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Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans

27 Feb 98 - 06:13 PM (#22467)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BONNY SWANS (Loreena McKennitt)
From: Ezio

This is similar to "THE SWAN SWIMS BONNIE" - already in DT.

--------------

THE BONNY SWANS (7:18)

Music by Loreena McKennitt; traditional lyrics arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt

A farmer there lived in the north country
a hey ho bonny o
And he had daughters one, two, three
The swans swim so bonny o
These daughters they walked by the river's brim
a hey ho bonny o
The eldest pushed the youngest in
The swans swim so bonny o

Oh sister, oh sister, pray lend me your hand
with a hey ho a bonny o
And I will give you house and land
the swans swim so bonny o
I'll give you neither hand nor glove
with a hey ho a bonny o
Unless you give me your own true love
the swans swim so bonny o

Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam
with a hey ho and a bonny o
Until she came to a miller's dam
the swans swim so bonny o

The miller's daughter, dressed in red
with a hey ho and a bonny o
She went for some water to make some bread
the swans swim so bonny o

Oh father, oh daddy, here swims a swan
with a hey ho and a bonny o
It's very like a gentle woman
the swans swim so bonny o
They placed her on the bank to dry
with a hey ho and a bonny o
There came a harper passing by
the swans swim so bonny o

He made harp pins of her fingers fair
with a hey ho and a bonny o
He made harp strings of her golden hair
the swans swim so bonny o
He made a harp of her breast bone
with a hey ho and a bonny o
And straight it began to play alone
the swans swim so bonny o

He brought it to her father's hall
with a hey ho and a bonny o
And there was the court, assembled all
the swans swim so bonny o
He laid the harp upon a stone
with a hey ho and a bonny o
And straight it began to play lone
the swans swim so bonny o

And there does sit my father the King
with a hey ho and a bonny o
And yonder sits my mother the Queen
the swans swim so bonny o
And there does sit my brother Hugh
with a hey ho and a bonny o
And by him William, sweet and true
the swans swim so bonny o
And there does sit my false sister, Anne
with a hey ho and a bonny o
Who drowned me for the sake of a man
the swans swim so bonny o

Sung by McKennitt on "The mask and the mirror"


Is that what you wanted, Ezio? -Joe Offer-

01 Aug 01 - 07:38 PM (#519396)
Subject: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans'?
From: GUEST,sansari@writers.net

If anyone has the lyrics to Loreena McKennitt's "The Bonny Swans", could you please e-mail them to me? I think the songs based on the story "The Cruel Sister" also known as "The Two Sisters".

01 Aug 01 - 08:18 PM (#519412)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans
From: hesperis

I have them, but on the CD insert to "the mask and mirror". If no-one can find an internet site, I'll type out the lyrics for this thread.

LH says there is a site with all lyrics to Mckennitt's songs. Somewhere.

Do a search on google.com or something.

I've got to go soon, anyway.

Good luck.

01 Aug 01 - 09:04 PM (#519422)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans
From: Sorcha

Since we already have Two Sisters, I'm linking:
Bonny Swans. e mail sent.

02 Aug 01 - 07:57 AM (#519580)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans
From: Malcolm Douglas

There was also a brief discussion of Ms. McKennitt's take on the song a couple of months back:  Chorus to Pentangle's 'The Cruel Sister'

03 Aug 01 - 02:04 AM (#520177)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans
From: GUEST,mollificent

I'm having a lot of fun at the moment writing a story that's sort of a combination of "The Bonny Swans," and "The Secret of Roan Inish". *Very* broadly speaking, of course...

having a lot of fun with it, too. ;)

Moll

03 Aug 01 - 05:30 AM (#520224)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans
From: Joe Offer

Loreena McKennitt's Website is at http://www.quinlanroad.com/, and I believe she has complete lyrics posted on the site.
-Joe Offer-

28 Feb 02 - 09:47 PM (#660382)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BONNY SWANS (Loreena McKennitt)
From: Jim Dixon

I see no reason not to have McKennitt's version in our database as well as all the other versions of the Two Sisters!

THE BONNY SWANS
(Music by Loreena McKennitt. Lyrics traditional, arr. and adapted by Loreena McKennitt.)

A farmer there lived in the north country,
With a hey ho and a bonny o,
And he had daughters one, two, three,
The swans swim so bonny o.

These daughters they walked by the river's brim.
The eldest pushed the youngest in.

Oh sister, oh sister, pray lend me your hand,
And I will give you house and land.

I'll give you neither hand nor glove
Unless you give me your own true love.

Sometimes she sank. Sometimes she swam,
Until she came to a miller's dam.

The miller's daughter, dressed in red,
She went for some water to make some bread.

Oh father, oh daddy, here swims a swan.
It's very like a gentlewoman.

They placed her on the bank to dry.
There came a harper passing by.

He made harp pins of her fingers fair.
He made harp strings of her golden hair.

He made a harp of her breastbone.
And straight it began to play alone.

He brought it to her father's hall.
And there was the court, assembled all.

He laid the harp upon a stone.
And straight it began to play alone.

And there does sit my father the King.
And yonder sits my mother the Queen.

And there does sit my brother Hugh.
And by him William, sweet and true.

And there does sit my false sister, Anne,
Who drowned me for the sake of a man.

[From "The Mask And Mirror" (1994). Also on "Live in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts" (1995).]

23 Apr 04 - 01:33 PM (#1169160)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans
From: Macha

Why don't you go to Loreena McKennitt's Website?

23 Apr 04 - 02:13 PM (#1169197)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Websites are often ephemeral; it is useful to have a copy at Mudcat.

23 Apr 04 - 02:46 PM (#1169240)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Loreena McKennitt's 'The Bonny Swans
From: Mudlark

I love the melody to this version, much more haunting than the version I've sung for so many years.

08 Aug 06 - 04:43 PM (#1804706)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Bonny Swans (Loreena McKennitt)
From: GUEST

Unless you give me your own true love

08 Aug 06 - 05:39 PM (#1804723)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Bonny Swans (Loreena McKennitt)
From: Matt_R

Great electric guitar work in her version