Bows of London - Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick (Live)
[Roud 8 and Child 10]
"Bows of London", otherwise known as "The Two Sisters / The Bows of London / The Wind and Rain / The Berkshire Tragedy / Binnorie" is an English language murder ballad dating to at least the seventeenth century. The song usually tells the tale of a woman who is killed by her sister for the purposes of sexual jealousy. There are many parallel folk songs and stories in other languages and cultures, and the song may ultimately originate in Scandinavia.
The following playlist compiles dozens of diverse traditional recordings of the song, mostly from the United States and Scotland: • Bow and Balance (Child 10) (1962) - Horton...
Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick released the song on the album "Life and Limb" in 1990. This video is taken from the "100 Not Out" video album (Recorded 1991 / Released 1992).
There were two little sisters a-walking alone
Hey the gay and the grinding
Two little sisters a-walking alone
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And the eldest pushed her sister in
Hey the gay and the grinding
Pushed her sister into the stream
By the bonny bonny bows of London
Oh she pushed her in and she watched her drown
Hey the gay and the grinding
Watched her body floating down
By the bonny bonny bows of London
Oh she floated up and she floated down
Hey the gay and the grinding
Floats till she come to the miller's dam
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And out and come the miller's son
Hey the gay and the grinding
Father dear here swims a swan
By the bonny bonny bows of London
Oh they laid her out on the bank to die
Hey the gay and the grinding
Fool with a fiddle come a-riding by
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And he took some strands of her long yellow hair
Hey the gay and the grinding
Took some strands of her long yellow hair
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And he made some strings from this yellow hair
Hey the gay and the grinding
Made some strings from this yellow hair
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And he made fiddle pegs from her long fingerbone
Hey the gay and the grinding
Made fiddle pegs from her long fingerbone
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And he made a fiddle out of her breastbone
Hey the gay and the grinding
Sound would pierce the heart of a stone
By the bonny bonny bows of London
But the only tune that the fiddle would play
Was oh the bows of London
The only tune the fiddle would play
Was the bonny bonny bows of London
So the fool's gone away to the king's high hall
Hey the gay and the grinding
There was music dancing and all
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And he laid this fiddle all down on a stone
Hey the gay and the grinding
Played so loud it played all alone
By the bonny bonny bows of London
It sang yonder sits my father the king
Hey the gay and the grinding
Yonder sits my father the king
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And yonder sits my mother the queen
Hey the gay and the grinding
How she'll grieve at my burying
By the bonny bonny bows of London
And yonder she sits my sister Anne
Hey the gay and the grinding
She who drownded me in the stream
By the bonny bonny bows of London