Dick Gaughan - The Bonnie Banks O Fordie

[@malcolmmacwattvideos]

My favourite murder ballad ever! Dick Gaughan is a national treasure and a huge influence

[@tairneanaich]

My father and granda sang this tae me as a bairn, i never knew what it actually meant. Now that I listen tae it again, it's made me cry.

[@railwaystationmaster]

i know that feeling only too well, the power of music can turn a mood in a few lines of magic

[@railwaystationmaster]

PERFECTION PERSONIFIED !

[@paolobianconi495]

One of my favourite murder ballad

[@elgolondrima3499]

so beautiful !

[@ConorODonnell]

Wonderful stuff.

[@alphacarinae57]

the saddest song of all time

[@Cat42timoshenka]

So apparently he learnt it from his mother, who learnt it as a child in Lochaber and used to use it as a song for a skipping game!

[@cullenkerr6556]

Well, there were twa sisters wha lived in a bouer Oh an' they gaed out aye tae pu' a flouer They gaed out aye tae pu' a flouer A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie Whan by there cam' a banisht man Oh he's turned them 'roun' an' he's made them stand He's turned them 'roun' an' he's made them stand A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie He's taen the first ane by the hand Oh he's turned her 'roun' an' he's made her stand He's turned her 'roun' an' he's made her stand A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "Noo it's will ye be a robber's wife? Or will ye die by my penknife? Will ye die by my penknife?" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "No, I'll no be a robber's wife And nor will I die by your penknife Will I die by your penknife" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie So he's taen oot his wee penknife Oh and he hae taen o' her life He hae taen o' her life A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie O So he's taen the second ane by the hand Oh he's turned her 'roun' an' he's made her stand He's turned her 'roun' an' he's made her stand A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "Oh it's will ye be a robber's wife? Or will ye die by my penknife? Will ye die by my penknife?" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "No, I'll no be a robber's wife Nor will I die by your penknife Will I die by your penknife" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "For I hae brither in this country Well, if you kill me, he'll kill thee If you kill me, then it's he'll kill thee" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie O "Gae tell tae me yer brither's name" "My brither's name, it's Babylon My brither's name, it's Babylon" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "Oh sister, what hae I done tae thee? Hae I done this dreadful thing tae thee? Hae I done this dreadful thing tae thee?" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie So he's taen oot his wee penknife An' he hae taen o' his ain life He hae taen o' his ain life A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie O

[@catamaraner]

Three sisters. The third one mentioned her brother. This tune is much better fitted to the subject than the Old Blind Dogs version, which is more like the children's game song documented in Edinburgh and Glasgow in the early 20c.

[@patriciafreitas6451]

The Bonnie Banks O fordie O Well, there were twa sisters wha lived in a bouer Oh an' they gaed out aye tae pu' a flouer They gaed out aye tae pu' a flouer A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie Whan by there cam' a banisht man Oh he's turned them 'roun' an' he's made them stand He's turned them 'roun' an' he's made them stand A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie He's taen the first ane by the hand Oh he's turned her 'roun' an' he's made her stand He's turned her 'roun' an' he's made her stand A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "Noo it's will ye be a robber's wife? Or will ye die by my penknife? Will ye die by my penknife?" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "No, I'll no be a robber's wife And nor will I die by your penknife Will I die by your penknife" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie So he's taen oot his wee penknife Oh and he hae taen o' her life He hae taen o' her life A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie O So he's taen the second ane by the hand Oh he's turned her 'roun' an' he's made her stand He's turned her 'roun' an' he's made her stand A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "Oh it's will ye be a robber's wife? Or will ye die by my penknife? Will ye die by my penknife?" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "No, I'll no be a robber's wife Nor will I die by your penknife Will I die by your penknife" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "For I hae brither in this country Well, if you kill me, he'll kill thee If you kill me, then it's he'll kill thee" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie O "Gae tell tae me yer brither's name" "My brither's name, it's Babylon My brither's name, it's Babylon" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie "Oh sister, what hae I done tae thee? Hae I done this dreadful thing tae thee? Hae I done this dreadful thing tae thee?" A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie So he's taen oot his wee penknife An' he hae taen o' his ain life He hae taen o' his ain life A' doun by the bonnie banks o' Fordie O

[@ingramjd]

an American wondered into here.......*sob*!

[@Cat42timoshenka]

Do you know where he got his tune for this from?

[@womp4275]

Would love to have a source for proper lyrics. All sources are vague.

[@jtpinnyc]

Mainly Norfolk has the Dick Gaughan version transcribed mainlynorfolk.info/nic.jones/songs/thebonniebanksoffordie.html

[@bernardwills9674]

Can anyone explain why the lady's brother would have a name as odd as Babylon?

[@stonethecrows25]

In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Babylon is: Confusion, mixed-up.

[@bernardwills9674]

@@stonethecrows25 Well he is mixed up as to the identity of the women he murders...so, his name is confusion?

[@stonethecrows25]

@@bernardwills9674 Maybe so. Perhaps it means somone who is mixed up and gone wrong. i.e, a murderer!

[@nancyholcombe8030]

@BernardWills, Stone the Crows is right about the word translation. I had to listen to Mr. Gaughan's song twice before I was sure of the meaning. The second sister thought she recognized an older brother long gone away perhaps to war or just to seek his fortune but he wound up killing and it became a way of life. He , however, didn't recognize them until she called her brother Babylon, a name any Catholic back then would know. It brought him to his senses that he was killing his own kin and commited suicide. Whether he was her actual brother or simply a fellow Scot gone errant is debatable and not covered but the theme is rampant in the early British Isles as many Scottish men went to wars on mainland Europe because there was no other way to make money.

[@bernardwills9674]

@@nancyholcombe8030 thanks!

[@jtpinnyc]

I have no idea sorry...maybe it's his own tune set to traditional words?

[@zacharylancaster1765]

Does anyone know the chords on guitar to this song? Thank you

[@stasiso]

I can transcribe for you. Do you still need it?