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Glenlogie / Jean of Bethelnie

[ Roud 101 / Song Subject MAS1453 ; Child 238 ; G/D 5:973 ; Ballad Index C238 ; Folkinfo 604 ; DT GLENLOG2 ; Mudcat 111710 ; trad.]

Katherine Campbell: Songs From North-East Scotland Sheila Douglas: Come Gie’s a Sang Gavin Greig: Folk-Song of the North-East Alexander Keith: Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs Emily Lyle, Kaye McAlpine, Anne Dhu McLucas: The Song Repertoire of Amelia and Jane Harris John Ord: Bothy Songs and Ballads Stephen Sedley: The Seeds of Love Peter Shepheard: Jock Duncan: The Man and His Songs

John Strachan of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, sang the Scottish ballad Glenlogie on 16 July 1951 to Alan Lomax and Hamish Henderson. This recording was included on the Columbia anthology, The World Library of Folk and Primitive Music: Scotland, on The Child Ballads 2 (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 5; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968; Rounder 2000), in 2001 on the Sleepytown anthology The Bothy Songs and Ballads of North East Scotland Vol. 3, and in 2002 on Strachan’s Rounder anthology Songs From Aberdeenshire. Hamish Henderson and Ewan McVicar noted:

The gay, nimble-footed, and noble Gordon family feature in many North East ballads. Here, Jeannie falls so hard for a distant relative that she is dying. Her family is too poor for Glenlogie to consider it appropriate to marry into, but a fine letter composed by her father saves her. Present-day singers prefer Glenlogie to reject Jeannie for the kinder reason of a prior engagement: “I thank ye, Jeannie Gordon, but I’m promised awa,” as sung by John Adams on his The Muckle Sangs album.

John Adams sang Glenlogie in a recording made by Hamish Henderson (School of Scottish Studies SA 1956/47) that was included on the anthology of classic Scots ballads, The Muckle Sangs (Scottish Tradition 5; Tangent 1975; Greentrax 1992). Hamish Henderson and Ailie Munro noted:

The ‘gay’, the ‘gey’, the ‘great’ and the ‘noble’ Gordons, one of the principal families of the North-East, have enough in their history to provide themes for four score ballads. As it is, their name resounds through such famous songs as Edom o’ Gordon, The Baron o’ Brackley, Geordie and Willie Macintosh, and in many versions of Glenlogie it is the family name of both the hero and the heroine. (In Sharpe’s Ballad Book and in Mrs. Harris’s version, however, Jeannie is a Melville). Although the text illustrates very well the ballad maker’s habit of ‘thinking in balances, antitheses, appositions and parallelisms’ and although it can be shown to be largely made up of a sequence of commonplaces, this ballad has as strongly marked a personal identity as any; young Glenlogie who “turns about lichtly, as Gordons dae a’”, and Jeannie who gets her father’s chaplain to write her love letter for her are flesh and blood characters, realised with a quite amazing economy.

John Adams, the singer, was (when he was recorded), a joiner employed at the Glenlivet whisky distillery, Ballindalloch; when I was first taken to see him in April 1956 I found him lying asleep on a bed of wood-shavings after taking his regulation midday dram. The first ballad he sang for me was The Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow, but he soon followed it up with Glenlogie. This ballad was also in the repertoire of John Strachan of Crichie, near Fyvie; his performance of it can be heard on the LP Child Ballads 2.

Bronson describes the second half of this tune, and of others in the same group (Bronson,iii,A10), as swinging “down from the tonic to the lower octave and back, like a hammock”. Although this second phrase is repeated for each verse, along with the words, a slight difference in the first bar—maintained throughout—heightens the interest.

The added beat for taking breath between lines, plus occasional extra beats between verses, lends an asymmetrical freedom to the melody which is elsewhere in very regular triple time. This straightforward performance, taken at a leisurely tempo yet con moto, allows both words and tune to speak for themselves, and contrasts with other styles heard later in this album.

Ewan MacColl sang Glenlogie in 1964 on his Folkways album The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 3—Child Ballads. the album’s booklet commented:

The earliest extant form of this ballad was sent to Percy by Robert Lambe of Norham; it was called Jean of Bethelnie and is dated 1768. The song is still fairly popular with country singers in N.E. Scotland. Learned from Greig and Keith.

Shirley Collins sang Glenlogie in 1970 on her and her sister Dolly’s album Love, Death & the Lady. She noted:

One of the classic Scots ballads printed in the The Oxford Book of Ballads. Because there was no tune, I wrote my own. The ballad appealed to me at the time because of the triumph of love over all—even indifference.

Dick Gaughan sang this ballad as Bonnie Jeannie o’ Bethelnie in 1978 on his eponymous Topic album Gaughan and as Glenlogie on his 1985 album Live in Edinburgh. A live recording from the WDR Folkfestival in Cologne on 15 July 1983 was included in 1995 on the anthology World Network 32: Scotland. Dick Gaughan noted on the first album:

The words of this version are a mixture of the version sung by John Strachan on [the Folk Songs of Britain anthology The Child Ballads 2] and that in Greig’s Folk-Song of the North-East.

and on his now defunct website:

This version is pretty much that as sung by John Strachan.

I added the second part of the tune. Although having a two-strain melody removes it from the classic ballad form, and in effect doubles the length of the verses, I felt it helped with adding a slight increase in pace at the crucial parts of the story. I didn’t use it at the beginning because an essential element of the ballad form is the slightly hypnotic effect of a repetitive short and simple melody which sets the mood for the tale to follow. I saved the extra bit of the tune for the first real event in the story, the arrival of Jeannie and her setting her sights on Glenlogie.

The guitar tuning I use for this song is DAAEAE and I normally use a capo at the fifth fret, taking it into the key of D.

Mirk sang Glenlogie on their 1982 Springthyme album Tak a Dram Afore Ye Go. They noted:

Known also as Jean o Bethelnie, this ballad has long been popular in the North-East. The story is powerful but as Gavin Greig said, “Glenlogie has been greatly helped by its tune which is a very fine one with Celtic affinities.”

Lizzie Higgins sang Glenlogie on her 1985 Lismor album What a Voice.

Old Blind Dogs sang Jean o’ Bethelnie in 1991 on their first and eponymous album, the cassette Old Blind Dogs, and in 1993 on their album Close to the Bone. Ian Benzie noted:

A song from “the verdant plains o’ Buchan”. We recorded this song for demo purposes two years ago, and it has stayed in the band’s repertoire ever since. Bethelnie lies north west of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire.

Jock Duncan sang Glenlogie on his 1996 Springthyme album Ye Shine Whar Ye Stan! and on his 2024 Springthyme anthology Aikey Brae to Ythanside that was released to accompany Peter Shepheard’s book Jock Duncan: The Man and His Songs. Peter Shepheard noted on the first album:

Gavin Greig commented that this was one of the most popular North East ballads (FSNE 58, Child 238, Last Leaves 131). The ballad is often known by the alternative title Jean o Bethelnie, as in the earliest text provided to F.J. Child in 1768. Jean is in some versions Jeanie Gordon and in others Jeanie Melville. Jock is certain the song should refer to Jeanie Meldrum who came from a landowning family who at one time owned Fyvie, Meldrum and Tolquhon Castles and most of the land in between. The Meldrums had sold Fyvie Castle in the mid 1500s to Alexander Seton who became Lord Fyvie and was created Lord Dunfermline. Hence, ”I’ll wad ye to Dunfermline” in the song. Bethelnie is 5 miles south east of Fyvie.

Jock: This wis an awfa familiar song fin I wis young – even at the school. Grace Leslie, the teacher at Fyvie school used tae sing it. She wis a tremendous singer and much socht after in the 30s and 40s to sing on the radio. She sang on John Strachan’s concerts tee—fae Crichie. John used tae sing snatches and auld Willie Allan at Tifty used tae hae bits an pieces. Willie had a wee croftie and he worked a pair of horse till his late 70s and he wis a tremendous singer and we used tae land up there whiles, wi Willie.

Jim Malcolm sang Glenlogie in a Glenfarg City Hall, Scotland, concert on 22-23 November 2003. This recording was included in 2004 on his album Live in Glenfarg. He noted:

This was my favourite Old Blind Dogs song before I joined the band—it’s so upfront and positive. The rhythm is a bit like that of a horse cantering along, although my own equestrian experience is strictly limited to donkeys on the beach.

Andrew Calhoun sang Jeannie o’ Bethelnie on his 2004 album of folk ballads from Scotland, Telfer’s Cows. He noted:

Collated from versions sung by Ewan MacColl, John Strachan, John Adams and Dick Gaughan, plus the ones in Child. When men threaten to die for love in folksongs, the women let them.

Back of the Moon’s Glenlogie was one of Iona Fyfe’s “desert island choices” in Living Tradition 127 (2019). They sang it on their 2005 album Luminosity. They noted:

One of Scotland’s few ballads with a happy ending! Findlay [Napier] learned Glenlogie from Andy Hunter.

Heidi Talbot sang Glenlogie in 2008 on her Navigator album In Love + Light.

Stanley Robertson sang Glenlogie on his 2009 Elphinstone Institute album The College Boy. He commented:

This is a ballad that folk aye ask for somehow or ither. It’s got a happy ending; it is based on truth; they were real people. And ye notice in my version I aye address her as Jeannie Gordon. Her name wis Jeannie Meldrum, but I never cry her Meldrum because the Travellers aye said she wis only sixteen when she wis married and therefore she deserves a reverence o her married title. She wis very, very young. I remember once I wis wi [my son] Anthony fin he wis a wee laddie and we came tae this—it wis a folk festival, Kinross—and this man stopped me in the street, he says, “’Stanley will ye sing me a wee Glenlogie?” So I sang him this Glenlogie in the street and fin I wis finished Anthony says, “Bless us an save us faither. If that’s the wee Glenlogie, I widna like to hear the big Glenlogie!” Folk says, “How dae ye remember aa these verses?” They’re inside me and actually it wis Jeannie that taught me this. And Jeannie aye said, “Ye dinna change the melody, ye keep the same melody aa the wey through.” She says, “A lot o the Scaldies are pittin in fancy bits. That’s a Victorian thing,” she says, “Dinna dee that.” So I sing it the wey Jeannie taught me. Ye’re just singing the story. Ye want to ken fit the Travellers used to say? She wis a het-airsed wee midden! Because some o the Travellers used to say that verse, “Oh whaur dis yer pain lie, oh whaur dis it hurt?/ Oh the pain I lie under it lies in my blurt!” And ’blurt’ is the vagina in Traveller language [laughs], so it shows ye. She kent her ploy! She’d women’s wily ways as a wee lassie.

… and Thomas A. McKean and Sara Reith noted:

This immensely popular ballad belongs to the North-East and audiences appreciate young Jeannie’s determination and craft. As in many of Stanley’s performances, particularly of romantic songs, the emotions of the story come to the fore as the story is resolved. Stanley’s conversational style really comes out in phrases like, “There’s a nice little fella” (11.1). Ord reports the story as relating to Jean Meldrum and Sir George Gordon of Glenlogie, dating the events to the mid-sixteenth century; the earliest text on record is in the Pepys collection two hundred years later.

Ron Taylor and Jeff Gillett sang Glenlogie in 2013 on their WildGoose CD Buy It, Try It (and Never Repent You). Jeff Gillett noted:

Ron worked with Shirley Collins in the 1970’s, and he pinched this song from her! It is a Scots ballad which Shirley anglicised and the wonderful tune is of her own making. The story involves no deaths, no violence and no illicit sexual relationships. What it does feature is the rather successful use of emotional blackmail.

TRADarrr sang Glenlogie on their 2015 album Cautionary Tales.

Iona Fyfe sang Glenlogie on her 2018 CD Away From My Window. She noted:

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of hearing Peter Shepheard, Tom Spiers and Arthur Watson sing both individually and together. They recorded Glenlogie in their 2005 album They Smiled As We Cam In. I decided to put this version of Glenlogie to a melody similar to that of the ballad Annachie Gordon (Child 239). Otherwise known as Bonnie Jean o’ Bethelnie, Glenlogie is one of the happier songs on this album! Lassie falls in love with a man above her station, man has got another lover. Jean claims she will die of a broken heart and has her father’s chaplain write a letter. “Lord John” receives letter, finds girl and offers to marry her. She does not die, and they live happily ever after in Fyvie! Bethelnie lies north west of Oldmeldrum. Gavin Greig commented that Glenlogie was one of the most popular North East ballads. The earliest form of the song is titled Jean of Bethelnie and is dated 1768.

Glenlogie is found in Gavin Greig’s Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs, Greig-Duncan 5:973, Child 238, Roud 101.

This video shows Iona Fyfe singing Glenlogie at Haddo House in 2017, accompanied by Luc McNally:

Donald WG Lindsay and Alasdair Roberts sang Glenlogie on their 2025 album Welcome Home My Dearie. Donald WG Lindsay noted:

This ballad, also known as Jean o’ Bethelnie, dates at least to 1768, and is recorded in the Percy Folio. It tells of how Jeannie, daughter of the laird of Bethelnie, falls in love with John Gordon of Glenlogie. Though he resists at first, ultimately he relents, moved by her fidelity, and the song ends not in tragedy but in marriage. A rare ‘happy ending’ in a ballad, its gentle but vivid storytelling has drawn many singers to it.

Lyrics

John Strachan sings Glenlogie

There were four and twenty nobles stood at the king’s ha’.
And bonny Glenlogie was floor o’ them a’.

There were nine and nine nobles rode roon’ Banchory Fair
And bonny Glenlogie was floor o’ them there.

Doon come Jeannie Gordon, she come trippin’ doonstairs.
And she’s fa’en in love with Glenlogie over a’ that was there.

She called on his footboy that stood by his side,
“Now who is that young man and far does he bide?”

“His name is Glenlogie when he is at hame,
And he’s o’ the Gay Gordons, and his name is Lord John.”

“Glenlogie, Glenlogie, you’ll be constant and kind,
I’ve laid my love on you and you’re aye in my mind.”

He turned him roon’ quickly as the Gordons do a’,
Says, “I thank you, Jeannie Gordon, but your tocher’s ower sma’.”

Her father was a chaplain and a man o’ great skill.
And he penned a brave letter and he penned it richt weel.

When he looked on the letter a light laugh laughed he,
But when he read the letter the tear blind his e’e.

“Go saddle the black horse and saddle the broon.
Bonny Jean o’ Bethalnie’ll be dead ere I win.”

An’ pale and wan was she when Glenlogie come in,
But reid and rosy grew she when she kent it was him.

Oh, Bethalnie, oh, Bethalnie, it shines where it stands;
And the heather bells o’er it shines o’er Fyvie’s land.

John Adams sings Glenlogie

There was nine and nine horsemen rode through Banchory fair
And bonnie Glenlogie was the floo’er o’ a’ there. (×2)

There was nine and nine ladies sat in the Queen’s dine.
And Bonnie Jeannie o’ Bethelnie was the floo’er o’ twice nine.

She has called his foot-boy that walked by his side.
Saying, “Who is your master and where does he bide?”

“He is styled Glenlogie when he is at home
But he’s of the noble Gordons and his name is Lord John”.

“Glenlogie, Glenlogie, if ye will prove kind,
A maiden’s love laid on you, must she die in her prime?”

He’s turned aboot lichtly as Gordons dae a’,
“My thanks. Lady Jean, my love’s promised awa’”

She has called her father’s chaplain, a man of great skill.
And he has wrote a letter and indited it well.

When Glenlogie got the letter a licht lauch gied he
But ere he read it over, a tear dimmed his e’e.

“Go saddle my black horse and bring it to the green.”
But ere they had it ready he was twa mile him leen.

Pale and wan was she when Glenlogie gaed in.
But red and rosy grew she when she kent it wes him.

Shirley Collins sings Glenlogie

There were four and twenty nobles rode to the king’s hall,
And bonny Glenlogie was the flow’r of them all.

And bonnie Jean Gordon came running downstairs
And fell in love with Glenlogie above all that was there.

She sent for the footman that run by his side,
Saying, “Who is that young man and where does he bide?”

“His name is Glenlogie when he is from home,
And he’s of the gay Gordons and his name is Lord John.”

“Glenlogie, Glenlogie, and you will prove kind,
I have laid my love on you until in my mind.”

He turned around lightly as the Gordons do all
Says, “I thank you, Lady Jeannie, but I’m promised away.”

She sends for her ladies a bed for to make,
And the rings from off her finger she did them all break.

“So it is there a bonny boy who would won a gold band,
Who would rode to Glenlogie and bid my love come?”

When Glenlogie got the letter, a loud laugh laughed he,
But when he had read it the tears blinded his eye.

Saying, “What is my lineage or what is my make,
That such a bonnie lady should die for my sake?”

When he came to her castle, no mirth there was there
But was weeping and wailing and tearing the hair.

And pale and wan was she when Glenlogie came in
But red and rose grew she when she saw it was him.

“Turn around, bonnie Jeannie, turn around on your side,
And I’ll be the bridegroom and you’ll be the bride.”

And it was a merry wedding and a fortune done told,
And bonnie Jean Gordon scarce sixteen years old.

Dick Gaughan sings Bonnie Jeannie o’ Bethelnie

Thair wis fower an twanty nobles sat in the king’s haa
An bonnie Glenlogie wis the flooer o thaim aa
Thair wis fower an twanty nobles rade thro Banchory fair
An bonnie Glenlogie wis the flooer o thaim thair

Thair wis six and six maidens sat in the king’s haa
Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie wis the flooer o thaim aa
Doun cam Jeannie Gordon she cam trippin doun stairs
An she’s chosen Glenlogie o aa that wis thair

Glenlogie, Glenlogie, gin ye’ll prove kind
My luve is laid on ye an A’ve tellt ye my mind
Bit he’s turnt him roun lichtlie, like the Gordons does aa
A thank ye, Jeannie Gordon, bit A’m promist awa

She’s caad tae her maidens tae mak her a bed
Wi ribbons an napkins tae tie up her head
Bit out spak her faither an a wey man wis he
A’ll wad ye tae Dumfendrum, he’s mair gowd than he

Och, haud yer tongue, faither, for that maunnae be
Gin A getnae Glenlogie than for him will A dee
Bit her faither’s ain chaplain, a man o great skill,
He’s wrate a braid letter an indytet it weill

A pox on ye, Logie, nou sin it is so
Thair’s a ladie’s luve is on ye, maun she die in her woe?
An a pox on ye, Logie, nou sin it is time
Thair’s a ladie’s luve is on ye, maun she die in her prime?

Whan Logie got the letter, he bein amang men
It’s out spak Glenlogie, whit does young women mean?
Whan he lookit on the letter, than a licht lauch gied he
Bit ere he read owre it, the tear blint his ee

Gae saddle me the black horse, gae saddle me the broun
Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie’ll be deid ere A win
Bit the horses werenae saddled, nor lead on the green
Till bonnie Glenlogie wis three mile his lane

An sae pale an wan wis she whan Glenlogie he cam in
Bit it’s reid an rosie grew she whan she kent it wis him
Whaur lies yer pain, ladie, does it lie in yer side?
Whaur lies yer pain, ladie, does it lie in yer heid?

O na, na, Glenlogie, ye’re faur frae the pairt
For the pain that A lie under, it lies in my hert
Turn roun, Jeannie Gordon, turn roun on yer side
An A’ll be the bridegroum an ye’ll be the bride

Nou Jeannie’s gotten mairriet an her tocher’s doun tauld
Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie wis scarce saxteen year auld
O Bethelnie, o Bethelnie, ye shine whaur ye staun
An the heather bells aroun ye shine owre Fyvie’s laun

Mirk sing Glenlogie

There were nine and nine nobles rade through Banchory fair.
And bonnie Glenlogie wis the flouer that wis there.

There were nine and nine nobles sat at the King’s dine.
But bonnie Glenlogie wis the flouer o twice nine.

Doon cam Jeannie Gordon she cam trippin doon the stairs.
And she’s chosen Glenlogie mang aa that were there.

She called for his footboy wha ran by his side,
Sayin, “Wha is the young man. an whaur does he bide?”

“He’s styled Glenlogie when he is at hame,
And he’s o the noble Gordons and his name it’s Lord John.”

“Glenlogie, Glenlogie, gin ye’ll prove kind.
My love is laid on ye, noo I’ve told ye ma mind.”

The Gordon turned lichtly as Gordon does aa,
“I thank ye Jeannie Gordon but I’m promised awa.”

She called for her maidens tae mak her a bed,
Wi ribbons an napkins tae tie up her head.

“Oh lay me doon gently, ma face tae the wa;
Tak the rings fae ma fingers, ma jewels an aa.”

But her faither’s ain chaplain, bein a man o great skill;
Weel he wrote a braid letter and indited it weel.

“Glenlogie, Glenlogie when ye are at hame;
This lady’s love’s laid on ye, must she die in her prime?”

When Logie got the letter, he bein amang men,
It’s oot spake Glenlogie, “What’s this young woman mean?

Gae saddle me the black horse, gae saddle me the broon;
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie will be deid ere I win.”

Noo pale and wan wis she when Logie cam in,
But reid and rosy grew she when she kent it wis him.

“Turn roon Jeannie Gordon, turn tae yer richt side.
For I’ll be yer bridegroom. and ye’ll be my bride.”

Noo Jeannie’s got mairrit and her tocher’s doon told;
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie, scarce sixteen years old.

Bethelnie, Bethelnie, ye shine whaur ye stand,
May the heather bells roon ye shine o’er Fyvie’s land.

Jock Duncan sings Glenlogie

There wis nine and nine nobles rode through Banchory fair,
And bonnie Glenlogie, wis the pride that wis there;
There wis six and six maidens dined in the King’s ha,
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie wis the flooer o them aa.

Doun cam Jeannie Meldrum, she cam trippin dounstair,
And she’s chosen Glenlogie amang aa that wis there;
She called on his footboy, who walked by his side,
Spierin, “Fa is that young man, an far does he bide?”

“O he’s titled Glenlogie fan he is at hame,
He’s of the noble Gordons, Lord John is his name.”
“O Glenlogie, Glenlogie, if ye should prove kind,
My love it is laid on ye, I’ve made up my mind.”

O he turned aboot lichtly, as the Gordon’s dee aa,
“O thank you Jeanie Meldrum, bit I’m promised awa.”
She called on her handmaids tae mak her a bed,
Wi ribbons an napkins to tie up her head.

“O lay me doun gently wi ma face tae the wa,
Tak the rings fae ma fingers, my jewels an aa.”
Noo up spak her faither, a wae man wis he,
“Ach! I’ll wad ye tae Dunfermline, he’s mair gowd than he.”

“O na, na dear faither, O na that winna dee,
If I canna get Glenlogie, for him I will dee.”
Her faither’s ain chaplain, a man o great skill,
He wrote a braid letter, an indited it weel.

“O, pox! on ye Logie, O must it be so,
This lass has laid her love on ye, must she dee in her woe?”
When Glenlogie got the letter, a licht lauch gart he,
But fen he read the letter, a tear blinned his ee.

“O saddle my black horse, and saddle my broun,
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie ’ll be deid e’er I win.”
Fen he got tae Bethelnie, there wis naethin there,
But weepin an wailin, vexation an care.

O pale and wan was she when Glenlogie cam in,
But reid and rosy grew she when she kent it wis him.
“Turn roun Jeannie Meldrum, turn tae your richt side,
And I’ll be your bridegroom, if ye’ll be my bride.”

Noo Jeannie’s got mairrit an her tocher doun tauld,
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie wis sixteen year auld.
Bethelnie, Bethelnie, ye’ll shine whar ye stan,
And the hedder bells aa roun ye shine on Fyvie’s lan.

Stanley Robertson sings Glenlogie

There were four score o nobles rode roon Banchory Fair
An Bonnie Glenlogie wis the flooer o them there.

There were four score o nobles rode up the King’s ha
An Bonnie Glenlogie wis the flooer o them aa.

There were nine and nine ladies stood at the Queen’s dine
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie wis the flooer o thrice nine.

Come doon, Jeannie Gordon, she came trippin doonstair
And she’s taen wi Glenlogie ower aa that wis there.

She’s caa’d tae his fitpage fa stood bi his side
Oh, wha is that young man an whar dis he bide?

His name is Glenlogie fin he’s nae at hame
An he’s o the clan Gordon and his name it is Lord John.

Glenlogie, Glenlogie, be constant an kind
For I’ve lain my love on ye an ye’re aye on my mind.

He turned aroon quickly as the Gordons dae aa
I thank ye, Jeannie Gordon, but yer tocher’s ower sma.

She caa’d tae her maidens, gang mak me a bed
Wi laces an hankies tae tie roon my head.

Then doon came her faither, oh Jeannie, are ye ill?
For yer cheeks lost their roses an yer face is gey pale.

There’s a nice little fella wi a dark rovin ee
If I get nae Glenlogie it’s surely I’ll dee.

Oh, haud yer tongue, Jeannie, an let yer folly be
I’ll wad ye tae Drumwhindle, he has mair gowd than he.

Glenlogie, Glenlogie, Glenlogie for me
If I get nae Glenlogie it’s surely I’ll dee.

Noo her faither had a chaplain an a man o great skill
An he wrote oot a letter an he penned it gey weel.

When Glenlogie got the letter for he laughed oot wi glee
But as he read the letter the tears blint his ee.

An as he read the letter for the tears fell doon large
It’s peety that a virgin should die for my cause.

Go saddle me my black horse, go saddle me my broon
Gin I get tae Bethelnie it’s surely I’ll win.

When they saddled his horses and brought roon tae the ha
For bonnie Glenlogie was three miles awa.

When he came tae Bethelnie there wis naebody there
But bonnie Jeannie’s mither wha wis reivin her hair.

Glenlogie, Glenlogie ye’re thrice welcome here
For my dochter is ill, aye, an death it grows near.

For pale an wan wis she when Glenlogie came nigh
But reid rosy grew her cheek when Glenlogie came by.

Oh, whaur is yer pain, Jeannie, whaur dis it hurt?
Oh, aye the pain I lie under it lies in my hairt.

Tak me by the right hand, turn on yer right side
And I’ll be the bridegroom if you’ll be my bride.

Noo Jeannie’s got mairried an her tocher’s tenfold
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie scarcely sixteen years old.

Bethelnie, Bethelnie, ye shine far ye stand
An the heather bells blooming ower aa Fyvie’s lands.

Donald WG Lindsay and Alasdair Roberts sing Glenlogie

There were four and twenty nobles that stood in the king’s ha.
And bonny Glenlogie was the flooer o them a.

There were nine and nine nobles rade through Banchory Fair
And bonny Glenlogie was the flooer o them there.

There were six and six ladies that sat in the king’s ha,
Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie was the flooer o them a,

Doon cam Jeannie Gordon, she’s come trippin doon the stairs.
She’s fa’en in love with Glenlogie oot o a that was there.

She has ca’d upon on his footboy that stood up by his side,
Sayin, “Wha is that young man, aye, and whaur does he bide?”

“His name is Glenlogie, aye, when he is at hame,
And he’s o the Gay Gordons, and his name is Lord John.”

“Glenlogie, Glenlogie, you’ll be constant and kind,
For I’ve laid my love upon you and you’re aye in ma mind.”

He has turned him roon lightly as the Gordons they dae a,
Sayin, “I thank you, Jeannie Gordon, but your tocher’s owre sma.”

Her father’s ain chaplain, bein a man o’ great skill.
He has penned a braid letter indictin him weel.

Sayin, “A pox upon ye, Logie, noo since it is so,
There’s a ladies love laid on you, must she die in her woe?”

And, “A pox upon ye, Logie, noo since it is time,
There’s a ladie’s love laid on you, must she die in her prime?”

When Glenlogie he got the letter, him bein amangst men,
Oh it’s up and spak Glenlogie, “Whit does yon woman mean?”

When he’s looked on the letter a light laugh gie’d he,
But when he read the letter, a tear blind his e’e.

“Gae saddle the black horse, or saddle the broon.
Bonny Jean o’ Bethalnie might be deid ere I win.”

But the horses werenae saddled, nor led on the green,
When bonnie Glenlogie he’s gane three miles his lane,

An’ pale and wan was she when Glenlogie come in,
But reid and rosy grew she when she kent it was him.

“Whaur lies yer pain now, ladie, does it lie intae yer side?,
Whaur lies yer pain now, ladie, does it lie in yer heid?”

“O no, no, Glenlogie, ye’re far frae the pairt,
This pain that A lie under, o it lies in ma hert.”

“Turn aroon now, Jeannie Gordon, turn roond on yer side.”
For it’s, “I will be the bridegroom, aye an you’ll be the bride.”

Nou Jeannie’s gotten married, an her tocher’s doun tauld,
Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie scarce sixteen years auld.

Oh, Bethelnie, oh, Bethelnie, ye shine whaur ye stand;
And the heather bells aroon ye shine oot owre Fyvie’s land.