

O na, na, Glenlogie, ye're faur frae the pairt
For the pain that A lie under, it lies in my hert
Turn roun, Jeannie Gordon, turn roun on yer side
An A'll be the bridegroum an ye'll be the bride

Nou Jeannie's gotten mairriet an her tocher's doun tauld
Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie wis scarce saxteen year auld
O Bethelnie, o Bethelnie, ye shine whaur ye staun
An the heather bells aroun ye shine owre Fyvie's laun

Song Notes

This version is pretty much that as sung by John Strachan.

I added the second part of the tune. Although having a two-strain melody removes it from the classic ballad form, and in effect doubles the length of the verses, I felt it helped with adding a slight increase in pace at the crucial parts of the story. I didn't use it at the beginning because an essential element of the ballad form is the slightly hypnotic effect of a repetitive short and simple melody which sets the mood for the tale to follow. I saved the extra bit of the tune for the first real event in the story, the arrival of Jeannie and her setting her sights on Glenlogie.

The guitar tuning I use for this song is DAAEAE and I normally use a capo at the fifth fret, taking it into the key of D.

Glossary

The meanings of many Scots words can be inferred from context or similarity to English words with a common root. For the more difficult used in this song, here's a brief glossary.

gin :: if
wey :: woeful, worried
maun, maunnae :: may/must, may/must not
lane :: alone
tocher :: dowry

More help in the General Guide to Scots

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Recorded by Dick Gaughan

Gaughan (1978)
Live in Edinburgh (1985)

Also recorded by

Music is available for this song in these formats:
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