Music by Loreena McKennitt Lyrics arr. and adapted by Loreena McKennitt
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 with a hey ho a bonny o 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 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
END
[00:26.44]Music by Loreena McKennitt [00:31.44]Lyrics arr. and adapted by Loreena McKennitt [00:36.44] [00:41.44]A farmer there lived in the north country [00:44.62]a hey ho bonny o [00:47.92]And he had daughters one, two, three [00:51.30]The swans swim so bonny o [00:55.49]These daughters they walked by the river's brim [00:58.92]a hey ho bonny o [01:02.35]The eldest pushed the youngest in [01:05.77]The swans swim so bonny o [01:09.94] [01:16.96]Oh sister, oh sister, pray lend me your hand [01:20.29]with a hey ho a bonny o [01:23.64]And I will give you house and land [01:27.02]the swans swim so bonny o [01:31.56]I'll give you neither hand nor glove [01:34.69]with a hey ho a bonny o [01:38.22]Unless you give me your own true love [01:41.40]the swans swim so bonny o [01:45.75] [01:59.37]Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam [02:02.68]with a hey ho and a bonny o [02:06.17]Until she came to a miller's dam [02:09.45]the swans swim so bonny o [02:13.74]The miller's daughter, dressed in red [02:17.19]with a hey ho and a bonny o [02:20.56]She went for some water to make some bread [02:23.95]the swans swim so bonny o [02:28.30] [02:35.17]Oh father, oh daddy, here swims a swan [02:38.54]with a hey ho and a bonny o [02:41.74]It's very like a gentle woman [02:45.19]the swans swim so bonny o [02:49.39]They placed her on the bank to dry [02:52.86]with a hey ho and a bonny o [02:56.30]There came a harper passing by [02:59.66]the swans swim so bonny o [03:04.98] [03:32.86]He made harp pins of her fingers fair [03:36.31]with a hey ho and a bonny o [03:39.62]He made harp strings of her golden hair [03:43.03]the swans swim so bonny o [03:47.23]He made a harp of her breast bone [03:50.86]with a hey ho and a bonny o [03:54.10]And straight it began to play alone [03:57.52]the swans swim so bonny o [04:02.03] [04:08.80]He brought it to her father's hall [04:11.89]with a hey ho and a bonny o [04:15.24]And there was the court, assembled all [04:18.62]the swans swim so bonny o [04:22.98]He laid the harp upon a stone [04:26.35]with a hey ho and a bonny o [04:29.71]And straight it began to play alone [04:33.08]the swans swim so bonny o [04:37.39] [04:51.49]And there does sit my father the King [04:54.37]with a hey ho and a bonny o [04:57.77]And yonder sits my mother the Queen [05:01.19]the swans swim so bonny o [05:05.34]And there does sit my brother Hugh [05:08.77]with a hey ho and a bonny o [05:12.19]And by him William, sweet and true [05:15.61]the swans swim so bonny o [05:19.78]And there does sit my false sister, Anne [05:23.39]with a hey ho and a bonny o [05:26.64]Who drowned me for the sake of a man [05:30.11]the swans swim so bonny o [05:36.74] [06:49.77] [07:08.53]END
