One of the most enduringly popular of the classic traditional ballads with many versions from England, Scotland and North America. Child had 20 versions and Bronson has more than 50 versions with tunes and texts. Elizabeth's version is from her family tradition and it was recorded by Kenneth Goldstein from Elizabeth's aunt Lucy Stewart of Fetterangus in the 1950s and her version of the ballad is available on Folkways Records (GD 2:193; Child 20; Roud 9).
1: It's Logan's woods and Logan's braes,
Whaur I helped ma bonnie lassie on wi her claes;
First her hose then and her sheen,
She gaen me the slip when I wis deen.
2: She's taen her cloak aboot her heid,
And she's gaen tae dee a gruesome deed;
She's gaen tae tae dee a gruesome deed,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.
3: She's leaned her back against a thorn,
And twa bonnie bairnies she has born;
Twa bonnie bairnies she has born,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.
4: She's taen a ribbon fae aff her hair,
And she's chokit them though they grat sair;
She's chokit them though they grat sair,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.
5: She's dug a hole beside a tree,
And she's beeried them whaur there's nane can see;
She's beeried them whaur there's nane can see,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.
6: Four days and nichts she bore her bairn,
So that nane could meddle wi her gweed name;
Nane could meddle wi her gweed name,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.
7: Four days and nichts she grew wan and pale,
And what ailed her no there's nane could tell;
What ailed her no there's nane could tell,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.
8: She's lookit ower the castle waa,
And she seen twa bonnie bairnies playin at the baa;
She seen twa bonnie bairnies playin at the baa,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.
9: "Oh bonnie bairnies if you were mine,
I wid hae fed ye on the white coo milk and wine;
I wid hae fed ye on the white coo milk and wine,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O."
10: "Oh cruel mother when we were thine,
You didna feed us on the white coo milk and wine;
You didna feed us on the white coo milk and wine,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O."
11: "But you took a ribbon fae aff your hair,
And you chokit us though we grat sair;
You chokit us though we grat sair,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O."
12: "While we two now in Heaven do dwell,
You've got tae face the fierce fires o Hell;
You've got tae face thae fires o Hell,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O."
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See Lucy Stewart recording:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/lucy_stewart.aspx
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c p 2006 Autumn Harvest
www.springthyme.co.uk
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