Lyr Req: Bonny May (from June Tabor)

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: GUEST,Sue Clarke
Date: 17 Dec 12 - 02:59 PM

Here it is:
Bonnie May a shepherding's gone
Calling her sheep to the fold
And as she sang her bonny voice it rang
Right over the top of the Downs, Downs
Right over the top of the Downs.

There came a troop of gentlemen
As they were riding by
And one of them has lighted down
And asked of her the way, way
And asked of her the way.

Ride on, ride on ye rank riders
Your steeds so stout and strong
For it's out of the fold I will not go
For fear that you do me wrong, wrong
For fear that you do me wrong.


He's taken her by the middle gimp(?)
And by the green gown sleeve
And there he's had his will of her
And asked of her no leave, leave
And asked of her no leave.

He's mounted on his berry brown steed
He's soon o'erta'en his men
And one and all cried out to him
Oh master you tarried long, long
Oh master you tarried long.

Oh I've ridden east and I've ridden west
And I've ridden o'er the Downs
But the bonniest lass that ever I saw
Was calling her sheep to the fold, fold
Was calling her sheep to the fold.

She's taken her milk pail on her head
And she's gone lingering home
And all that her father said to her
Was daughter you tarried long, long
Oh daughter you tarried long.

Oh woe be to your shepherd father
For he takes no care of his sheep
For he's builded a fold at the back of the Downs
And a fox has frightened me, me
And a fox has frightened me.

For there came a fox to the fold door
With twinkling eyes so bold
And e'er that he'd taken the lamb that he did
I'd rather he'd taken them all,all
I'd rather he'd taken them all.

When twenty weeks had gone and past
Twenty weeks and three
The lassie began to fret and to frown
And to long for the twinkling eye, bright eye
To long for the twinkling eye.

Well it fell on a day and a bonnie bonnie day
As she walked out alone
That selfsame troop of gentlemen
Came riding over the Downs Downs
Came riding over the Downs.

Who got the babe with thee, Bonnie May
Who got the babe in thy arms
For shame she blushed and Aye she said
Oh a good man of my own,own
Oh a good man of my own.

You lie, you lie you Bonnie Bonnie May
So loud I hear you lie
Remember the misty Murky night
I lay in the fold with thee,thee
I lay in the fold with thee.

(I'm not sure about the third line!):

He's lighted off his berry brown steed
He's set the fair May on
Go call out or cry your father he said
She'll ne'er go there again, again
She'll ne'er go there again.

For he's lord of twenty flocklands
Twenty ploughlands three
And he's taken away the bonniest lass
In all of the south country,country
In all of the south country.

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: harpgirl
Date: 23 Oct 98 - 10:52 AM

Barbara,
I don't know about the Copper Family but it sounds as though I would enjoy them. and John I'll find a turntable in the house that works and play it while I'm cleaning for my parents to visit this afternoon...I'll send the words along in a little while, hopefully. But my house is so dirty I need a riding vacuum cleaner and a sandblasting machine to make it acceptable to my obsessive compulsive mother, whose floor you really CAN eat off of....!! harpgirl

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Bruce O.
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 03:50 PM

"Cold and Raw" is by Thomas D'Urfey, 'Comes Amoris', 2nd book, 1688. D'Urfey also gave it in 'Pills to Purge Melancholy', whence the copy in DT. A. L. LLoyd also sang it, but I've never seen a truly traditional version.

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: John Wong
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 04:33 AM

Hey Harpgirl, I still need the precise lyric of Bonny May. Your loving song While the Gamekeeper Lies Sleeping reminds me of June T's another trad song 'Cold & Raw'(Ashes & Diamonds album). Oh what a lovely song!

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Barbara
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 10:03 PM

while the Gamekeepers Lie sleeping is a Copper Family song, did you know that, harpgirl? I sang it (or attempted to sing is more accurate; sycopated 9/8 is a challenge for most of us) for years without realizing I had it in my Copper family songbook.
And I have the album., but if someone else can get to the words, I think it would be wonderful. Someday soon I'm going to be through with this @#@%& medieval halloween costume!
Blessings,
BArbara

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: harpgirl
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 07:55 PM

The album notes say Child No. 217, the Broom of Cowdenknowes; a compilation of several texts, anglicized with the aid and inspiration of Maddy Prior. It was with great regret that the following verses had to be abandoned:

Whan twenty weeks war past and gone
Twenty weeks and three
The lassie began to spit and spue
and thought lang for blinkin' eef

Have you now got all the words or do you still need them? harpgirl This album has While the Gamekeepers lie sleeping, a favorite of mine

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Bruce O.
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 03:47 PM

I switched "Western Knight" and "Bonnie May" to Scarce Songs 2 so it will be easier to find (much shorter file)

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Bruce O.
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 12:14 AM

I've added the early Scottish "Bonnie May" to the Scarce Songs file on my website (with tune from SMM) following "The Western Knight". www.erols.com/olsonw

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Bruce O.
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 07:44 PM

The version Aldus quoted seems a little different than "Bonnie May" listed in the folk analogues to "The Western Knight" in the Scarce Songs file on my website. In the early Scots versions she ends up marrying the gentleman, who was a lord (of Auchentrone in SMM). The story has many variants as folk songs.

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 07:10 PM

What a voice!I love the timber to her voice and her taiste buds have few equals.Is there anything of her with Martin Carthy playing guitar?Ah the years gone b

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Barry Finn
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 04:44 PM

I don't see the connection with Bonny May & the Broom of the Cowdeknowes. Any suggestions. Barry

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: aldus
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 02:59 PM

Sorry, I looked in the db and Bonny May is not there. However, The Broom of Cowdeknowes is there, if that's any help. I"ll try to find the words and send them off to you. Like a lot of people, I can hear the tune clearly but can"get all the words together.

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Aldus
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 01:30 PM

I know some snippets of this song--

Bonny May a shepherdess has gone
To call her sheep from the fold,
And as she sang her bonny voice it rang,
Right over the tops of the downs, downs,
Right over the tops of the downs.

There came a troop of gentlemen
As they were riding by.
One of them has lighted down
And asked of her the way, way,
And has asked of her the way.

He's taken her by the middle gimp
And by the green gown sleeve,
And he has had his will of her,
And he's asked of her no leave.
He's asked of her no leave.

The fox has come to the fold door
With twinkling eye so bold,
And ere he'd take the lamb that he did,
I wish he'd taken them all.
I wish he'd taken them all.

ONE OF THE LATER VERSES IS...

You lie. You lie, you Bonny Bonny May.
So loud I hear you lie.
Remember the misty murky night
I lay in the fold with thee, thee,
I lay in the fold with thee.
^^

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: Barry Finn
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 10:30 PM

I can almost hear it & can't find it. I remember someting like.

You lie, you lie, you lie Bonny May
You were (herding your sheep to the fold ?????)
Remember that night ??????
?????????????????

I may be way off & it probably dosen't help much but maybe it'll jog someone's memory. Good Luck. Barry

Subject: RE: June Tabor's Bonny May
From:
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 09:44 AM

Bonnie May (The Broom of Cowdenows (sic) is in the Db.

Subject: June Tabor's Bonny May
From: John Wong (Hong Kong)
Date: 18 Oct 98 - 04:29 AM

I'm looking for the lyric of the song 'Bonny May', which appears on June Tabor's album 'Air & Graces'. Can anybody help? E-mail: [e-mail] Thanks a lot.

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