Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Doon By the Greenwood Sidie O / Down by the Greenwood Sidey-o / All Alone and a-Lonely-O / She's Leaned her Back / The Cruel Mither / The Cruel Mother (Child No. 20) - Sung by Lizzie Higgins (Elizabeth Ann Youlden, 1929-1993) of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Daughter of settled Travellers, the famous Scottish traditional singer Jeannie Robertson and Donald "Donty" Higgins, an accomplished piper. Lizzie learned the song from her father. Recorded by Stephanie Smith Perrin on August 6th, 1973.
The original recording can be heard here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/28692?l=en
And here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/28731?l=en
Note by Kevin W.:
Lizzie's slow style of singing which she based on her father's and her uncle Isaac "Seely" Higgins' bagpipe playing is beautiful and highly demanding with lots of ornamentation, but it doesn't make it easy to follow the story of longer ballads. The same is true of Jeannie Robertson's singing which slowed down in her later years.
For more information on Lizzie Higgins the booklet notes to "In Memory of Lizzie Higgins 1929-1993" (2006) Musical Traditions MTCD337-8 are essential reading (and the album is well worth getting): mustrad.org.uk/articles/higgins.htm
An early performance of Lizzie's The Cruel Mother (Child 20). Recording quality isn't the best but the singing is beautiful and I wanted to share it here. Lizzie's father Donald "Donty" Higgins taught her to sing the ballad to the pipe tune Greenwood Side. She said her father was a great singer himself but overlooked by folklorists in the shadow of Jeannie Robertson's fame.
I found a performance of the pipe tune Greenwood Side here, it is indeed Lizzie's ballad tune:
youtube.com/watch?v=naUbfIzqpJk
Song transcription:
She's leant her back against a aik,
All alone and aloney-o.
She's pushed and she's pushed
'Til her back's near break,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
She's laid her head against a thorn,
All alone and aloney-o.
Two bonny babies ever were born,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
She's went back til her father's castle ha,
All alone and aloney-o.
She wis the sma'est maid o them aa,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
She looked ower her father's castle ha,
All alone and aloney-o.
Two bonny babies playin at the ba,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
Oh dear babies, gin ye were mine,
All alone and aloney-o.
I'd gie ye bread, and I'd gie ye wine,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
Oh dear mither, when we were thine,
All alone and aloney-o.
Aroon our necks you pult a twine,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
We are in the Heavens sae high,
All alone and aloney-o;
In the Hell's fires you will die,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
Doon By the Greenwood Sidie O / Down by the Greenwood Sidey-o / All Alone and a-Lonely-O / She's Leaned her Back / The Cruel Mither / The Cruel Mother (Child No. 20) - Sung by Lizzie Higgins (Elizabeth Ann Youlden, 1929-1993) of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Daughter of settled Travellers, the famous Scottish traditional singer Jeannie Robertson and Donald "Donty" Higgins, an accomplished piper. Lizzie learned the song from her father. Recorded by Stephanie Smith Perrin on August 6th, 1973.
The original recording can be heard here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/28692?l=en
And here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/28731?l=en
Note by Kevin W.:
Lizzie's slow style of singing which she based on her father's and her uncle Isaac "Seely" Higgins' bagpipe playing is beautiful and highly demanding with lots of ornamentation, but it doesn't make it easy to follow the story of longer ballads. The same is true of Jeannie Robertson's singing which slowed down in her later years.
For more information on Lizzie Higgins the booklet notes to "In Memory of Lizzie Higgins 1929-1993" (2006) Musical Traditions MTCD337-8 are essential reading (and the album is well worth getting): mustrad.org.uk/articles/higgins.htm
An early performance of Lizzie's The Cruel Mother (Child 20). Recording quality isn't the best but the singing is beautiful and I wanted to share it here. Lizzie's father Donald "Donty" Higgins taught her to sing the ballad to the pipe tune Greenwood Side. She said her father was a great singer himself but overlooked by folklorists in the shadow of Jeannie Robertson's fame.
I found a performance of the pipe tune Greenwood Side here, it is indeed Lizzie's ballad tune:
youtube.com/watch?v=naUbfIzqpJk
Song transcription:
She's leant her back against a aik,
All alone and aloney-o.
She's pushed and she's pushed
'Til her back's near break,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
She's laid her head against a thorn,
All alone and aloney-o.
Two bonny babies ever were born,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
She's went back til her father's castle ha,
All alone and aloney-o.
She wis the sma'est maid o them aa,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
She looked ower her father's castle ha,
All alone and aloney-o.
Two bonny babies playin at the ba,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
Oh dear babies, gin ye were mine,
All alone and aloney-o.
I'd gie ye bread, and I'd gie ye wine,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
Oh dear mither, when we were thine,
All alone and aloney-o.
Aroon our necks you pult a twine,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
We are in the Heavens sae high,
All alone and aloney-o;
In the Hell's fires you will die,
Doon in the bonny greenwoodsidey-o.
