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bonnie bonnie banks of the edrio

Does anyone know the lyrics to this song my great grandpa used to sing to me:
Drew the first one by the hand spun her round and bit her for a stand sing will you be robbers wife or will you die by my big knife on the bonnie bonnie banks of the edrio say i wont be robbers wife and i will die by your big knife on the bonnie bonnie banks of the edrio a but itchum bloody o and there he ended her sweet life on the bonnie bonnie banks of the edrio

Hi,

There seems to be several versions of this old song. Here is one. If you want to find out more, try this link.

with kind regards

Pete

Banks of Airdrie

As sung by Martha (Peasie) Reid, Torwood, Birnam 16 June 1967 (Spr 67.3.1)

Three pretty sisters went a-walking,
Doun by the bonnie banks o Airderie O.

They went a-walking to thy woods,
There they met Bold Robber John,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Airderie O.

He catched one by thy hand and he wheeled her round,
He wheeled her round and he made her stand,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Airderie O.

[This verse should presumably read:
He catched the first pretty sister by thy hand,
He wheeled her round and he made her stand,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Airderie O.]

'Oh will you be aye a rant robber's wife?
Shall you die by my penknife,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O?'

'Oh I'll not be aye a rant robber's wife,
I shall die by your penknife,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O.'

He catched the second pretty sister be thy hand,
He wheeled her round and he made her stand,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Airderie O.

'Oh will you be aye a rant robber's wife?
Shall you die by my penknife,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O?'

'Oh I'll not be aye a rant robber's wife,
I shall die by your penknife,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O.'

He catched the third pretty sister be thy hand,
He wheeled her round and he made her stand,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Airderie O.

'Oh will you be aye a rant robber's wife?
Shall you die by my penknife,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O?'

'Oh I'll not be aye a rant robber's wife,
I'll not die by your penknife,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O.'

'I have a brother in this woods,
If you kill me, he's sure to kill you,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O.'

'Oh come tell to me aye your brother's name,
Come tell to me aye your brother's name,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O.'

'My brother's name's Bold Robber John,
And if you kill me he's sure to kill you,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O.'

'Oh dearie me, what is this I have done?
I killed my three pretty sisters aa fit (but) one,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O.'

Hamish Henderson collected this from Peasie (around 1953) and in this version her last but one verse was as follows:

'I have a brother called Robin John,
I have a brother, a minister in the West,
I have another, banisht owre the seas,
For if you kill me he's sure to kill you,
On the dewry, dewry banks of Airderie O.'