Binnorie
Custer LaRue Lyrics

There were twa sisters sat in a bower;
Two sisters were sitting in a bowery place

Binnorie, O Binnorie
A phrase that is repeated after every line

There came a knight to be their wooer.
A knight came to woo them

By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie
A phrase that is repeated after every line

He courted the eldest with glove and ring,
He courted the elder sister with gifts of a glove and a ring

But he lo'ed the youngest aboon a' thing.
But he loved the younger sister more than anything else

He courted the eldest with broach and knife,
He courted the elder sister with gifts of a brooch and a knife

But he lo'ed the youngest aboon his life.
But he loved the younger sister more than his life itself

The eldest she was vex-ed sair,
The eldest sister was very upset

And sore envied her sister fair.
And was very jealous of her beautiful sister

The eldest said to the youngest ane,
The elder sister said to the younger

Go and see our father's ships come in
Go and see our father's ships arriving

She's ta'en her by her lily hand,
She took her younger sister by the hand

And led her down to the river strand.
And led her to the river's edge

The youngest stood upon a stane,
The younger sister stood on a stone

The eldest came and pushed her in.
The elder sister came and pushed her into the water

'O sister, sister, reach your hand,
'Oh sister, please reach out your hand

And ye shall be heir o' half my land.'
And you will inherit half of my land

'O sister, I'll not reach my hand,
'Oh sister, I will not reach my hand

And I'll be heir of all your land.'
And I will inherit all of your land

'O sister, reach me but your glove,
'Oh sister, just give me your glove

And sweet William shall be your love.'
And sweet William will be your love

'Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove,
'Sink down, and do not hope for hand or glove

Sweet William shall better be my love.'
Sweet William will be a better lover for me

Sometimes she sunk, and sometimes she swam,
Sometimes she sank into the water, and sometimes she swam

Until she came to the miller's dam.
Until she came to the miller's dam

The miller's daughter was baking bread
The miller's daughter was baking bread

And gave her water as she had need.
And gave her water when she needed it

'O father, father, draw your dam,
'Oh father, draw your dam

There's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan.'
There's either a mermaid or a milk-white swan in the water

The miller hasted and drew his dam,
The miller quickly drew his dam

And there he found a drowned woman.
And there he found a woman who drowned

Ye could not see her yellow hair,
You couldn't see her yellow hair

For gowd and pearls that were sae rare.
Because of the gold and pearls that adorned it

A famous harper passing by,
A famous harper happened to be passing by

The sweet pale face he chanced to spy.
He happened to see the beautiful, pale face of the drowned woman

And when he looked that ladye on,
And when he looked upon that lady

He sighed and made a heavy moan.
He sighed and mourned heavily

He made a harp o' her breast-bone,
He made a harp out of her breast-bone

Whose sounds would melt a heart of stone.
Its sounds could melt even the hardest heart

The strings he framed of her yellow hair,
He made the harp's strings from her yellow hair

There notes made sad the listening ear.
Its notes were sad and mournful to listen to

He brought it to her father's hall,
He brought the harp to her father's hall

There was the court assembled all.
Where the court was already assembled

He laid the harp upon a stone,
He placed the harp upon a stone

And straight it began to play alone.
And immediately it began to play on its own

'O yonder sits my father, the king,
'Oh, there's my father, the king'

And yonder sits my mother, the queen.'
And there's my mother, the queen'

'And yonder stands my brother Hugh,
'And there's my brother Hugh'

And beside him my William, sweet and true.'
And next to him is my William, sweet and true'

But the last tune that the harp played then,
But the last tune that the harp played then

'Was 'Woe to my sister, false Helen!''
Was 'Woe to my sister, false Helen!'