Hi,

There are numerous versions by the Scot travellers. This is by Johnny Whyte and is taken from his mother but is similar to John (Jock) Whyte's 1953 version (although Johnny's father was John (Jock) Whyte I'm not certain that they are the same). Johnny was born in 1910, traveled in Perth as a young man, and by 1975 when this was recorded was living in Montrose area near his brother Bryce Whyte (b. 1914) whose wife Betsy sang the same version. Johnny was recorded three times by Linda Williamson from 1975-78. The word "swim" in the refrain appears as sweem or sweems-- I've changed them all to "sweems." There is some melodic resemblance to the Kelby version collected by MacColl and sent to Bronson. Strangely the identical text is attributed to Christina MacAllister in MacColl's 1977 book, Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland.

Swan Sweems Sae Bonnie

1. Dear sisterie, dear sisterie, are you going for a walk,
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
And I'll show you wonderies before you come home,
And the swan but sweems sae bonnie-o.

2. Dear sister, dear sisterie, we'll go for a walk,
Hy-ie-o, eae bonnie-o;
If you show me wonderiee before we come home,
And the swan it sweems sae bonnie-o.

3. Dear sister, dear sisterie, we'll go for a walk,
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
If you show me wonderies before we come home,
And the swan 'at sweems sae bonnie-o.

4. Dear sisterie, dear sisterie, put your footen on marble stonie,
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
And I'll show you that wonderie before we turn home,
And the swan 'at sweems sae bonnie-o.

5. Dear sisterie, dear sisterie, I put my foot on the marble stonie,
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
But sly she throwed her against a' the stream,
And the swan 'at sweems sae bonnie-o.

6. Dear sister, dear sisterie, will you take-a my handie?
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
And I'll make you mistress of all my father's landie,
And the swan that sweem sae bonnie-o.

7. Sometime she sunk noo, other time she swum,
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
At last 'he came to the millerie's dam,
And the swan that sweems sae bonnie-o.

8. The millerie's maiden was out forie some waterie,
He-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
I see a maiden or a whitemilk swan,
And the swan that sweems sae bonnie-o.

9. Oh miller, oh millerie, oh dry up your dam,
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
I see a maiden or a white-milk swanie,
And the swan that sweems sae bonnie-o.

10 The miller drew noo up his dam
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
And then they took her and hand her oot,
And the swan that sweems sae bonnie-o.

11. There were three fiddleries on their-ie way
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
One o' them took three links of her hair-ie,
For to make the fiddle stringies
Her middle finger-ie for-ie tae make some fiddle pins
The other took now her-ie breast bone
For to mak a fiddle that would play a tune its lone
And the swan that sweems sae bonnie-o.

12. The three fiddlers went on their way,
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
Till they come to her father's castle wall
And the swan that sweems sae bonnie-o.

13. There now sits my father the king
Hy-ie-o, sae bonnie-o;
And likewise now my mother the queen,
And the swan that sweems sae bonnie-o.

14. Aye and there sits my false sister Jean,
[1st refrain omited]
Who's slyly throwed me against the stream,
And the swan 'at sweems sae bonnie-o.

* * * *

Richie