By that time, too, Polydor Records was seeking to offer Tony his first recording contract. Since Tony often played with the Beatles, they were familiar with the songs he might record. Some accounts have Bert Kaempfert himself hearing the Beatles at the Top Ten Club and personally signing the group, behind Tony Sheridan.
The accounts relating exactly what was recorded and when are a little musty with age. Gottfridsson has the first session for Polydor taking place on June 22-23. As Joe Brennan's Variation's Guide indicates, the session's recording engineer has said that the record was mixed live from twin track to stereo. Some people claim that the slow English intro was recorded by Tony and the Beatles but that the German intro was done months later, when the Beatles were absent. Since the German version of the single (and picture sleeve) appears to have been released slightly earlier, if this is the case, then the German intro must have been recorded in June (with or without the Beatles). One account has the recordings being made on the stage of a local school!
As to what was recorded, it is known for certain that "My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean)," "The Saints (When the Saints Go Marching In)," "Why," "Cry For a Shadow," "Ain't She Sweet," "Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby," and "Nobody's Child" were recorded at that (first) session. The eighth song released from the Beatles' tenure with Tony Sheridan, "Sweet Georgia Brown," which exists in two versions, appears to have been recorded on a four-track machine, although there may be another explanation. According to Gottfridsson, the Beatles were scheduled to record with Tony in Hamburg in February of 1962, but with them absent, Tony recorded two songs with Bert Kaempfert's orchestra. The Beatles had already been paid for the session, and so, they would record with Tony later. Early articles exist mentioning a recording session on May 24, 1962. Tony's earlier version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" appears to have been unsuitable. It, along with a Beatles-backed "Swanee River" were recorded on that day in May. Whether the Beatles version is the one on the MGM album (the only extant version) is not known. Polydor's records indicate that there are no unreleased Beatles-backed tunes extant.
Now it really gets muddy. John Lennon told Hunter Davies (The Beatles biography) that the Beatles without Tony Sheridan recorded not merely "Ain't She Sweet" and the instrumental but three other songs as well, none of which were liked by the Deutsche Grammophon people. Tony Sheridan remembered "Rock and Roll Music," "Kansas City," and "Some Other Guy" as the unreleased tracks, the former of which John Lennon sang. Tony later recalled (1994) that along with "Sweet Georgia Brown," the April '62 session included "Skinny Minny" and "Swanee River." Both of those songs were released by Tony without the Beatles backing, as was another version of "Sweet Georgia Brown," and none of the mysterious unreleased Sheridan/Beatles tracks has ever been released, unless "Swanee River" (from May '62) is the version that is currently extant. Gottfridsson states his opinion that plans for the Beatles to record without Sheridan were scrapped since Brian Epstein had plans to audition the group for EMI.
My Bonnie
The Beatles With Tony Sheridan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
my bonnie lies over the ocean.
oh bring back my bonnie to me.
my bonnie lies over the ocean, my bonnie lies over the sea.
well my bonnie lies over the ocean.
yeah bring back my bonnie to me.
yeah bring back, ah bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me to me.
oh bring back, oh bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me.
yeah my bonnie lies over the ocean.
oh i said bring back my bonnie to me.
yeah bring back, ah bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me to me.
oh bring back, ah bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me.
from: david cassells
The Beatles with Tony Sheridan's version of the traditional song "My Bonnie" is a fun and light-hearted tune that expresses a longing to reunite with a loved one who is far away. The lyrics speak of "my bonnie" lying over the ocean and the sea, and the singer desperately wanting their companion to be brought back to them. The repetition of the phrase "bring back my bonnie to me" emphasizes the sentiment of missing someone dearly.
One interpretation of the lyrics is that "bonnie" refers to a romantic partner or loved one, and the distance between the two is causing the singer great sadness. The ocean and sea represent the physical barrier between the couple, and the desire to be reunited is a universal theme that many can relate to. The upbeat tempo and catchy melody of the song add to the feeling of anticipation and excitement at the prospect of seeing one's loved one again.
Line by Line Meaning
My bonnie lies over the ocean, my bonnie lies over the sea.
My beloved is far away, beyond the ocean and sea.
Oh bring back my bonnie to me.
I long for my beloved to return to me.
Well my bonnie lies over the ocean.
Yes, my beloved is truly far away across the ocean.
Yeah bring back my bonnie to me.
Please, bring back my beloved to me.
Yeah bring back, ah bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me to me.
I am pleading for my beloved to return to me with great urgency and feeling.
Oh bring back, oh bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me.
I cannot express enough how much I desire for my beloved to return to me.
Yeah my bonnie lies over the ocean.
My beloved is still far away across the ocean.
Oh I said bring back my bonnie to me.
I repeat my plea for my beloved to return to me.
Oh bring back, ah bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me to me.
My plea remains urgent and passionate.
Oh bring back, ah bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me.
I will not stop pleading until my beloved returns to me.
Contributed by Declan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.