Joe's version, from his Musical Traditions's CD: The Broom Blooms Bonny:

ACHNACHIE GORDON

Achnachie Gordon, is bonnie and braw
He'd would temp any woman that ever hw saw
He'd would temp any woman, and so has he tempted me
And I'll die if I getna my love, Achnachie

In comes her father skipping on the floor
Saying, "Jeannie, you're trying the tricks of a whore
You're caring for them that cares naething for thee
Ye maun marry Saltoun, forget Achnachie"

"Achnachie Gordon, he is but a man
Although he be pretty, whaur lies his free land?
Saltoun 's houms they lie bonnie and his toors they stand hie
Ye maun mairry with Lord Saltoun, forget Achnachie"

"Ye that are my parents to the church may me bring
But unto Lord Saltoun, I'll ne'er bear a son
For son or for daughter, I'll ne'er bow my knee
I'll die if I getna my love, Achnachie"

When Jeannie was mairriet from the church she was brocht hame
When wi' aa her maidens sae merry should hae been
When wi' aa her maidens sae merry should hae been
She's called for a chamber to weep there her lane

"Come to your bed, Jeannie, my honey and my sweet
For to style you my mistress, I do not think it meet"
"Mistress or Jeannie, it is aa yin tae me
For it's in your bed, Saltoun, I never will be"

Then oot spak her faither and he spak with renown
"Some o you that are her maidens, ye'll loose aff her gown
"Some o you that are her maidens, ye'll loose aff her gown
And I'll mend the marriage wi ten thousand pounds"

Then yin her maidens, they loosed aff her gown
But bonnie Jeanie Gordon, she fell in a swoon
She fell in a swoon low doon by their knee
Sayin, "Look on, I dee for my love Achnachie."

That very same morning Miss Jeannie did dee
Aye and hame came Achnachie, hame frae the sea
Her faither and mither welcomed him at the yett
He said, "Where's Miss Jeannie that she's nae here yet?

And down came her maidens and they're wringing of their hauns
Saying, "Alas, for your staying sae lang frae the land
Sae lang frae the land and sae lang frae the fleed
They hae wadded your Jeannie and noo she is deid"

"Some o' you that are maidens, tak me by the haund
An' show me to the chamber that Jeannie de'ed in"
And he kissed her cauld lips that were caulder than stane
And he's de'ed in the chamber that Jeannie de'ed in


This ballad from the far northeast of Scotland – the Gordon
family estate was near Elgin, while the Frasers of Saltoun
lived at Philorth, near Fraserborough – tells a story that is
relatively common in folksong and folklore; namely the forced
marriage of a young girl to a rich suitor, so that her family may
benefit from the family's estate. In this case, the girl dies,
as does her truelove when he returns from sea and is shown
her corpse.

John Rogerson, Joe's grandfather, learnt the ballad in South Africa
where it was sung by a fellow Gordon Highlander sometime during
the Boer War.
Child #239
@ballad @love @death
ascrecorded by Joe Rae
filename[ ANGORDN3
SF
2009
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