the bonnie I never knew

Sad title? Trust me it's not a sad post.

walking to see the sea

Kids and grandkids often trigger memories of our own youth. Today I overheard our daughter singing to our baby granddaughter. She was singing “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”. Instantly I remembered singing it as a child with the wrong words (sometimes I can't carry a tune or the words). I didn’t know a Bonnie so I thought the lyrics used “my body”.

Using the magic google window into the internet, I found this:

“When I was little I thought it was "my body lies over the ocean" I was a Dark child”

That was a comment left on a youtube clip of this Scottish folk song. Very reassuring that I was not the only one to hear “my body”. I never could figure out why someone’s body would lie over an ocean. It would be an amazing stretch.

I also learned that Bonnie probably refers to Bonnie Prince Charlie who was defeated in a battle and exiled.

Back when I first learned it was Bonnie, I thought like many do, that is was a love song. Now knowing of this exiled prince, I suspect it probably was a political song. Politics have been creeping into all aspects of life for a long long time.

I might just need to start working on an updated version:

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

my body lies over the hammock