Lyr Req: The Water o' Wearie's Well

Subject: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: purrplevoice
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:31 PM

Hi folks, tis me again lookin' for another set of lyrics. Thanks all for your responses with HE moved through the Fair, I have found out Karen Casey sings the version I am looking for but I havn't managed to get the words yet.
Looking for the lyrics to The Waters o' Weeries Well. I have been looking for this for about 2 weeks and getting nowhere.What am I doing wrong?

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: Peace
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:37 PM

Do you have any words from it? Any at all? AND, are you 100% sure of the spelling?

Subject: Lyr Add: BONNIE WELLS O' WEARIE
From: Effsee
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:40 PM

Is this what you're looking for? Sorry, can't supply the tune.


Bonnie Wells o' Wearie
^^
The "Wells o' Wearie" used to be at the southern end of Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. Arthur's Seat, mentioned in the song, is close by and the Lily of St Leonard's and the Laird in the 2nd verse are characters in Scott's "Heart of Midlothian".


Bonnie Wells o' Wearie
Come let us climb auld Arthur Seat,
When summer flow'rs are blooming;
When golden broom and heather bells
Are a' the air perfuming.
When sweet May gowans deck the braes,
The hours flee past fu' cheerie,
Where bonnie lassies bleach their claes
Beside the Wells o' Wearie!
Chorus:
The bonnie Wells o' Wearie!
The bonnie Wells o' Wearie!
Come let us spend a summer day
Beside the Wells o' Wearie!

The "Lily o' St. Leonards" there
Oft spent a sweet May morning,
Wi' gowans gay and sweet blue-bells
Her golden locks adorning.
And there the "Laird o' Dumbiedikes"
Aft gaed to woo his dearie,
And watch his fleecy flocks wi' care,
Beside the Wells o' Wearie!

Chorus:

There Scotland's Queen in stormy times
Forgot her saddest story;
There brave Prince Charlie led his clans
To deeds o' martial glory.
When Johnnie Cope, wi' a' his men
Were scatter'd tamplinteerie,
There Scotland's banner proudly waved
Beside the Wells o' Wearie!

Chorus:

Then let us hail auld Arthur Seat:
Like Scotland's rampant lion,
It tow'rs, a wonder o' the world,
The wildest storms defyin'.
Wi' dauntless front 'neath summer skies,
Or wintry blasts sae dreary,
It stands in peace or war to guard
The bonnie Wells o' Wearie!

Chorus:

O lang may bonnie lassies fair
Wi' Nature's charms around them,
Still bleach their claes on flow'ry braes,
Wi' nae sad cares to wound them!
Lang may her sons 'mid fairy scenes,
Wi' hearts richt leal and cheerie,
Still meet to sing their patriot sangs
Beside the Wells o' Wearie!

Meaning of unusual words:
gowans=daisy, often the mountain daisy
braes=hillsides
claes=clothes
tamplinteerie=topsy-turvy
leal=loyal, faithful

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: Peace
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:40 PM

Water o' Wearies Well

The above appeared with an alternate spelling. I will go search now. Maybe some of the real music folks will get on it too?

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: Peace
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:44 PM

"as the wicked dove that whispers temptation in the sweet French folk-song; as the "bird that came out of a bush, on water for to dine," in the Water o' Wearies Well."

from here.

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: Peace
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:44 PM

My apologies Effsee. Didn't see your post.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WELLS OF WEARIE
From: Effsee
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 04:53 PM

No apology required, Peace; it seems this is what is being sought.

The Wells of Wearie. Trad^^

There came a bird oot o a bush
On water for tae dine
An sighing said this lady fair
' oh woe's this heart o mine!'

And he's ta'en a harp intae his had
And he's harped them all asleep
Except it was the King's daughter
Who couldna get a wink

And he's mounted on his berry-brown steed
Ta'en her behind himsel'
And on they rode to that water
That they call Wearie's Well

'Wide in, wide in, my lady fair
Nae harm shall ye befa'
For oftimes hae I watered my steed
At the water o Wearie's Well'

And the very first step that stepped in
She stepped in unto the knee
And sighing said this lady fair
' This water's nae for me'

'Wide in, wide in, my lady fair
Nae harm shall ye befa'
For oft times hae I watered my steed
At the water o Wearie's Well'

And the very next step that she stepped in
She stepped in to the chin
And crying said this lady fair
' I fear I'm too far in!'

'Seven King's daughters have I drowned here
At the water o Wearie's Well
And I'll mak ye the eighth o them
And I'll ring the common bell"

'If I am standing here', she said
' This dowie death tae dee
A kiss from o yer comely lips
I'm sure would comfort me'

So he's mounted ower his saddle bow
To kiss her cheek and chin
And she's ta'en him in her airms twa
And she's thrown him headlong in

'Seven King's daughters have ye drowned here
At the water o Wearie's Well
I'll make ye bridegroom tae them all
And I'll ring the bell myself

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: purrplevoice
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 05:00 PM

Thank you Effsee, that is the lyrics I am looking for, you are a star * thanks again PV

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: Peace
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 05:01 PM

FANTASTIC. If this isn't some sorta record, it should be.

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: Effsee
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 05:02 PM

I can't take all the credit, Peace's link led me to it!

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: purrplevoice
Date: 04 Sep 06 - 05:40 PM

thanks guys, you are both stars then *Peace* and *Effsee* lol. PV

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: GUEST,Mary
Date: 13 Sep 06 - 02:21 PM

Wow. I figured I'd only find ancient posts - I was looking for pictures (I'd hoped) of Wearie's Well after listening to the Tony Cuffe recording of this song on the post-humous album, "Sae Will We Yet".

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: mg
Date: 13 Sep 06 - 02:24 PM

don't know the other one but the Bonnie Wellsof Wearie is one of the prettiest songs ever..must hear the Kenneth McCellar??? version. mg

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: Northerner
Date: 13 Sep 06 - 04:24 PM

When I was young I used to go and stay with an aunt who lived a few miles from Edinburgh in a mining village. Every so often her next door neighbour, a miner, would invite his friends round for a drink and a song. We would hear it through the wall!!! And "The Bonny Wells of Wearie" was one of their favourites. I can't think of it now without thinking of my aunt and her neighbour. My aunt passed away a few years ago, but her neighbour, now in his 90s, is still alive. I saw him only a few months ago when I called on his daughter.

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Sep 06 - 07:25 PM

It's a variant of 'The outlandish knight', clearly...

Subject: RE: Waters o' Weeries Well
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Sep 06 - 09:26 PM

For two earlier postings of The Bonnie Wells o' Wearie, see thread

The Bonnie Wells O' Wearie

The Wells of Wearie, above, is copied here with no acknowledgement of any source, so I had better provide the missing details, insofar as that is possible.

The text appears to come from  http://www.jigheads.com/, the website of American performers Kim McKee and Ken Willson.

They themselves credit no source of any kind for the words they publish: as it happens, these are a shortened form of the text appearing in Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads, as example B of group number 4, 'Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight'; but with various alterations made by somebody or other; perhaps McKee and Willson, but for all we know it could have been the fairies at the bottom of the garden.

I don't know where they got their tune from; none is known for this variant. Perhaps they explain in the sleeve notes to their recording?

Subject: Lyr Add: LADY ISOBEL AND THE ELF-KNIGHT
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 02:23 PM

Here it is, from "Ballad Book" edited by Katherine Lee Bates, published 1890, found at Project Gutenberg. I think the Scots is a bit more authentic, and it has a couple more verses.

LADY ISOBEL AND THE ELF-KNIGHT.

There cam' a bird out o' a bush,
    On water for to dine,
An' sighing sair, says the king's daughter,
    "O wae's this heart o' mine!"

He's taen a harp into his hand,
    He's harped them all asleep,
Except it was the king's daughter,
    Who ae wink couldna get.

He's luppen on his berry-brown steed,
    Taen 'er on behind himsell,
Then baith rede down to that water
    That they ca' Wearie's Well.

"Wide in, wide in, my lady fair,
    Nae harm shall thee befall;
Aft times hae I water'd my steed
    Wi' the water o' Wearie's Well."

The first step that she stepped in,
    She stepped to the knee;
And sighing sair, says this lady fair,
    "This water's nae for me."

"Wide in, wide in, my lady fair,
    Nae harm shall thee befall;
Aft times hae I water'd my steed
    Wi' the water o' Wearie's Well."

The neist step that she stepped in,
    She stepped to the middle;
"O," sighend says this lady fair,
    "I've wat my gowden girdle."

"Wide in, wide in, my lady fair,
    Nae harm shall thee befall;
Aft times hae I water'd my steed
    Wi' the water o' Wearie's Well."

The neist step that she stepped in,
    She stepped to the chin;
"O," sighend says this lady fair,
    "I'll wade nae farer in."

"Seven king's-daughters I've drownd here,
    In the water o' Wearie's Well,
And I'll mak' you the eight o' them,
    And ring the common bell."

"Sin' I am standing here," she says,
    "This dowie death to die,
Ae kiss o' your comely mouth
    I'm sure wad comfort me."

He's louted him o'er his saddle bow,
    To kiss her cheek and chin;
She's taen him in her arms twa,
    An' thrown him headlong in.

"Sin' seven king's-daughters ye've drownd here,
    In the water o' Wearie's Well,
I'll mak' you bridegroom to them a',
    An' ring the bell mysell."

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WATER O' WEARIE'S WELL
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 09:58 PM

Here's another version, from "Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads" edited by James Henry Dixon, London. Printed for the Percy Society, by T. Richards, 100, St. Martin's Lane. M.DCCC.XLV. [1845] – found with Google Book Search.

It's practically the same as the one above, except (1) the title; (2) the spelling, and (3) one additional verse at the end.

THE WATER O' WEARIE'S WELL.

There cam' a bird out o' a bush,
    On water for to dine;
An' siching sair, says, the king's dochter,
    O wae's this heart o' mine.

He's taen a harp into his hand,
    He's harpit them a' asleip;
Except it was the king's dochter,
    Wha ae wink couldna get.

He's loupen on his berry-brown steed,
    Ta'en her behin' himsel';
Then baith rade doun to that water
    That they ca' Wearie's Well.

Wade in, wade in, my ladye fair,
    No harm shall thee befall;
Oft times ha'e I watered my steed
    Wi' the water o' Wearie's Well.

The first step that she steppit in,
    She steppit to the knee;
And, sichin' says this ladye fair,
    This water's nae for me.

Wade in, wade in, my ladye fair,
    Nae harm shall thee befall;
Oft times have I watered my steed
    Wi' the water o' Wearie's Well.

The next step that she steppit in,
    She steppit to the middle;
O, sichin' says this ladye fair,
    I've wat my gowden girdle.

Wade in, wade in, my ladye fair,
    Nae harm shall thee befall;
Oft times ha'e I watered my steed
    Wi' the water o' Wearie's Well.

The next step that she steppit in,
    She steppit to the chin;
O, sichin' says this ladye fair,
    They sud gar twa luves twin.

Seven kings' dochters I've droun'd there,
    I' the water o' Wearie's Well;
An' I'll mak' ye the eight o' them,
    An' ring the common bell.

Sin' I am standin' here, she says,
    This dowie death to dee;
One kiss o' your comelie mouth
    I'm sure wad comfort me.

He louted him o'er his saddle bow,
    To kiss her cheek an' chin;
She's ta'en him in her arms twa,
    An' throun him headlong in.

Sin' seven kings' daughters ye've drouned there,
    I' the water o' Wearie's Well,
I'll mak' ye the bridegroom to them a',
    An' ring the bell mysell.

An' aye she warsled, and aye she swam,
    An' she swam to dry lan';
An' thankit God most cheerfullie,
    For the dangers she o'ercam'.