My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean facts for kids

"My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean", often called "My Bonnie", is a classic Scottish folk song. It's very popular in many Western countries. This song is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as No. 1422. Many artists have recorded it since the early 1900s. There are also many funny or different versions of the song.

One of the most famous recordings is a rock and roll version. It was made by Tony Sheridan and the Beatles. This recording was the first time the Beatles ever recorded music for sale. It's often seen as their very first single.

Song's History

The exact start of "My Bonnie" isn't fully known. Some people think it was about Charles Edward Stuart, also known as 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'. After he lost the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he had to leave his home. His supporters, called Jacobites, might have sung this song for him.

The word "Bonnie" can mean a beautiful woman or a handsome man. This made it easy for people to pretend it was a love song. This way, they could sing about the Prince without getting into trouble.

In 1881, two writers, H. J. Fuller and J. T. Wood (who were actually Charles E. Pratt), published the sheet music. People had been asking for the song in music stores since the 1870s. When it was published, it became a huge hit. It was especially popular with college singing groups and for all kinds of group singing.

There's an older English song called "My Barney Lies over the Ocean." It has a slightly different tune. Some experts believe it might be an earlier version of "My Bonnie." Music expert A. L. Lloyd said that "My Barney" was a stage song. Irish comedians sang it in the 1860s. Later, in the 1880s, college groups in America changed it. They made it into the more famous "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean."

Early Recordings

Many early recordings of the song were called "Bring Back My Bonnie to Me." The vocal group Haydn Quartet released a version in 1901. Other recordings include an instrumental by The Taylor Trio in 1916. A vocal version by Alma Gluck and Orpheus Quartet came out in 1918.

The song was recorded in many different music styles. For example, the country group The Leake County Revelers recorded a country version in 1927. Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra made a big band version in 1938. Ella Fitzgerald even sang a calypso-style version in 1952.

In 1919, Billy Murray released a different song. It was called "My Barney Lies Over the Ocean (Just the Way He Lied to Me)." This song used a few lines from "My Bonnie" in its chorus. It was sung from a woman's point of view. She thought her partner, "Barney," was cheating and lying.

Some traditional versions of the song have been recorded. These are called field recordings. Cecilia Costello sang a version in 1951. The "East Grinstead Old People's Club" in England sang a version in 1960. You can hear it online at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library website. Traditional versions have also been recorded in the United States and Canada.

Lyrics

My Bonnie lies over the ocean,
My Bonnie lies over the sea,
My Bonnie lies over the ocean,
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

[Chorus]
Bring back, bring back,
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me.
Bring back, bring back,
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

Oh, blow ye winds over the ocean,
Oh, blow ye winds over the sea,
Oh, blow ye winds over the ocean,
And bring back my Bonnie to me.

[Repeat Chorus]

Last night as I lay on my pillow,
Last night as I lay on my bed,
Last night as I lay on my pillow,
I dreamt that my Bonnie was dead.

[Repeat chorus]

The winds have blown over the ocean,
The winds have blown over the sea,
The winds have blown over the ocean,
And brought back my Bonnie to me.

[Repeat chorus]

Variations and Parodies

The song's structure and tune make it great for parody songs. Many different versions and parodies have been made over the years. Some of these are sung as children's songs. Many have become popular campfire songs for groups like the Boy Scouts.

These campfire versions sometimes include fun movements. For example, singers might sit down or stand up every time they sing a word that starts with the letter "b." Here are two examples:

Another popular version in the Scouting movement has different titles. These include "My Father's a Lavatory Cleaner" and "Shine Your Buttons with Brasso." Its history is not fully known. But it mentions cleaning material Brasso and the store Woolworths. This suggests it might have started in English music hall or with British soldiers in the early 1900s. It is Roud folk song index no. 10232.

Tony Sheridan and the Beatles

"My Bonnie"
Side A of the UK single
Single by Tony Sheridan and the Beatles or the Beatles with Tony Sheridan
from the album My Bonnie
B-side	"The Saints (When the Saints Go Marching In)"
Released	23 October 1961 (Germany) 5 January 1962 (UK) 27 January 1964 (US)
Recorded	22 June 1961
Venue	Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Hamburg, Germany
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	2:42
Label	Polydor (Germany)
Songwriter(s)	Traditional, arranged by Tony Sheridan
Producer(s)	Bert Kaempfert
Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers singles chronology
"My Bonnie" (1961) "Sweet Georgia Brown" (1964)
The Beatles UK singles chronology
"My Bonnie" (1962) "Love Me Do" (1962)
The Beatles US singles chronology
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1963) "My Bonnie" (1964) "Twist and Shout" (1964)

A rock and roll version of "My Bonnie" was recorded by Tony Sheridan and the Beatles. In Germany, it was also called "Mein Herz ist bei dir nur" (meaning "My Heart is with You Only"). When it was first released, the band was called the Beat Brothers. This was because the German producer wanted to avoid a German slang word that sounded similar to "Beatles." "Beat Brothers" was thought to be easier for German listeners to understand.

Recording the Song

Tony Sheridan and the Beatles, with Pete Best on drums, signed with bandleader Bert Kaempfert. They recorded several songs, including "My Bonnie." This happened on June 22, 1961, in Hamburg, West Germany. These were the Beatles' first songs ever recorded for sale. Bert Kaempfert produced the song. "My Bonnie" was chosen because it was a song that Germans already knew.

Tony Sheridan sang the main part of the song. He started with a slow introduction, like Elvis Presley. The Beatles played the music behind him. Paul McCartney sang harmony and shouted. Pete Best played a steady beat on the drums. George Harrison played guitar, especially during the middle part of the song.

Sheridan explained how he arranged the song: "The slow introduction was in A. Then we did something new. We went into C for the rock and roll part." He also talked about preparing for the recording:

"Paul, I knew he was a natural bass player. So I asked Paul, 'Can you play the second part of my solo? Can you just play C and nothing else? The low C? You just need to stay on the same note.' And he did. If you listen to My Bonnie, in the second part of the solo, you will hear Paul doing exactly that. It shows he was a great bass player. He still is."

Weekly Charts

Other Famous Versions

• Duane Eddy and the Rebels recorded an instrumental version. It was called "Bonnie Come Back." It reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. It also reached No. 12 in the UK in 1960.
• Ray Charles released an R&B version of "My Bonnie" in 1958. It was on his 1959 album What I Say.
• Pete Seeger sang a song called "My Children Are Seven in Number." It used the tune of "My Bonnie." He sang it to support the labour movement and striking workers. The song was on his 1956 album American Industrial Ballads.

In Modern Culture

• The Fleischer brothers made a film of this song in 1925. It was part of their Sound Car-Tunes series. This film was the first to use the 'follow the bouncing ball' technique. This is where a ball bounces over the words to help you sing along.
• My Bunny Lies Over The Sea is a short Bugs Bunny cartoon film from 1948. Its title is a funny take on the song's name.
• In 2011, JibJab released a video called "2011, Buh-Bye." It reviewed the year 2011 using the tune of "My Bonnie."
• In 2012, Hollie Steel sang "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean" in a musical film. It was a docudrama called Children on the Titanic.
• Refugees on the Dunera ship learned this song's tune. They were treated badly, and their luggage was thrown into the ocean. So, they made up their own version. They sang, "My luggage went into the ocean, My luggage went into the sea, My luggage was thrown in the ocean, Oh, bring back my luggage to me!"