Geordie
Sandy Denny Lyrics
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One misty morning early,
I overheard a fair, pretty maid,
Lamenting for her geordie.
my geordie will be hanged with a golden chain,
'tis not the chain of many.
He stole sixteen of the king's royal deer
go saddle me my milk white steed
Go saddle me my pony
That I may ride to london's courts
To plead for the life of geordie.
my geordie never hurt a man nor calf
He never hurted any
He stole sixteen of the king's royal deer
And he sold them in boeny.
two pretty babies have I borne,
The third lies in my body,
And I would part with them every one,
If you pardon my dear geordie.
But the judge looked over his left shoulder,
He said, fair maid, I'm sorry,
I cannot pardon the one you love,
He has been hanged already.
"Geordie" is a traditional ballad that tells the story of a woman's desperate attempt to save her lover from being hanged for stealing the king's deer. The lyrics describe how the woman walks under London bridge early in the morning and overheard a fair, pretty maid lamenting for her Geordie who is going to be hanged with a golden chain. The woman then decides to ride her milk-white steed and her pony to plead for the life of her Geordie, describing how he never hurt a man or calf, and he stole sixteen of the king's royal deer and sold them in Boeny.
The lyrics are heartbreaking as the woman reveals that she has borne two pretty babies and is carrying the third, and she is willing to part with all of them if the judge pardons her dear Geordie. However, the song ends on a tragic note as the judge refuses to pardon Geordie, telling the fair maid that he has been hanged already. The song's story highlights the desperation and helplessness felt by those who loved someone who was sentenced to death in those times.
"Geordie" has endured through the ages, and its lyrics have been adapted and revised over time. However, its fundamental message of love and tragedy remains unchanged, making it a classic ballad that is still enjoyed and performed today.
Line by Line Meaning
As I walked under london bridge
One misty morning early,
I overheard a fair, pretty maid,
Lamenting for her geordie.
While walking under the London Bridge on a misty morning, I heard a beautiful woman crying over her lost love, Geordie.
my geordie will be hanged with a golden chain,
'tis not the chain of many.
He stole sixteen of the king's royal deer
And he sold them in boeny.
Geordie will be executed with a special honor because of the magnitude of his crime. He has stolen sixteen deer from the king and sold them illegally.
go saddle me my milk white steed
Go saddle me my pony
That I may ride to london's courts
To plead for the life of geordie.
The woman requests her horses to be saddled so that she can make a trip to the courts in London to plead for Geordie's pardon.
my geordie never hurt a man nor calf
He never hurted any
He stole sixteen of the king's royal deer
And he sold them in boeny.
Although Geordie stole the king's deer, he was never violent towards anyone, human or animal.
two pretty babies have I borne,
The third lies in my body,
And I would part with them every one,
If you pardon my dear geordie.
The woman is willing to make any sacrifice, including giving up her children, to have Geordie's sentence pardoned.
But the judge looked over his left shoulder,
He said, fair maid, I'm sorry,
I cannot pardon the one you love,
He has been hanged already.
Unfortunately, the judge cannot pardon Geordie since he has already been executed for his crime, which the woman did not know.
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.