Where's Fennario?

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Brenda Sutton
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 05:42 PM

And now Richard Shindell has a new song out on his most recent albmu "Vuelta" called Fenario that mentions soldiers and marching and a false king. I'm emailing him and asking what references he used to compose it.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Bing Bingham (Joe & Bing)
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 04:00 PM

In case anyone wonders, Joe and I have been singing and performing "Fennario" for 30 years. The version we always liked was recorded by the great 60s folk group, The Journeymen, on their first LP for Capitol. It is their arrangement, basically, we used when we recorded the song in 1971. It was done very simply -- two guitars and two voices -- with one harmony overdub at the very end. It's a wonderful, haunting melody... still very powerful.

Thanks for listening to our CD release on Rev Ola.   Bing Bingham

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Justin
Date: 13 Jan 05 - 08:44 PM

I've just found this thread trying to find the lyrics to "Fennario" which I heard for the first time on a recent re-issue of a 1971 album called "Daybreak" by Joe & Bing, on the UK label Rev-Ola
They give the song a Civil War context with the line:
"I would marry you, but you wear that coat of blue" rather than "your guineas are too few"
This fits in with Brian R's post from July '04 which I might as well quote in full here:

The original "American" version of Peggy-O, was popularized by Union troops during the civil war. Those that created it were members of the Irish Brigades mustered out of New York, which took part in the invasion of confederate New Orleans in 1862. From there they fought many costly small battles north along the Mississippi, burning southern plantations as they went. It is doubtless that is where the lyrics that refer the burining of the area, and "our captain is buried in the Lousianna country side" came from.

The ultimate genesis of the song is in Irish/Scottish folk music. "The Maid of Fyvio" with similar lyrics and harmony predated the US civil war by about 2 centuries.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Strick
Date: 13 Jan 05 - 01:48 PM

It's funny this should come back to life so recently (or so periodically over time). Something reminded me of all the things I had downloaded from MP3 and since lost. I miss Anthea Lawrence's version of this song and some others very much. Does anyone know how to contact her? I was a fool not to purchase the CD when I had the chance and now my best efforts at googling some way to do so have failed.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 09:08 PM

"Sassenach" doesn't come into it, and neither does Bennachie. See Bruce Olson's posts from 5 years back, when this old thread was new.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 06:22 PM

Looking at Gavin's list of real local names, did anyone else think Fennario might be a fairly typical sassenach corruption of Bennachie, or is that too lateral a thought process?

Don T.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Max
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 06:09 PM

Interestingly enough, Fennario's is a coffee shop here in Mudcatville (West Chester, PA) that we call home base. I run the open sing there every Wednesday, and if we have a Mudcat gathering or concert, that's where it happens.

Dick Swain and Jake Michaels joined me in October for a gig there.

Also recording my first CD there as we speak.

Some good folks run the place, and let me do as I please. We should start simulcasting sometime this year on West Chester University Radio and mudcat.org.

How 'bout that.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 04:55 PM

69

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 04:55 PM

No idea

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: LadyJean
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 11:26 PM

Manly Wade Wellman used a song called "Vandy Vandy" in one of his Silver John stories. Does anyone know if it's a variant of "Pretty Peggy"?

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: robinia
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 09:49 PM

At the Keith Festival (outside of Aberdeen) a few years back, I heard this turned into a political history of Britain via its transportation woes ("as we marched down," "as we rode down," "as we. . . ."    I do wish I'd taped the singer (an English minstrel, name of Hall, I think) because it was a very witty song, and I haven't heard it since. Has anyone else?

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Jimmy Twitcher
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 07:31 PM

Well, I know this is a little late, but:

Dick Greenhaus: surely you mean "used for "The Constitition and the Gurriere" as well as "The Chesapeake and the Shannon" early in the eighteenth century."

Lets not forget which was the original, and which was the spite-filled, happy-that-they-finally-won-a-frigate-duel-after-several-years-of-trying parody.

(I kid! I kid!) It is interesting, though, that "The Constitution and the Gurriere" is nearly lost here, but from what I can tell, "The Chesapeak and the Shannon" appears to be alive and well over the water. That's too bad, because they are both great songs.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,evildoll
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 12:44 PM

fennario is in pennsyvania.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Shula
Date: 21 Jul 04 - 10:17 AM

Dear Folks,

For what it's worth, There is a version of "Bonny Streets of Fyve-io" on the 1963 album, "Singin' Our Minds," repeated on "The Best of The Chad Mitchell Trio -- The Mercury Years," circa 1974. Fennario is mentioned in the song.

I wish I could decipher all the Scots words, so I could copy this out. If anyone has all the words to this version, I'd love to have them.

Hopefully,

Shula

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Brian R
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 04:15 PM

The original "American" version of Peggy-O, was popularized by Union troops during the civil war. Those that created it were members of the Irish Brigades mustered out of New York, which took part in the invasion of confederate New Orleans in 1862. From there they fought many costly small battles north along the Mississippi, burning southern plantations as they went. It is doubtless that is where the lyrics that refer the burining of the area, and "our captain is buried in the Lousianna country side" came from.

The ultimate genesis of the song is in Irish/Scottish folk music. "The Maid of Fyvio" with similar lyrics and harmony predated the US civil war by about 2 centuries.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Megan L
Date: 25 Jun 04 - 02:20 PM

the nearest I've come to fennario is Fenoderee which is the little folk of the Isle of Man, made me wonder if the name could refer to a myst isle one of those brig o doon places.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Deda
Date: 25 Jun 04 - 11:06 AM

" went insane, for a lady like a crane..."

" sang a tune, to a lady like a loon..."

(Hook around neck, yanked off stage right)

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: LadyJean
Date: 25 Jun 04 - 01:13 AM

In Barbara Hambly's latest Benjamin January mystery, "Day of the Dead", Pretty Peggy Oh is used as a signal by a Texan courting a Mexican girl.
If you haven't read Hambly's "January" series, they're wonderful. Start with "A Free Man of Color" the first one. You won't be able to put them down.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Deda
Date: 24 Jun 04 - 06:06 PM

Never having read this thread before I'm now compulsively thinking up rhymes --

The captain poked his toe at a lady like a crow

The captain had a row with a lady like a cow

The captain stole a pinch from a lady like a finch

The captain, by Apollo, loved a lady like a swallow

The captain lost his juice for a lady like a goose

He threw up on the lawn for a lady like a swan...

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 24 Jun 04 - 10:25 AM

you can get the lyrics on the corrs album

Oh, well. Post no more. You cannot get a more authentic source than this.

:-(

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: fretless
Date: 24 Jun 04 - 09:28 AM

The location never seemed to bother us, but the closing couplet of the first verse often came out as:

The Captain fell in love with a lady like a dove,
She had feathers and the brains of a canary-o.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,satchel
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 09:36 AM

Has anyone considered the Louisiana element of the song? The final line has always struck me as a reference to the Acadian removal from NS to Louisiana by the British in the 18th c.   With this in mind, it's pretty easy to see the Scottish origins, via Nova Scotia to Louisiana.   No especially my area of experise, but...

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Moleskin Joe
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 11:32 AM

Until I read this thread I assumed that Fennario was the result of someone mis-hearing or misunderstanding "through the Garioch-O" i.e. "through the Geeree-O".

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Hugh Jampton
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 09:42 AM

Here is the Italian version.
As I was driving my Ferrar-i-o,
The people cried "What a car-i-O"
Then I missed second gear
And trashed the thing I fear.
Now Ferrari don`t go very far-i-O.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 09:12 AM

Finnagh, Co. Clare?

My first thought was Fenar-i-o, fanâr (arab.), lighthouse.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 08:09 AM

With that information I'll bet the pronunciation is "Oh-boys"

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: greg stephens
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 05:15 AM

Hautboy is a transitional form between the original French hautbois and the modern English oboe. The French means "high wood". How they exactly pronounced it in 18th century England I dont know. Ho-boy maybe?? Or o-boy perhaps, the French haut is pronounced o.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Keith A o Hertford
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 04:39 AM

Thanks Dick. Ijust used the links at top of thread which do not lead to Fyvie.
I sang Chesapeake and Shannon while Kendal was visiting our session. I politely suggested that the Americans may only have lost due to friendly fire.
Keith.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 03:17 AM

Thank you Malcolm.

Does anyone happen to know...

What is a "hautboy" and how is it pronounced?

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: greg stephens
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 06:15 PM

In the Scottish version I know, it's "Howe of Auchterless", not town or glen, which is I believe geographically accurate.
From all the stuff I've done on old fiddle tune books(published and manuscript), I have to say that the earliest versions of the tune I've come across were called "Pretty Peggy of Derby", no references to Fyvie or Fernario till much much later. But equally well, I would have to say that I've done more work on English fiddle notebooks than I have on Scottish. It is notoriously difficult(in fact normally impossible) to track down "original" versions of old songs. All you can do is come up with the earliest known version, and that only lasts as a theory till someone finds an earlier one.
   As is often the case, we have an anonymous GUEST on the thread claiming the original version is Irish. Well, that's as maybe, but he or she omitted to provide any references, so that red herring is best ignored for the moment. I see no reason why it shouldnt be Irish, and no reason why it should.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 04:40 PM

That "guest" was the late Bruce Olson. His material on the song and its tune can be seen at:

http://users.erols.com/olsonw/SONGTXT1.HTM#PEGDRBY

Examples at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads (all, as it happens, printed in London) are listed in this link:

Pretty Peggy of Derby

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 03:15 PM

Keith-
It is in the DT, and has been for many years. Interestingly (to me, at least) is the Scottish tune, which seems to have started out as "A Landlady of France" and was used for "The Chesapeake and the Shannon" as well as "The Constitition and the Gurriere" early in the eighteenth century.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 03:10 PM

Guest proposes that the original version is the Irish version and is in the Bodleian Ballads collection. Is anyone smart to link us a graphic, or a typescript?

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 02:18 PM

I am surprised that the Fyvie version is not in the DT.
Re version given above and further to my earlier post, I know it as the town rather than glen of Auchterless. This is lowland Scotland so perhaps glen is less likely. Also there is the village of Kirkton Of Auchterless just a couple of miles from Fyvie.
Correcting my earlier, the town is Oldmeldrum, not Old Meldrum.
With flounces to the knee,
Keith.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 04:08 PM

It does look rather as if neither "jac" nor "brucie" actually read this old four-year-old thread before posting to it. Bruce Olson's comments earlier on make it clear that the American "fennario" variants derive from Pretty Peggy of Derby, not from the later "Fyvie-o" form. A derivation from Fiunary is certainly ingenious, but really very unlikely.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Celtaddict
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 03:55 PM

I have read from several sources that Fyvie (becoming Fyvie-O) is the older and presumably (judging by the other locations in the older versions) original place, but have heard speculation that "Fennario" or its variants might have been a localization to Fiunary, which would become "Fiunary-O" then simplified a bit. I believe, on the scant evidence of the scansion of "Farewell to Fiunary," that the accent is on the second syllable, "fiYOOnary," which might make this unlikely, but the soldier/sailor traditions did seem to change place names almost as readily as girl names, and to adjust the names to fit the songs (as in, "away, RYEo" and "off to Amerikay"). I don't have a map handy; is not Fiunary fairly far north? Is it a place where soldiers of the era of the song (or the next wave, to alter a familiar song) might be?

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Peace
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 01:51 PM

jac/turriff, scotland:

That is the version I used to sing: "the captain fell in love with a lady like a dove, as we marched through the bonnie streets of fyvie'o."

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,jac/turriff, scotland
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 12:56 PM

fennario is not right, it is actually the bonnie lass o' fyvie'o...fyvie is a small village approximately 30miles north of aberdeen in north east scotland. the song is actually starts ....."there once was a troop o' irish dragoons, came marchin doon through fyvie'o..." it's about the irish dragoon captain falling in love with a local girl called peggy who comes from fyvie. you can get the lyrics on the corrs album.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 03 - 09:59 PM

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 May 03 - 10:37 PM

I did not use a combined version. I used the words I've learned.

And as for figuring out the motivations of people who never existed, have you ever heard of intelligence guided by experience?

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 May 03 - 11:59 PM

leenia, the story is in the ballads. The original Irish version can be seen on the Bodleian Ballads website. The Scottish and American versions are independent reworkings. Drawings conclusions from combining the two is ridiculous, as is trying to figure out motivations of people who never really existed.

"Fennario" came from the imagination of a single singer long since dead. Trying to figure out how she came up with that can be no more than idle speculation. The opening of the original of the Americn version is given in facsilmile here. Original Pretty
Peggy, 1880

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 May 03 - 10:34 PM

Re: "All of the versions considered together suggest the story of a love affair between a travelling enemy soldier and a local girl which is thwarted by the girl's ambitious mother who wants a son-in-law with more money and a higher social status."

Somebody is being naive. The song is about an officer (Captain) who wants to seduce a girl of the lower classes and will probably dump her among the camp followers once he's lost interest. The girl is too smart for him.

Have you heard the line, "In coaches you shall ride, with your true love by your side, just as grand as any lady in the areo?" It shows that she is not a lady, she's a servant or farmer's daughter, something like that.

She's afraid to reject him in a straightforward way, so she calls on her mother's authority.

The captain doesn't really die of love in Louisiana, (pronounced Loo-zee-anna; he dies of one of the many diseases that swept military encampments. When you do the song, allow a musical interlude after the threatening verse so that the singer (the lower-ranked soldier) has time to figure this out. Then sing the first again, tenderly, as is he is remembering the captain and what a rascal he was.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 02 May 03 - 06:58 PM

Thanks Gavin, I did not know what the Geeree was. I would not have guessed Garrioch!
It's a favourite song of mine. I intend to walk or cycle from Fyvie throgh Old Meldrum to Aberdeen some time. I think that there is a folk club in Fyvie too.
Keith.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Gavin
Date: 02 May 03 - 04:01 PM

Where's Fennario?

God knows? I haven't a clue - but all the places in the version I know fit well in the the history and geography of Aberdeenshire, and the river systems of the Ythan and the Don. The Ythan meets the sea not 10 miles north of Aberdeen, and the Don flows through the city.

The River Ythan flows through - Auchterless; Fyvie; and past Gight (the Castle of Gight beside the Ythan River, east of Fyvie towards Methlick; built around 1560 by members of the Gordon family and plagued throughout its history by murder, hardship, and unexpected deaths) ---- all in Aberdeenshire (now Grampian Region).

Old Meldrum lies to the south of Fyvie - but still drains into the Ythan river system.

The Garioch (pronounced Geeree, and transliterated in various ways) - the area around Inverurie and Bennachie - draining into the River Don (the neighbouring river system south of the Ythan).

And Aberdeen lies at the mouth of the River Don (yes, there are several more around the globe, but that just shows there are two Aberdeen lads - one stays, and one gets the h..l out, the farther away the better! And once gone, the more ferocious the Aberdeen loon becomes.)

The tune I believe refers to the Battle of Fyvie in 1644, where Royalists commanded by the Marquis of Montrose won against considerable odds. The Marquiss of Montrose then made the mistake of being captured and executed not much later! Win the battle and lose the war?   

http://www.scotwars.com/Individuals/ montrose/background_and_overview.htm

All best - Gavin (yes, another expat Aberdonian).

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Melani
Date: 02 May 03 - 01:15 AM

I always thought it was a county in Folkloreland.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: GUEST,Keith A o Hertford
Date: 01 May 03 - 03:08 AM

Without looking at a map of Fyvie/ Aberdeen area, some of the place names posted above are wrong. Certainly I've always heard 'Long before we came to Old Meldrum town' which does fit since it lies between Fyvie and Aberdeen on the old military road. And the river is the Ythan so it's 'bonny Ythan side'
Tarry yet a while,
Keith.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: open mike
Date: 01 May 03 - 02:50 AM

there used to be a folk music related web site called fennario.
http://www.balladtree.com/

Subject: ADD Versions: Pretty Peggy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 11:36 PM

This song was recorded by Dylan and by the Grateful Dead. I've never heard either of thos recordings. I learned it from Simon & Garfunkel's Wednesday Morning 3 AM album, the only traditional recordings they did.

Dylan:

Pretty Peggy-O
Arranged by Bob Dylan
Played by Bob Dylan on Bob Dylan (1962) and occasionally during the Never Ending tour (21 performances in 1992, last performance 1998)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

---

  
  One verse intro (w/harp)
  
  I've been around this whole country 
  But I never yet found Fennario.

           G
  Well, as we marched down, as we marched down
                                D
  Well, as we marched down to Fennerio'
            G                           C
  Well, our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
      D                            G
  the name that she had was Pretty Peggy-O
  
  Well, what will your mother say, what will your mother say
  What will your mother say, Pretty Peggy-O
  What will your mother say to know you're going away
  You're never, never, never coming back-io ?
  
  Come a-running down your stairs 
  Come a-running down your stairs
  Come a-running down your stairs, Pretty Peggy-O
  Come a-running down your stairs 
  Combing back your yellow hair
  You're the prettiest darned girl I ever seen-io.
  
  The lieutenant he has gone 
  The lieutenant he has gone
  The lieutenant he has gone, Pretty Peggy-O
  The lieutenant he has gone, long gone
  He's a-riding down in Texas with the rodeo.
  
  Well, our captain he is dead, our captain he is dead
  Our captain he is dead, Pretty Peggy-O
  Well, our captain he is dead, died for a maid
  He's buried somewhere in Louisiana-O.
  
  

  Live version (Albany, NY April 18 1998)

  D             G                  D
  As we marched out, to Fennario
     D          Bm          F#m
  As we marched out, to Fennario
            G               D                      G
  Well, our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
                                   D
  And he called her by name Pretty Peggy-O
  
  Would you marry me, Pretty Peggy-O
  Would you marry me, Pretty Peggy-O
  Would you marry me, your cities I will free,
  Free all the ladies in the are-o.
  
  I would marry you, sweet William-o.
  I would marry you, sweet William-o.
  I would marry you, but your guineas are too few.
  I'm afraid my mama would be so angry-o.
  
  What would your mama think, Pretty Peggy-O
  What would your mama think, Pretty Peggy-O
  what would your mama think if she could hear my guineas clink
  See me marching out ahead of my soldiers-o?
  
  If ever I return, Pretty Peggy-O
  If ever I return, Pretty Peggy-O
  If ever I return, your cities I will burn
  Destroy all the ladies in the area-o
  
  Come tripping down the stairs, Pretty Peggy-O 
  Come tripping down the stairs, Pretty Peggy-O 
  Come tripping down the stairs, come and make your yellow hair
  Bid your last farewell to sweet William-O.
  
  The captain he is dead, Pretty Peggy-O
  The captain he is dead, Pretty Peggy-O
  The captain he is dead, and he died for a maid
  He's buried in Lousiana Country-O
  
  As we marched out, to Fennario
  As we marched out, to Fennario
  the captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
  And he called her by name Pretty Peggy-O

---

Dead:

Peggy-O
Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional

A traditional ballad played regularly by Jerry Garcia with the Grateful Dead from the early '70s.

As we rode out to Fennario
As we rode out to Fennario
Our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
And he called her by name pretty Peggy-O

Will you marry me, pretty Peggy-O
Will you marry me, pretty Peggy-O
If you will marry me, I will set your cities free
And free all the ladies in the area-O

I would marry you, sweet William-O
I would marry you, sweet William-O
I would marry you, but your guineas are too few
And I feel my mother would be angry-O

What would your mother think, pretty Peggy-O
What would your mother think, pretty Peggy-O
What would your mother think when she hears the guineas clink
And saw me marching at the head of my soldiers-O

If ever I return, pretty Peggy-O
If ever I return, pretty Peggy-O
If ever I return, all your cities I will burn
Destroy all the ladies in the area-O

Come stepping down the stairs, pretty Peggy-O
Come stepping down the stairs, pretty Peggy-O
Come stepping down the stairs, combing back your yellow hair
And bid a last farewell to young Willie-O

Sweet William he is dead, pretty Peggy-O
Sweet William he is dead, pretty Peggy-O
Sweet William he is dead, and he died for a maid
And buried in the Louisiana country-O

Grateful Dead Recordings

        Date   Album 
        25 Sep 1976   Dick's Picks Vol 20 
        3 Sep 1977   Dick's Picks Vol 15 
        10 May 1978   Dick's Picks Vol 25 
        15 May 1980   Go To Nassau 

Roots
The following piece is from Josephine McQuail's excellent piece "Folk Songs and Allusions to Folk Songs in the Repertoire of the Grateful Dead"


"As I researched the song, I discovered it was listed in a venerable volume of collected folklore, English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, collected by Cecil J. Sharp. The song seems to be Scottish in origin. The version performed by the Grateful Dead resembles that transcribed in Cecil Sharp's book, but there are several variants. As is typical of folksongs, the place name given in the Dead version as "Fennario" is "Fernario" in Sharp's version. As the song is passed down from person to person words become changed or transposed, just as the message in the children's game of telephone gets more and more garbled as it is passed along. Sometimes nonsense syllables are substituted for what once were "real" words.

"An even older, Scottish version of the ballad called "The Bonnie Lass O'Fyvie" appears in Folk-Songs of the North-East and another version is given under the title Bonnie Barbara, O, in Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland. From even the titles of the songs it is apparent that the names "Fennario" and "Fernario" both probably originally derived from "O'Fyvie" and the name "Peggy-O" perhaps from "Barbara, O." All of the versions considered together suggest the story of a love affair between a travelling enemy soldier and a local girl which is thwarted by the girl's ambitious mother who wants a son-in-law with more money and a higher social status. Thus his declarations go from a promise of love for "Barbara, O" to threats against the locals' lives when he returns from his next march. But he dies, heartbroken because of love for, respectively, "Peggy-O" and "Barbara O." "Bonnie Barbara, O" is given the setting of Derby and is in dialect, but the story of the song is a bit clearer. When the soldier asks Barbara what her mother would think of her daughter's marriage to an apparently well-to-do soldier, she replies:

Little would my mammie think, bonnie Sandy, O,
Little would my mammie think, bonnie Sandy O;
Little would my mammie think though she heard the guineas clink.
If her daughter was following a sodger, O."

"A Scottish version which found its way to the Southern United States is given in The Ballad of America. This version lacks the detail of the proud, angry mother. The setting of this version, "The Bonnie Lass o'Fyvie," in other Southern American versions changes from "Fyvie" to local settings or is replaced by nonsense words like "Ivory" or "Ireo."

There was a troop of Irish dragoons
Came marching down through Fyvie O;
The Captain's fallen in love with a bonnie, bonnie lass,
Her name it is called pretty Peggy O.

"O come down the stairs, pretty Peggy O," he said,
"O come down the stairs pretty Peggy, O,
O come down the stairs, comb aside your yellow hair,
Take the last farewell of your daddy, O.

Another version I found of "The Bonnie Lass Of Fyvie" has fuller lyrics:
There once was a troop of Irish dragoons
Come marching down thru Fyvie-O
And the captain fell in love wi' a very bonnie lass
And he called her by name, pretty Peggy-O

There's many a bonnie lass in the glen of Auchterlass
There's many a bonnie lass in Gairioch-O
There's many a bonnie Jean in the streets of Aberdeen
But the flower of them all lives in Fyvie-O

Come trippin' down the stair, Pretty Peggy, my dear
Come down the stairs, Pretty Peggy-O
Come trippin' down the stairs, combin' back your yellow hair
Bid a long farewell to your mammy-O

It's braw, aye it's braw, a captain's lady for to be
And it's braw to be a captain's lady-O
It's braw to ride around and to follow the camp
And to ride when your captain he is ready-O

Oh I'll give you ribbons, love, and I'll give you rings
I'll give you a necklace of amber-O
I'll give you a silken petticoat with flounces to the knee
If you'll convey me doon to your chamber-O

What would your mother think if she heard the guineas clink
And saw the haut-boys marching all before you-O
O little would she think gin she heard the guineas clink
If I followed a soldier laddie-O

I never did intend a soldier's lady for to be
A soldier shall never enjoy me-O
I never did intend to gae tae a foreign land
And I will never marry a soldier-O

I'll drink nae more o your claret wine
I'll drink nae more o your glasses-O
Tomorrow is the day when we maun ride away
So farewell tae your Fyvie lasses-O

The colonel he cried, mount, boys, mount, boys, mount
The captain, he cried, tarry-O
O tarry yet a while, just another day or twa
Til I see if the bonnie lass will marry-O

Twas in the early morning, when we marched awa
And oh but the captain he was sorry-O
The drums they did beat on the merry braes o' Gight
And the band played the bonnie lass of Fyvie-O

Long ere we came to the glen of Auchterlass
We had our captain to carry-O
And long ere we won into the streets of Aberdeen
We had our captain to bury-O

Green grow the birks on bonnie Ethanside
And low lie the lowlands of Fyvie-O
The captain's name was Ned and he died for a maid
He died for the bonny lass of Fyvie-O

---

S&G:

Peggy-O
(Traditional)

As we marched down to Faneri-o, as we marched down to Faneri-o,
our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove and they called her name pretty Peggy-o.

Come a-running down the stairs, pretty Peggy-o,
come a-running down the stairs, pretty Peggy-o,
come a-running down the stairs, combing back your yellow hair,
you're the prettiest little girl I've ever seen-o.

In a carriage you will ride, pretty Peggy-o, in a carriage you will ride, pretty Peggy-o,
in a carriage you will ride, with your true love by your side as fair as any maiden in the are-o.

What will your mother say, pretty Peggy-o? What will your mother say, pretty Peggy-o?
What will your mother say, when she finds you've gone away
to places far and strange, to Faneri-o?

If ever I return, pretty Peggy-o, if ever I return, pretty Peggy-o,
if ever I return, all your cities I will burn,
destroying all the ladies in the are-o, destroying all the ladies in the are-o.

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 03:30 PM

Duck??

Subject: RE: Where's Fennario?
From: Suffet
Date: 29 Apr 03 - 09:47 PM

More variants:

The captain had a talk with a lady like a hawk...

The captain got a smidgen of a lady like a pigeon...

The captain went a-bobbin' with a lady like a robin...

The captain got a pinch from a lady like a finch...


Any others?

--- Steve