The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #10951   Message #88647
Posted By: Joe Offer
22-Jun-99 - 08:07 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Bonny / Bonnie Light Horseman
Subject: Origins: Bonny/Bonnie Light Horseman
Here's the Traditional Ballad Index Entry on this song:
The Digital Tradition has four versions of the song:

THE BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN

Ye wise maids and widows, pray listen to me.
To this sad tale I rehearse unto thee
A maid in distress who will now be a rover
She relies on King George for the loss of her lover

cho: Broken-hearted I'll wander, broken-hearted I'll remain
For my bonny light horseman, in the wars he was slain.

Three years and six months since he left England's shore,
My bonny light horseman, will I ne'er see him more?
He's mounted on horseback, so gallant and gay
And among the whole regiment respected was he.

When Boney commanded his armies to stand,
He leveled his cannon right over the land,
He levelled his cannons his victory to gain
And he slew my light horseman on the way coming hame.

The dove she laments for her mate as she flies;
"Oh where, tell me where is my darling? " she cries
And where in this world is there one to compare
With my bonny light horseman who was slain in the war ?"

Recorded by Planxty on After the Break
@war @soldier @death @parting
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BROKEN HEARTED I WANDERED

1.
Broken hearted I wandered,
For the loss of my true lover,
He's a jolly, jolly horseman,
In the battle he was slain.

He had but one sixpence,
And he broke it in two,
And he gave to me the half o't
Before he went away.

He wrote me a letter
In the month of November,
And he told me not to worry
As he was coming home.

2.
Broken-hearted we parted
At the loss of my beloved
He was a jolly sailor
And in battle he was killed.

He had a silver sixpence
And he broke it in two
And he gave me the one half
Before he went away.

He wrote me a letter
And sealed it with his hands
And he told me not to worry
For he was coming home.

Oh were I an angel
And had I wings that I might fly
I'd go to yonder valley
Where my beloved lies.

3.
Broken-hearted I wander,
At the loss of my brother;
He's a jolly, jolly fellow,
At the battle he was slain;
He had a silver sixpence,
And he broke it in twae,
And he gave me the half o't
Before he went away.
If I were an angel
I would fly to the skies,
And far beyond the mountains
Where my dear brother lies.
________________________________________________________

(1) Skipping song; MacColl, Streets of Song, no. 24. "Both
feet together and turning a half circle at each skip.
Learned in Glasgow as a child. The song is also used
for a ring game in Scotland."
Ritchie Singing Street (1964), 29, has a version from
Edinburgh, c. 1918, very close to this. Differs: 1.2 At the
loss of my beloved: 1.3 soldier 1.4 And to battle he must go.
2.1 He gave me a silver sixpence [And an addendum:] Sweet
home/ Marrow bone/ Treacle scone/ Ice-cream cone/ Uncle John!
(2) Ritchie op. cit.,95.
(3) Rymour Club Misc. I (1906-11), 148, from Gorgie
Public School, Edinburgh. The music "is evidently an
adaptation of `Hallelujah to the Lamb'."

@love @playparty
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BONNIE LIGHT HORSEMAN (3)

Come ye maids, wives, and widows, I would have you pay attention
Unto these few words I am now going to mention
Of a female distracted who is now to wander --
She relies upon George for the loss of her lover

cho: Broken-hearted I'll wander for the loss of my lover;
My bonnie light horseman, in the wars he lies slain.

When Boney commanded his troops where to stand,
He proud held his banner both glorious and grand;
He fixed the cannons, the victory to gain,
And my bonnie light horseman, in the wars he lies slain.

I will dress in man's apparel; to his reg'ment I will go.
I will be a true soldier, to fight all his foes,
And I'd think it an honour, if I could obtain,
To die in those fields where my true love lies slain.

Had I the wings of an eagle, through the air I would fly,
I would fly to the place where my true love doth lie,
And with my fond wings, I would bear on his grave,
And I'd kiss those sweet lips that lie cold as the clay.

note: "Boney" in this song is, of course, Napoleon Bonaparte. "George" is
George III, who was English king during the Napoleonic Wars, though
by this time he was usually mad. The regent was his son, also
George (later George IV). One of Napoleon's favoured tactics was
to line up his artillery just outside musket range and use canister
(casings containing many small projectiles) to tear the opposing
infantry or cavalry to shreds (see the second verse). The theme of
dressing in man's apparel found in the third stanza of this version
is lacking in other versions of the song. This version recorded by
Lisa Null with Bill Shute on "American Primitive." RW

@Napoleon @battle @death @war
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RW


BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN (4)

Ye wise maids and widows, I pray give attention
Unto these few lines I'm now going to mention
Our maid in distraction, I'm now going to wander
She relies upon George for the loss of her lover

cho: Broken-hearted I'll wander for the loss of my lover
My bonny light horseman was slain in the war.

Three years and six months since he left England's shore,
My bonny light horseman I'll never see more.
When he mounted on horseback so gallant and brave,
And among the whole regiment respected he was.

There does she lament for the loss of her mate,
"Oh, where will I wander, my true love ! " she said,
"There is no mortal breathing my favour shall gain
Since my bonny light horseman in war he was slain."

If I had wings of an eagle in the air I would fly,
I would fly o'er the field where my true love does lie,
And with my fond wings I would bear on his grave,
And kiss the cold lips that lie cold in the clay.

When Boney commanded his men how to stand
And proud moved the banners all gayly and grand,
He fixed his cannon the victory to gain,
But my bonny light horseman in the war he was slain.

From Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia, Creighton
@Canada @war @soldier @death
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No. 69. Bonny Light Horseman.
A broadside of Waterloo.
apr97