> A.L. Lloyd > Songs > Banks of the Bann
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> The Albion County Band > Songs > Banks of the Bann

Banks of the Bann / Bonny Brown Girl

[ Roud 889 ; Laws O2 ; Henry H86 ; Ballad Index LO02 ; Bodleian Roud 889 ; trad.]

Joseph Higgins sang The Banks of the Bann in a recording made by Peter Kennedy for the BBC in May 1953. It was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of ballads sung by British and Irish traditional singers, Good People, Take Warning (The Voice of the People Series Volume 23).

A.L. Lloyd recorded Banks of the Bann in 1966 for his album The Best of A.L. Lloyd, accompanied by Alf Edwards on concertina. Lloyd wrote in the album’s sleeve notes:

The pearl of separation song, not so much for its text as for its grand and graceful tune. The words seem like an amiable specimen of poetry made in the 10^th century by some tattered heir of a bardic tradition. The tune sounds as if it may be at least a century older, composed at a time when the folk harpers and fiddlers were becoming acquainted with Händel and Corelli. The River Bann is in north-eastern Ireland. The song was doubtless brought to England by Ulster labourers. I’ve not seen a printed set of it.

Shirley Collins sang Banks of the Bann in 1971 on her and the Albion Country Band’s album No Roses. In the album’s sleeve notes she quoted A.L. Lloyd as her source and she noted:

I knew the tune as a child. The hymn Lord of All Hopefulness, Lord of All Joy was set to it. It’s an Irish tune, of course, and much better suited to a love song.

This recording was also included in 1974 on the compilation Rave On and in 2002 on Shirley Collins’ anthology Within Sound.

Dave Burland sang Banks of the Bann in 1975 on his Rubber Records album Songs and Buttered Haycocks.

Hom Bru sang Banks of the Bann on their 1982 album Obadeea. They noted:

George [Faux] found this Irish love song in an old book called Ireland Calling which was published by Mozart Allen. The penultimate verse came from singer and guitarist John Gregson of Widnes, Cheshire.

Len Graham sang The Banks of the Bann (The Brown Girl) in 1983 on his Claddagh album Do Me Justice. He noted:

Marriage below one’s station is a common theme in the song tradition. In this case despite parental disapproval the song ends with the couple living happily ever afterwards… “by the banks of the lovely Bann river”. I learned this song from Jimmy Spallin of Downhill, County Derry. It is also sung to a hymn tune, Be Thou My Vision, but I prefer the intricacies of Jimmy’s air. I have also heard versions from Richard Hayward of Belfast, and Malachy Clerkin of County Monaghan, Eddie Butcher and Mick Hoy. It appears in the Songs of the People as no. 86.

Silly Wizard sang Banks of the Bann in 1983 on their album Kiss the Tears Away.

Bram Taylor sang Banks of the Bann in 1986 on the Fellside 10^th Anniversary anthology Flash Company and in 1997 on his Fellside album Pick of the Grinner.

The Voice Squad sang The Banks of the Bann on their 1987 album Many’s the Foolish Youth. Seán Corcoran noted:

One of the big Ulster songs, this is sometimes known as The Brown Girl. The lads got this from the singing of Jim and Liz McArdle of Drogheda, who re-invigorated the version in the Sam Henry Collection. Sam Henry was an affable pensions officer, from Coleraine, Co Antrim, who combined his official duties with folk-song collecting, and published the results weekly in the local paper.

Mick Ryan & Pete Harris sang The Banks of the Bann in 2006 on their WildGoose CD The Island of Apples. They commented:

This was learned from Sean Cannon, and comes from the north of Ireland. Anyone who has been to South Armagh will recognise the description of ‘those lovely green mountains’ as especially vivid.

Danny Spooner sang The Banks of the Bann on his 2008 CD Brave Bold Boys. He noted:

First heard this as a kid in the East End of London. A very poor emigrant Irish couple would walk our street singing such songs in the 1940s hoping to be given the odd copper or two. Their plight and their songs made a strong impression on me then and still do. My Uncle Sid would always ask me to sing it for him when I visited from Australia.

Andy Turner learned Banks of the Bann from Shirley Collins’ album. He sang it as the 7 January 2012 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week.

The Norfolk Broads sang The Banks of the Bann on their 2017 CD In the Valley of the Flowers. This video shows them on the Cutty Sark as part of the Nest Collectives’ Shanty Sessions:

Peter and Barbara Snape sang Bonny Brown Girl in 2019 on their CD All in the Song. Barbara Snape noted:

A broadside from the Harkness (Preston) Collection. It was pleasing to find this Lancashire version of the beautiful Irish song Banks of the Bann. Although some of the words here are not as poetic as other versions, it is a song that deserves to be sung. There is also a song called On the Banks of the River, which fits the Irish version but Bonny Brown Girl as found here, is a love song that has an earthy and simple quality.

The Wilderness Yet sang The Banks of the Bann on their 2022 album What Holds the World Together. They noted:

Like so many, we learned this version of this beautiful song from the Voice Squad, so we’d like to dedicate this recording to the memory of Phil Callery who passed away on 31 May 2022 as this album went to press.

Lyrics

A.L. Lloyd sings Banks of the Bann

When first to this country a stranger I came
I placed my affection on a maid that was young,
She being fair and tender, her waist small and slender
Kind fortune had formed her for my overthrow.

On the banks of the Bann it was there I first met her,
She appeared like some goddess or Egypt’s fair queen,
Her eyes were like diamonds or the stars brightly shining.
She’s the fairest of all in this wide world I’ve seen.

’T was her cruel parents that first caused a variance
Because she is rich and above my degree.
But I’ll do my endeavour for to gain my love’s favour
Although she is come of a grand family.

My name is Delaney, it’s a name that won’t shame me
And if I’d saved money I’d never have roamed.
But drinking and sporting, night rambling and courting
Are the cause of my ruin and me absence from home.

Oh had I the riches that are in the Indies,
And half of the treasure that’s in the Queen’s store,
It’s there on the banks of the lovely Bann River
In all kinds of splendour I’d live with my dear.

Shirley Collins sings Banks of the Bann

When first to this country a stranger I came
I laid my affections on a girl that was young,
She being fair and tender, her waist small and slender
Fond nature had formed her for my overthrow.

On the banks of the Bann it was there I first met her,
She appeared like an angel or Egypt’s fair queen,
Her eyes were like diamonds or stars brightly shining.
She’s one of the fairest in the world that I’ve seen.

It was her cruel parents that first caused a variance
Because they are rich and above my degree.
But I’ll do my endeavour to gain my love’s favour
Although she is come of a high family.

My name is Delaney, it’s a name that won’t shame me
And if I’d saved money I would never have roamed.
But drinking and sporting, night rambling and courting
Are the cause of all me ruin and absence from home.

Now had I the riches that are in the Indies,
I’d put rings on her fingers and gold in her ears.
It’s there on the banks of the lovely Bann River
In all kinds of splendour I’d live with my dear.

Len Graham sings The Banks of the Bann

When first to this country I came as a stranger,
I placed my affection on a maid that was young.
She being young and tender, her waist small and slender,
Kind affection has made her to be my overthrow.

On the banks of Bann Water where I first beheld her,
She appeared like a goddess or some Grecian queen:
Her eyes shone like diamonds and her hair bright and golden,
Her cheeks like two roses or like blood drops on snow.

Good people pay attention to what I here mention,
The thoughts of my darling still run in my mind.
Yet while death is pursuing, she’s the cause of my ruin.
To the grave, I’ll submit love, no rest could I find.

‘Twas her cruel parents I must blame for these events,
Because I was poor and of a low degree.
But I’ll do my endeavour for to gain my love’s favour
Although she is come of a rich family.

Had I all the riches that’s in the West Indies,
Or had I all the money that’s in the queen’s throne,
I’d give them as a pearl unto my brown girl,
For there’s no other one in this world I adore.

And now I have gained her I’m contented forever.
I’ll put rings on her fingers and gold in her ears.
And we’ll live by the banks of the lovely Bann river,
And with all sorts of splendour I will crown her my dear.

Silly Wizard sing Banks of the Bann

When first unto this country a stranger I came,
I placed my affections on a maid that was young.
She being fair and tender, her waist small and slender,
Kind nature had formed her for my overthrow.

On the banks of the Bann was where I first beheld her,
She appeared like great Juno, the fair Grecian queen.
Her eyes shown like diamonds, or stars softly shining,
Her lips were like roses, or blood drops on snow.

But it was her cruel parents who first caused her variance
Because she was rich and above my degree.
But I’ll do my endeavours to gain my love’s favours
Although she is come from a high family.

My name is Delaney, that’s a name that won’t shame me,
If I had had money I’d never have roamed,
But the drinkin’ and sportin’, night ramblin’ and courtin’
Are the cause of all my ruin and absence from home.

But now that I have gained her we are happy forever,
With rings on her fingers and gold in her ear.
And down by the banks of the lovely Bann water
In peace and contentment I’ll live with my dear.

The Voice Squad sing The Banks of the Bann

When first to this country a stranger I came,
I placed my affections on a maid that was young.
She being young and tender, her waist small and slender,
Kind Nature had formed her for my overthrow.

On the banks of the Bann, where I first beheld her,
She appeared like fair Juno or a Grecian queen.
Her eyes shone like diamonds, her hair softly twining,
Her cheeks were like roses or blood drips in snow.

’Twas her cruel parents that first caused our variance,
All because I was poor and of a low degree.
But I’ll do my endeavour to gain my love’s favour,
Although she is come from a rich family.

My name is Delaney, a name that won’t shame me,
And if I had saved money. I’d have plenty in store.
But drinking and courting, night rambling and sporting
Are the cause of my ruin and absence from home.

Had I all the money that’s in the West Indies,
Or had I the gold of the African shore,
I would spend it on pearls and on you my brown girl,
For there’s no other love on this earth I adore.

Now since I have gained her I’m contented for life,
I’ll put rings on her fingers and gold in her ear.
We’ll live on the banks of the lovely Bann river,
And in all sorts of splendour I’ll style her my dear.

The Wilderness Yet sing The Banks of the Bann

When first to this country as a stranger I came
I placed my affection on a maid of fine name.
She being warm and tender, her waist small and slender,
Kind Nature had formed her for my overthrow.

On the banks of Bann, where I first beheld her
She appeared like fair Juno or a Grecian queen.
Her eyes shone like diamonds, her hair softly twining,
Her cheeks were like roses, or like blood drops in snow.

It was her cruel parents that first caused our variance
All because I was poor and of a low degree.
But I’ll do my endeavour to earn my love’s favour
Although she is come of a rich family.

My name is Delaney, its a name that won’t shame me
And if I had saved money I’d have plenty in store.
But drinking and courting, night rambling and sporting
Were the cause of my ruin and absence from home.

Had I all the money that’s in the West Indies
Or had I the gold of the African shore,
I would spend it on pearls, and on you my fair girl,
For there’s no other love in this world I adore.

And since I have gained her I’m contented for life
I’ll put rings on her fingers and make her my wife.
We’ll live on the banks of the lovely Bann river
And in all sorts of splendour I will style her my dear.