The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #147301   Message #3426282
Posted By: Jim Carroll
26-Oct-12 - 05:22 AM
Thread Name: Minourie (Binorie, Minorie, The Two Sisters)
Subject: RE: Minourie (Binorie, Minorie, The Two Sisters)
For me, the finest version of this ballad is to be found on th School of Scottish Studies album 'The Muckle Sangs', sung by Betsy Whyte; but the two below have always appealed to my sense of the 'quirky'
Jim Carroll

The Berkshire Tragedy
A farmer he lived in the West Countree,
With a hey down, bow down
A farmer he lived in the West Countree,
And he had daughters, one, two and three.
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

As they were walking by the river's brim,
With a hey down, bow down
As they were walking by the river's brim,
The eldest push'd the youngest in,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

O sister, O sister, pray gie me thy hand,
With a hey down, bow down
O sister, O sister, pray gie me thy hand
And I'll gie thee both house and land,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

I'll neither, I'll neither gie thee hand nor glove
With a hey down, bow down
I'll neither, I'll neither gie thee hand nor glove
Unless thou'lt gie me thy own true love,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

So down she sank and away she swam,
With a hey down, bow down
So down she sank and away she swam,
Until she came to the miller's dam,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

O father, father, here swims a swan,
With a hey down, bow down
O father, father, here swims a swan,
Very much like a drownded gentlewoman
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

The miller he got his pole and hook
With a hey down, bow down
The miller he got his pole and hook
And he fished the fair maid out of the brook,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

O miller, I'll gie thee guineas then,
With a hey down, bow down
O miller, I'll gie thee guineas then,
If thoul't fetch me back to my father again.
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

The miller he took her guineas ten,
With a hey down, bow down
The miller he took her guineas ten,
And he pushed the fair maid in agen,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

But the Crowner he came and the Justice too,
With a hey down, bow down
But the Crowner he came and the Justice too,
With a hue and a cry and a hullabaloo,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

They hanged the miller beside his own gate,
With a hey down, bow down
They hanged the miller beside his own gate,
For drowning the farmer's daughter Kate,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

The sister she fled beyond the seas,
With a hey down, bow down
The sister she fled beyond the seas,
And died an old maid among black savagees,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

So I've ended my tale of the West Countree,
With a hey down, bow down
So I've ended my tale of the West Countree,
And they calls it the Barkshire Tragedee,
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me.

Peter And I
1   Peter and I went down the lane,
Down the lane, down the lane,
Peter and I went down the lane,
And sister followed behind.

2    Both of us sisters loved him well,
Loved him well, loved him well.
Both of us sisters loved him well,
And only I can tell.

3    Peter could marry but one of us then,
One of us then, one of us then,
Peter could marry but one of us then,
So sister must go away.

4    Sister was leaning over the well.
Over the well, over the well,
Sister was leaning over the well
When over and in she fell.

5    Sister did cry with all her might,
All her might, all her might,
Sister did cry with all her might.
But I did not help her out.

6   Out of the well they pulled her then,
Pulled her then, pulled her then,
Out of the well they pulled her then.
And laid her on the lawn.

7    In the black hearse we carried her then,
Carried her then, carried her then,
In the black hearse we carried her then.
And buried her on the hill.

8    Peter and I were wed next day,
Wed next day, wed next day;
Peter and I were wed next day.
And O, what people did say !

9    Sorrow and pain are in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Sorrow and pain are in my heart
As sharp as an arrow could be.

10 Peter then left for foreign parts,
Foreign parts, foreign parts,
Peter then left for foreign parts,
And I'll die of a broken heart.