Lyric corrections added October 22, 2004... Thank you to Maggie H who resides somewhere across the pond for submitting a few lyrical corrections to the version we have posted here. She also sent along a link http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch238.htm. This page contains several different varaiations of this Childs' Ballad which I'd not found in my previous searches.

Coning soon, MIDI file with notation based melodic transcription.

Glenlogie or Jean O' Bethelnie
Intro: G major

(Gmajor) There wis four and twenty nobles
Fa stood at the king's (D major) hall
And (C maj) bonnie Glen(Gmaj) logie,'
Was the (C maj) fleur (D maj) o' them (G maj) aa

Similie chords...

There wis nine and nine nobles
Rade through Banchory fair,
Aye bonnie Glenlogie,
Was the fleur o' them there

There wis six and six maidens
Fa sat at the King's ha,
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie
Wis the flooer o them aa.

Doun cam Jeannie Gordon
Cam trippin doun the stair,
She's chosen Glenlogie
From all them of them was there;

Glenlogie, Glenlogie
If ye should prove kind,
My love it is laid upon on ye,
I've telt ya my mind.

He's turnin' round lichtly,
As the Gordon's dee aa,
"I'm sorry Jeanie Gordon
bit I'm promised awa."
(Interlude)

She called tae her maidens
For tae mak her a bed,
Aye wi ribbons syne wi napkins
To tie up her heid.

An it's up an spake her faither,
Well a wie man was he,
"Ach! I'll wad ye tae Dunfermline,
He's mair gowd than he."

Oh hide your tongue faither,
For this winna be,
Fin I get me Glenlogie,
For him will I dee."

Her faither's ain chaplain,
A man o great skill,
He's write a braid letter,
An inditen him weel.

Said a pox on ye Logie,
noo since it is so,
This a lady's love laid on ye,
Must she dee in her woe?"

And a pox! on ye Logie,
At sunset it's time
There's a lady's love laid on ye,
Must she die in her prime?"

Noo when Logie's gotten the letter
and being amongst men
Och! it's up and spake Glenlogie
Would this young woman meet

And he looked at the letter,
A licht lauch gart he,
Aye but tarry ________ (??)
Correction: "Aye, but e'er he read o'er it"
A tear blinned his ee.

"Oh saddle me the black horse,
And saddle me the broun,
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie
'll be deid e'er I win."

Bit the horses wouldae saddled (??)
and led upon the green (??)
Aye and bonnie Glenlogie
Was twelve miles away (??)

Corrected verse:
Bit the horses werenae saddled
Nor led on the green
And bonnie Glenlogie
Was twelve miles his lain [or lane]

Oh pale and wan was she
When Glenlogie cam in,
Ah it was reid and rosy grew she
When she kent it wis him.

Where lies your pain lady
Does it lie in your side.
Where lies your pain lady
Does it lie in your heid.

Oh no no Glenlogie
you're far fair the pairt
for the pain that you speak of
Oh it lies in my hairt.

"Turn roun Jeannie Gordon,
Turn aroond on your side,
And I'll be your bridegroom,
If ye'll be the bride."

Noo Jeannie's got mairrit
An her tocher doun tauld,
Bonnie Jean o Bethelnie
Wis just sixteen year auld.

Bethelnie, Oh Bethelnie,
Ye'll shine whar ye stan,
And the heather bells aa roun ye
Shine on Fyvie's land.

Glenlogie and also sometimes called Jean o Bethelnie. Bethelnie is a town about 5 miles south of Fyvie. A version of this tune is also included in the famous Francis J. Childs' compilation of ballads (you will find a wealth of Childs ballads at: http://www.contemplator.com).

Jean O' Bethelnie was a lass named Jeannie Meldrum. Back in the day, her family owned "Huge tracts of land" including a few humble cottages better known as Fyvie, Meldrum and Tolquhon Castles -- not to mention the "wee" patches of land in between these humble dwellings. The Meldrums sold Fyvie Castle to Alexander Seton who became Lord Fyvie as well as Lord Dunfermline. There are a few variations on this ballad where Jeannie is know as Jeannie Gordon (version here), Jeannie Melville or Jeannie Meldrum.

There's two recorded versions of this tune that are well worth checking out one is by Dick Gaughan (and you can see the lyrics he uses on his own website complete with Scots translation), the other was sung by Ian F. Benzie with the original history making line up of Old Blind Dogs on their album Close to the Bone available on Lochshore records.

Other sites to check out:

Glenlogie on Electric Scotland:
http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/glenlogie.htm

Glenlogie on Glasgow Guide
http://www.glasgowguide.co.uk/wjmc/glenlog.shtml

Jock Duncan's version of Glenlogie (on Scots Independant website)
http://www.scotsindependent.org/features/scots/springthyme/glenlogie.htm

Note this tune should be complete, but if you know of a few words or variants, or other details and would like to share please feel free to e-mail.