Origin: My Bonny Blue-Eyed Nancy

Subject: RE: Origin: My Bonny Blue-Eyed Nancy
From: GUEST,John Moulden
Date: 04 Apr 17 - 03:14 PM

Thank you, Steve; all real information is most gratefully noted.

John

Subject: RE: Origin: My Bonny Blue-Eyed Nancy
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 04 Apr 17 - 09:48 AM

In the Roxburghe and Douce Collections (both online I think) there is a ballad titled 'The Constant Maiden's Resolution, Or The Damsel'd Loyal Love to a Seaman, With the Seaman's Kind Answer Thereunto. It seems to be the source for the first stanza above. It is dated c1688-9
It is probably a commonplace as it also occurs in the late 18thc song The Queen of Hearts.

Stanza 4
I wish I were upon yonder mountain,
Where gold and silver great store is counting;
Then would I think upon my own dear honey,
Whom I love better than gold or money.

The stanza in The Queen of Hearts is again st4.

I wish I was upon yonder mountain
Where gold and silver I could have for counting,
I could not count it for thinking on him,
He's nothing to me, what makes me love him?

The 'low in station' line also looks very familiar. Probably also a commonplace.

Subject: RE: Origin: My Bonny Blue-Eyed Nancy
From: GUEST,Brendan Hayes
Date: 03 Apr 17 - 03:38 PM

I'm wondering, if this song originated in Scotland, was it originally written in Scots gaelic and subsequently translated into Scots-English ? Is there a gaelic version / translation?

Subject: RE: Origin: My Bonny Blue-Eyed Nancy
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Aug 16 - 06:39 AM

and they both sat down together to hear the nightingale sing...

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 02:52 PM

Interesting and sad that they, are like so many bird species, in declining numbers. However, to gauge the provenance of the song we'd need some idea of the numbers of nightingales in Renfrewshire in the mid 1820s when Crawfurd colected the song.

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: GUEST,tanners
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 06:36 PM

Thanks again for all the people who answered re. the above song. I love the Scottish version. Regarding Fred McCormick's query about the distribution, I quote from the BIRDS OF BRITIAN AND IRELAND:

Although there is one record of a bird in song in Ireland and a handful in Scotland nightingales have not bred in either country.
A hundred years ago the birds bred mainly south and east of the line from the Wash to the Severn. The strongholds now are Sussex, Kent, Essex and Suffolk.

I have not quoted the complete piece but they end it with the caveat-at present there is a very worrying loss from many areas.
But then again, when the song was written they may have been all over the place including Berkeley Square. Who knows?
Maybe someone with bird knowledge will enlighten me!
Tanners

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: Effsee
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 11:00 AM

They are all over the West coast of Scotland...unless it was only one which followed me on my bike all the way from Kyle of Lochalsh to Durness!

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 10:02 AM

"As far as I know we don't have nightingales in Ireland. As I understand it they are confined to the south-east of England."

That's a new one on me. Confined to Berkely Square perhaps. Any ornithologists care to comment ?

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 07:26 AM

Firstly,I must thank everyone who answered my query about BLUE-EYED NANCY,particularly Malcolm Douglas and Q who directed me to John Moulden's informative piece dated Sept. 2000. Also Fred McCormack for his contribution.I knew about Elizabeth Cronin's version but did'nt know about the text in Andrew Crawfurd's Collection.
                              As far as I know we don't have nightingales in Ireland.As I understand it they are confined to the south-east of England.That is why I thought it's origin might be English.
                   Thanks again to everybody.

                               Tanners.

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 10:12 PM

See thread 25830 for the informative post by John Moulden.
Blue-eyed Nancy

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 07:30 PM

See also several previous discussions of this song here, paying particular attention to comments made by John Moulden.

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 08:41 AM

I've never heard of an English connection but a text of it can be found in Andrew Crawfurd's Collection of Ballads and Songs. Emily Lyle, ed. Scottish Text Society. 1975. Edinburgh. Which might I suppose suggest a Scottish provenance.

Although the song has become extremely common in Ireland in recent years, so far as I know the only traditional singers from whom the song has been collected were Mrs Elizabeth Cronin of Co. Cork and Crawfurd's informant Mary Macqueen of Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Subject: RE: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: jeffp
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 08:03 AM

I've also seen it called, "The Top of the Mountain."

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BONNY BLUE EYED LASSIE
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 07:35 AM

Cathal McConnell, from the Boys of the Lough does a beautiful version of this song. I've got it on an album at home - I'll check out the Name of the album. It's well worth listening to - it's soo lovely and is a gorg version of the song. He's a funny chap too - met him at a concert (V charming).

Words below...

Will let you know tomorrow about the title. (great song by the way to pick). I think it is an Irish song.

1. The Bonny Blue Eyed Lassie : Trad arr. Phil Callery (IMRO)

How could I live on the top of a mountain
With no money in my pocket, nor gold for the counting
I would let the money go, all for to gain her fancy
For I would marry no one but, my bonny blue eyed Nancy.

She's my bonny blue eyed Nancy with an air so sweet and tender
Her walk like swans on water, and her waist so small and slender
Her golden hair and ringlets fairhung o'er her snow-white shoulder
And I'd ask her to marry me, and there's no man could be bolder

And there's some people say that she is very low in station
And there are more people say she'll be the cause of my ruination
Oh but let them all say what they will, to her I will prove constant still
Till the day that I die, she will be my own lovely lady.

And gently swim the swan o'er the dark waters of Eochaill
An lightly sing the nightingale so happy to behold her
And the winds may blow, and the moor cocks crow
And the moon shall shine so deeply
Oh! But deeper by far is my love for my own lady

And there's some people say that she is very low in station
And there are more people say she'll be the cause of my ruination
Oh but let them all say what they will, to her I will prove constant still
Till the day that I die, she will be my own lovely lady.

Subject: my bonny blue-eyed nancy
From: GUEST,tanners
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 06:27 AM

I would be grateful if anyone out there could help me.I'm curious about the song MY BONNY BLUE EYED NANCY.Is it an English folk song transfered to and Irish locale.In the version I know there is a reference to Avoca which is in Co.Wicklow in Ireland.Another version mentions Eochaill which is the Irish name for Youghal in Co.Cork.
                                          I would be grateful for any informantion.

                                              Tanners.

Subject: RE: Help: BONNY BLUE-EYED NANCY
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 09:21 PM

You will be unlikely to get anything more definitive on this song than the information posted by John Moulden in a discussion here a couple of years ago:

Lyr Add: THE BONNIE BLUE-EYED LASSIE

It appears that the only known traditional source for the tune was Elizabeth Cronin, and that the song has been found once only in tradition elsewhere (in Scotland, early 19th century, no tune recorded). Of course, it has been widely recorded commercially in recent years, often with the words considerably altered, for one reason or another.

---

Threads combined. Messages below are from a new thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: BONNY BLUE-EYED NANCY
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 06:42 PM

I know Mick Moloney sings it- I don't know that he ever recorded it.

Subject: BONNY BLUE-EYED NANCY
From: rua
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 05:26 PM

Looking for info regarding the song BONNY BLUE-EYED NANCY.Lyrics are in the Digitrad archive and it has been recorded by the Voice Squad and a group called White Raven. Anyone got any background on it ??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonny Blue-eyed Nancy
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 May 01 - 02:19 PM

Searching for bonny blue-eyed nancy through the "Digitrad and Forum Search" (it works much better than the old "Lyric Search", which is rarely worth using any more -though it found it, too), I also found this previous discussion:

How Can I Live at the Top of the Mountain  in which John Moulden gives the traditional text as sung by Elizabeth Cronin, together with an earlier version noted in Scotland around 1826.  He makes the point that, though most singers today sing it quite differently from the way Mrs. Cronin did, they all seem to have got it from her (though in many cases, at several removes; I suspect that Cathal McConnell features quite strongly as a factor in its current wide distribution).  The best source for a written tune would therefore be the recent book dealing with Mrs. Cronin's repertoire, though I don't know how faithful to her melody the subsequent commercial recordings may be, having, I think, only heard Cathal's.  I would not relish the prospect of attempting an accurate transcription of that, but I'll give it thought.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonny Blue-eyed Nancy
From: MMario
Date: 11 May 01 - 01:44 PM

tune? tune? anyone have the melody? it's one of the "missing" from the DT

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonny Blue-eyed Nancy
From: The Celtic Bard
Date: 11 May 01 - 01:13 PM

Ian: I DID DO A DT SEARCH! I couldn't find it.

Yvonne: Thank you for the link. I appreciate it.

Rebecca <><

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonny Blue-eyed Nancy
From: GUEST,yum yum
Date: 11 May 01 - 04:46 AM

how very right you are CELTIC BARD, a most beautiful air to this ballad also.

yum yum

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonny Blue-eyed Nancy
From: IanC
Date: 11 May 01 - 03:54 AM

It's in DT

Here:

Nancy

All the usual stuff about using the DT search ...

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bonny Blue-eyed Nancy
From: Quincy
Date: 11 May 01 - 03:53 AM

Hi Rebecca,

It's here in the Digitrad lyrics.

Enjoy! best wishes, Yvonne

Subject: Bonny Blue-eyed Nancy
From: The Celtic Bard
Date: 11 May 01 - 01:47 AM

Anybody got lyrics for this one? Great song. Heard it on a CD that I can't find. Chorus goes something like this:

She's my bonny blue-eyed Nancy with an air so sweet and tender/Her walk like swan that floats and her waist so small and slender/Her golden hair in ringlets fair hangs o'er her milk white shoulders/And I'd her for to marry me and no man could be bolder

Or something like that. That's all I can remember and it's probably wrong anyway.

Thanks again.

Rebecca <><