Anglo-American Songs and Ballads AFS
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FOLK MUSIC OF THE UNITED STATES Music Division Recording Laboratory AFS L14 ANGLO-AMERICAN SONGS AND BALLADS From the Arohive of Folk Song Edited by Duncan Emrloh LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON At-BARBARA ALLEN. 7. As she was walking o'er the fields Sung with guitar by Bill Nicholson; accom She heard the death bell knelling, panied on steel guitar by Zane Shrader of Each stroke it took it seemed to say, New Albany, Ind. Recorded at Renfro Val "Hard-hearted Barbara Allen." ley, Ky., 1946, by Artus M. Moser. The ballad of "Barbara Allen" continues to be 8. She looked to the east, she looked to the the most popular of the old Scottish ballads west, found in the United States. This version, sung She saw the pale corpse a-camin', with guitar by Bill Nicholson and also accom "Go bring the pale corpse over here to me, panied by Zane Shrader playing an electric steel That I may gaze upon him." guitar, shows influences of current radio tech nique which can, of CQurse. be increasingly ex 9. The more she looked, the more she pected in the traditional ballads. It is a full ver mourned, sion which may be compared with record no. Till she fell to the ground a-cryin', AFS Ll, A4, sung without accompaniment by Saying, "Take me up and carry me home Mrs. Rebecca Tarwater. For I think that I'm a-dyin'. For full references, see: Arthur Kyle Davis, Traditional Ballads of Virginia (Harvard Univer 10. Father, oh father, go dig my grave, sity Press, 1929), pp. 302-345. Go dig it long and narrow, Sweet William died for me today, I'll die for him tomorrow." 1. In Scarlet Town where 1 was born 11. They buried him [her] there in the old There was a fair maid dwellin' church yard, Made every youth cry "Wel-a-way," And buried William nigh her, Her name was Barbara Allen. On William's grave grew a big red rose On Barbara's grew a green briar. 2. 'Twas in that merry month of May When green buds were a-swellin', 12. They climbed and they climbed on the old Sweet William on his death bed lay church tower For the love of Barbara Allen. Till they couldn't climb no higher, They tied at the top in a true love's knot, 3. He sent his servant to the town The red rose arotlnri the green hriar. Where Barbara was a-dwell in', "My master is sick and sends for you, If yot!f name be Barbara Allen." A2-THE CHERRY TREE CAROL 4. Then slowly, slowly she got up, Sung by Mrs. Maud Long at Hot Springs, And slowly she came nigh him, N. C, 1946. Recorded by Artus M. Moser. But all she said when she got there, The source of "The Cherry-Tree Carol" is "Young man, I think you're dyin', found in the Pseudo-Matthew's gospel, chapter 20, which is briefly summarized by Professor 5. Do you remember in yonder town Child: "On the third day of the flight into Egypt, When we were at the tavern, Mary, feeling the heat to be oppressive, tells You drank to the health of the ladies all Joseph that she will rest for a while under the around palm tree. Joseph helps her light from her beast, But slighted Barbara Allen? and Mary, looking up from under the tree, and seeing it full of fruit. asks for some. Joseph 6. Oh, yes, you're sick, you're very sick, somewhat testily expresses his surprise that she And death on you is dwellin', should think of such a thing, considering the But no better, no better you never can be height of the tree; he is much more concerned to For you can't have Barbara Allen." get a supply of water. Then Jesus, sitting on his 1 mother's lap, bids the palm to bow down and 4. Joseph flew in anger, in anger he flew, refresh his mother with its fruit. The palm in Saying, "Let the father of your baby gather stantly bends its top to Mary's feet." cherries for you," The story as we have it in the carol is altered Saying, "Let the father of your baby gather considerably. The palm becomes a cherry-tree; cherries for you," Joseph's reply ill-humoredly insinuates that Mary has been unfaithful; and the Lord, rather than Jesus, speaks and orders the tree to bow down. 5. The Lord spoke down from Heaven, these In other American versions, however, the Child words he did say, miraculously speaks from Mary's womb to order "Bow you low down, you cherry tree, while the miracle. Here He speaks only in answer to Mary gathers some, the'luestion about His birth date. It is of interest Bow you low down, you cherry tree, while that the "fifth day of January" was, according to Mary gathers some." "Old Style" reckoning, the date of Christmas Day between the years 1752 and 1799. In 1751, when a change in the calendar had become nec 6. The cherry tree bowed down, it was low on essary, eleven days were dropped out between the ground September 2 and 14, 1752, thus making January And Mary gathered cherries while Joseph 5 the date of Old Christmas Day. In 1800, stood around, another day was dropped and in 1900 still an And Mary gathered cherries while Joseph other, so that Old Christmas Day now falls on stood around. January 7. For further information and references, see the following two works from which this text was 7. Then Joseph took Mary all on his right largely drawn: Arthur Kyle Davis, Traditional knee, Ballads of Virginia (Harvard University Press, "Pray tell me, little baby, when your 1929), pp. 172-74; Cecil J. Sharp, English birthday shall be, Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians Pray tell me, little baby, when your (Oxford University Press, 1932), I, pp. 90--94 birthday shall be." and notes, p. 414. 8. "On the fifth day of January my birthday I. Joseph were a young man, a young man shall be When the stars and the elements shall were he, tremble with fear, And he courted Virgin Mary, the Queen When the stars and the elements shall of Galilee, tremble with fear." And he courted Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee. 9. Then Joseph took Mary all on his left knee, Saying. uLord, have mercy upon me, for 2. Mary and Joseph were a-walking one day, what have I done?" "Here is apples and cherries a-plenty to Saying, "Lord, have mercy upon me, for behold, what have I done?" Here is apples and cherries a-plenty to behold." A3-FRANK JAMES, THE ROVING GAM 3. Mary spoke to Joseph so meek and so mild, BLER (THE BOSTON BURGLAR). "Joseph, gather me some cherries for I am Sung by L. D. Smith at Swannanoa, N. c., with child, 1946. Recorded by Artus M. Moser. Joseph, gather me some cherries for I am The singer of this song, Mr. L. D. Smith, titles with child." it for himself as "Frank James, the Roving Gam 2 bIer," but it is clearly a variant of the song more 4. One night when I lay sleeping, I dreamed a generally known in this country as "The Boston frightful dream, Burglar" and in England as "Botany Bay." This 'S I dreamed I was in AsheviIle on some is an excellent example of the growth and change clear [?] purple stream, in folk songs. The places of Boston and Charles My friends had all forsaken me, no one to town (Jail) have been localized to Louisville, go my bail, Asheville, and Frankfort. Frank James, brother As I woke up broken-hearted in Haw of Jesse, becomes the leading figure, while the thorne's county jail. stanzas relating to the visits of the jailer, sweet heart, and mother to the cell door are not found 5. Around carne the jailer about ten o'clock, in the usual versions of "The Boston Burglar," The keys in his hands, he pressed them to and seem to be borrowed from an independent the lock, ballad. Certainly the reference to the "Twenty <leheer up, cheer up, my prisoner," I fifth Chapter of Matthew" is more specific moral thought I heard the old boss say, izing than that found in other ballads of either "They'll send you 'round the mountain one English or American origin. 'Ieven long years to stay." For further information, see: Dorothy Scar borough, A Song Catcher in Southern Mountains 6. Then around came my sweetheart about (Columbia University Press, 1937), pp. 289 eleven o'clock, 96; Cecil J. Sharp, English Folk Songs from the The novels in her hand, she pressed them Southern Appalachians (Oxford University Press, to the lock, 1932), II, p. 66; John Harrington Cox, Folk "Cheer up, cheer up, my prisoner," I Songs of the South (Harvard University Press, thought I heard the old boss say, 1925), pp. 296-99. UThey'll send you 'round the mountain one 'l~ven long years to stay." I. I was raised up in Louisville, a town you 7. Then around came my mother about all knew well, twelve o'clock, Raised up by honest parents, to you the With a Bible in her hand she pressed it to truth I'll tell, the lock, Raised up by honest parents most kind Says, "Tum to the 25th chapter of Matthew, and tenderly, go read both night and day, Until I came a drinking man at the age of Remember your old mother and don't twenty-three.