O Bonny Sandy

DESCRIPTION: Sandy's term day is near. His girl would follow him but it would ruin her name. He says another man will be hired and she'll find another man. She says she would follow Sandy instead -- "he's a handsome fellow" -- but she doesn't like his drinking
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1917 (Greig/Duncan4)
KEYWORDS: love separation farming drink dialog
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Greig/Duncan4 902, "O Bonny Sandy," Greig/Duncan8 Addenda, "O Bonny Sandy" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Roud #6256
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Term Lilt" (two verses) and notes there
NOTES [109 words]: Greig/Duncan4: "There is some similarity to the opening verses of 'Nellie Douglas' in Ord, p. 123." The similarity is really limited to the opening lines of Ord ("It's, O and alas, and O wae's me, The term time is drawing so near to me") and the theme of a female servant leaving a man behind. However, that ballad ends happily.
The Greig/Duncan4 text is not clear in that in some verses the girl is leaving and in other verses Sandy is leaving. The story makes no sense unless Sandy is leaving.
Seasonal hiring of servants and farm workers usually was for six months, beginning May and November, and the term day marked the end of the employment period. - BS
Last updated in version 2.5
File: GrD4902

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography