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There are numerous parodies of My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean. It is a common campfire song and traditional song and has long been popular among children. Many sources treat this song, like most songs in its genre as good childhood fun. It has, in fact, been included on official lists of Boy Scout campfire songs.^[1] However, sociologist Nancy McCabe includes this song in her list of tunes that "perpetuated gender stereotypes handed down from our culture."^[2]

Walt Kelly's characters in his Pogo comic strip sang a variant called "Ma Bonny Lice Soda Devotion".

Contents 1 Various versions and verses 1.1 My Bonnie has tuberculosis... 1.2 My Bonnie's complexion was makeup... 1.3 Last night as I lay on my pillow... 1.4 My Bonnie leaned over the gas tank... 1.5 My breakfast lies over the ocean... 1.6 Ma Bonny Lice Soda Devotion 1.7 My Granny went down to the cellar 1.8 My Grandpa sells condoms to sailors 2 Notes 3 References

Like many songs of its genre, this song has several varying versions and verses. The best known include:

My Bonnie has tuberculosis,

my Bonnie has only one lung,

My Bonnie can cough up raw oysters,

and roll them around on her tongue.

Variant

My Bonnie has Tuberculosis

My Bonnie has only one lung,

My Bonnie spits blood in a bucket,

And dries it and chews it for gum.

Dentine, Dentine,

Dentine gum, yum yum, yum yum.

Dentine, Dentine,

Dentine gum, yum yum.

My Bonnie's complexion was makeup,

her face, it was beauteous to see;

Until she got caught in a rainstorm,

Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

Last night as I lay on my pillow,

last night as I lay on my bed,

I stuck my feet out of the window,

next morning my neighbors were dead.

My Bonnie leaned over the gas tank,

the height of its contents to see;

I lighted a match to assist her,

Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

My breakfast lies over the ocean

My dinner lies over the sea,

My stomach is in a commotion,

Don't mention my supper to me.

CHORUS

Bring back, bring back,

Oh bring back my bucket to me, to me . . .

I really felt rotten this morning,

They tell me I really looked pale,

My stomach gave adequate warning,

To lean far out over the rail.

The sound of a stomach in motion,

A murmuring noise inside me,

I looked down and there on the water,

Was breakfast and dinner and tea.

"Ma bonny lice soda devotion!

Ma booney life saver D.C.!

McBoniface rover commotion

Oh, brickbat Mahoney Toomey!

My Granny went down to the cellar

To see where the gas leak could be

She lit up a match to see clearer

Oh bring back my Granny to me

My Granddad went down to the cellar

To see where my Granny could be

He lit up a match to see clearer

Oh bring back my Granddad to me

repeat with other members of the family until

I went down to the cellar

To see where the others could be

I switched on a torch to see clearer

And oh what a mess I could see

Neil Gaiman features a slightly ruder version of this song in the novella, The Monarch of the Glen, in his anthology, Fragile Things.

My Grandpa sells condoms to sailors

He punctures the tips with a pin

My grandma does back-street abortions

My God how the money rolls in.

CHORUS

Rolls in, rolls in,

My God how the money rolls in.

My Brother's a missionary worker,

He saves fallen women from sin

For five bucks he'll save you a redhead,

My God how the money rolls in.

• http://www.scouting.org.za/songs/action.html
• http://dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/songbook/songs3/s3_60.htm
• http://www.cameron.edu/~mikel/campsongs/campsongs8.html
• http://pcasacas.org/SPC/spcissues/20.3/mccabe.htm