Bonnie Lass of Fennario

From Vol. 1
Traditional Treasures

SUGGESTED KEY: C

CAPO: None

CHORD FAMILY: C

TIME SIGNATURE: 4/4

SKILL LEVEL: Advanced

A Little About This Song…

The Bonnie Lass of Fannario is an old Scottish folksong variously titled “Peggy-O”, “Fennario”, “The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie-O”, “Pretty Peggy-O”, and “Pretty Peggy of Derby.” Joan Baez and The Grateful Dead have recorded contemporary hits with similar lyrics; Jerry Garcia’s version is epic.

This is another song with varying sets of lyrics. In the original tale, the lass is a “handsome chambermaid” and he’s a soldier determined to free her from servitude, but dies in battle. More contemporary versions describe the story of a spurned lover.