Lyr Req: Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

Subject: Lyr Req: Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 02:26 PM

Hi,

I've been looking for the words to "Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie," which I found most of in Ford's "Vagabond Songs & Ballads." But I only have a xerox of the pages, and the last verses seemed to be missing.

On the internet I found some other verses, including the following:

A fig, I say, for jacking grown,
Or priest or elder in the toun
I'll tak' the warld, rough and roun'
Wi' bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

Does anyone know what the phrase "jacking grown" refers to, or is it perhaps a corruption of the original words? If anyone has a copy of "Vagagonds" and can check, I'd be very grateful!

tx,
k.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 02:58 PM

This any help

Of a'the lads in Tinwald toun
The lovely fair, the black or broun
There never was sae droll a loon
As bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

My dad a peck o'lint did sow
I gaed top see how it did grow
When wha come skipping owre the knowe
But bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

Terry owden dowden day
The queerest loon in laich or brae
Is bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

I wandred oot to weed the same
My laddie ken'd I was frae hame
To follow me ha wasna lame
My bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

I took the flax unto the mill
My jewel follow'd after still
And coming hame I gat a gill
Frae bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

Terry owden dowden day ...

At last, a'e night, into the park
I met with him when it was dark
And, oh, the kissin' that I gat
Frae bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

But Johnnie's true, he did me wed
Yestreen before the priest we gaed
I carena noo for man or lad
Sin' I hae Johnnie Lowrie

Terry owden dowden day ...

A fig, say I, for jacking grown
Or priest or elder in the toun
I'll tak' the warld, rough and roun'
Wi' bonnie Johnnie Lowrie

Giok

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 03:13 PM

If you go to part8 0f this interesting document, here you'll find the expression 'jaw jacking' as a term for yarning, groun' is ground, so it could be a place where people met for a chat.
Giok

Subject: Lyr & Tune Add: Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 07:16 PM

The words are "jacking gown," whose meaning I don't know.

From Robert Ford's Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland [first series] (1899, pp. 236-38):

    BONNIE JOHNNIE LOWRIE

X:1
T:BONNIE JOHNNIE LOWRIE
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
B|B e e d B G d B|B e e f g3/2 e/ f
w:Of a' the lads in Tin-wald town, The love-ly fair, or black, or brown,
d|B/ e3/2 e d B G d3/2 B/|B/ e3/2 d B A2 A z||
w:There nev-er was sae droll a loon As bon-nie John-nie Low-rie.
G/ E3/2 E G D E GA|G/ E3/2 E F G A B3/2
w:Ter-rie ow-den dow-den day,_ Ter-rie ow-den dow-den day,
A/|G/ E3/2 E G D3/2 E G A|B/ e3/2 d B A2 A||
w:The queer-est loon in laigh or brae, Is bon-nie John-nie Low-rie.

Of a' the lads in Tinwald town
The lovely fair, or black or brown,
There never was sae droll a loon
    As bonnie Johnnie Lowrie.

    Tirrie owden, dowden dow, etc. [sic]

My dad a peck o' lint did sow,
I gaed to see how it did grow,
When wha come skipping owre the knowe,
   But bonnie Johnnie Lowrie.

I wandered oot to weed the same,
My laddie ken'd I was frae hame;
To follow me he wasna lame,
   My bonnie Johnnie Lowrie.

I took the flax unto the mill,
My jewel follow'd after still;
And coming hame I gat a gill
   Frae bonnie Johnnie Lowrie.

When I gaed to the Bar to shear,
Close at my heels I had my dear;
I in the kemp the gree did bear
   Wi' bonnie Johnnie Lowrie.

And when I went to the Rood-fair,
I wat I didna want my share
O' a' the good things that were there,
   Frae bonnie Johnnie Lowrie.

At last, a'e nicht, into the park,
I met wi' him when it was dark,
And, oh, the kissin' that I gat
   Frae bonnie Johnnie Lowrie!

But Johnnie's true; he did me wed,
Yestreen before the priest we gaed;
I carena noo for mam or lad,
   Sin' I hae Johnnie Lowrie.

A fig, say I, for jacking gown,
Or priest or Elder in the toun;
I'll tak' the warld, rough and roun',
   Wi' bonnie Johnnie Lowrie.

Until recently I knew this song by name only, though, by name, very well; and the copy here presented--with slight modifications--I discovered in a chapbook, printed at Kilmarnock (no date), which contains besides "Willie was a Wanton Wag," "Bailie Nicol Jarvie's Journey to Aberfoyle," "Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad," and "Scottish Whiskie." The mention of Tinwald in the opening line marks the song as presumably a native of Dumfries-shire.

A related version titled "Johney Lowre" ("Of all the lads in Glasgow town ...") is at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads.

johney lowre [title]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 10:09 PM

From the above broadside:

What care I for silk or gown,
Priest or elder of the town
I'll take the world rough and round
    With dumping Johney Lowre.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 12:02 PM

Could have been
What care I for jacket, gown
Priest or elder in the town

Remember that the pronounciations would be goon and toon respectively, a jacket would have been jaickit.

Giok

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonnie Johnnie Lowrie
From: friskett
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 05:00 PM

Many thanks to all for this helpful input!

k.