Bonnie George Campbell
Bonnie James Campbell or Bonnie George Campbell is Child ballad 210. The ballad tells of a man who has gone off to fight, but only his horse returns. The name differs across variants. Several names have been suggested as the inspiration of the ballad: Archibald or James Campbell, in the Battle of Glenlivet, or Sir John Campbell of Calder, who was murdered.
Synopsis
Bonnie James Campbell rides out one day. His horse returns, but he does not. His bride comes out, grieving, that the fields are still growing the harvest but he will never return. In some variants, his mother or sisters also come out when his horse returns. In one of the variants, Campbell laments that "my babe is unborn".Notable Performances
- Billy Connolly performs the song on an autoharp in the 2004 film, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.