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Loreena McKennitt — The Bonny Swans
Album: The Mask and Mirror
Avg rating:
6.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 109









Released: 1994
Length: 7:06
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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 lone
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
Comments (16)add comment
How many years since this was last played @BillG ??🤔
has to listen via YouTube today 😐

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Makes me want to put the screeching cat out of its misery. Too strident a voice for my taste.

The harmony parts soften it, but otherwise...egads.
Wow this one hasn't been played in a long time, thanks Bill

Oh I just LOVE this song!!!
the electric guitar sounds pretty goofy, especially the \"dueling banjoes\" with the violin or whatever.
Originally Posted by SlimJim128: I am the only one who hears the metallica riff in this song? The plantif guitar sounds a lot like Fade to Black from Ride the Lightning. 'Course who knows where _they_ might have borrowed it from. Cliff Burton was a big classic music buff, so maybe he stole it from the original version of this song....
I just can't stomach her voice. I gave it a 2 because I like the metallica sound to it :D
Ugh. This song gives me a headache every time I hear it.
Originally Posted by Joyfulchristine: I, too, have all of Loreena's cd's, however, this is not my favorite track. It's a cool narrative, but is a tad repetetive for my taste.
how can you say it's repeatitive how can you say it's repeatitive how can you say it's repeatitive how can you say it's repeatitive how can you say it's repeatitive how can you say it's repeatitive??? A bonny good effort, and she does have an appealing voice, and it does create a hypnotic effect, but for me it would have to be a rainy day and I would have to be feeling melancholy to listen to this. Oh well, as said below it is a matter of taste. (it doesn't rain a heck of a lot in So. Ca.)
I dunno. It\'s pretty, but there\'s something indefinable about her music that bugs me. A tad pretentious, maybe? She sounds like she takes herself way too seriously. And she\'s too nasal.
I, too, have all of Loreena\'s cd\'s, however, this is not my favorite track. It\'s a cool narrative, but is a tad repetetive for my taste.
:( Rock it may not be (though I sure would not want to be the one to determine where the line is drawn) but it sure fits in nicely here. ;) if the lack of \"rock\" is such a problem for you, there are plenty of other places to click on to for a few minutes.