Lyrics
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
Traditional Scottish Maritime-themed Song
Traditional
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.
[Gina]
Bounding Main sings songs about sailing,
Brigantines and Barques on the sea.
We sing of love, rum and beauty,
But never boring our ballads will be!
(Chorus)
[David]
Our boat bears a big barricuda,
Black & blue like a bruise, only bright.
He bears a big belly like Buddha,
And brings boatloads of bastardly bite.
(Chorus)
[Jon]
I had cream cheese and lox on a pumpernickel,
Plus pancakes to lower my cholesterol.
I had candles and cake on my llama,
I love moonlit walks on the shore.
(Chorus)
[Christie]
Oh, Baggywrinkle, Bulkhead, Ballast,
Bilge, Binnacle, Barge, Bream, Backstay!
Bumpkin, Bowline, Bosun, Brightwork,
Bowsprit, Bunk, Batten, Buoy, Belay!
(BELAY!)
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 …
Bring back, bring back,
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me.
Bring back, bring back,
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.
WHERE TO FIND IT
Song Notes
While this is a traditional Scottish song, composer Charles E. Pratt published the sheet music in 1881 under the pseudonyms H.J. Fulmer (or Fuller) with J.T. Wood at the request of music store customers wanting a score to follow.
This song remains, today, a popular sing-along piece at schools, camps and scouting events. A tradition mysteriously arose to alternately stand, then sit whenever a word beginning with the letter “B” is sung. Embracing this tradition, Bounding Main brought this song into its repertoire and wrote customized lyrics to amuse their fans.
Jon Krivitzky notes, “I have since changed ‘llama’ to ‘anniversary’, which makes more sense. But ‘llama’ was recorded (on Bounding Main’s CD Fish Out of Water).”