My Bonny Boy is an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 folk song (Roud

Roud Folk Song Index

The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...

 #293) which is featured as the second movement of Ralph Vaughan Williams' English Folk Song Suite

English Folk Song Suite

Written in 1923, the English Folk Song Suite is one of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams's most famous works for military band. Although it is commonly known by the title given above, it was actually published as "Folk Song Suite" - the title which is used on the score and parts...

.

Lyrics

I once loved a boy and a bonny bonny boy,

I loved him I vow and protest,

I loved him so well, there's no tongue can tell,

Till I built him a berth on my breast.

'Twas up the wild forest and through the green groves

Like one that was troubled in mind,

I hallooed, I whooped and I blew on my flute

But no bonny boy could I find.

I looked up high and I looked down low

The weather being wonderful warm;

And who should I spy but my own bonny boy

Locked fast in another girl's arms.

He took me upon his assembled knees

And looked me quite hard in the face,

He gave unto me one sweet smile and a kiss

But his heart's in another girl's breast.

Now my bonny, bonny boy is across the salt seas

And I hope he will safely return;

But if he loves another girl better than me

Let him take her, and why should I mourn?

Now the girl that enjoys my own bonny boy,

She is not to be blamed, I am sure,

For many's the long night he have robbed me of my rest

But he never shall do it no more.