Two Sisters - Jim Moray

Two Sisters by Jim Moray from the album Sweet England

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©℗2003 NIAG

~Lyrics~

The farmer, he lived by the Northern Sea,
Bow wee down, [?]
The farmer, he lived by the Northern Sea,
Bow and balance to me,
The farmer, he lived by the Northern Sea,
And he had daughters one two and three,
But I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

A young man he came a courting there,
Bow wee down,
Young man he came a courting there,
Bow and balance to me,
The young man he came a courting there,
And he made the choice of the youngest fair,
But I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

He bought the youngest a beaver hat,
Bow wee down,
He bought the youngest a beaver hat,
Bow and balance to me,
He bought the youngest a beaver hat,
The oldest sister didn't like that,
But I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

As they walked down by the water's brim,
Bow wee down,
As they walked down by the water's brim,
Bow and balance to me,
As they walked down by the water's brim,
The oldest she pushed the youngest in,
But I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

Be true to me.

I'll be true to my,
I'll be true to my love. (x4)

Oh sister, oh sister lend me your hand,
Bow wee down,
Sister, oh sister lend me your hand,
Bow and balance to me,
Sister, oh sister lend me your hand,
And you may have my house and my land,
But I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

She floated on down to the miller's dam,
Bow wee down,
She floated on down to the miller's dam,
Bow and balance to me,
She floated on down to the miller's dam,
The miller he pulled her back to dry land,
But I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

And off of her fingers' took five gold rings,
Bow wee down,
And off of her fingers' took five gold rings,
Bow and balance to me,
And off of her fingers' took five gold rings,
Then into the water plunged her again,
But I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

Be true to me.

I'll be true to my,
I'll be true to my love. (x6)

http://www.geocities.com/jim_moray/

Category:

Music

Tags:

• twa
• two
• sisters
• the
• miller
• and
• king's
• daughter
• minnorie
• binnorie
• cruel
• sister
• wind
• rain
• bonnie
• bows
• of
• london
• jim
• moray
• folk
• trad
• traditional
• niblick
• is
• giraffe
• sweet
• england
• low
• culture

[mahogonywhisper]

my gosh i'm sorry, i did it again. this is probably a song that has many versions

[DangerYourselfCopies]

Hehe not to worry.

Most of Jim Moray's songs have a traditional origin, this one is Scottish I think. Look up Twa Sisters on wikipedia, there is a list of versions by popular artists.

If you want to know more, you'd have to ask on the forums, youtube won't allow me to post the link here though.

[jrrtolkia]

Thumbs up if Kate Rusby and Jim Moray should do a duet.

[SockBoy65]

WOW! He does a haunting version of that song..



[SilverWolfMoon]

@gaspode18 I'm all for preservation of English tradition ~ I'm just in the middle of baking my first Lammas bread!

[gaspode18]

@SilverWolfMoon You're probably right, actually. This probably IS a Scottish song (borders, anyway). I was just making a point - English tradition DOES exist and is worth preserving, despite what certain ex-Ministers of Culture (yes, Kim Howells, I'm pointing at you!) might think.

Take a trip down to Kent next May Day weekend. The Rochester Sweeps Festival is one of the biggest Morris dance festivals in England. Well worth a look.

[SilverWolfMoon]

@gaspode18 As it happens, I'm English!

As a fan of Folk music, I know that a majority of traditional songs are English with the occasional 'Celtic' varioation. But songs like this, with many known variations in the Celtic parts of the Isles {and abroad} are more likely to have originated in Scotland or Ireland - for example, Julie Fowlis performs two Scottish interpretations of it, 'Wind and Rain' and 'Thig am Bàta'.

Maybe we should just call it traditional 'British'...?! :)

[gaspode18]

@SilverWolfMoon Could just have easily gone the other way from England. I frankly get a bit fed up of ALL folk songs from the British Isles being claimed as 'Celtic' (mostly by Americans, it has to be said) - Even songs that are KNOWN to have been written by English songwriters within the last 100 years.

[SilverWolfMoon]

@gaspode18 Well... Scotland, Ireland and Wales are 'Celtic', and it was probably transposed to England from one of them since variations of the song are known in all 3, and apparently also in Brittany...

[gaspode18]

@SilverWolfMoon Not really Celtic, it is known all over the British Isles, including England.

[PalmyBruce]

Really good. Can't describe it in words.

[SilverWolfMoon]

It's a traditional Celtic song, known by several titles, most famously 'Two Sisters' {Clannad}, 'The Cruel Sister' {Pentangle, Old Blind Dogs} and 'Wind and Rain' {Julie Fowlis}.

The lyrics and plot vary slightly in each version, with the drowned sister either just dying {'Two Sisters'}, or having her body turned into a harp {'The Cruel Sister'} or fiddle {'Wind and Rain'}.

One of my favourite songs, and I especially recommend the Old Blind Dogs version :)