> Nic Jones > Songs > The Bonnie Banks of Fordie

The Bonnie Banks of Fordie / Babylon

[ Roud 27 ; Child 14 ; Ballad Index C014 ; trad.]

In spite of the innocent title, The Bonnie Banks of Fordie is a cruel ballad of senseless murder. Dick Gaughan sang it on his 1972 Trailer album, No More Forever. He explained in his album's sleeve notes:

The Bonnie Banks o' Fordie has all the makings of a classic ballad… two cases of fratricide and a consequent suicide. It's also known as The Duke of Perth's Three Daughters, and is in the Child collection as Babylon, or The Banks of Airdrie. The climax comes in the penultimate verse with the revelation that the murderer is in fact, Babylon, the brother, and leads up to his inevitable suicide. I learned this in approved traditional fashion from my mother, who sang it as a child's skipping song.

Nic Jones sang an Americanised version (“outlaw”, “rattlesnake”, “bank robber”) of The Bonnie Banks of Fordie in 1974 on The First Folk Review Record. Here the robber is not related to the three sisters, the third sister is rescued by her brother, and the robber gets hanged. This recording was later included in the Fellside anthology Ballads. According to the sleeve notes,

Nic collected this version from verses to be found in Child and the tune was inspired by the one in Dean Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs for The Laird of Drum. Child discovered five versions of this song and noted that the ballad could also be found in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Faeroe Islands. Bronson reported eight versions including four from North America.

A live performance from the late 70's of unknown source is on Nic Jones' CD Game Set Match.

Alasdair Roberts and Kami Thompson sang The Bonnie Banks O Airdrie as part of Song East at the Marie Lloyd Bar, Hackney on March 9, 2010:

Jon Boden sang The Bonnie Banks of Fordie with verses nearly identical to Dick Gaughan's (except that he sings it in English rather than in Scottish) as the May 28, 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He noted in the project blog that he learned his version from Ian Giles at the Half Moon pub in Oxford.

Lyrics

Nic Jones sings The Bonnie Banks of Fordie	Jon Boden sings The Bonnie Banks of Fordie
Oh there were three sisters lived in a bower Oh I am so bonnie They've gone out for to pull all the flowers On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Fordie.	There were three sisters lived in a bower And they went out for to pull a flower, They went out for to pull a flower, Down by the bonnie banks o Fordie-o.
And they've not pulled a flower but one Till by there came an outlaw man.	Now they had not pulled a flower but one When up there stepped a banished man, etc.
And he's gone up to the eldest one, He's turned her around and he made her stand.	And he's taken the first one by the hand And he's turned her round and he's made her stand,
“Oh, will you be a bank robber's wife? Or will you die with my little pen knife?”	“Oh, it's will ye be a robber's wife? Or will you die by my pen knife?
“Oh, it's I'll not be a bank robber's wife, But I'd sooner die with your little pen knife.”	“Oh, it's I'll not be a robber's wife! I would rather die by your pen knife.”
And he's killed the girl and he's laid her by To keep the red rose company.	So he's taken out his little pen knife And there he's twined her of her life.
And he's taken the second girl by her hand, Turned her around and he made her stand.	And he's taken the second one by the hand And he's turned her round and he's made her stand.
“Oh, will you be a bank robber's wife? Or will you die with my little pen knife?”	“Oh, it's will you be a robber's wife? Or will you die by my pen knife?”
“Oh, it's I'll not be a bank robber's wife, But I'd sooner die with your little pen knife.”	“Oh it's I'll not be a robber's wife! I'd rather die by your pen knife.”
So he's killed the girl and he's laid her by To keep the red rose company.	So he's taken out his little pen knife An there he's twined her of her life.
And he's taken the youngest by her hand, He's turned her around and he made her stand.	And he's taken the third one by the hand And he's turned round and he's made her stand.
“Oh, it's will you be a bank robber's wife? Or will you die with my little pen knife?”	“Oh, it's will you be a robber's wife? Or will you die by my pen knife?”
“Oh, I'll not be a bank robber's wife, But I'd sooner die with your little pen knife.”	“Oh, it's I'll nor be a robber's wife Nor will I die by your pen knife.
But her own brother John came a-riding by And this bold robber he chanced to spy.	For I have a brother in yonder tree And if you kill me then he'll kill thee!”
And he's gone up to his sister fair, He's taken her up by her long yellow hair.	“Come tell to me your brother's name!” “Oh, my brother's name it is Babylon.”
And he's sent out his page-boys three To take this robber most speedily.	“Oh sister, sister, I've done you wrong, Oh sister, sister, I have done you wrong!”
“Two of my sisters you took their life All with your cruel and your bloody pen-knife.	And he's taken out his little pen knife And there he's taken his own sweet life.
For my sisters then you shall die.” And they hanged him up on the gallows high.
They'd thrown him into a poisoned lake, To feed all the toads and the rattlesnakes.