As best as I can tell, I saw the Grateful Dead perform the song Peggy-O six times. Listen to a great 1976 version here:
04-06-87 Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, N.J.
03-26-88 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Va.
09-11-88 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa.
09-20-88 Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.
03-31-89 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.
04-28-89 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Irvine, Ca.
Here are the lyrics:
As we rode out to Fennario
Our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
And he called her by name pretty Peggy-O
Will you marry me, pretty Peggy-O
Will you marry me, pretty Peggy-O
If you will marry me, I will set your cities free
And free all the people in the area-O
I would marry you, sweet William-O
I would marry you, sweet William-O
I would marry you, but your guineas are too few
And I feel my mamma would be angry-O
What would your mamma think, pretty Peggy-O
What would your mamma think, pretty Peggy-O
What would your mamma think when she hears the guineas clink
And saw me marching at the head of my soldiers-O
If ever I return, pretty Peggy-O
If ever I return, pretty Peggy-O
If ever I return, all your cities I will burn
Destroy all the people in the area-O
Come stepping down the stairs, pretty Peggy-O
Come stepping down the stairs, pretty Peggy-O
Come stepping down the stairs, combing back your yellow hair
And bid a last farewell to young William-O
Sweet William he is dead, pretty Peggy-O
Sweet William he is dead, pretty Peggy-O
Sweet William he is dead, and he died for a maid
And buried in the Louisiana country-O
I always pictured myself as the commanding officer of an outfit of Yanks, descending on a plantation like Tara. Even though I had earned the respect of my troops, my poverty could not impress the mother of the beautiful Peggy-O, and so my love goes unrequitted. And I die shortly thereafter, with a broken heart. But there is a longer history to this song.
“An even older, Scottish version of the ballad called “The Bonnie Lass O’Fyvie” appears in Folk-Songs of the North-East and another version is given under the title Bonnie Barbara, O, in Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland. From even the titles of the songs it is apparent that the names “Fennario” and “Fernario” both probably originally derived from “O’Fyvie” and the name “Peggy-O” perhaps from “Barbara, O.” All of the versions considered together suggest the story of a love affair between a travelling enemy soldier and a local girl which is thwarted by the girl’s ambitious mother who wants a son-in-law with more money and a higher social status. Thus his declarations go from a promise of love for “Barbara, O” to threats against the locals’ lives when he returns from his next march. But he dies, heartbroken because of love for, respectively, “Peggy-O” and “Barbara O.” “Bonnie Barbara, O” is given the setting of Derby and is in dialect, but the story of the song is a bit clearer. When the soldier asks Barbara what her mother would think of her daughter’s marriage to an apparently well-to-do soldier, she replies:
Little would my mammie think, bonnie Sandy, O,
Little would my mammie think, bonnie Sandy O;
Little would my mammie think though she heard the guineas clink.
If her daughter was following a sodger, O.”
“A Scottish version which found its way to the Southern United States is given in The Ballad of America. This version lacks the detail of the proud, angry mother. The setting of this version, “The Bonnie Lass o’Fyvie,” in other Southern American versions changes from “Fyvie” to local settings or is replaced by nonsense words like “Ivory” or “Ireo.”
There was a troop of Irish dragoons
Came marching down through Fyvie O;
The Captain’s fallen in love with a bonnie, bonnie lass,
Her name it is called pretty Peggy O.
“O come down the stairs, pretty Peggy O,” he said,
“O come down the stairs pretty Peggy, O,
O come down the stairs, comb aside your yellow hair,
Take the last farewell of your daddy, O.
Another version I found of “The Bonnie Lass Of Fyvie” has fuller lyrics:
There once was a troop of Irish dragoons
Come marching down thru Fyvie-O
And the captain fell in love wi’ a very bonnie lass
And he called her by name, pretty Peggy-O
There’s many a bonnie lass in the glen of Auchterlass
There’s many a bonnie lass in Gairioch-O
There’s many a bonnie Jean in the streets of Aberdeen
But the flower of them all lives in Fyvie-O
Come trippin’ down the stair, Pretty Peggy, my dear
Come down the stairs, Pretty Peggy-O
Come trippin’ down the stairs, combin’ back your yellow hair
Bid a long farewell to your mammy-O
It’s braw, aye it’s braw, a captain’s lady for to be
And it’s braw to be a captain’s lady-O
It’s braw to ride around and to follow the camp
And to ride when your captain he is ready-O
Oh I’ll give you ribbons, love, and I’ll give you rings
I’ll give you a necklace of amber-O
I’ll give you a silken petticoat with flounces to the knee
If you’ll convey me doon to your chamber-O
What would your mother think if she heard the guineas clink
And saw the haut-boys marching all before you-O
O little would she think gin she heard the guineas clink
If I followed a soldier laddie-O
I never did intend a soldier’s lady for to be
A soldier shall never enjoy me-O
I never did intend to gae tae a foreign land
And I will never marry a soldier-O
I’ll drink nae more o your claret wine
I’ll drink nae more o your glasses-O
Tomorrow is the day when we maun ride away
So farewell tae your Fyvie lasses-O
The colonel he cried, mount, boys, mount, boys, mount
The captain, he cried, tarry-O
O tarry yet a while, just another day or twa
Til I see if the bonnie lass will marry-O
Twas in the early morning, when we marched awa
And oh but the captain he was sorry-O
The drums they did beat on the merry braes o’ Gight
And the band played the bonnie lass of Fyvie-O
Long ere we came to the glen of Auchterlass
We had our captain to carry-O
And long ere we won into the streets of Aberdeen
We had our captain to bury-O
Green grow the birks on bonnie Ethanside
And low lie the lowlands of Fyvie-O
The captain’s name was Ned and he died for a maid
He died for the bonny lass of Fyvie-O
that Simon and Garfunkel also did a version of this song; I’ll do some Googling and find out…
yes it’s on their first album as I recall, I have it at home. very sweet with those two harmonizing.
Off their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM.
And the spouse and I happen to have the CD; some other great tunes, including the original version of “The Sounds of Silence”.
Time to add some more music to my iTunes Library…
Yup, my favorite version of this song and my favorite of their albums.
I recall having at least 4-5 versions back in the 60s–Simon & Garfunkle, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Hoyt Axton & Judy Collins, I think. But maybe 1 or 2 were just albums I borrowed a lot. I know I owned the S&G and Dylan for certain. I’m not sure which of the other 3 were mine vs. friends or my sister’s maybe.
But then, what doesn’t remind me of a story or a song?
I think Pretty Peggy-O is probably second cousin to an old old song called The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies:
There were three gypsies a come to my door,
And down stairs ran this a-lady, O.
One sang high and another sang low
And the other sang bonny bonny Biscay O
Then she pulled off her silk finished gown,
And put on hose of leather, O
The ragged ragged rags about our door
And she’s gone with the wraggle, taggle gypsies O
It was late last night when my lord came home,
Inquiring for his a-lady O
The servants said on every hand
She’s gone with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O
O saddle to me my milk-white steed
And go and fetch me my pony, O
That I may ride and seek my bride,
Who’s gone with the wraggle-taggle gypsies O
O he rode high, and he rode low
He rode through wood and copses too,
Until he came to a wide open field,
And there he espied his a-lady O
What makes you leave you house and land?
What makes you leave you money, O?
What makes you leave you new-wedded lord,
To follow the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O.
What care I for my house and land?
What care I for my money,O?
What care I for my new-wedded lord,
I’m off with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O!
“Last night you slept on a goosefeather bed,
With the sheet turned down so bravely, O.
Tonight you’ll sleep in a cold open field,
Along with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O.”
“What care I for a goose-feather bed,
With the sheet turned down so bravely, O.
For tonight I’ll sleet in a cold open field,
Along with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O.
Here’s a link to the tune, courtesy of Mudcat’s Digital Traditions archive.
This song, like Fast Freight or Tom Paxton’s Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound is a glimpse into the life I once thought would be wonderful and romantic, but which passed me by. And considering the turns and twists my life has taken, that’s not all bad.
A great version of this song was recorded by Planxty in the 70’s, sung by Christy O’Leary with Liam O’Flynn backing on the Irish pipes (the waily instrument heard in “Braveheart” and “Titanic” and some TV ads).
Not sure about the spelling, but it’s a very cool instrument. Sort of like a kindler, gentler bagpipe. I have a Christmas album that features the uillean pipe that I really like.
I have never heard the Dead do this song. My ex was a huge Dead fan, but I never was. This is a different version of one of my favorite songs.
I searched the Dead archives, and as far as I can tell, I saw them play Peggy-O 11 times (mostly in CA in 86-88). The most meorable was (for me anyways) was at City Island in Harrisburg in June of ’84!
memorable…if only I could type!
you can read If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O, by Sharyn McCrumb.
She’s written a series of mystery novels, of which this is the first, utilizing story lines from old folk ballads. Beautifully written, haunting, memorable.
I happen to know Ms. McCrumb, at least to say I’ve met her several times in real life. She’s quite a wonderful person and if you ever get a chance to meet her (book signing, whatever) do it!!!
Pax
Heh.
I’ve not met her, but I hang out in the same general line of business, so may run into her one of these days.
Well, I figure a lot of you Dead Heads know this site already but hey if you don’t? MY TREAT! ::;gawd I love doing this, ya know?:::
If your lucky you might be able to listen to those same versions of Peggy-O.
This is the taper archive. Betty boards and such.
You’ll have to learn a little about “shorten” files and maybe even checksums but it’s easy and if you’ve got broadband, well worth the trouble.
and my favorite Dead lyric site
David Dodd’s, The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
heh
Hey Boo, everyone loves the Dead, but seriously Bob Dylan’s version is the best 😉 Dylan was inspired by his hero Woodie Guthrie, the great American collector of folk and traditional American tunes…
There’s hundreds of Appalachian folk tunes and I love ’em.. I used to sit on the porch listening to old 45’s and 78’s of these kinds of songs and… sounds like I’m a closet hillbilly or something, but they’re great.
Pax
There is always the problem that Jerry can’t sing, but no one has mentioned the godlike guitar playing on the version I provided.
That boy could pluck the strings…
all six of the concerts you mention are at the archive. two of them have two separate tapes.
A rousing version was sung by the Clancy Brothers way back when.
I’ve played the tune for 30 years since I heard The Black Watch perform it on tour in Cleveland.