Bonny Swans (Loreena Mckennitt) and Lyrics

LYRICS HERE. Click on "show more" below. Loreena Mckennitt singing Bonnie Swans. The images are from photo bucket.

The Bonny Swans

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
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 they 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 alone
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

Traditional lyrics arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt copyright 1994, Quinlan Road Music

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Loreena
• Mckennitt
• bonnie
• swans
• art
• relaxation
• meditation

[1KatrionaSolas]

Ummm.....the lyrics here are all screwed up!

[batlady2]

@1KatrionaSolas How do you mean the lyrics are screwed up? The written words are exactly the same as in the song. The words are printed on my Loreena McKennitt CD that this song came off of. I shared them here along with the song.

[rhiannon14982]

@1KatrionaSolas Sorry, ran out of characters. So she comes back, shape-shifted, as a swan, then a harp, to her father's hall (yes, the story changed to her family being royal), I think to tell her story and accuse her sister of murder. But we don't find out if they understood her, as a harp playing her song, or what happened to her sister.

[rhiannon14982]

@1KatrionaSolas As with many oral traditions, over time, the story is passed down differently, being tweaked here and there by different generations. So, it starts off as 2 farmer's daughters walking along a river. The eldest wants the love of her younger sister's lover, so she drowns her to gain him. In Celtic stories, there is often shape-shifting and interaction between this world and the otherworld.

[batlady2]

@pathu4444 It seems that this song has different meanings to different people who listen to it. Its a strange story for sure.

[xipetoltec]

Beautiful pictures! Thank you. :)

[batlady2]

@AlleyCatJoel Well, according to the lyrics, she turns into a swan type creature who still looks like a lady. The millers daughter finds her drowned and shows her to her father. Then a harper makes a harp out of her and as a harp she comes alive and tells every one what her sister did. Strange story.

[batlady2]

@Leyuann This was one of my first videos. I was not keeping very good track of the exact artist names of the images then. I try harder to do so now. But if you go to Deviant Art Web site use their digital art section first and type in all sorts of terms for swans and fairies and also the term "Bonny Swans" in their search tool and hopefully these same images will all come up for you. If not, well, you will see all sorts of other great art in their while you're looking. Good luck and enjoy!

[Leyuann]

@batlady2 @batlady2 thanks for replying!

i was just wondering if you had the title or name of the artist for those pics, so i'm gonna have a look at that website you mentioned! thanks!

btw, rented the album today, the one which has this song in it =)

[Leyuann]

@batlady2 thanks for replying!

i was just wondering if you had the title or name of the artist for those pics, so i'm gonna have a look at that website you mentioned! thanks!

[batlady2]

@Leyuann Do you mean what are the pictures about? I'm not sure. They are artists depictions I found on Deviant Art Web site. There are some really talented artists on that web site that do fantastic art work with their computers. I'm glad you enjoyed my video and thanks for taking the time to let me know you did.