> Folk Music > Songs > Young Peggy

Young Peggy / Bonny Peggy

[ Roud 3875 ; Child 298 ; Ballad Index C298 ; trad.]

Ewan MacColl sang Young Peggy in 1982 on his and Peggy Seeger’s Blackthorne album Blood & Roses Volume 3. They noted:

This is a superb ballad of tenderness, lyrical in its feeling, hopeful in its denouement. There is no blood, no cruelty, only two people in love and determined to consummate that love as quickly as possible.

Bob Blair sang Bonny Peggy in 2000 on his Tradition Bearers album Reachin’ for the High, High Lands. Adam McNaightan noted:

One of the many traditional songs put back into circulation by Ewan MacColl. Child gives Kinloch’s version only, for which Bronson found no tune. There are several verbal changes in MacColl’s version, notably in the final verse, where Kinloch’s

“Go saddle to me the black, the black,
Go saddle to me the grey.”
But ere they wan to the tap o the hill
The wedding was a’ bye.

becomes

They’ve mounted their horses
And fast they did rin,
But lang ere they won to the tap o the hill,
The lad and lass were ane.

Lyrics

Ewan MacColl sings Young Peggy

“Whaur hae ye been, Peggy,
Whaur hae ye been?”
“In the garden ’mang the gillyflooers
’Tween the hours o’ twelve and ane.”

“Ye werena yoursel’, Peggy,
No’ there your lane,
Your faither saw ye in Jamie’s airms
’Tween the hours o’ twelve and ane.”

“Whit though we were seen, mither,
Though we were seen?
I would sleep in Jamie’s airms
Though his grave was growin’ green.”

“Your Jamie’s a rogue, Peggy,
Jamie’s a loon;
For the trystin’ o oor ae dochter
And her sae very young.”

“Jamie’s no’ to blame, mither,
The blame lies on me,
For I wad sleep in Jamie’s airms
Though a’ the world should dee.”

She’s gane tae her ain chaulmer,
Jamie was there;
“I’m blithe to see ye, Jamie dear,
Though we maun meet nae mair.

“We’ll tak’ a pairtin’ glass, laddie,
Pour oot the wine,
And since we maun meet nae mair, my love,
We’ll drink your health and mine.

“Tak’ me in your airms, laddie,
Here’s kisses five.
And since we maun meet nae mair, my love,
We’ll drink weel may we thrive.”

“Come to my airms, lassie,
Close tae my hairt,
And as lang’s the sun hings i’ the lift
I swear we’ll never pairt.

“Your faither keeps a crawin’ cock
Divides nicht frae day,
And in the middle-watch o’ the nicht
In greenwood ye’ll meet me.”

When mass was sung and bells were rung
And a’ bound for bed.
She’s kilted up her gay clothin’,
Met Jamie in the wood.

’Twas early in the mornin’,
The clock chappit twa,
Her faither rose up in his bed
Cryin’, “Peggy, she’s awa’!”

They’ve mounted their horses
And fast they did rin,
But lang ere they won to the tap o the hill,
The lad and lass were ane.