MUSIC Ballads - Favorites at Pine Mountain Settlement School

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 30: MUSIC
Ballads – Favorites at Pine Mountain Settlement School
Images and Transcription of Lyrics

Two girls singing. [53_life_work_children_classes_1731.jpg]

TAGS: Music, ballads, Pine Mountain ballad favorites, Barbara Allen, Joseph and Mary, Lovin’ Henery, Ballad of Little Oma Wise, Pretty Polly, I Wonder As I Wonder, Nightingale, The Riddle Song, I Wonder When I Shall Be Married, Old Smokey, Ballads to the Tune of Durham Reel

MUSIC Ballads – 13 Favorites at Pine Mountain Settlement School

TRANSCRIPTIONS

Note: The text has been slightly edited for readability.

001 Barbara Allen

Barbara Allen.
1.
All in the merry month of May,
The green buds were swelling,
Young William Green on his death-bed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen.

He sent his servant to the town
To the place where she was dwellin’,
Saying, “Love, there is a call for you,
If your name is Barbara Allen.”

She was very slowly getting up
And very slowly going,
The only word she said to him,
“Young man I think you’re dyin’.”

“O, yes, I know, I’m very low,
And never will be any better,
Until I gain the love of one
The love of Barbara Allen.”

“Don’t you remember the other day,
When you were in town a drinkin’
You drank a health to the ladies all around,
And slighted Barbara Allen?”

“O, yes I remember the other day,
When I was in town a drinkin’,
I drank a health to the ladies all around,
But my love to Barbara Allen.”

He turned his pale face to the wall,
And death was in him dwellin’ .
“Adieu, adieu to my friends all,
Be kind to Barbara Allen.”

001a Barbara Allen [Cont’d]

When she got in two miles of town,
She heard the death bells ringin’,
They rang so clear as if to say,
“Hard-hearted Barbara Allen.”

So she looked east and she looked west,
She saw the cold corpse comin’,
She says, “Come round, you nice young man,
And let me look upon you.”

The more she looked, the more she grieved,
Until she burst out a-cryin’.
“Perhaps, I could have saved that young man’s life
Who now is here a-lyin’.”

“Oh mother, oh, mother come make my bed,
Oh, make it both soft and narrow,
For Sweet William died today,
And I will die tomorrow.”

“Oh father, oh, father come dig my grave,
Oh, dig it both deep and narrow,
For Sweet William died in love,
And I will die in sorrow.”

Sweet William was buried in the old church tomb,
Barbara Allen was buried in the yard,
Out of William’s grave grew a great red rose,
Out of Barbara Allen’s a brier.

They grew and grew to the old church top,
And still they could not grow any higher,
And at the end tied a true love knot,
The rose wrapped around the brier.

002 Joseph and Mary

Joseph and Mary.

When Joseph was a young man
A young man was he
He courted Virgintn (sic) Mary
The Queen of Galilee
He courted Virgint Mary
The Queen of Galilee.

When Joseph and Mary was walking one day
Here is apples Here is cherries
Plenty to behold.
Here is apples and Here is cherries
Plenty to behold.

Mary said to Joseph
So meek and so mild
Gather me some cherries
For I am with child
Gather me some cherries,
For I am with child.

Joseph in angry in angry he grew
Let the father of your baby
Gather cherries for you
Let the father of your baby
Gather cherries for you.

The Lord God then speaking
and the words that he did say
Bow you lowly down, cherry tree
Let mother have some
Bow you lowly down, Cherrie tree,
Let mother have some.

Cherrie tree bowed lowly
Bowed lowly to the ground
While Mary gathered cherries
Joseph stood around,
While Mary gathered cherries,
Joseph stood around.

Then Joseph took Mary
All on his right knee
Pray, little Baby tell me
When your birthday shall be
Pray, little Baby, tell me
When your birthday shall be.

The fifth day of January
My birthday shall be
When the stars in the elements
Shall tremble with fear
When the stars in the elements
Shall tremble with fear.

“Rote by Ludie Brittain.”

003 Lovin’ Henry (Henery)

Lovin’ Henery.

Come in, Come in, Lovin’ Henery
She said, “And stay all night
With me. I’ll make you a bed
Of bright yellow gold
And cover with some Ivorree.

Oh, I can’t come in Liddie Marguerett
He said, nor stay all night with
You, for the girl that I left in
Arkansas land will think I’m
a long coming home.

She leant her breast against the fence for to take a kiss
or two and with the little short
knife that she held in her hand
She pierced him through and through.

Oh, live, oh live, Lovin Henery
She said, a Hour and a Half or
more, and the girl that you left
in Arkansas land will think
you are a long coming home.

Oh, how can I live, Liddie Marguerett
He said, a hour and a half or more
When don’t you see my own
Heart’s blood a-twinkling on your floor?

She called in the girls all out
of this town, this one secret for
Her to keep. They carried him down
to the broad river side and splunged
him into the deep.

Fly down, fly down, Pretty
Polly, she said, and set upon
my knee. I’ll make you a cage
of bright yellow gold and cover
cover with some Ivorree.

Oh, I can’t fly down, Liddie Marguerett
it said, nor set upon your knee
for you have just now killed
Your own true love and I am sure
You will kill me.

From Anna Middleton, Martin’s Fork

004 Little Oma Wise

Ballad of Little Oma Wise
(Tune similar to “Little Mohee”)

I will tell you the story
of little Oma Wise,
How she was mistreated
By John Lewis’ life.

He promised to meet her at Adams’ Spring
And bring her some money and other fine thing.
“No money, no money,” ” John Lewis did say
“For in this deep water your body shall lay.”

“So get on behind me, and away we will go
To the banks of the river
Where the waters all flow.”

“John Lewis, John Lewis,
Oh, spare me my life
and I will stay single
If I can’t be your wife.”

“No mercy, no mercy,”
John Lewis did say
“For in this deep water
Your body shall lay.”

Her mamma stepped forwards
These words she did say:
“John Lewis (has) drowned Oma
And has run away.”

“He is gone to St. Louis,
As I understand
They have got him in prison
For killing a man.”

Little Oma was missing, but where was she found,
Her friends and relations went hunting around.

A boy was a-fishing on last Tuesday morn
He saw the corpse of Oma,
To the bottom of the storm,

“You can hang me, you can kill me,
For I am the man
That drownded little Oma
Below the mill dam.”

Contributed by Mrs. Gertie Harris,
Cranks, Kentucky

005 Pretty Polly I

Pretty Polly.

I set up with dead Ellen, the livelong night,
Got up the next morning before daylight.
He led her over hills and valleys so deep,
(repeat third line three times).
Till the poor girl she began to weep.

“Sweet William, sweet William, you’re leading me astray,
On purpose, my life to take away.”
“Oh, yes, pretty Polly, you’re guessing just right,
Been digging your grave the best part of last night.”

They went on a piece further, a change to spy,
Saw the grave was dug and the spade a stickin’ by,
She threw her arms around him, saying “Suffer no fear,
How can you kill a poor girl who loves you so dear?”

He opened her bosom, as white as any snow,
He stabbed her to the heart, the blood did flow,
And in the cold grave, her poor body must go.

He threw some dust over her, returned to go home,
Leaving nobody but the birds to mourn.
“Oh, where is pretty Polly? Oh, yonder she stands,
Gold rings on her fingers and her lily white hands.”

006 Pretty Polly II

Pretty Polly

In London fair city a lady did dwell,
In London fair city a lady did dwell,
Her name was Pretty Polly, I know full well.

Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, come go along with me,
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, come go along with me,
Before we get married, some pleasure to see.

He led her o’er the hills and the valleys so deep,
He led her o’er the hills and the valleys so deep,
And then Pretty Polly began for to weep.

He stabbed her to the heart and the heart’s blood did flow.
He stabbed her to the heart and the heart’s blood did flow.
And down in the grave Pretty Polly must go.

He threw a little dirt over her and started for home, (2)
Leaving nothing behind but the wild birds to moan.

A debt to the devil poor Willy must pay, (2)
For killing Pretty Polly and running away.

007 I Wonder as I Wander

I Wonder as I Wander Out Under the Sky

I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
How Jesus the Saviour (sic) did come for to die,
For poor honry people like you and like I —
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

When Mary Birthed Jesus, twas in a cow’s stall,
With wisemen and farmers and shepherds and all.
But high from the heavens a star’s light did fall,
With the promise of the ages, it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing,
Or all of God’s angels in Heaven for to sing,
He surely could have had it, for he was the king.

I wonder as I wander, out under the sky,
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die,
For poor onry (sic) people, like you and like I —
I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.

008 Nightingale

The Nightingale

One morning, one morning, one morning in May,
I met a fair couple a-making their way,
And one was a lady so neat and so fair,
The other a soldier, a brave volunteer.

Good morning, good morning, good morning to you.
Now where are you going, my pretty lady?
I’m going a-walking by the banks of the sea,
To see the waters a-gliding, hear the nightingale sing.

They hadn’t been standing but one hour or two
When out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew.
The tune that he played made the valleys to ring.
Oh hearken, says the lady, How the Nightingales sing.

Pretty Lady, Pretty Lady, ’tis time to give o’er.
O no, Pretty Soldier, please play one tune more!
I’d rather hear your fiddle or the touch of one string,
Than see the waters a-gliding, hear the nightingale sing.

Pretty Soldier, Pretty Soldier, will you marry me?
Oh no, Pretty Lady, that never can be.
I have wife in London, and children twice three.
Two wives in the army’s too many for me.

I’ll go back to London and stay there one year,
And often I’ll think of you, my little dear.
If ever I return, it will be in the spring,
To see the waters a-gliding, hear the nightingale sing.

009 The Riddle Song

The Riddle Song

I gave my love a cherry that has no stones,
I gave my love a chicken that has no bones,
I gave my love a ring, that has no end,
I gave my love a baby that’s no cry-en.

How can there be a cherry that has no stones?
How can there be a chicken that has no bones?
How can there be a ring that has no end?
How can there be a baby that’s no cry-en?

A cherry when it’s blooming, it has no stones,
A chicken when it’s pipping, it has no bones,
A ring when it’s rolling, it has no end,
A baby when it’s sleeping, there’s no cry-en.

010 I Wonder When I Shall Be Married

I Wonder When I Shall be Married

I wonder when I shall be married,
Be married, be married,
I wonder when I shall be married,
For my beauty’s beginning to fade.

My mother she is so willing,
So Willing, so willing,
My mother she is so willing,
For she has four daughters besides.

My father has forty good shillings,
Good shillings, good shillings,
My father has forty good shillings,
And they will be mine, when he dies.

My shoes have gone to be mended,
Be mended, be mended.
My shoes have gone to be mended,
And my petticoat gone to dye green.

Oh say, won’t I then be a bargain,
A bargain, a bargain,
Oh say, won’t I then be a bargain,
For someone to carry away!

I wonder when I shall be married,
Be married, be married,
I wonder when I shall be married,
For my beauty’s beginning to fade.

011 MISSING

012 Old Smokey

Old Smoky.

At the top of old Smoky
All covered with snow
Where I lost my true lover
By courtin’ too slow.

Courting is pleasure, parting a grief,
But a false-hearted true lover
Is worse than a thief.

A thief he will rob you
And take all you have
But a false-hearted true lover
Will bring you to the grave.

A grave will decay you
And mould you to dust
There’s not one girl in a thousand
A poor boy can trust.

They tell you they love you
And give you heart’s ease
But as soon as your back’s turned
They court who they please.

Go put up your horses
And feed them some hay
Come sit by my love’s side
What time you can stay.

My horses aren’t hungry
They won’t eat your hay
And feed by the way.

On top of Old Smoky
A mountain so high
Where the wild beasts and turtle doves
Can’t hear my sad cry.

013 Ballad to the Tune of Durham Reel

[Handwritten notation, bottom margin: “To Tune of Durham Reel”]

I
Wi’ a hundred pipers and a’ and a’
Wi’ a hundred pipers and a’ and a’
We’ll up and gie ’em a blaw, a blaw
Wi’ a hundred pipers and a’
Oh it’s o’er the border awa’, awa’
Oh it’s o’er the border awa’, awa’
Oh we’ll on and we’ll march to Carlisle ha’
With its Yetts and its Castles and a’, and a’,

Chorus

Wi’ a hundred Pipers and a’, and a’
” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ”
We’ll up and gie ’em a blaw, a blaw
Wi’ a hundred Pipers and a’ and a’

II
Oh our sodger lads looked braw, looked braw
Wi’ their tartans, kilts and a’, and a’
Wi’ their bonnets and feathers and glittering gear
And pibrochs sounding so sweet and dear.
Will they return to their ain dear glen?
Will they return, our Hieland men?
Second-sighted Sandy looked fu’ wae
And the mithers grat as they marched awa’

Chorus

III
Oh the Esk was swollen sae red and sae deep
But shoulder to shoulder the brave lads keep
Twa thousand swam over to feel English ground
And danced themselves dry to the Pibroch’s sound.
Dumfounded the English they saw, they saw.
” they heard the “blaw”, the blaw,
” ” ” a’ ran awa’, awa’.
Frae the hundred pipers and a’, and a’.

Chorus