Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago

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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 Elizabeth Stewart (1939-2022) of the Travelling Stewarts of Fetterangus, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. She learned it from her aunt Lucy Stewart of Fetterangus, from whom the song had previously been recorded by Prof. Kenneth S. Goldstein in the 1950s. Recorded by the John D. Niles folklore research team for the "Scottish Voices" project in August 1988 at a house in St. Andrews, Fife, that John Niles and his research team were renting at that time.

The original recording can be heard here:
https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARHXT3K4TSV4DD87

Note by Kevin W.:
The opening verse comes from a different song, "Logan Water" (Roud No. 6843).

The Stewart family version is remarkably independent of other versions from 20th century traditional singers I've heard. In Elizabeth Stewart's text the babes are being choked with a ribbon instead of stabbed with a knife, that's a very uncommon feature.

Elizabeth Stewart was a wonderful singer, she had a great style. You can feel the passion in her voice.

Song transcription:

It's Logan's woods and Logan's braes,
Whaur I helped ma bonnie lassie on wi her claes;
First her hose then and her sheen,
She gaen me the slip when I wis deen.

She's taen her cloak aboot her heid,
And she's gaen tae dee a gruesome deed;
She's gaen tae tae dee a gruesome deed,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.

She's leaned her back against a thorn,
And twa bonnie bairnies she has born;
Twa bonnie bairnies she has born,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.

She's taen a ribbon fae aff her hair,
And she's chokit them though they grat sair;
She's chokit them though they grat sair,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.

Four days and nichts she grew wan and pale,
And what ailed her no there's nane could tell;
What ailed her no there's nane could tell,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.

Four days and nichts she bore her bairn,
So that nane could meddle wi her guid name;
Nane could meddle wi her guid name,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.

[She's dug a hole beside a tree,
And she's beeried them whaur there's nane can see;
She's beeried them whaur there's nane can see,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.] *

She's lookit ower the castle waa,
And she seen twa bonnie bairnies playin at the baa;
She seen twa bonnie bairnies playin at the baa,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O.

"Oh bonnie bairnies if you were mine,
I wid hae fed ye on the white coo milk and wine;
I wid hae fed ye on the white coo milk and wine,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O."

"Oh cruel mother when we were thine,
You didna feed us on the white coo milk and wine;
You didna feed us on the white coo milk and wine,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O."

"But you took a ribbon fae aff your hair,
And you chokit us though we grat sair;
You chokit us though we grat sair,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O."

"While we two now in Heaven do dwell,
You've got tae face the fierce fires o Hell;
You've got tae face thae fires o Hell,
Doun by the greenwood sidie O."

* Elizabeth didn't sing this verse this time, but she did in other recordings.