Lyrics of the Day: "Pretty Peggy-O" as arranged by Bob Dylan

Originally a Scottish Folk song titled "The Bonnie Lass o'Fyvie," the narrative of the song follows the unrequited love of a military man. Arranged by Bob Dylan for the harmonica and titled "Pretty Peggy-o," Dylan stripped the song of its Scottish connotations, colloquialism and sound and reinvented it what seems to be a Southern American civil war setting. The unrequited love of the original version and subsequent arrangements is chopped away and transformed into a seemingly forbidden love.

I've been around this whole country
But I never yet found Fenneario.

Well, as we marched down, as we marched down
Well, as we marched down to Fennerio
Well, our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
Her name that she had was Pretty Peggy-O

Well, what will your mother say, what will your mother say
What will your mother say, Pretty Peggy-O
What will your mother say to know you're going away
You're never, never, never coming back-io ?

Come a-running down your stairs
Come a-running down your stairs
Come a-running down your stairs, Pretty Peggy-O
Come a-running down your stairs
Combing back your yellow hair
You're the prettiest darned girl I ever seen-io.

The lieutenant he has gone
The lieutenant he has gone
The lieutenant he has gone, Pretty Peggy-O
The lieutenant he has gone, long gone
He's a-riding down in Texas with the rodeo.

Well, our captain he is dead, our captain he is dead
Our captain he is dead, Pretty Peggy-O
Well, our captain he is dead, died for a maid
He's buried somewhere in Louisiana-O.