> June Tabor > Songs > Bogie's Bonnie Belle
> Louis Killen > Songs > Bogie's Bonnie Belle

Bogie's Bonnie Belle

[ Roud 2155 ; Ballad Index DTbogieb ; trad.]

Bogie's Bonnie Belle was a Scots Travellers' favourite bothy ballad. Jimmy MacBeath sang it in a recording made by Alan Lomax in his apartment in London on November 14, 1953. This war included in 2002 on his Rounder Records anthology Tramps and Hawkers. A later recording made by Peter Hall in a private house in Scotland on July 19-21, 1971 was released in 1978 on his Topic album Bound to Be a Row.

Davie Stewart sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle on the anthology Songs of Courtship (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 1, Caedmon 1961, Topic 1968). Jane Stewart sang it in 1968 on the Topic album The Travelling Stewarts: The Stewart Family and other Traveller Families; and Sheila Stewart sang it in a 1998 recording made by Doc Rowe on her Topic CD From the Heart of the Tradition. The latter album's note commented:

A bothy ballad common throughout the north-east of Scotland, relished by Travellers because of its reference to a “tinkler chap”. The fact that it is not included in the Ford, Grieg or Ord Collections suggests that it might be of more recent origin—or certainly after 1925 when Bothy Songs and Ballads was completed by Ord.

The last verse in Sheila's version is unusually boastfull and defiant, compared, say, to Davey Stewart's indifferent ending,

Farewell ye lads o' Huntly side and Bogie Bonny Belle

Winnie Campbell sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 1965 on their family's Topic album The Singing Campbells: Traditions of an Aberdeen Family. This track was included a year later on the Topic sampler A Prospect of Scotland: Songs and Pipes Tunes in the Scots Tradition.

Archie Fisher sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 1968 on his eponymous Transatlantic album Archie Fisher.

Ian Manuel sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 1972 on his Topic album The Frosty Ploughshare: Scots Traditional Songs.

Bob Davenport sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 1975 on his Topic album Down the Long Road.

Robin and Barry Dransfield sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 1977 on their Free Reed album Popular to Contrary Belief. This track was also included in 1997 on their Free Reed anthology Up to Now.

June Tabor sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle unaccompanied on the CD issue of her 1988 album Aqaba.

Maggie Boyle and Steve Tilston sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 1988 on their album with John Renbourn and Tony Roberts, Ship of Fools.

Louis Killen sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 1989 on his album The Rose in June. He commented in his album notes:

From the singing of many Scots singers but especially Davy Stewart. A small tragedy stemming from the class system that determines who is fit to be with whom, with a bitter sting in the tail. In my opinion, this is the grandest of the bothy ballads.

Richard Thompson sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle on his 1993 anthology Watching the Dark: The History of Richard Thompson.

John Kirkpatrick sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 1998 on his CD One Man and His Box.

Bram Taylor sang Bogie's Bonnie Belle in 2004 on his Fellside CD The Night Is Young.

And of course there is Les Barker's variant in the best folk tradition, Belle's Bonnie Bogey, sung by Alison Younger on the Mrs Ackroyd album Gnus and Roses.

Lyrics

Sheila Stewart sings Bogie's Bonnie Belle

A' Whitsun's day at Huntly toon 'twas there I did agree
Wi' auld Bogieside, a fairmer, a sax-month for to fee.

Noo, Bogie was a greedy man and I did know that well,
But he also had a daughter her name was Isabel.

Noo, Belle she wis the bonniest lass in a' the countryside,
And very soon I lost my hairt to the Belle o' Bogieside.

For often on a simmer's nicht I'd wander wi' my dear,
Tae watch the trooties lowpin' in Bogie's water clear.

And I'd slipped my airms aroond her waist and the feet frae her did slide
'Twas there I ta'en my will o' her at Bogie's bonnie burnside.

Noo, nine long months were past and gone and she brocht forth a son
And aul' Bogie he did send for me to see what could be done.

I said that I would marry her but, oh no, that wadnae dae,
For I'm nae match for Bogie's Belle, and she's nae match for me.

Bot noo she's married tae a tinkler chap and she bides in Huntly toon
And wi' tilly pans and ladles she scoors the country roond.

Oh, maybe she's gotten a better match for that I cannae tell
But 'twas me that ta'en the maidenhead o' Bogie's Bonnie Belle.

Ian Manuel sings Bogie's Bonnie Belle

At market day in Huntly toon, an' it was there I did agree
Wi' Bogieside the farmer a twelvemonth for to fee.
Tae drive his twa best horses, that's a task that I could do,
Tae drive his twa best horses in the harrow and the ploo.

Now Bogie had a dochter, her name was Isabel,
She was the lily o' the valley an' the primrose o' the dell.
An' when she went oot walkin', she chose me for her guide
Doon by the burn at Cairnie, tae watch the fishes glide.

And when three months was scarcely o'er, the lassie lost her bloom
An' the red fell frae her bonnie cheeks an' her eyes began to swoon.
Noo, the neist nine months were past and gone, she brought tae me a son
And I was quickly sent for tae see what could be done.

I said that I would marry her, but oh that widna dae
For, “You're nae match for Bonnie Belle, an' she's nae match for thee.”
He sent me packin' doon the road, wi' nae penny o' my fee,
Sae a' ye lads o' Huntly toon a lang fareweel tae ye.

But noo she's marrit tae a tinker lad, wha bides in Huntly toon,
He mends pots and pans and paraffin lamps, an' scours the country roon.
Maybe she's gotten a better match—auld Bogie canna tell—
But it was me wha's ta'en the maidenheid o' Bogie's bonnie Belle.

June Tabor sings Bogie's Bonnie Belle

As I came down to Huntly town, a-searching for a fee
I met with Bogie o' Cairnie and with him I did agree.
To work his two best horses, barrow, cart or plow
Or any kind of good farmwork he knew well that I could do.

He had a lovely daughter, and her name was Isabel,
She was the lily of the valley and the primrose of the dell.
And when she'd go out walking she'd take me for her guide;
Down by the banks of Cairnie we watched those small fish glide.

And when three short months had gone and passed, this lassie lost her bloom.
And the red fell from her rosy cheeks, and her eyes began to swoon.
And when nine long months had gone and passed, she bore to me a son,
And swiftly I was sent for to see what could be done.

I said that I would marry her, but och, that would not dee,
Saying, “You're no match for Isabelle, and she's no match for thee.”
So I took my own son all in my arms, may he bring to me much joy,
And may he mean as much to me as the girl that I adore.

And now she's married to a tinker lad and he comes from Huntly town,
Mending pots and pans and paraffin lamps and he scours the country 'round.
Maybe she's got have a better match, old Bogie can't tell,
Fare ye well, you lads o' Huntly side and Bogie's Bonnie Belle.

Links

See also the Mudcat Café thread Lyr Req: Bogie's Bonny Belle.