DUKE
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
GIFT OF
^R^!?....yMy6?s.ity..Press
D U K E . U N I V K R S 1 T V • 1' V 15 L 1 C A T IONS
T/ie Frank C. Brown Collection of
NORTH CAROLINA
FOLKLORE
HERB G A r H 1£ K E R S
Vie FRANK C. BROWN COLLKCTION of
NORTH CAROLINA
FOLKLORE
Thk Foi-KLork of XoRiii Carolina coLi.inii) i!V I^r. I'Rank t'. Hroun
DURING THF. YEARS 19 I 2 TO I 943 IN COLLAliORATlON WITH TlIK XORTH CARO-
LINA Folklore Society of whkh he was Secretary-Treaslrer 1913-1943
IN FIVE VOLUMES
Genera! Editor
NEWMAN IVKY WHITE
Associate Editors
HENRY M. BELDEN PAUL G. BREWSTER
WAYLAND D. HAND ARTHUR PALMER HUDSON
JAN P. SCHINHAN ARCHER TAYLOR
STITH THOMPSON BARTLETT JERE WHITING
GEORGE P. WILSON
PAULL F. HAUM
Wood Engrav'fugs l/y
CI. ARE I.RK.HTON
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
DUKE U N I ^' E R S rr Y PRESS
Volume I
GAMES AND RHYMES • BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS • RIDDLES
PROVERBS • SPEECH 'TALES AND LEGENDS
Edited by
Paul G. Brewster, Archer Taylor, Bartlett Jere Whiting,
George P. Wilson. Stith Thompson
Volume II
FOLK BALLADS FROM NORTH CAROLINA
Edited by
Henry M. Belden and Arthur Palmer Hudson
Volume III
FOLK SONGS FROM NORTH CAROLINA
Edited by
Henry M. Belden and Arthur Palmer Hudson
Volume IV
THE MUSIC OF THE BALLADS AND SONGS
Edited by
Jan P. Schinhan
Volume V
SUPERSTITIONS FROM NORTH CAROLINA
Edited by
Wayland D. Hand
VX/c FRANK C. BROWN C0IJ,ECT10N o/"
NORTH CAROLINA
FOLKLORE
VOLUME THREE
FOLK SONGS
FROM
NORTH CAROLINA
Edited by
HENRY M. BELDEN
and
ARTHUR PALMER HUDSON
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
DUKE UNI\'ERSITY PRESS
1952
COPYRIGHT, 1952, BY THE DUKE UNIVERITY PRESS
Caiiibridyc i'liiz'crsity Press, Lu)idoii, X.W. 1, Eiiylaiid
PRINTl'.l) IN Till', rxill'-.l) STATICS oi- AMl'KICA HV
Till': SICK.MAN l'Ul.\TI':kV. INC.. DIKIIAM, N. C.
CONTENTS
Fork WORD xxiii
AhHRKNIATIONS L'sKI) in HkADNOTKS XXV
IXTRODrCTION : Soxc.s 3
I. COURTING SONGS 4
1. A Paper of Pins 6
2. Madam. Will Vou Walk? 9
3. The Courting Cage 10
4. Madam Mozelle. I've Come Courting 13
5. Miss, Will You Have a Farmer's Son ? 14
6. LuciNDv, Won't You Marry Me? 14
7. Soldier. Soldier. Won't You Marry Me? 15
8. The Quaker's Wooing 16
c). The Old Man's Courtship i7
10. When I Was a Young Girl 20
- II. Where Are You Going, My Pretty Maid? 21
12. Madam, I Have Gold and Silver 23
13. One Morning in May 24
14. No, Sir 25
15. Courting Song ^1
i6. Don't Stay after Ten 28
17. 1 Wouldn't Marry 3°
18. A Single Life 3^
19. When I W^as Single 37
n. DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 41
20. The Drunkard's Hell 42
21. The Drunkard's Doom 44
22. The Drunkard's Dream (II 45
23. 'l"nE Drunkard's Dream (11) 48
24. Father. Dear Father, Come with Me Now 48
25. The Drunkard's Lone Child 5°
26. Don't Go Out Tonight. My Dari.inc; 51
27. Be Home Early 53
28. 1 Wish 1 Was a Sin(;le Girl Again 54
29. Seven Long Years I've Been Married 56
.30. The Lips That Touch Liquor Must Never
Touch Mine 57
31. I'm Alone, All Alone 60
32. Old Rosin the Beau 61
— 33. Little Brown Jug 62
^4. Pass Around the Bottle 64
61855 L
Vni CONTENTS
35. JuDiE My Whiskey Tickler 64
36. I'll Never Get Drunk Any More 65
37. Show Me the Way to Go Home, Babe 67
38. Pickle My Bones in Alcohol 69
39. Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones 71
40. Just Kick the Dust over My Coffin ^2
41. The Hidden Still 72
42. Moonshine 73
43. Old Corn Licker 74
44. Sal and the Baby 74
_ 45. Sweet Cider 74
46. A Little More Cider Too 75
47. Sucking Cider Through a Straw yj
48. Drinking Wine 78
49. The Journeyman 78
50. Jack of Diamonds 80
51. Shoot Your Dice and Have Your Fun y^ 81
52. I Got Mine 82
HI. homiletic songs 83
53. When Adam Was Created 83
54. Pulling Hard against the Stream 86
55. Paddle Your Own Canoe 87
56. Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls? 88
57. Meditations of an Old Bachelor 88
58. The Thresherman 89
59. You Say You Are of Noble Race 90
60. Who Is My Neighbor? 91
61. Dying from Home and Lost 91
62. The Wicked Girl 92
63. A Poor Sinner 95
64. Advice to Sinners 95
65. Wild Oats 96
66. You Can Run on a Long Time 97
IV. PLAY-PARTY AND DANCE SONGS 99
67. Weevily Wheat 100
68. Here Comes Three Lawyers ioi
69. Jennie Jenkins 102
- 70. Oh, Pretty Polly 104
71. Don't Cry 104
72. Here We Go in Mourning 105
73. Row THE Boat, Row the Boat 106
74. The Needle's Eye 107
y},. The Miller Boy 108
76. In and Out the Window 108
"jy. Shoot the Buffalo 109
C O N T K N T S IX
78. COFI-KK ("iKOWS ON WlllTK OaK TrKKS IIO
79. LlTTLK FlCHT IN MkXUO 112
80. Pu; IN TiiK I'aki.ok 113
' 81. BlFKAl.O CiALS 1 14
82. Old Dan Tuckkk 114
83. Yonder Comes a Georc.ia (iiRi. 118
84. Captain Jinks 119
85. Hop Light. Ladiks 119
86. Old Joe Clark 120
87. What's the Lady's Motion? 124
88. The Farmer's Boy 125
89. Sally Goodin 126
90. Doctor Jones 127
91. She Loves Coffee and 1 Love Tea 128
92. I Do Love Sugar in My Coffee O 129
93. Pop Goes the Weasel 130
94. Turkey in the Straw 130
95. We're All A-Singing 131
96. The Dolly-Play Song 131
97. Uncle Joe Cut Off His Toe 132
98. Oh, Lovely, Come This Way 134
99. The Duke of York 135
too. Fll Tell Your Daddy 136
loi. I Want to Go to Baltimore 136
102. Poor Little Laura Lee 136
103. Darling, You Can't Love but One 137
104. Page's Train Runs So Fast 138
105. Turkey Buzzard 139
106. All Around de Rin(;. Miss Jilie 140
107. Too Young to Marry 140
108. Poor Little Kitty Puss 141
109. Fare You Well. My Own True Love 142
110. Mr. Carter 142
Til. Wish I Had a Needle and Thread 143
V. LULLABIES AND NURSERY RHYMES 147
T12. Bye Baby Bunting 148
T13. Rock-a-Bye Baby in the Tree-Top 148
T14. Kitty Alone 149
T15. Hush-a-Bye, Don't You Cry 150
_ii6. Go to Sleep. My Little Pickaninny 151
117. Poor Little Lamb Cries 'Mammy I' 152
118. Hush, Honey, Hush 153
119. Pitty Patty Poke 154
120. The Fr()(;'s Courtship 154
Appendix 165
TJi. Billy Boy 166
618551
VI
c o x t e x t s
22. Oh. Dear. What Cax the Matter Be? 170
23. Taffy Was a Welshman 170
24. Barnyard Song 172
25. McDonald's Farm 174
26. Quack, Ql\\ck, Quack 177
27. The Dogs ix the Alley 177
28. Go Tell Auxt Patsy 177
29. The Fox axd the Goose 178
30. The Old Womax axd Her Pk; 181
31. Whex I Was a Little Boy 182
2^2. Bobby Shaftoe 183
},2)- The Pretty Pear Tree 184
34. Jack-a-Maria 185
35. There's a Hole ix the Bottom of the Sea 186
36. JoHX Browx Had a Little Ixjrx 186
2>y. Bixgo 187
38. Call ]My Little Dog 187
39. The Vowels 188
40. Banbury Cross 188
41. Oh, Mr. Revel! 189
42. Old Woman All Skix axd Boxes 189
43. What Are Little Girls ^L\nE Of? 193
44. Neighbor Joxes I93
45. Whistlixg Girls axd Crowixg Hexs 194
46. Little Birdie ix the Tree 195
47. How I Love the Old Black Cat 195
48. Fve Got a Master axd I Am His ^L\N 196
49. The Cobbler 196
50. Scotland's Burning I97
51. Steam Ship I97
JINGLES ABOUT ANIMALS 198
52. Birds Courting I99
53. The Jaybird 201
54. Redbird and Jaybird 202
55. Jaybird Up ix the 'Simmox Tree 203
56. Said the Blackbird to the Crow 203
57. The Crow and the Weasel 205
58. Chicken in the Bread Tray 205
59. The Old Black Hen 206
60. Get Along, John, the Day's Work's Done 206
61. Possum Up a 'Simmon Tree 206
62. De Possum Am a Cuxninc; Tiiixg 208
63. The Raccoon Has a Bushy Taii. 208
64. De Possim Sits on 'Simmox Trek 209
65. Over the Hills So Far Away 210
66. Rahbit IX the Log 211
C () N T K N T S XI
If),-. Oi.ii Mdi.i.v Haki-: (Mk. Kaiuut) 2ll
i()8. 'riiK Rakhit Skippki), thk. Rahhit Hoi'pki) 213
ifx). Kahhit Stoi.k of. Greens 214
170. I r's Ai 1. XiciiT I.o.Nc 214
171 . Mk. Sni'iKRKi. 214
172. Till. Weaski. and the Rat 215
17,V Mole in the (iROTNi) 215
174. The Oi.I) Cikev Horse Came Tearinc TiiRort.ii
THE Wilderness 216
175. The Old Grey Mare 217
176. I Had a Little Horse Whose Name Was Jack 217
177. Mv Old Sow's Nose 218
178. The Old Sow 218
I7(). The Kitten Is i-nder the Sod 219
180. The Animal Fair 219
181. The Monkey Married the Baroon's Sister 219
i8j. The Catfish 220
18.V Lri.r 222
184. Jonah I'Tshinc; for a Whale 223
185. Snake Bakes a Hoecake 223
186. Row THE Boat Ashore 224
187. I Went Down to the Low Ground 225
188. As I Went Up the Silver Lake 225
189. Way Down Yonder in Pasquotank 225
i(;o. Ninety-Nine Blue Bottles 226
i()i. A Picnic 226
i(j2. Two Little Fleas 227
i()3. Went to the River and I Couldn't Get Across 22-j
11. WORK SONGS 228
104. Old Boi! Ridley 229
Kj;. Jimmy My Riley 232
i()6. Sheei> Shell Corn by the Rattle of His Horn 233
197. Bu(;le, Oh ! 234
198. Come to Shuck Dat Corn Tonicht 234
199. De Shuckinc. OB de Corn 235
200. Shuck Corn, Shell Corn 236
201. Round It Up a Heap It Up 237
202. corn-sliuckinc. sonc 237
20.^. I" HE Old Turkey Hen 238
204. Run. Sallie, My Gal 238
205. Up Roanoke and Dow n the Rni.R 239
206. HiDi QuiLi LoDi QuiLi 239
207. Here. Jola, Here 240
208. Come away from That Old Man 240
209. Sally, Molly. Polly 241
210. Down on the Farm 241
Xll CONTENTS
211. Negro Cotton-Picker 243
212. Pickin' Out Cotton 243
213. The Humble Farmer 244
214. Boll Weevil Blues 245
215. Ole Massa's Going Awav 247
216. The Man Who Wouldn't Hoe His Corn 247
217. The Old Chisholm Trail 248
218. The Duke of Buckingham 250
219. The Wild Ashe Deer 250
220. Old Blue 252
- 221. The Ground Hog 253
222. Fll Fire Dis Trip 255
223. Hi Yo Boat Row 256
-^224. We Live on the Banks of the Ohio 256
225. A Boat, a Boat. Across the Ferry 257
226. Haul, Haul, Haul, Boys 257
227. Old Horse. Old Horse 258
228. For Six Days Do All That Thou Art Able 258
229. Alphabet of the Ship 259
230. Whip Jamboree 260
231. I Have a Father in My Native Land 260
232. Sal's in the Garden Sifting Sand 261
233. The Heathen Chinese 261
234. Working on the Railroad 262
235. The Little Red Caboose Behind the Train 263
- 236. Reuben's Train 264
237. If the Seaboard Train Wrecks 1 Got a
Mule to Ride 266
238. Seaboard Air Line 266
239. A Southern Jack 266
240. I Been a Miner 267
241. Some of These Days and It Won't Be Long 267
242. I Ain't A-Gonna Work a No Mo'! 268
243. Roll Down Dem Bales 0' Cotton 268
244. I Wish My Captain Would Go Blind 268
245. Lavender Girl 268
246. Run Here, Doctor, Run Here Quick 269
247. The Washtub Blues 269
VHI. FOLK LYRIC 270
248. The Inconstant Lovkr 271
249. The Turtle-Dove 274
250. The Wagoner's Lad 275
- 251. SouRwooD Mountain 279
252. Pretty Saro 285
253. Old .Smoky 287
254. Little Sparrow 290
C () N T K N T S XIII
255. KlTlY Kl.lNE 293
256. Al.I. AkDINU THE MorNTAIX. ClIAKMINC. BkTSY 297
257. The Buue-Eyed Boy 298
258. The False Trie-Lover 299
259. I'l.i. Hanc My Haki' on a W'li.i.ow Tree 304
260. Red River Valley 305
261. The Slu;hteu Sweetheart 306
262. The Slic.hteu Girl 3^8
V 263. The Pale Wildwood Flower 309
264. Storms Are on the Ocean 311
265. There Comes a Fellow with a Derhy Hat 313
266. Bury Me in the Garden 3^3
267. The Weepinc. Willow 314
268. Down by the Weepinc. Willow Tree 317
26y. The Gumtree Canoe 3'^
^ 270. The Indian Hunter 3^9
271. Goodbye, Little Girl, Goodbye 3^9
272. I'm Tired of Living Alone 320
273. Will You Love Me When Fm Old? 321
274. Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye 322
275. Somebody 323
276. You, You, You 325
277. Cold Mountains 325
- 278. My Home's Across the Smoky Mountains 326
279. Must I Go to Old Virginia? 327
280. Red, White, and Blue 328
281. Down in the Valley (Birmingham Jail) 330
282. 1 Sent My Love a Letter 33^
283. In the Pines, Where the Sun Never Shines 332
284. Bonnie Blue Eyes 334
285. The Midnight Dew 337
- 286. Fly Around, My Blue-Eyed Girl 339
287. Darling Little Pink 342
288. Billy My Darling 342
289. Seeing Nelly Home 343
290. Troubled in Mind 344
291. CoRNBREAi) When I'm Hungry 34^
292. Lonesome Road 347
293. You Lovers All. to You T Call 34^
294. When First I Seen This Lovely Queen 349
295. Sweet Birds 350
296. Going Back West 'Fore Long 353
297. You Caused Me to Lose My Mind 353
298. I Wish That Girl Was Mink 353
- 299. Cripple Creek 354
300. My Martha Ann 355
xiv contexts
301. High-Topped Shoes 355
302. Who's GoxNA Love You, Honey? t,^j
303. Oh. Where Is My Sweetheart? 357
304. Like an Owl in the Desert 359
305. The Lonesome Dove 359
306. By By, My Honey 360
307. I Love Little Willie, 1 Do, AIamma 361
308. The Lords of Creation 363
309. Poor ^L\RRIED ^L\N 364
-310. The Black-Eyed Daisy 366
311. Black-Eyed Susie 366
312. A Housekeeper's Tragedy 367
313. Kissing Song 368
314. My Mammy Don't Love Me 369
315. I Wondered and I Wondered 370
316. M\' Mammy Told Me 370
317. Oh. Honey, Where You Been So Long? 371
318. Away Out On the Mountain 371
319. The Garden Gate 372
320. Susy Gal ^j2
321. JosEPHus and Bohunkus 372
~ 322. Leather Breeches 374
22T). Old Aunt Katy 375
324. Kindling Wood 376
325. Mother, AL\y I Go Out to Swim? 376
326. River's Up and Still A-Rising 376
327. Little Brown Hands 377
IX. SATIRICAL SONGS 378
328. The Carolina Crew 380
^^ 329. Cumberland Gap 381
-330. Arkansas Traveler (I) 381
~^ 331. Arkansas Traveler (II) 382
332. Hard Times 385
333. The Dodgers 387
334. Calomel 389
335. Twenty (Forty, Sixty) Years Ago 390
336. If You Want to Go A-Courtin' 393
337. When Young Men Go Courting 394
338. Johnson Boys 394
— 339. Leave for Texas. Leave for Tennessee 395
340. The Wood Hauler 397
341. Walk in the Parlor 399
342. Preacher in the Pulpit 403
343. Preacher's in de Pulpit 403
344. Wait on de Lord 404
345. I Never Will Turn Back Any More 404
409
410
411
430
(■ (I N T K NTS XV
346. JOXAII AM) TlIK W'llAl.K 4O5
347. jKsrs LuvKK OF My Soil. 408
348. Boh Ix(;kr.s()i.i. an'd the 1)i:\ii. 408
34c>. I.oKi). 1 Nkvkk Wii.i. C'uMK Back Hkkk No Mo'
X. SONGS OF PRISONERS AND IRAMI'S
- 350. Thk Prisoner's Sonc.
-> 351. Seven Lonc; Years 416
^352. Twenty-One Years Is a Mighty Lonc Time 417
353. Write My xMothek I'll Be Home 418
—354. Durham Jail 419
355. Moonshiner's Dream 420
356. jNIay I Sleei' in Your Barn Tonicut, Mister? 420
357. The Tramp Song 423
358. Tale of a Tramp 425
359. The Wild and Reckless Houo 426
360. The Dying Hobo 427
361. Waiting for a Train 428
36J. Banjo Tramp 429
363. Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
364. I Lay Around the Old Jail House
(John C. Britton ) 431
365. The Foggy Mountain Top 433
XL MARTIAL. POLITICAL, AND PATRIOTIC SONGS 434
366. The Rolling Neuse 436
367. The Jolly Soldier 437
368. Flora MacDonald's Lament 437
369. The Rambling Soldier 439
370. Then We'll Have a New Convention 440
371. Colonel Harry. He Was Scared 441
372. Root Hog or Die 441
373. Harness up Yo' Hosses 442
374. The Southern Wagon 443
375. Red. White, and Red 444
376. The Soldier's Farewell 447
377. Early One Morninc; in the Month of July 449
378. John Brown's Body 449
379. The Bonny Blue Flag 451
380. The Homespun Dress 453
381. Pretty Peggy 456
382. Never Mind Your Knapsack 457
383. Bushwhacker's Song 458
384. Deserter's Song 459
385. Come, Rain, Come 460
386. Sorghum Molasses 460
387. Jeff Davis Rode a White Horse 461
N.C.F.. VoL III, (2)
xvi contents
388. Old Abe Is Sick 462
389. The Privates Eat the Middlin' 462
390. When This Cruel War Is Over 462
391. The Good Old Rebel 464
392. The Veteran's Song 467
393. Brother Green 468
394. He Never Came Back 470
395. Goodbye, My Blue Bell 471
396. Soldier's Epitaph 472
397. Tippecanoe 472
398. Does Your Mother Know You're Out? 473
399. Uncle Sam's Farm 474
400. The Sweet Sunny South 475
401. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues 476
-''-402. The North Carolina Hills 477
403. The Hills of Dan 478
XII. BLACKFACE MINSTREL AND NEGRO SECULAR
SONGS 480
— 404. Cindy 482
405. Dearest Mae 485
406. Massa Had a Yaller Gal 487
407. Nelly Bly 488
408. Oh, Susanna ! 488
409. Nancy Till 491
410. Miss Julie Ann Glover 492
411. Kitty Wells 492
412. Ella Rhee 494
413. Clare de Kitchen 494
414. Jim Crack Corn 496
415. Lynchburg Town 498
416. My Long Tail Blue 502
417. My Ole Mistus Promised Me 502
418. Old Zip Coon 503
419. Camptown Races 504
420. Uncle Ned 505
421. Way Down on the Old Peedee 506
422. Shinbone Alley 50/
423. Some Folks Say that a Niggkk Won't Steal 508
424. The Happy Coon 510
425. The Preacher and the Bear 511
426. I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago 512
427. Have a Little Banjo Beating 514
428. The Traveling Coon 515
429. The Voodoo Man 516
430. Ain't Gonna Rain No More 517
43T. Ain't Got to Cry No More 519
C () N T K N T S
xvn
43-'-
433-
434-
435-
436.
437-
438.
439-
440.
441-
44-'-
443-
444-
445-
446.
447-
44H.
44<)-
450.
451-
45-'-
453-
454-
455-
456-
•- 457-
458.
459-
460.
461.
462.
463.
464.
465.
466.
467.
468.
469.
470.
471-
472.
473-
474-
475-
476.
BdlL TlIKM t"Al!l'.A(;K DoWN
Broder Eton (ior dk Coon
Chicken
The Dummy Line
Eliza Jane (1)
Eliza Jane (II)
Everyhody's Gal Is I\Iy Gal
Go 'Way from My Window
Here Lies de Body uv To' Little Ben
'm Going Down the Road Feeling Bad
Could'n Live Bedoit de Flowers
'd Rather Be Dead
F \ov Want to Go to Heaven
Had a Banjo Made of Gold
F You Meet a Woman in the Morning
F You Don't Believe I'm Sinking
Got a Girl
'm Gwine Away to Georgia
iiE Yaller Gal
Went Down to My Gul's House Las' Night
Mama Don't Allow No Low Down Hanging
Around
Negro Yodel Song
Oh, Dat Watermilion
One More River to Cross
Po' Liza Jane
Run, Nigger, Run
Sally Went to Preachin'
Saturday Night and Sunday Too
She'll Be Cominc; 'Round the Mountain
Siiort'nin' Bread
Sing Polly Wolly Doodle
Stick My Head in a Paper Sack
That's W'here My Money Goes
I' HERE Was a Watermelon
Train . . . Run So Fast
Two Little Niggers Black as Tar
Watermelon Hanging on the Vine
Way Down Yonder on Cedar Street
W'HAT You Gwina Do WhEx\ the World's on I-'ike
Jig(;er, Rigger, Bumho
Guinea Negro Son(;
WlMTF. l-'oLKS Go TO CoLLKGE
Cold Frosty Morninc;
Hung My Bucket on de White I'oi.ks' Fence
White Folks in the Parlor
519
519
520
521
522
522
523
523
523
524
524
525
525
525
5^6
526
527
527
527
528
528
529
529
530
530
531
533
533
534
535
538
538
539
539
539
540
540
541
541
542
542
343
543
544
544
xviu contents
477. W'hitk Gal, Yaller Gal, Black Gal 544
478. You Shall Be Free 547
479. Old Bee Makes de Honey Comb 548
480. Hard Times 549
481. Don't Like a Rich White Man Nohow 549
482. Sugar Babe 550
483. Rich Man Rides on a Pullman Car 551
484. I Don't Like a Nigger 551
^-485. Shady Grove 552
486. Fair Brown 553
487. Old Aunt Dinah 554
488. Apple Sauce and Butter 554
489. When I Die Don't Wear No Black 554
490. Rain Come Wet Me 555
491. We'll Have a Little Dance Tonight. Boys 555
492. Way Down Below 555
493. Railroad Dinah Gal 556
494. If I Had It You Could Get It 556
495. If I Die in Tennessee 557
496. JiNGER Blue 557
497. Mammy in the Kitchen 558
498. I've Bin to the 'Bama and I Just Got Back 558
499. Raise a Ruckus Tonight 558
500. Georgia Buck 560
501. You've Got Your Big Gun, and I've Got Mine 562
502. Went Down Town 562
503. Standing on de Street Doin' No Harm 562
504. A Thirty-Two Special on a Forty-Four Frame 562
505. The California Blues 563
506. Oh ! When a Man Get the Blues 563
507. I Got de Hezotation Stockings and de
Hezotation Shoes 564
508. It's Raining Here 564
509. Nigger in the Woodpile 565
510. Share 'Em 5^5
511. The Preacher Song 5^5
512. Johnson's Mule 566
513. The Kicking Mule 567
514. The Billy Goat 568
XIII. RELIGIOUS SONGS 57°
515. The Cumberland Traveller 573
516. The Great Round-Up 573
517. Some of These Days 574
518. Long White Robe 575
519. There's a Little Hand Writinc; on the Wall 576
520. Ananias 57^
C O N T K N T S XIX
521. I'm-. (iosPKi. 1*001. 578
322. A I'llARC.K TO Kkk.i' 579
523. C'rkation 580
324. Daniki. in thk Lion's Dkn 581
^2=,. Departki) Loved Onks 583
526. Dark Was thk Nicht 584
=,2~. Don't (Ikikak aktkr Mk 585
528. Drooi'1N(; SoLi.s, Xo Lonckr CiRiKVK 586
529. The Gosi'Ei. Train 588
5,^0. Hicks' Farewell 589
5,^1. 1 1' Yov Oet There Before 1 Do 591
332. I'm Bol'n' to Cross the Jordan 591
333. 1 Am Going to Heaven 592
334. In the V^allev 592
333. I've Got a Brother in the Snow-White Fields 593
336. Jacob's Ladder 594
337. Jesus Born in Bethlehem 595
338. John Saw the Holy Number 596
339. John Saw de Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand 597
540. Johnny Was a Baptist 597
341. The Little Black Train 598
342. The Lone Pilgrim S99
543. Mary Wore Three Links of Chain 600
544. Noah's Ark 601
545. Pharaoh's Army 602
546. Oh, They Put John on the Island 604
547. Rock of Ages 605
548. There Is No Place in the Height of Heaven 605
549. Ain't Goin' to Worry My Lord No More 606
550. All God's Chillun Got Shoes 607
351. All My Sins Been Taken Away 608
332. Angels Roll Dem Stones Away 609
333. As I VV^ENT Down in the Valley to Pray 610
534. Babe of Bethlehem 612
333. Baptist, Baptist Ls My Name 612
336. Bye and Bye 613
537. Cain and Abel 613
538. Can't Cross Jordan 613
539. Christ Was a Weary Traveler 614
560. City of Refuge 615
361. Come All ^'ou Friends and Neighbors 616
562. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing 616
563. Dar'll Be No Distinction Dar 617
564. Didn't It Rain? 617
563. An English Orphan 618
:;66. Down hv dk Ribhersioe 619
CONTENTS
567.
568.
569-
570.
571-
S7^-
573-
574-
575-
576.
577-
578.
579-
580.
581-
582.
583.
584.
585-
S86.
589.
590.
591-
592.
593-
594-
595-
596.
597-
598.
599-
600.
601.
602.
603.
604.
605.
606.
607.
608.
609.
610.
GwiNK Down to Jordan 620
God Is at de Pulpit 620
Going to Heaven by the Light of the Moon 621
Go Down, Moses 621
Golden Slippers 622
Good News — Chariot's Comin' 623
Good Lordy, Rocky My Soul 623
Good News Coming from Canaan 624
Go Wash in the Beautiful Stream 624
GwiNE DOWN Jordan 624
Hear That Rumbling (I Heard a Mighty
Rumbling) 625
He Never Said a Mumbling Word 626
Heaven Is a Beautiful Place 627
Hush, Little Baby 629
I Am Bound for the Promised Land 629
I Am Going Where the Blood Flows Stronger 630
I Belong to That Band 631
I Don't Love Old Satan 631
I Don't Sing Like I Used to Sing 632
I Do Wonder Is My Mother on That Train 632
I Got de Key of de Kingdom 634
I Have Long Since Been Learned 634
I Am Standing in the Shoes of John 635
I Don't Know When Old Death's Gwine
ter Call Me 635
I'm Goin' to Ride in Pharaoh's Chariot 636
I Mean to Go to Heaven Anyhow 636
Indian Song: Ah, Pore Sinner 637
I Picked My Banjo Too 637
I'sE Gwine Land on Dat Shore 638
I Shall Not Be Blue 639
It's Good fuh Hab Some Patience 640
I Wanter Jine de Ban' 640
I Was Once in a Dark and Lonesome Valley 641
I Wonder as I Wander 641
Jekkel Walls 642
Jesus Christ I Want to Find 643
Jesus Says, 'You Goes and I Goes W'id Vou' 643
John He Baptized Jesus 644
John Jasper 644
Judgment Day Is Comin' 646
Lily White Robe 646
Little David 647
Little David, Play ox \ov\i Harp 647
The Little Family 648
c o n t f. n t s xxi
6ti. Makv How ki) 652
(MJ. MosKs Smotk thk W'atkrs 653
()i,v Am) MrsT I Be to Juihimk.nt Duoiciit? 653
O14. The New Buryinc; Ground 653
615. Nobody Knows 655
616. No Hiuin'-Place 655
617. No More! No More! 657
618. Oh, I Used to Drink Beer 657
619. Oh, Lord, I'se Stepping Higher 658
620. Oh, Heavens Shut the Gates on Me 658
621. O Lord, Won't You Come by Here? 658
622. Oh, See My Father Layin' Tiikkk 658
623. The Old Ship of Zion 659
624. Old Satan's Mad 661
625. One of Tonight 663
626. On a Dark and Doleful Night 664
627. Our Fathers They'll Be There 665
628. Poor Old Lazarus 665
629. Red Sea 666
630. Rolled the Stone Away 666
631. Roll. Jordan, Roll 667
632. Rough, Rocky Road 668
633. Shout Along and Pray Along 668
634. Somebody's All de Time Talkin' 'bout Me 669
635. Somebody's Knockin' at Your Door 669
636. Soon as My Foot Struck Zion 670
637. Standing in the Need of Prayer 671
638. Sweet Heaven 672
639. Talk About Jesus 673
640. That Old Time Religion 674
641. There's a Little Wheel A-Ti'rning 675
642. Through the City Where He Rose 675
643. Tossed and Driven 676
644. Tree in Paradise 676
645. Two White Horses Side by Side 678
646. Way Over in the Promised Land 678
647. We Are ^L\rching On 679
648. \\'e Have Loved Ones Over Yonder 679
649. What You Gon'er Do That Day? 680
650. We'll Roll the Old Chariot Along 680
651. We'll Sail Away to Heaven 681
652. When I Was Lost in the Wilderness 682
653. When tfie World Is on Fire 682
654. Where My Lord Went to Pray 683
655. What Kind of Crowns Do the Angels Wear? 683
656. Wrestlix' Jacob 684
xu contents
657. 'Zekiel'll Weep and 'Zekiel'll Moan 685
658. Cherokee Hymn 685
Index 687
Contributors to X'olumes II and III 704
Supplementary List of Contributors 710
ILLUSTRATIONS
Herb Gatherers frontispiece
Cotton Pickers /'"'"'// pcf/'-^ 244
Cypress Knees page 409
Sorghum Boiling facing page 460
Fishing in the Creek facing page 600
FOREWORD
T TOLI'MI'^ II has a l^rcword for both the Ballads and the
^ Songs. In the present volume of Songs. Nos. 1-327 are
edited by Professor Helden ; the remaining Songs, Nos. 328 to
658, by F^rof essor I ludson.
Plere it is proper to add only that as the work of printing
has progressed a few irregularities have been noted and cor-
rected, though doubtless others still remain. Dr. Schinhan tells
me. moreover, that he will have additional te.xts. taken from
phonograph records, which were not available to the present
editors, but which will be printed in volume I\'. He will also
have there some tunes for the Games described in volume I.
We can say now. with my Lord Chancellor. Francis Bacon:
"Nothing is finished till all is finished." In the fifth volume
we hope to gather the loose threads together for a final rejjort.
r.F.B.
A J] H R E V 1 A r IONS
USED IN THE HEAUNOTES
ABFS American Ballads and Folk Songs. By John Avery
Loniax aiul Alan Loniax. New York, 1^34.
ABS .liiicricaii /-lalUuls and Songs. By Louise I'ound.
New \'ork, | 1922 j.
AMS .hncrican Mountain Songs. By Ethel Park Richard-
son and Signiund Spaeth. New York. [1927].
ANFS American Xegro Folk-Songs. By Newman I. White.
Cambridge [Mass.], 1928.
APPS The American Play-Farty Song. By Benjamin A.
Botkin. Lincoln, Nebraska, 1937.
AS American Speech. Baltimore, 1926 — .
ASb The American Songbag. By Carl Sandburg. New
Y'ork, [1927].
Barry Folk Songs of the Xorth Atlantic States. By I*hil-
lips Barry. Boston, 1908. Mimeographed.
BBM British Ballads from Maine. By Phillips Barry,
Fannie H. Eckstorm, and Mary W". Smyth. New
Haven, 1929.
BFSSNE Bulletin of the Folk-Song Society of the Xortheast.
Cambridge [Mass.], 1930-37.
BKH Ballads of the Kentucky Highlands. By Henry Har-
vey Fuson. London, 1931.
BMFSB Tiventy-Xine Beech Mountain Folk Songs and Bal-
lads. By Mellinger Henry and Maurice Matteson.
New Y'ork, 1936.
Botkin See APPS.
BSI Ballads and Songs of Indiana. By Paul G. Brewster.
Bloomington, Indiana, 1940.
BSM Ballads and Songs Collected by the Missouri Folk-
Lore Society. By H. M. Belden. Columbia, Mis-
souri, 1940.
BSO Ballads and Songs from Ohio. By Mary O. Eddy.
New Y^ork, [1939].
BSSB Ballads and Songs of the Shanty-Boy. By Franz
Rickaby. Cambridge [Mass.], 1926.
XXVI ABBREVIATIONS
BSS]\I Ballads and Songs of Southern Michigan. By Eme-
lyn E. Gardner and Geraldine J. Chickering. Ann
Arbor, 1939.
BSSN Ballads and Sea Songs from Xe-ivfoitudland. By
Elizabeth Greenleaf [and] Grace Y. Mansfield.
Cambridge [Mass.], 1933.
BSSNS Ballads and Sea Songs from Xoz'a Scotia. By W.
Roy MacKenzie. Cambridge [Mass.], 1928.
BTFLS Bulletin of the Tennessee Folklore Society. Mary-
ville, Tenn., 1935 — .
CFLQ California Folklore Quarterly. 1942 — .
Christie Traditional Ballad Airs. By W. Christie. Edin-
burgh, 1 876- 1 88 1. 2 vols.
CS Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads. By J. A.
Lomax and Alan Lomax. New York, 1938. (In
a few cases the earlier edition, 1910, is cited.;
CSV Country Songs of Vermont. By Helen H. Flanders
[and] Helen Norfleet. New York, [1937].
DD DeviVs Ditties. By Jean Thomas. Chicago, 193 1.
Dean Flying Cloud and One Hundred and Fifty Other Old
Time Songs and Ballads. By M. C. Dean. Vir-
ginia, Minn., n.d.
DESO Dozvn-East Spirituals, and Others. By George
Pullen Jackson. New York, [1943].
ECS English County Songs. By Lucy Broadwood and
J. A. F. Maitland. London, 1893.
ETSC English Traditional Songs and Carols. By Lucy
Broadwood. London, 1908.
ETWVMB East Tennessee and Western Virginia Mountain
Ballads. By Celeste P. Cambiaire. London, 1935.
FB Frontier Ballads. By Charles J. Finger. New York,
1927.
Ford Traditional Music of America. By Ira W. Ford.
New York, 1940.
FSA Folk-songs of America. By Robert W. Gordon.
National Service Bureau, 1938.
FSE Folk-Songs of England. Ed. Cecil J. Sharp. Books
L H, HL IV. \', various editors. London, 1908-12.
FSF Folksongs of Florida. By Alton C. Morris. Gaines-
ville. 1950.
FSKH Folk-Songs from the Kentucky Highlands. By
Josiah H. Combs. New York, 1939.
A B H R K \- I A T IONS
Bv Maud Kar-
Hv E\a\se Huh-
By
1939-
J. P.
Mel-
I''SKM Folk-Soiigs of the Kciitiichy Momitdiiis. By Jose-
phine McGill. New \*ork. | 1917].
FSM Folksongs of Mississif^pi and Their Background. By
Artluir Palmer Hudson. Chapel Hill. N. C"., 1936.
FSMEU I'olk-Songs du Midi dcs f:iats-l'nis. By Josiah II.
(.'()ml)s. Paris, 1925.
I-"Sm\\\' I-olk-Songs Mainly front West I'irginia. By John
H. Cox. National Service Bureau of the Federal
Theatre Project. W.P.A. New York. 1939.
FSN I'olfc Songs from Xcwfonudland.
peles. [London], 1934.
FSONE Folk Songs of Old New Fngland
hard Linscott. New York. 1939.
FSRA Folk-Songs of Roanoke and the Albemarh
Louis \V. Chappell. Alorgantown, W. \'a.
FSS Folk-Songs of the South. By John Harrington Cox.
Cambridge [Mass.], 1925.
FSSC Franklin Square Song Collection. Selected bv
McCaskey. New York. 1881-1891. 8 vols.'
FSSH Folk-Songs from the Southern Highlands. By
linger E. Henry. New York, [1938].
FSSom Folk-Songs from Somerset. By Cecil J. Sharp and
C. L. Marson. London, 1904-1909.
FSUT Folk Songs of the Upper Thames. By Alfred Wil-
liams. London, [1923].
FSV Folk-Songs of Virginia. A Descripti7-e Indc.v. . . .
By Arthur Kyle Davis. Jr. Durham, N. C. 1949.
FTM Folk Tunes from Missi.';sippi. By Arthur Palmer
Hudson and George Herzog. National Play Bureau
Publication No. 25. July 1937.
GGMS A Garland of Green Mountain Song. By Helen
Hartness Flanders. Boston, 1934.
Gomme The Traditional Games of Fngland. Scotland, and
Ireland. By Alice Bertha Gomme. London. 1894-
1898.
GSAC Games and Songs of American Children. By Wil-
liam Wells Newell. New York. 1883: new and
enlarged ed., 1903. 191 1.
Halliwell The Xursey Rhymes of England. By James Or-
chard Hal li well. London, 1842.
HFLB Hoosier Folklore Bulletin. Bloomington. Ind.. 1942-
45. Thereafter: Hoosier Folklore. — HFL.
JAFL Journal of American Folklore. 1888 — .
XXVlll ABBREVIATIONS
JEFDSS The Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song
Society. London, 193 1 — . Successor to JFSS.
JFSS The Journal of the Folk-Song Society. London,
1899-1931.
JISHS Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society.
Springfield, 1908 — .
LL Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs.
By Gavin Greig and Alexander Keith. [Aber-
deen], 1925.
LT Lonesome Tunes. Folk Songs from the Kentucky
Mountains. By Loraine Wyman and Howard
Brockvvay. New York, [1916].
MAFLS Memoirs of the American Folklore Society. No.
xxix is 'Folk-Lore from Iowa,' by Earl J. Stout,
1936.
Mason Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs. By M. H.
Mason. London, 1877.
McLendon A Finding List of Play-Party Games. By Altha
Lea McLendon, SFLQ viii (1944). 201-34.
MLN Modern Language Notes. Baltimore, 1886 — .
MM Minstrelsy of Maine. By Fannie H. Eckstorm and
Mary W. Smyth. Boston, 1937.
MMP Mountain Minstrelsy of Pcnnsyh'ania. By Henry W.
Shoemaker. Philadelphia, 1931. A revision of
NPAL
MSHF More Songs of the Hill Folk. By John J. Niles.
New York, [1936].
MSNC Mountain Songs of North Carolina. By Marshall
Bartholomew and Susannah Wetmore. New York,
1926.
MWS Maine Woods Songster. By Phillips Barry. Cam-
bridge [Mass.], 1939.
Newell See GSAC.
NGMS The Nezu Green Mountain Songster. By Helen
Hartness Flanders, Elizabeth Flanders Ballard,
George Brown, and Phillips Barry. New Haven,
1939-
Northall English Folk-Rhymes. By G. E. Northall. London,
1892.
NPM North Pennsylvania Minstrelsy. By Henry W. Shoe-
maker. 2nd ed., Altoona, Pa., 1923.
NS The Negro and His Songs. By Howard W. Odum
and Guy B. Johnson. Chapel Hill, N. C, 1925.
I? R K V 1 A T I {) N S
XWS Xcyro Workitihiy Songs. By Howard W. Odum and
Guy B. Joliiison. Chapel Hill. N. C, 1926.
NYFLQ Xew )'ork h'olklorc Quarterly. 1945 — .
OASPS I'lic Ociirkw: .hi American Survival of Primitive
Society. By Vance Randolph. New York, 1931.
OFS Ocark I'olksongs. Collected and edited by Vance
Randolph. Columbia. Mo., 1946, 1948, 1949. 1950.
4 vols.
OIFMS Old Irish lu>lk Music ami Songs. By I'atrick \V.
Joyce. London. 1909. 3 parts.
OAH"" Ocark Mountain Folk. By Vance Randolph. New
York, 1932.
lOoEFS One Hundred English Folk Songs. By Cecil J.
Sharp. New York and Boston, [1916].
Ord 'Fhe Bothy Songs and Ballads of Aberdeen, Banff
and Moray, Angus and the Mearns. By John
Ord. Paisley, [1930].
OSC Our Singing Country. By John A. Lomax, Alan
Lomax, and Ruth Crawford Seeger. New York,
1941.
OSSG Old Songs and Singing Games. Bv Richard Chase.
Chapel Hill, N. C, 1938.
Owens Szving and Turn: Te.vas Play-Party Songs. By Wil-
liam A. Owens. Dallas. 1936.
Ozark Life Ozark Life {Outdoors). Kingston, Ark., 1925-31.
PTFLS Publications of the Te.vas Folk-Lore Society. Aus-
tin, 1916 — .
PMLA Publications of the Modern Language .-Issociation.
1884—.
Pound Folk-Song of .Xebraska and the Central West. A
Syllabus. By Louise Pound. University of Ne-
braska, 191 5. Nebraska Academy of Sciences Pub-
lications, vol. IX, no. 3.
Rinibault .\'ursery Rhymes, zvith Tunes. ... By Edward F.
Rimbault. London, n.d.
SBML Songs and Ballads of the .Maine Lumberjacks. By
Roland Palmer Gray. Cambridge [Mass.]. 1924.
SBNS Songs and Ballads from .Xoi-a Scotia. By Helen
Creighton. Toronto, [1932].
SCB South Carolina Ballads. By Reed Smith.
[Mass.], 1928.
SCSM A Song Catcher in Southern .Mountains.
othy Scarborough. New York, 1937.
Cambridge
Bv Dor-
XXX ABBREVIATIONS
SFLQ Southern Folklore Quarterly. Gainesville, Fla.,
1937—-
SFSEA Spiritual Folk-Songs of Farly America. By George
Pullen Jackson. New York, [1937].
SharpK English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians.
By Cecil J. Sharp and Maud Karpeles. London,
1932. 2 vols.
Shearin A Syllabus of Kentucky Folk-Songs. By Herbert
G. Shearin and Josiah Combs. Lexington. Ky.,
191 1. Transylvania Studies in English II.
SHE Songs of the Hill-Folk. By John J. Niles. New
York, [1934].
SMLJ Songs of the Michigan Lumberjacks. By Earl C.
Beck. Ann Arbor, 1941.
SS Slai'e Songs of the United States. By William E.
Allen. New York, 1867 (reprinted 1929).
SSSA Songs Sung in the Southern Appalachians. By
Mellinger E. Henry. London, [1934].
Steely "The Eolk-Songs of the Ebenezer Community." By
Mercedes S. Steely. Unpublished M.A. thesis,
University of North Carolina, 1936.
Talley Negro Folk Rhymes. By Thomas W. Talley. New
York, 1922.
TBmWV Traditional Ballads mainly from West Virginia. By
John Harrington Cox. National Service Bureau,
1939-
TBV Traditional Ballads of Virginia. By Arthur Kyle
Davis. Cambridge [Mass.], 1929.
TKMS Twenty Kentucky Mountain Songs. By Loraine
Wyman and Howard Brockway. Boston, [1920].
TNFS On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs. By Dorothy
Scarborough. Cambridge [Mass.], 1925.
TSSI l^ales and Songs of Southern Illinois. By Charles
Neely. Menasha, Wis., 1938.
VFSB Vermont Folk-Songs and Ballads. By Helen H.
Elanders and George Brown. Brattleboro, Vt.,
1932. 2nd ed.
WNS IVhite and Negro Spirituals. By George Pullen
Jackson. New York, [1944].
Wolford Tlie Play-Party in Indiana. By Leah J. Wolford.
Indianapolis, 1916.
WSSU White Spirituals in the Southern Uplands. By
George Pullen Jackson. Chapel Hill, N. C, 1933.
FOLK SONGS
FROM
NORTH CAROLINA
N.C.K.. Vol. Ill, (3 )
SONGS
THE DIS'l'INCTKJN between ballads— as folklori.sts now use
the term — and otiier types of folk song was first formulated,
so far as 1 know, by the eighteenth-century poet William Shenstone,
Percy's friend and adviser in editing the Rcliqucs. He wrote to
Percy in 1761 : "It is become habitual to me, to call that a JUiUad,
which describes or implies some Action ; on the other hand, 1 trim
that a Sony, which contains only an expression of Sentiment." In
arranging the contents of the Brown Collection we liave decided
to follow this principle. But it has been found necessary to apply
the terms in a very elastic spirit. In scores, perhaps hundreds, of
instances there are hints, traces of action, but no definite story is
told. The composite and desultory character of a great deal of
traditional folk song makes a strictly logical classification of the
items impossible. But the items must be placed in some order. If
a given piece is found among the ballads when it seems to be rather
merely a song, or vice versa — if the placing of items seems some-
times merely arbitrary — we must plead necessity.
COURTING SONGS
AMONG the oldest and most widely diffused of traditional songs
are the dialogues of courtship. Theocritus knew them in Sicily,
and Vergil probably heard them by the Alincio. In English, 'A Paper
of Pins' is known, doubtless, all over the English-speaking world.
With two exceptions, our North Carolina texts, like most other ver-
sions found in this country, end satirically; when the lady accepts
the last of the wooer's offers, the key of his chest, he declares that
all she wants is money and retracts his offer. There are several
variations on this theme. In two of them, here given as the two
texts of 'The Courting Cage,' the wooer is refused despite all his
tine possessions because he is a drunkard or a card-player or both.
Quite different is 'Miss, Will You Have a Farmer's Son?' Here
a girl is offered five suitors in succession and refuses all but two,
a California boy and a Southern lad. One supposes that this song
dates from some time in the sixth or seventh decade of the last cen-
tury. Then there are songs of courtship that are entirely humorous
or satirical. The best of these, 'The Old Man's Courtship' and 'The
Quaker's Wooing,' are English but are well remembered on this
side of the water. 'When I Was a Young Girl,' with its catchy
'this-a-way that-a-way' refrain, is a singing game of children in
the old country but has become social satire here: after going this-a-
way that-a-way to her husband's funeral she practices a different
this-a-way that-a-way to catch his successor. 'Soldier, Soldier.
Won't You Marry Me?' is a game song of children in England
but seems in this country to be merely a comic song. Another
English song, of the pastourelle type of wayside seduction, in
which the girl tells her wooer that she will have him "or almost
anybody," has not often been recorded in America. In 'Madam,
1 Have Gold and Silver' a familiar courting dialogue is turned at
the end, rather surprisingly, into a returned-lover story. 'One
Morning in May.' better known as 'Tlie Nightingale.' is a favorite
with American ballad singers.
A curious custom is reflected in two pieces, 'Courting Song'
and 'Don't Stay after Ten.' In connection with the former of
these Mrs. Sutton gives an anmsing account of the custom from
personal experience. She was engaged at the time as ins])ector of
schools and had got as far as the Watauga River at the foot of
f () r k T I N <; s (1 N (; s 5
Beech .\l(iunl;iin near tlu' reiinoMX' line: in lad, the school dis-
trict wliich she \\a> then visiting; was ])aitly in .\\erv and Watauga
counties and partly in Tennessee. She went home with the teacher
to spend the night.
Her home was a long, low, old-time-looking house witli three front
doors all opening on a long jiorcli. It was early in the fall and still
warm weather.
We didn't get to the house till dusk, a.s we liad talked over iier work
for two hours after school, and she helped get supper wiiile 1 sat on the
porch and watched the stars come out over the wall of the mountain. . . .
While she helped iier mother cook supper she sang this song, and I
asked her to copy it out for me.
After supper she suggested that 1 retire. I wasn't at all sleepy and
it was only seven o'clock, l)ut she insisted that I must retire and urged
me so much that there was no way out of it. I went.
The room in which I slept was the one on the upper end of the long
porch. It was a long room with two beds at the back, a fireplace in
front, an organ in one of the front corners and a washstand with a red
flowered bowl and pitcher in the other. There were several enlarged
portraits in gilt frames on the walls, and all of the chairs had hand-
embroidered throws on them. I undressed and got into one of the high
feather beds. Miss Martha folded my clothes carefully, slid my travel-
ing bag under the bed, and took a comb, l)rusli, and some powder out
of an opening in the front of the organ and brushed her i)retty hair,
powdered her face, and went to the door and let in her "fellow." who
had come courting. I was the only one of the three people in the room
who was the least bit embarrassed, and I might have saved myself the
trouble. The caller ignored me as completely as though I had been a
thousand miles away and addressed himself to the business of courting as
energetically as if he and his lady-love were on a desert island.
He was like the hero of this ballad in only one particular. I am
sure he stayed all night. I tried not to listen the fu-st three or four
hours: then I tried to hear the whispered remarks and to oliserve the
technique of "settin' up" on that side of the ridge: but at last nature
rebelled and I went to sleep. Some time in the wee sma' hours my
hostess came to bed with me. From that day to this she has never
mentioned the episode nor have I. It isn't good manners to tease a girl
about courting unless you know her well, and any remark about the call
on my part would have been interpreted as "dragging" her.
Witli these two songs sliould he compared certain sonijs in tlie
section on regional and social satire — "If \'()U Want to (io .A-C'(jurt-
ing,' 'When Young Men Go Courting,' "Johnson Boys," and "The
Carolina Crew.'
In the same general category belong two other songs or groujjs
of songs, the 'I Wouldn't Marry' group and the "When I W^as
Single' group. In the "I Wouldn't Marry' group sometimes the man
speaks, declaring that he wouldn't marry an old m.iid. or ;i ricli
gal. or a poor gal. or a city gal. generally for nonsensical reasons;
sonietitnes a woman speaks, declaring that she wouldn't marry any
one of a string of characters she describes fnot so nonsensically
as in the preceding set ) but is determined to die an old maid. Some
are devoted entirelv to the contrast between crabbed age and youtli ;
O NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
she will not marry an old man but would gladly marry a young
man with an apple in his hand. There are four texts of a song in
which a girl rejects all other sorts of suitors but will gladly marry
a farmer boy; she loves to wash the dishes, sweep the floor, feed
the chickens, and milk the cows. And in two songs the woman and
the man speak alternately. The songs in this group look as if they
might be play-party or dance songs, but they are not so described
by the contributors. The 'When I Was Single' theme also appears
in two forms, one for man and one for woman. The former is
found many times in the Collection but without much variation;
when he was single his pockets would jingle; when his wife died
he laughed till he cried; but he had no more sense than to marry
a second time, this time to a woman he describes as the devil's
grandmother. The woman's form, in which she complains of the
misery of being married to a drunkard or a gambler or both, is
given in the following section, the songs about drink and gambling.
I
A Paper of Pins
For the history and spread of this courting dialogue, see BSM
507. To the references there given should now be added Virginia
(FSV 229-31), West Virginia (SFLQ vi 226-31; one of these
is the 'Keys of Canterbury' form, not otherwise known from the
United States), Missouri (OFS in 40-5), Ohio (BSO 120-5),
Illinois (SFLQ vi 224-6). In one of these it appears as a sing-
ing game. Mrs. Steely found it as a play-party song in the Eben-
czer community in Wake county. All but two of our North
Carolina texts have the misogynist ending familiar in American ver-
sions, but the last two end romantically with "the key of my heart."
A
'The Paper of Pins.' Reported by Allie Ann Pearce of Colerain, Bertie
county. Not dated.
1 'Miss, I'll give you a paper of pins —
This is the way our love begiiLs —
If you will marry nie. Miss, if you will luarry me.'
2 'I'll not accept the paper of pins,
If this is the way our love begins ;
I'll not marry you, I'll not marry you.'
3 'Miss, I'll give you a little pet clog.
To set on your laj) when yoti go abroad.
If you will marry me. Miss, if you will marry me.'
4 'I'll not accept the little lap dog
To set on my lap when I go abroad ;
C 0 U R T I NM; S 0 N G S 7
I'll IK It inarrv you, I'll not marry you.'
5 'Miss, I'll give you a dress of red
Stitched all around with golden thread.
If you will marry me. if you will marry me.'
6 "I'll not accept the dress of red
Stitched all around with golden thread ;
I'll not marry you, I'll not marry you.'
7 'Miss, I'll give you a dress of green
And you may dress as fine as any queen,
If you will marry me, Miss, if you will marry me.'
8 "I'll not accei)t the dress of green
It 1 may dress of^ any queen;
I'll not marry you. Sir, I'll not marry you.'
9 'I'll give to you the key to my heart.
We may lock it to never part.
If you will marry me, if you will marry me.'
10 'I'll not accept the key to your heart,(;^
If we may lock it to never part ;
I'll not marry you. Sir, I'll not marry you.'
1 1 "Miss, I'll give to you the key to my chest.
You may have money to your request,
If you will marry me. Miss, if you will marry me.'
12 'I'll accept the key to your chest
If I may have money to my request;
I'll marry you. sir. I'll marry you.'
13 'Ha, ha, ha! If money is all
I'll not marry you at all.
I'll not marry you. Miss, I'll not marry you.'
B
'Paper of Pins.' Reported by Sarah K. Watkiiis from .Ansnii and Stanly
counties. The series here is paper of pins, dress of red, dress of l)lue,
coach of eight, coach of four, key of my heart, key of my desk ; and
it ends like A.
C
'The Paper of Pins.' Reported by Louise Bennett of Middlcburg, Vance
county. Not dated. The series is i)aper of pins, coacli and four, coach
and six, the key to my heart, tht.- key to my hank; and it ends:
'Ah. ha. ha! Money is all!
A woman's love is nothing at all !
' Miswritten, one supposes, for "Hkc."
5 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And I'll not marry you, you. you,
And I'll not marry you.'
D
'Paper of Pins.' Reported by Mabel Ballentine of Wake county. Not
dated. The series here is paper of pins, coach of four, coach of six,
key to my heart, key to my desk, and the conclusion as in preceding
texts.
'A Paper of Pins.' From Ethel Brown of Catawba county. Not dated.
The series is paper of pins, little lap dog, dress of green, keys of my
heart, keys of my trunk ("To promise you I'll never get drunk"), keys
of my desk ; and it ends :
'So you do love money and you (l(jn't love me.
And since you love money you can't marry me.
And I won't marry you, you, yoti,
And I won't marrv vou.'
'Paper of Pins.' Contributed by Floy Leach of Cary, Wake county, in
1927. Despite its title it has no paper of pins; the series runs: dress of
green, little pet dog, key of my heart, key of my desk, and the custom-
ary final stanza.
'Paper of Pins.' This text is anonymous but no doubt authentic. The
series is paper of pins, dress of red, dress of blue, diamond ring, match
of gray, match of six (the "match" seems to mean a team of matched
horses), key to my heart, key to my chest; and the text ends:
'Ha! ha! ha! money is all.
Woman's love is nothing at all.
And I'll not marry you, miss.
And I'll not marry you.'
'Oh, pray. sir. don't take it so ;
It's all a joke I'll let you know;
I'll not marry you, sir,
And I'll not marry you.'
H
'Paper of Pins.' From Miss Pearl Webb of Pineola, Avery county.
This text is accompanied by the tune. The series is little dog. dress
of green, coach of six, dress of red, key of my heart, key of my desk,
and the final "money is all."
'Paper of Pins.' Reported by R. D. Ware of All)emarle, Stanly county,
in 1921, as obtained from Mrs. Harrison Gregory of North Wilkesboro,
Wilkes county. The series here is paper of pins, little lap dog, dress
of green, dress of red, keys to my heart, keys to my desk; and it ends:
C O I- R T I N (i S O N r. s 9
'It's now, my hicnds. as _\<iu can sec.
She wants my money but don't want me.
But I won't many you, ma'am.
No. I won't marry you.'
J
'Paper of Pins." Reported by Katherine Bernard Jones of RalciRli.
Only a fragment: tlic paper of pins and the key to my desk.
'Paper of Pins.' From Ethel Hicks Bufifalo of Granville county. A
fragment ; the first two stanzas only.
'Paper of Pins.' Obtained from B. N. White, time and place not
recorded. The series runs : paper of pins, dress of red, the key to my
cliest. key to my heart, and ends :
"1 will accept the key to your heart
[In token that we shall never j)art ;|
And I will marry you. you. you,
And I will marry you.'
The second line is missing in the manuscript but may be supplied with
certainty.
M
'Paper of Pins.' From Miss .-Xmy Henderson of Worry, Burke county,
in 1914. Like L, this ends on the romantic note ; the series runs :
paper of pins, little lap dog, dress of red, dress of green, coach and four,
coach and six, key to my chest, key to my heart.
2
Madam, Will You Walk?
This is a less familiar form of the 'Paper of Pins' courting
dialogue. It is known in Somerset (JFSS 11 87-8), but 1 have not
found it reported from America. Mrs. Sutton's text is strongly
influenced by the customary 'Paper of Pins' series, and so is I\Iiss
Tuttle's as far as it goes.
'Madam, Will You Walk?' Rei)orted by .Mrs. Sutton, but she does not
say when and where she heard it.
1 'I will give you a paper of ])ins.
For that's the way true love begins.
If you will walk, if you will talk.
If vou will walk and talk with me.
2 '1 will give you a coach and si.x
And everv horse as black as pitch.
10 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Madam, will you walk, madam, will you talk,
Madam, will you walk and talk with me ?
3 'I will give you a coach and four
And every horse as white as snow
If you will walk, if you will talk.
If you will walk and talk with me.
4 'I will give you the keys to my heart,
That we may lock it never to part.
Madam, will you walk, madam, will you talk.
Madam, will you walk and talk with me?'
5 'No, I will not walk, no, I will not talk,
No, I will not walk and talk with you.'
6 'I will give you the keys of my chest,
That you may have money at your request,
If you will walk, if you will talk,
If you will walk and talk with me.'
7 T will accept the keys of your chest.
That I may have money at my request ;
Yes. I will walk, yes, I will talk.
Yes, I will walk and talk with you.'
8 'You will accept the keys of my chest
That you may have money at your request !
But I will not walk, I will not talk,
I will not walk and talk with you.'
'Madam, Will You Walk?' From Miss Emeth Tuttle of Lenoir. Cald-
well county, in May 1921. With the air. Only one stanza of the text,
which is the same as stanza 2 of A.
3
The Courting Cage
So called in the Ozarks, according to Vance Randolph (OASPS
216-19), though he confesses that he does not know what a courting
cage is (in OFS iii 361-3. where he gives a Missouri version, he
suggests that it is a corruption of "court engaged"). In Virginia
it is called 'The Courting Case' (SharpK 11 249-51) or 'Kind
Sir' (SCSM 305-6) or 'The Drunkard's Courtship' (FSV 232-4):
Chappell calls his North Carolina version (FSRA 199-200) 'The
Drunkard's Courtship.' It has heen found also in Mississippi
(FSM 168-9), Indiana (SFLQ v 182-3). and Michigan (BSSM
417-19).
C O U U T 1 N C. S 0 N G S II
'Kind Sir, I See \'(>u'\o Lome Again.' ()l)taiiK'(l from Miss kwxU
Robhiiis of Pekiii. MoiUgdiiKry county, in \i)22.
1 "Kind Sir. I set' \()u'\c' (.■oiiic as^aiii.
I'ray tell mv what it's for.
[''or wlieii \vc parted on yontlers hill
1 told yon to come no more, more, nKM'e,
1 told yon to come no more."
(repeat ihns the last line ot' each stan/a)
2 'Oh. Miss, 1 fall down at yonr feet.
Your mercy 1 implore ;
If one to me he granted not
I'm lost for evermore.'
3 '(J)h, Sir, I know just what you want;
You want to take me in.
And if I will agree to marr)- you
You'll drink and gamhle again.'
4 'Oh. Aliss. it's a thing I never did do
And 1 never did think 'twas right.
If you'll agree to marry me
I'll never lie out one night.'
5 'Oh, Sir, I think you're might}' hold
To make that olYer again ;
For do you think I'm simple enough
To marry a harrel o' gin?
6 'Kind Sir. 1 think you'd hetter go.
Your staying here is vain ;
You're only trouhling me ver}- nuich
.And giving yourself great pain.'
7 'Oh, Miss, I have a very tnie horse —
He paces like the tide —
That you may have at your command
Whenever you choose to ride."
8 'Oh. sir. I know your very line horse;
He paces like a tide.
I know his master loves to drink.
And I can't he his bride.'
9 'Oh. miss, I have a very tine house
And also very fine yards.'
'But who will stay with me at night
When you are playing cards?'
12 X 0 R T H CAROLINA I- 0 I. K L O R E
10 'Oh, miss. I have a very fine orchard
And also very fine fruit
That you can have at your command
If you will he my bride.'
1 1 'Oh, sir, I know your very fine orchard
And also very fine fruit ;
But when I come in and turn you out
You know a hog- will root.'
12 'Oh, miss, you are a hard old jade
And very hard to please ;^
And some cold night when you're alone
I hope to God you'll freeze !'
'If You Will Only Be My Bride.' Contributed by J. B. Midgett of
Wanchese, Roanoke Island, probably in 1920. With the tune.
1 'Kind miss, I have a very fine ship,
She plows the ocean wide.
And she can be at your command
If you will only be my bride, bride,
If you will only be my bride.'
2 'Kind sir, I know you have a very fine ship.
And she plows the ocean wide.
And she can be at my command ;
But I will not be your bride, bride.
But I will not be your bride."
3 'Then, kind miss, I have a very fine farm,
It is fifty acres wide.
And it can be at your command
If you will only be my bride, bride.
If you will only be my bride.'
4 'Kind sir. 1 know }()U have a very fine farm
That's fifty acres w'ide.
And it can be at my command ;
But I will not be your bride, bride,
I will not be your bride.'
5 'Now, kind miss, I have a very fine horse,
He paces like the tide.
And he shall be at your command
If you will only be my bride, bride.
If you will only be my l)ride.'
' The manuscript has here "freeze," no doubt by anticipation of the
line below.
C O I' R T I N G S 0 X G S I3
6 'I know, kind >ir. ynu have a very fine horse
That paces hkc the tide :
lie knows the way to the okl grojj^ shop.
l''or his master paces him there, tlicre.
For his master paces him there.
7 'Kind miss. 1 have a very tine house
That stands in yonder yard.
And it shall be at your command
If vou will only be my bride, bride.
If \du will onlv be mv bride.'
8 T\.ind sir. 1 know you have a very Ihie house
That stands in yonder yard.
But who is going to stay with me at night
\\ hen you are out playing cards, cards,
When vou are out playing cards?'
9 'Kind miss. 1 never did ])lay cards.
I never thought it right.
But if you'll consent to marry me
I'll stay with you at night, night,
I'll stay with you at night.
lo 'Sence you are so quarrelsome.
So thundering hard to please.
When vou get old and pinched with cold
1 hope to (iod you'll freeze, freeze-.
I ho])e to ( jod you'll freeze !'
I I "When I get old and pinched with cold
It won't be you to keep me warm ;
I'll get somebody I love much better
And lie closer in his arms. arms.
And lie closer in his anus.'
4
MaDA.M MoZKI.l.K. I'VK C'oMK CoURTl.NG
This is a fraj^nient of that version of the courting dialogue which
Barrv (JAFL xxiv 341-2) reported from the singing of an Jrish-
man in Boston, beginning "Madam. 1 liavc come a-courting." The
first two words represent, one guesses, a misuntlerstanding of
"mademoiselle.''
'Madam Mozelle. I've Come Courting.' Contributed by H. F. Sha\v,
with the notation that it is from "the eastern part of North Carolina."
Madam Mozelle, I've come courting.
Your kind heart I ho]ie to win ;
14 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And, if you will entertain me,
Truly, I will call again.
5
Miss, Will You Have a Farmer's Son ?
Here the courting dialogue (see 'A Paper of Pins,' 'Madam,
Will You Walk,' The Courting Cage,' 'Madam Mozelle, I've Come
Courting,' 'The Quaker's Wooing') is turned from its usual purpose
of satire to the praise of the Forty-niners and gallant Southern
lads. In this form it has not been found elsewhere.
'Miss, Will You Have a Farmer's Son?' From a manuscript note-
book in which Mrs. Harold Glasscock of Raleigh had set down songs
learned from her mother, most of which she can sing. Dr. White bor-
rowed the notebook in 1943 and made this and other transcripts from it.
1 'Miss, will you have a farmer's son?'
'No, no, not a farmer's son.
He is rough and he is so tough.
No, no, not a farmer's son.'
2 'Miss, will you have a shoemaker's son?'
'No, no, not a shoemaker's son.
It's peg a little here and peg a little there.
No, no, not a shoemaker's son.'
3 'Miss, will you have a California boy?'
"Yes, yes, a California boy.
He looks so bold with his pockets full of gold.
Yes, yes, a California boy.'
4 'Miss, will you have a Dutchman's son?'
'No, no, not a Dutchman's son.
He makes such a fuss about his buttermilk and mush.
No, no, not a Dutchman's son.'
5 'Miss, will you have a Southern lad?'
'Yes, yes, a Southern lad.
He looks so neat and he kisses so sweet.
Yes, yes, a Southern lad.'
6
LuciNDY, Won't You Marry IMe?
A fragment of a courting song not elsewhere, so far as T can
learn, reported by collectors.
'Lucindy, Won't You Marry Me?' Received in 1922 from
Pickens.
couRTiN(;soN(;s 15
Lucindy. won't you iiiarr\- iiu'.
Won't \(>u marry \uv in ilw niornin'?
If you'll marry \uv \-our molhcr'H
Cook a shinc-c'ved-hen.
7
Soldier, Soldier, Won't You M.\rr\- Mk?
Miss Gilchrist, JEFDSS in 122-3, ""ting Ncwell's account of
this "nursery game-song" in his Games and Songs of American
Children, is "inclined to think" it is of Scottish origin. It seems
not to be of record earlier than the nineteenth century, and, apart
from Newell's report and the Virginia texts reported by Davis
(FSV 236), not to be a game song in America. It is rej)orted as
traditional song from Glasgow (JEFDSS in 121 ), Gloucestershire
(JEFDSS III 121), Newfoundland (ESN 140-1), Vermont (VFSB
61), Virginia (JEFDSS iii 122, JAFL xxxiii 158, FSV 236),
West Virginia (FSS 467), Kentucky (BKH 77-8, SharpK 11 41 ),
Tennessee (SharpK 11 41, BTELS v 35-7). North Carolina
(SharpK 11 40 j, the Ozarks (OFS i 289-90), Indiana (BSI :i,^~),
and Nebraska (ABS 224-5), and is also in Airs. Richardson's
American Mountain Songs (51). The six texts in our collection do
not vary greatly.
'Soldier, Soldier, Won't You Marry Me?' Coiitrilnited by C. M. llutcb-
ins of Durham, apparently in 1913.
1 'Soldier, soldier, won't you marry me
With your rifle, fife, and drum?'
'How can I marry such a pretty little girl
If I have no shoes to put on?'
2 Away she ran. as fast, as fast.
As fast as she could run.
And got a very nice pair of shoes.
Says. 'Soldier, put them on.'
So for several stanzas, changing shoes to coat, hat, etc. Then :
'Soldier, soldier, won't you marry me.
With your rifle, fife, and drum?'
'How can I marry such a pretty little girl
When I have a wife at home?'
Away she ran. as fast, as fast.
As fast as she could run.
'And if you have a wife at home.
I tiiink I had hetter be gone.'
l6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Ale?' From Miss Amy Henderson
of Worry, Burke county, about 1914. The refrain line is slightly dif-
ferent here. The first stanza runs :
'Soldier, soldier, will you marry me?'
Fife and drum:
'How can I marry such a pretty girl as you?
I've got no shoes to put on.'
She ran to the tailor, tailor shop,
Fast as she could run,
And got him the finest shoes she could get :
'Soldier, put these on.'
The series runs through socks, coat, shirt, hat ; and it ends :
'How can I marry such a pretty girl as you
When Fve got a wife at home?'
'Soldier, Soldier, Won't You Marry Me?' Contributed by Thomas
Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, in 191 5. With music by A. J.
Burrus. Smith notes: "The song . . . was sung by J. W. Lawrence.
I write it from memory, as it has been over 20 years since I have heard
it sung. Other people sang it 20 or 25 years ago. The tune is still
well known." The series is hat, boots, coat, pants ; and it ends rather
drastically :
'How can I marry such a damn little bitch
And me got a wife at home?'
D
'Soldier, Soldier, Won't You Marry Me?' Contributed by Mrs. R. D.
Blacknall of Durham, with the notation "known since 1862." The re-
frain line here is 'With your rifle, fife, and drum.' The series is cap,
boots, coat ; the ending as in A.
'Soldier, Soldier, Won't You Marry Me?' Reported by Mrs. Sutton
from the singing of Myra (Mrs. J. J.) Miller of the Brushy Mountains,
Caldwell county. The series here is coat, shoes, hat, pants, sword, and
a horse.
No title. Contributed by Minnie Stamps Gosney of Wake county. The
series is shoes, socks, trousers, shirt, coat, collar, tie, hat, gloves — all,
apparently, that the singer could think of.
The Quaker's Wooing
Compare 'A Paper of Pins,' 'Madam, Will You Walk,' 'The
Courting- Cage.' This particular satire on the wooer is not always
d'stinct from these and other wooing dialogues. 'Old .Simon,' re-
c o r K T 1 N c; s 0 n c s 17
Ijortfil truiu Wilt^hiro (FSUT JJ), 'The Wooin.t;-,' from Michigan
(BSSM 4i7-icS),an(l 'The Drunkard's Courtship,' from North Caro-
lina (FSRA 199-200) are kindred pieces. What may fairly be
reckoned forms of 'The Quaker's Wooinj?' have been reported from
New Enj,dand (FSONK 276-8), Virginia (FSV 235-6), Arkansas
(OFS 111 58-60), Missouri (BSM 265, OFS 111 258-9), Ohio
I BSO 293-4). Indiana (JAFL xlix 247, SFLQ 111 206, v 182-3),
Michigan (BSSM 424-7), and Iowa (ABS 223-4). '" '"it- of
these cases it is a play-party song.
•Madam, 1 .\m Conu- .\-C0urtinj4.' Imoiii tlie manuscript soiigbuok of
Mrs. Haruld Glasscock of Raleigli, lent to Dr. White in 1943. The
songs in this l)ook Mrs. Glasscock learned from her parents.
1 'iMadain, 1 am come a-courtiny.
Oh, dear, oh dear. oh. dear me
I'm for pleasure, not for sporting.
Oh. dear, oh, dear, oh, dear me.
2 'Madam, I have gold and silver.
Oh, dear, oh. dear. oh. dear me.'
'Go right home and tell your father.
Tiddle dum dink dum dink dum da.
3 'That you could not gtt me read}-.
Tiddle dum dink dum dink dum da.'
'Madam. I am a Presbyterian.
Oh, dear, oh, dear. oh. dear me.'
9
The Old M.\x's Courtship
For the history of this old English song and its occurrence in
modern times, see BSM 264, and add to the references there given
Herd's Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs (11, 33-4 of the 1869
reprint of the 1776 edition). Miss Mason's Nursery Rhymes and
Countrx Songs, p. 33, Essex (JEFDSS 111 130-1), Pennsylvania
(MMP [^(1 edition of NPM] 307-8). Virginia and South Caro-
lina (FSV 173, OSC 132-3). Arkansas (OFS 1 293-4), Missouri
(OFS I 291-2), Ohio (BSO 132-5), Indiana (SFLQ 111 207), and
Michigan (BSSM 413-14). It is interesting to find that of the five
texts in our collection only one shows the familiar "old grey
beard" refrain. The other four all belong to one tradition with
"old boots and leggins" or "old boots a-leakin' " in the refrain. Yet
the variations of folk fancy on the theme of ugly old age prompt
the printing of all five of the texts.
'Old Shoe Boots and Leggins.' Contributed by Mrs. Will X. Coley of
Raleigh in 1922. The second and fourth lines of stanza i constitute a
refrain to be repeated in each stanza.
N.C.F.. Vol. HI, (4)
iB NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 My mammy she told me to ask liim in
— Oh, but I won't have him —
I ast him in, and the way he did grin !
With his old shoe boots and leggins.
2 Aly mammy she told me to give him some pie.
I give him some pie and he looked like he'd die.
3 My mammy she told me to put him to bed.
I put him to bed and he looked like he was dead.
4 Aly mammy she told me to waken him up
I wakened him up and he shook like a duck.
5 My mammy she told me to saddle his horse.
I saddled his horse and bid him be off.
No title. Contributed by Miss Minnie S. Gosney of Raleigb. As in
A, the refrain is given only with the first stanza.
1 Mother, my mother, bid me open the door
— I won't have him —
I opened the door and he fell^on the floor
With his old shoes and leggins.
2 Mother, my mother, bid me give him a chair.
I gave him a chair and he called me his dear.
3 Mother, my mother, bid me light his pipe.
I lit his pipe and he smoked like a snipe.
4 Mother, my mother, bid me put him to bed.
I put him to bed and he stood on his head.
5 Mother, my mother, bid me wake him up.
I woke him up and he smacked like a duck.
6 Mother, my mother, bid me saddle his horse.
I saddled his horse and I ordered him off.
'The Old Man.' Contributed by Gertrude Allen (afterwards Mrs.
Vaught) of Taylors ville, Alexander county. This has "beard" instead
of "boots" in the refrain. The third line of the opening stanza is a
refrain closing each stanza.
I My mother brought an old man
Home to see me
With his old grey beard a-flopping.
Chorus:
But I wouldn't have him,
I wouldn't have him.
C n I- R T I N C. SONGS I9
2 My niotlKT i^'ivi' him a dish
And hf swallnwx'd a fish.
3 My mother _<jja\e him a stool.
lUit he acted Hke a fool.
4 My mother j;a\e him a pie
And he swallowed a fly.
5 With a head like a mule
1 ie acts like a fool.
6 -My mother ijave liim some cake
And he swallowed a snake.
7 My mother showed him the door,
But he fell on the floor.
8 ^ly mother gave him a saddle
And he rode ofif a-straddle.
'()ld Boots." Contributed by Miss Ida C. Houston of Winston-Salcm,
witli the notation : "This was sung in the family of the little girl who
wrote it for many years by an old servant whose mother and grand-
mother sang it." The second half of line i and all of lino 3 of stanza i
constitute the refrain, repeated with each stanza.
1 My mama told me to open the gate — I will not have him —
I opened the gate and he couldn't walk straight.
And his old boots was a-leaking.
2 My mama told me to open the doiM".
I opened the door and he fell in the floor.
3 My mama told me to hand him a .stool.
I handed him a stool, and he looked like a fool.
4 My mama told me to hand him a shovel.
I handed him a shovel, and he looked like the devil.
5 My mama told me to set tlie table.
I set the table, and he said he wasn't able.
'Old Boots.' Contributed by Katharine .Malloy of Yanccyville, Caswell
county. Refrain as in D.
I My mama told me to hand him the ])ie — 1 will not have
him —
I handed him the pie, and he swallowed a fly.
And his old boots was a-leaking.
20 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 My mama told me to hand him a fish.
I handed him a fish and he swallowed the dish.
3 My mama told me to put him to hed.
1 put him to hed and he lay like he was dead.
4 My mama told me to saddle his horse.
I saddled his horse, and he rode off north.
5 My mama told me to bid him farewell.
I bid him farewell, and I wished him to hell.
lo
When I \\'as a Young Girl
This was originally a children's singing game; many texts from
various parts of England are given by Lady Gomme (Gomme ii
362-74). In this country it is most often a piece of social satire,
as it is in our text. What holds the various texts together is the
"this-a-way that-a-way" refrain. This refrain structure, however,
has also been used in certain cunmlative songs of farm sounds,
concerning which see 'McDonald's Farm' in this volume. A song
of somewhat related content. 'When I Was a Maid' (to be found
in JFSS VIII 148-50), is distinguished from the song here under
consideration by the absence of the "this-a-way that-a-way'' re-
frain. Our song is known in various parts of America: in On-
tario (JAFL XXXI 151 ). \"irginia (FSV 169-70). Kentucky
(SFLQ II 1 61 -2;, Indiana (JAFL xxix 189-90 — see the accom-
panying bibliographical note — and SFLQ iii 221-2), and Ohio
(JAFL XL 15, a reduced form of two stanzas).
'When I Was a Young Girl.' Obtained from Catharine Cox of Salis-
bury, Rowan county. Not dated. With the tune.
1 When I was a youngs girl, yotmg girl, ^oung girl.
When I was a young girl, then, oh then
'Twas ha ha this-a-way, ha ha that-a-way,
This-a-way, that-a-way then.
2 Boys came courtin', courtin', courtin'.
Boys came courtin' ; then, oh then
'Twas ha ha this-a-way, ha ha that-a-way,
This-a-way. that-a-way then.
3 Then I got married, married, married.
Then I got married ; then, oh then
'Twas ha ha this-a-way, ha ha that-a-way,
This-a-way, that-a-way then.
4 Then I had a c|uarrel, (|uarrel, f|uarrel.
Then 1 had a c|uarrel ; then, oh then
C () V R T 1 N c s n N C, S 21
'Twas i^ft away this-a-u aw i^et away thal-a-way.
This-a-wav, that-a-way tluii.
5 Then 1 niadr uj). up, up.
Tlu'ii 1 iiiadf up: theu, oh iheu,
And "twas (smack, smack) this-a-way, (smack, smack)
ihat-a-way.
This-a-wav, that-a-wa\- ihcn.
6 Then lie got sick, sick, .sick.
Then he got sick ; then, oh then
'Twas dear doctor this-a-vvay. (k-ar (kictor tliat-a-\\a\-.
This-a-way. that-a-way then.
7 Then he died, died, (Heck
Then he died ; then, oh then
Twas (sniff, sniff) this-a-vvay, (sniff, sniff) that-a-way,
This-a-way, that-a-way then.
8 Going to the funerak funerak funeral.
Going to the funeral ; then, oh then
'Twas (sniff, sniff) this-a-way, (sniff, sniff) that-a-way,
This-a-way. that-a-way then.
9 Coming from the funeral, funeral, funeral.
Coming from the funeral — then, oh then
'Twas ha ha this-a-way, ha ha that-a-way,
This-a-way, that-a-way then.
II
Where Are You (ioiNO, Mv Pretty Maid?
This sunj( of the milkmaid, still remembered in iMiglaiul —
Somerset and Devon (JFSS ii 9-10), \'orkshire (JFSS 11 J70) —
is known in various parts of English-speaking America: New-
foundland ( BSSN 138-g). New Jersey (JAFL Lii 58-9. a some-
what lewd derivative), X'irginia ( SharpK 11 156-8), Mississippi
(JAFL XXXIX 150-1, FSM 277-8). Missouri (OFS i 330). Ohio
( BSO 188-90). Nebraska (ABS 228-30). The content of the
various texts varies considerably, but they may all l)e considered
forms of the same song. There are two in our collection.
A
'Seventeen Come Sunday.' Sent in by .Mrs. Sutton, witb the following
account of the singer : • 1 1
"Over beyond Sugar Loaf in Henderson County there lives an old
man who sings ballits. He makes whiskey, too, or did, and spent a
good deal of time in Atlanta. He has a cabin to which we couldn't go
with the car. .
"We parked way up on a hillside and climbed down a steep winding
path between laurel thickets and found him sitting (jii the woodpile
22 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
strumming a banjo. He said it was 'too party to waste time plowin'.'
He also asked us to 'tarry till even.' . . . Not many of his songs
were 'fitten to sing before the wimmern,' but he accepted us as kindred
spirits and sang them anyway. . . . He sang a number of sea bal-
lads. . . . He also called the young woman he was courting in the hope
that she would consent to becoming his fourth wife his 'doney.' Some-
times he made it 'doney gal.'
"The song he liked best of those he sang was 'Seventeen Come Sun-
day.' When he finished singing this song he observed that 'seventeen
is jist about the right age to catch a gal. Ef she's older than that she's
apt to be gittin' oneasy and it comes too easy.' We asked him if the
'doney' he had now was over that. He said she was. 'When a feller
gits as old and wore out as I am he near 'bout has to take him a gal
off'n the cull list,' he remarked philosophically. 'I've had me three
young wives, and this un I'm a-courtin' now ain't fur from the whit-
leather stage. But, at that, she ort to outlast me.' "
1 'Where are yoti going, my pretty maid?
Oh, where are you going, my honey ?'
She answered me most modestly,
'An errand for my mommy.'
2 'How old are you. my pretty maid ?
How old are you, my honey ?'
She answered me most modestly,
'I'm seventeen come Sunday.'
3 'Where do you live, my pretty maid ?
Where do you live, my honey?'
She answered me most modestly.
'In a cottage with my mommy.'
4 'Will you marry me. my pretty maid?
Will you marry me. my honey ?'
She answered me most modestly,
'If it wasn't for my mommy.'
B
'Where Are You Going, My Pretty Fair Maid?' From a manuscript
notebook of Mrs. Harold Glasscock of Raleigh lent to Dr. White in
December 1943. Most or all of her songs Mrs. Glasscock learned from
her mother.
1 'Where are you going, my pretty fair maid ?
Where are yoti going, my honey T
She answered me with a 'Ha ha ha,
I'm going to see my mammy.'
Tum a hoo ra ra tum a hoo ra ri
Turn a hoo ra raddle dick a dandy.
2 Her shoes were black and her stockings were white
And her buckles shone like silver ;
She had a dark, rolling eye
c o i' K T I X (i s o N c; s 23
And luT hair luiui; nuiud her shoulder.
Tiitii a hoo ra ra imu a hoo ra ri
Tuni a hoo ra raddle dick a dandy.
3 "Will \-on have me, ni\- pretty fair maid?
Will you have me, my honey ?'
She answered me with a 'lia ha ha,
I'll have most anybody.'
Tum a hoo ra ra tum a hoo ra ri
Tum a hoo ra raddle dick a dandy.
12
]\Iadam, I Have Gold and Silver
Here a very familiar courtin.q; (lial(\s:ue is turned unexpectedly in
the last stanza into a returne(l-(lis,s:uise(l-lover story. Up to the
last stanza our text is very close to one from Sussex given in JFSS
IV 297-8. For the more customary form of the song and references
to its occurrence in England and America, see BSM 506. and add
Indiana (SFLQ in 206).
'Seven Long Years.' Reported by Mrs. R. D. Blacknall of Durham,
with the note: "Sung by a Negro servant, .Maria McCauley, presumably
ex-slave of the Chapel Hill McCauleys. Heard forty-five years ago."
Mrs. Daisy Jones Couch of Durham remembered the first stanza only.
1 'O madam, I have gold and silver,
O madam, I have both house and land.
O madam, I have this world of treasure
And you may use them at your conunand.'
2 'Oh, what care I for your gold and silver?
Oh, what care I for your house and land.-'
Oh, what care I for your world of treasure
\\'hen all I want is a handsome man ?'
3 '( ) madam, don't place your love on beauty,
lM)r beauty is a thing that will decay :
Just like a rose, pulled soon in the morning.
That before noon will fade away.'
4 '( )h. my true love's gone over the ocean ;
Oh, seven long years he's been gone from me.
But seven more I'll wait for him.
If his dear face I ever shall see.'
5 'The ripest fruit soonest is rotten ;
The hardest love soonest is cold.
That young man's love is soon forgotten,
So. niv dear miss, don't speak so bold!'
24 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
6 That look, that voice were so famihar
Her lovely face turned pale as clay ;
She spied the ring upon his finger —
And on the ground she swooned away.
13
One Morning in May
For something of the history of this song — more commonly
known as 'The Nightingale' — and its currency in tradition, see BSM
239, and add to the references there given Kentucky (FSKH
20-1), Florida ( SFLQ viii 171-2), Arkansas (OFS i 268), Mis-
souri (OFS I 266-8, 288-9), Ohio (SFLQ 11 154-5, BSO 230),
and Tennessee (BTFLS vi 34-5, a text and tune recorded in Ten-
nessee but learned in Nebraska). One of our versions was sung
by a schoolgirl in the sixth grade. Very likely many sing it with
no understanding of its original meaning.
'One Morning in May.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton from the singing of
Myra Barnett, who knew so many of the old songs. Mrs. Sutton says
she has never run into it except in Caldwell and Avery counties (Myra
came from the Brushy Mountains in Caldwell) ; but it is reported also
from Watauga and Montgomery counties, and is in fact very widely
known in the southern Appalachians.
1 One morning, one morning, one morning in May
I spied a fair couple a-making their way ;
But one were a lady and the other a soldier
Who'd fit in the wars, a free volunteer.
2 'Good morning, good morning,' the lady she said.
'Good morning, good morning,' the soldier replied.
'I'm happy fur to meet you here this morning,
'Though you are a lady and I'm a soldier.'
3 They took hand and hand and went on together.
But where they did go, that I do not know where.
Then said the lady. 'Let's go to the spring.
Where the waters are sliding and the nightingales sing.'
4 'Now stop,' said the soldier, T'll tell you a riddle.'
And out of his knapsack he drew a fine fiddle.
He tuned up his fiddle to a common high string
And played by tiie waters where the nightingales sing.
5 Then said the soldier. 'We'll soon have to part.'
'No, no,' said the lady, 'play that tune once more.'
He tuned up his fiddle to a common high string
And played the tunc over and over again.
c 0 r K T I N (. so N c; s 25
Then said tlic lady, 'Wnn't mhi iiian\- nu'?'
'No. no.' said the soUhcr. "that never can he.
I've a wife in Mair Manders, little children there's three,
As pretty little children as you ever did see.
'h^iir damsel, fair damsel, take warning hy nie
And when yim see soldiers don't love them so free.
I've a wife in Flair Flanders, little children's there's three.
As j)retty a little woman as you ever did see.
'Fll <^o hack to h'lair hdanders. I'll stav there one _\ear.
in the place of cold water, my drink will he heer.
And when I return, it'll he in the sprin<;.
\\ here the waters run slidinc^ and the ni^htinc^ales sing.'
'One .Morning in .\hiy.' Cdntrihuted hy Miss Jewell Rol)l)ins of Pekin,
the last stanza into a returned disguised lover story. Up to the
war' may be the editor does not know.
1 As I walked out one UKjrning. one uKjrning in May.
I spied a nice couple a-reaping of hay;
One was a lady, a lady so fair.
.\nd the other a soldier of the grand jin"\' war.
2 '(Jh. now.' .said the lady, 'will you marry nie?'
'Uh no.' said the soldier. "1 can't marry you.
I've a wife in the army and children I've three
.And as beauteous a lady as ever you'll sec.'
3 "Uh, now,' said the lady, "pla}- me one more tune.'
He tuned his fiddle to a very high strain
And played the tune over again and again.
'One Morning in May.' Reported iiy Professor W. Amos .\hrams as
sung hy a sixtli grade schoolgirl at Boone. Watauga county, in Septem-
her. 19.37. The text docs not differ significantly from .\.
'One Morning in May.' Contriiiuted l)y .Miss Lizzie h'inclicr from .Mon-
roe. L'nion county, some time in 1921-2. The first stanza only.
No. Sir
This courting song, also known as 'My Father was a .Spanish
Merchant.' goes back with some changes in the course of time to
the seventeenth century and has been many times printcfl in popular
songbooks; see Kittredge's very thorough bibliographical note to
26 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Tolnian's Ohio texts, JAFL xxxv 406-7. In some texts it shows
contamination with 'Madam, I Have Gold and Silver.' It has been
reported as traditional song from Virginia (FSV 237), Kentucky
(BKH 81; TKMS 98-101 may be reckoned a form of it), Ten-
nessee (BTFLS III 96), Arkansas (OFS iii 104-5), Ohio (JAFL
xxxv 405, BSO 146). Indiana (Wolford 73-4, as a play-party
song), and Iowa (MAFLS xxix 44) ; it is listed in Miss Pound's
syllabus: forms of it appear in Sharp's One Hundred English Folk
Songs and in JFSS iv 208 (Dorset) ; and it is no doubt known and
sung much more widely than this list would indicate.
A
'O No, John.' From tlie manuscripts of Obadiah Johnson of Cross-
nore. Avery county. This is much tlie fullest of our North Carolina
versions.
1 On yonder hill there stands a creature,
Who she is I do not know ;
I'll go and court her for her heauty.
She must answer yes or no.
O no, John ! No. John ! No. John ! No !
(This is the refrain line, sung in the person of the
girl after each stanza stmg hy the man.)
2 'My father was a Spanish captain.
\\ ent to sea a month ago.
First he kissed me. then he left me;
Bid me always answer No !'
3 '() madam, in your face is heauty,
On your lips red roses grow.
Will you take me for your lover?
Madam, answer yes or no.
4 'O madam, I will give you jewels,
I will make you rich and free,
I will give you silken dresses.
Madam, will you marry me?
5 '( ) madam, since you are so cruel
And that you do scorn me so,
If I may not be yotir lover.
Madam, will yoti let me go?
6 'Then I will stay with you forever
If you will not be unkind.
Madam, I have vowed to love you ;
Would you have me change my mind?
7 'O hark! I hear the church bells ringing;
Will vou come and be mv wife?
C O V R T I X C S () N V. S 27
Or, dear niadani. have voii settk-d
T(i Vwv >ini>lL' all \(mr life?'
'No. Sir." I'Voiii tlic inaiiu^cript songbook of Miss Lura Wagoner of
Vox, Allt'gliany county, lent to Dr. Brown in 1936; tlic entries in the
book were probal)ly made some twenty or more years earlier.
1 'Tell iiie one thing, tell me truly,
Tell nie why you scorn nie so.
Tell nie. when 1 ask a (luestion.
Yon will always answer No.'
Chorus:
No, sir, no, sir, no, sir, no, sir,
No. sir. no. sir, no. sir. no.
2 'My father was a Spanish merchant,
And, before he went to sea,
He told me to be sure and answer
"No" to all you said to me.'
3 'If, when walking in the garden.
Plucking flowers all wet with dew,
Tell me. would you be offended
I f 1 walk and talk with you ?
4 'If, when walking in the garden,
I should ask you to be mine
.\nd should tell you that I love you,
Would vou then mv heart decline?'
'Spanish Merchant." Obtained liy G. D. Harmon from W. K. Harris
of Union Mills, Rutherford county. Same as B except tliat it lacks tlie
first stanza.
D
'No, Sir !' Obtained from Aura Holton of Durham in 1922. The text
as in C, with direction that the chcjrus is to be sung by the boy and
the girl together. Seems to be a play-party song.
Courting Song
I*"()lk >inj^ers in America are not averse to social satire of the
sort of wliicli this song is an example. The 'Song' is reported
also in Florence H. Botsford's Collection of Folk-Soiujs 1 31 from
Kentucky. For references to other songs of a like temper in \'ir-
ginia. West Virginia, North Carolina. Missouri. Nebraska, and
Wyoming, see BSM 426-8, and add to the references there given
28 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Florida (SFLQ viii 192-3) and Iowa (MAFLS xxix 96-7) and
for Negro song JAFL xxiv 285. See also 'When Young ^len
Go Courting' and 'If You Want to Go A-Courtin' ' in the section
of Satirical Songs in this volume.
'Courting Song.' Collected by Mrs. Sutton on the Watauga River near
the Tennessee line, from the singing of a schoolteacher with whom she
spent the night — which included an amusing example of the technique
described in the song; see page 5, above. The last line of each stanza is
repeated as indicated in stanza i.
1 A gentleman came to see me.
He couldn't tell his name.
I knew he came a-courting
Although he was ashamed.
Oh, although he was ashamed.
2 He drew his chair up by my side.
His manner pleased me well.
I hoped the spirit moved him
A loving tale to tell.
3 And there he sat the livelong night
And not a word did say.
With many a sigh and hitter groan
I often wished for day.
4 The chickens they began to crow.
The daylight did appear.
'Howdy do, good morning, sir.
I'm glad to see yoti here.'
5 He was weary of the livelong night.
He was weary of his life.
'H this is what yoti call courting, boys.
I'll never take a wife.'
6 Whenever he g(jes in company
The girls all lavigh and sport ;
They say. 'There goes a blamed old fool
Who don't know how to court.
Oh, he don't know how to court.'
]6
Don't STA^■ after Ten
On the same U)\nc as tlie 'Courting .Song," just given. It is re-
ported in the Pound svllahus. and hv Randolph from Arkansas
(OFS III 86-7).
A
'Don't Stay after Ten.' An anonymous manuscript in Dr. Brown's hand.
c () r R T 1 N (; s () N c. s 29
no doubt collected liy liini frmii >oine of his infi)rmaiits l)ut jtccideiUaliy
left witlioiit notation of its source. Altlmugii aimnyinous, it is n'^en here
because it lielps to make tlic H text inteliiKible.
1 Tlicrc is oiu' rc(|ticsl I make ot yoii
\\ lu'ii nic yoii come to see.
\'()ii know thei'e is none in all this world
That's half so dear to me;
I hit this request 1 make of }<iu.
That when you come again
To see me in the afternooti.
Don't stay till after ten.
Chorus:
Don't stay till after ten. my boy,
Don't stay till after ten.
But come again some other time
And don't stay till after ten.
2 For after ten the moments fly ;
I tremble o'er and o'er
Till last ma's image 1 shall spy
Come creeping to the door.
She's there to execute her threats :
She said she'd surely come
And if you stayed so late again
She'd ask you to go home.
3 Next morning down to breakfast I'd go.
My papa would frown at me
And say. 'My girl, that beau of yours
Is going to hear from me.
That sort of thing I will not stand,
But when he comes again
I'll just walk in and ask him out
If he don't go home by ten.'
B
'Oh, Don't Stay after Ten." From the manuscript hook of songs of
Miss Edith Walker of Boone, Watauga county: secured in 1936. The
first two lines of stanza 2 are confused, or at least confusing.
I I've something sad to say to yott
.\nd when he comes again
To meet in the evening
And don't stay after ten.
Chorus:
(Jh. don't stay after ten, my dear.
Oh, don't stay after ten ;
30 NORTH CAROLINA I'OLKLORE
To meet in the evening
And don't go home at ten.
2 And when he comes again (and stays)
(They say) and don't go home, why then
They'll just step in and ask him out
If he don't go home at ten.
3 For after ten the moments fly ;
I tremble o'er and o'er
When mama to the dark spot
Comes peeping through the door.
4 To the breakfast table next morning I'll go
And papa will frown on me
And say, 'My daughter, that beau of yours
Is going to hear from me.'
17
I Wouldn't Marry
For the range of songs on this theme, see BSM 262 and add to
the references there given Massachusetts (FSONE 211-12). Vir-
ginia (SharpK 11, 381-2. FSV 174-5). Kentucky (SFLQ 11 1S3).
Tennessee (BTFLS 11 11, v 38), North Carolina (BTFLS'ii
II), Arkansas (OFS iii 64, 65, 128). Missouri (OFS 11 351-2. iii
65. 259-60), Ohio (BSO 186-7^. 298-9), Indiana (SFLQ in 213-4),
Michigan (BSSM 420-1). and Wisconsin (JAFL lii 20. from
Kentucky). Mrs. wSteely found three forms of it in the Ebenezer
community in Wake county. Scotland knows, or knew, two songs
on this subject (Christie i 141-2, 182-3), but it is doubtful that
they are the ancestors of any of the American forms. The texts
may conveniently be presented in three groups : those in which the
man speaks, those in which the woman speaks, and a composite (or
antipbonal ) form in which now the man speaks and now the woman.
Some of the texts are conglomerates of fragments often distantly
connected, if at all, with the theme of celibacy
A
'Laurie Lee.' Communicated, about 1923, by Miss Kate S. Russell of
Roxboro, Person county.
1 Wouldn't marry an old maid
Tell you the reason why :
Her neck so long and stringy
I'm scared she'd never die.
2 June bug got the golden wing,
Lightning l)ug the flame.
Bedbug got no light at all
But he gets there just the same.
C O V K T 1 N C S 0 N G S 3I
3 Rich <^Mrl wears \hv ruftk' dress,
Poor girls wear the i)hiin.
Eve wore no ch'ess at all
IJiit she got there just tlu' same.
4 Raccoon got the husln- tail.
Possum tail is hare ;
Rahhit got no tail at all,
Nothing hut a hunch of hair.'
'I Wouldn't Marry an Old .\hiid.' l->om Ijuille Massey, Durliani. Xot
dated.
1 I wouldn't marry an old maid,
Pll tell you the reason why:
Her neck is so long and stringy
1 fear she'd never die.
2 I wouldn't marry an old maid.
I'll tell you the reason why:
She'd stick her nose in a pone oi hread
And call it chicken pie.
3 I wouldn't marry a rich girl,
Pll tell you the reason why :
She is crazy to wash her clothes
And hang them out to dry.
No title. From Lucille Cheek of Chatham county. First stanza only,
as in B.
'I Wouldn't Marry.' Collected by Julian P. Boyd from Catherine Ben-
nett, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county. A
single stanza, the same as the first stanza ui B witli "poor sal" sub-
stituted for "old maid."
'I Wouldn't Marry.' From W. B. Leake of Rich Square, Northampton
county. .Again a single stanza, the first of B, with "city gal" substi-
tuted for "old maid."
'A Farmer Boy.' From Miss Mamie Mansfield, Durham, in Juls i<)22.
With this we turn to texts in which the woman speaks.
^ Manuscript has "hare" ; whether the pun really belongs in the song
or is the momentary inspiration of the writer of the manuscript the editor
does not know. This fourth stanza will reappear in the section on Bird
and Beast Jingles.
32 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 I love to wash the dishes,
I love to sweep the floor.
I love to kiss that pretty little boy
Behind niv parlor door.
Chorus:
A farmer's boy, a farmer's boy,
He's the one for nie ;
If ever 1 get married
A farmer bride I'll be.
2 I love to feed the chickens,
I love to milk the cow.
I love to hear that farmer boy
Come whistling from the plow.
3 I wouldn't marry a preacher,
I tell you the reason why
He stands upon the pulpit
And makes the people cry.
4 I wouldn't marry a doctor,
I tell you the reason why
He goes all over the country
And makes the people die.
5 I wouldn't marry a blacksmith,
I tell you the reason why
His neck is so long and thin
I am afraid he'll never die.
'Farmer Boy for Me.' Sung by Miss Annie Hanilen (later Mrs. E. S.
Swindell), Durham. Three stanzas and chorus. The first two stanzas
and the chorus the same as the chorus and stanzas 4. 3 of F ; the third
stanza is new :
I would not marry a lawyer.
I'll tell you the reason why :
He gets up on the stand
And always tells a lie.
TI
'I'm Determined to Be an Old Maid." From Gertrude Allen (later
Mrs. Vaught), Taylorsville, Alexander county. Here tlie familiar "I'm
determined to he an old maid" drifts in the last stanza to the "farmer
hoy" theme of F. Tiie tune was taken down by Miss N'ivian Blackstock.
1 I'll not marry a man that's rich,
Vov he'll get drunk and fall in a ditch ;
CO r K r I N (i s () N c; s 33
Sei I'll \\u[ inair\ at all,
I'll iKil many at all.
Chorus:
I'm (k-tcrmiiu'd to he an old maid;
I'll take my stool and sit in the shade,
And I'll not marry at all,
I'll not marrv at all.
2 I'll not marry a man that's poor,
He'll go hegging from door to door;
So I'll not marry at all.
I'll not marry at all.
3 I'll not marry a man that's young.
For he'll deceive with a flattering tongue ;
So I'll not marrv at all,
I'll not marry at all.
4 I'll not marry a man that's old.
For he'll do nothing hut sit and scold;
And I'll not marry at all,
I'll not marry at all.
5 But I will marry a farmer's hoy.
For he will always have employ ;
So I will marrv after all, after all.
'Farmer's Wife I'll Be.' Reptjrted by W. B. Covington as Iieard in
Scotland county. Two lines only :
Farmer's wife, farmer's wife, farmer's wife I'll ])e.
If I ever marry in my life, farmer's wife I'll he.
'I Won't ^^a^^y at All.' Sent in by the Reverend J. M. Downiim as
obtained from Alex Tiigman of Todd, Ashe county, in 1922. Six stanzas
and chorus. Chorus and stanzas i, 2, 3, 4 as in H chorus and stanzas
4. 3, 2, I ; the last two stanzas introduce new matter :
3 I won't marry a man named l)ill
Though he loves me fit to kill ;
I won't marry at all,
I won't marrv at all.
6 I won't marry a man named Ned
Tho he's sweet as gingerhread ;
I won't marry at all,
I won't marry at all.
N.C.F., Vol. HI, (5)
34 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'I Won't Marry at All.' From Ethel Brown, Catawba county. The
chorus and stanzas 2 and i of H.
'I'm Determined to Be an Old Alaid.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton as
heard in 1917 "in the mountains." Evidently not complete; "There
were several other types of men she was determined not to marry." The
three stanzas given are the chorus and stanzas i and 2 of H.
M
'An Old Man.' Reported in 1915 by Miss Iris Chappelle of Creedmoor,
Granville county, as obtained from her mother, who learned it as a
child. This and the next two texts might claim the status of distinct
songs, being devoted to the yovmg girl's repugnance at the thought of
marrying an old man.
1 I would not marry an old man.
I will tell you the reason why :
His face is always dirty,
His chin is never dry.
Chorus:
An old man, an old man.
An old man is gray.
But a young man's heart is full of love.
And away, old man, away.
2 I would rather marry a yotmg man
With an apple in his hand
Than marry an old man
With forty acres of land.
3 I would rather marry a young man
With forty cows to milk
Than marry an old man
All rohed in satin and silk.
4 An old man he comes creeping in
And says he's tired of life ;
But a yoimg man he comes skipping in
And says 'Kiss me, my dear wife.'
'I Would Not Marry an Old Man.' From the manuscript notebook of
Mrs. Harold Glasscock of Raleigh, lent to Dr. White in 1943. The
songs in this notebook Mrs. Glasscock learned from her parents. Sub-
stantially tile same as stanzas i and 4 and the chorus of M, yet there
are interesting minor differences of diction;
T I would not marry an old m.nn,
I'll tell you the reason why:
C 0 L' R T I N C S () x c; s 35
J lis lip> arc always hanj^iiii; down
And his (.-hill is never (Irv.
Chunis:
An old man is gray, an nld man is gray;
A yonng man's heart is fnll of love.
(i<> away, old man, go '\va\'.
2 An old man comes htjbhling in
Quite weary of his life;
A young man conies skipping in :
'Come kiss me, my dear wife.'
'Old Maid's Song.' From Alexander Tugman of Todd, Ashe county.
Four stanzas ; the first two as in H, the other two slightly different :
3 I'll not marry a man that's young,
For he'll give me a piece of his tongue;
And I'll not marry a-tall, a-tall.
And I'll not marrv a-tall.
4 I'll not marry a man that's old,
For he will love me less than gold ;
And I'll not marry a-tall, a-tall.
And Fll not marry a-tall.
p
'The Old Maid.' Reported by .Xh^s. Sutton from Madison county, witli
one stanza not given in L :
ril not marry a man that's fat.
For he'll slip u[) and fall on a mat ;
And Fll not marry a tall, a tall.
And Fll not marrv a tall.
'1 Wouldn't .Marry.' Rcixjrtcd In* Professor M. (i. Fulton of Davidson
College as collected by \V. C. Frierson. Two stanzas, the i)reaclier and
the doctor, nearly the same as in H, but the objection to tlie preacher
here is not that he makes people cry Init tliat
He's going all (ner the country
Er eatin' chicken pie.
Finally, two te.xts spoken partly by the man and partly by tlie woman.
Both of them belong to the tradition of F and (i.
'I Wouldn't Marry.' Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionville,
Watauga county, in 1915 or thereabouts. With the tune.
36 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 I would not marry an old man,
And I'll tell you the reason why :
His nose is never . . .
His shoes is never dry.
Chorus:
A soldier boy, a soldier boy,
A soldier boy for me.
H ever I get married
A soldier's bride I'll be.
2 I would not marry an old maid.
And I'll tell you the reason why :
She combs her head with a fish-backbone.
And that don't please my eye.
3 I would not marry an old man.
And I'll tell you the reason why :
His neck's too long and stringy
And I fear he'd never die.
'Farmer Boy.' Obtained from Jennie Belvin of Durham in 1922. With
the music. Chorus and stanzas i. 2. 3 as in F chorus and stanzas 2, 3,
4, and it ends with these two stanzas :
4 I wouldn't marry a lawyer,
I'll tell you the reason why:
When he gets up on the stand
He's bound to tell a lie.
5 I wouldn't marry an old maid,
I'll tell you the reason why:
Her neck's so long and stringy
I'm 'fraid she'll never die.
18
A Single Life
A somewhat sedate version of the "I woukhi't marry" theme
which I have not found elsewhere.
'A Single Life.' Reported by Vernon Sechriest of Thomasville. David-
son county, as obtained from Mrs. Augusta Fonts, then seventy-seven
years okL
1 Some do say there are good girls.
Oh, where shall we find them ?
Some do say there are good boys.
But never do you mind them.
c o I' R T 1 N (; s o \ c; s 37
CItonis:
A single life I am to live,
Oh, single is my glurv ;
A single life I am to live.
Then who will control me?
2 They'll come to court )ou for ci while,
C )n purpose to deceive you ;
.\ncl when they think they'\e j^^ained your heart
They'll run away and leave you.
19
When 1 Was Single
Although tlie theme is old. this song seems not to l)e. 'lliere is a
sort of antecedent to it in the U'estviiiistcr Drollery of 1672; see
Ashton's Humour . . . of the Serentcoith Century, pp. 27-8. The
song is known in England and very widely in America, though not.
so far as I can find, in New England. See BSM 437. and add
to the references there given Virginia (FSV 168-9), Tennessee
(BTFLS V 35-6), North Carolina (FSRA 133), the Ozarks (OFS
III 66-9), Ohio (BSO 181-5), Indiana (SFLQ iv 172), Illinois
(JAFL XL 238-9), and Michigan (BSSM 479, listed only). The
Archive of American Folk Song lists recordings of it from Vir-
ginia, Louisiana. Arkansas, and Ohio. Mrs. Steely found it in the
Ebenezer community in Wake county. Texts diiYer chiefly by the
retention or omission of certain stanzas. Frequently only a single
stanza is remembered. Normally the stanza form is the poulter's
measure 3-3-4-3. and one suspects a fault in copying in some of the
texts that fail to show this foruL
For the woman's side of the (|uestion, see 'I Wish I Was a
.*^ingle Girl Again' in the section of songs on drinking and ganil)lin"-.
'When I Was Single.' From Miss Amy Henderson of Worry. Burke
county, in 1914. Upon this text Dr. W'hite has noted: "A iK)])ular
glee club song, first lieard by me about ujo6." The first stanza sJiows
the verse structure. Thereafter only the new part of eacli stanza is
given.
1 Oh ! when I was single, oh ! then.
Oh ! when I was single, oh ! then.
Oh! when I was single my pockets did jingle.
And 1 wish I was single again.
2 1 married me a wife, she was the plague of my life.
And 1 wish I was single again.
3 My wife took sick, and she died pretty (|uick.
And T was Ldad T was single again.
38 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Sometimes this third stanza is followed by this :
My wife she got worse, and I sent for a hearse
In hopes I'd be single again.
And sometimes stanza 3 takes this form :
My wife she died and I laughed till I cried.
So glad I was single again.
4 I married me another, she was the devil's grandmother.
And I wished I was single again.
Instead of this last stanza the following is sometimes sung :
I married me another, she was worse than the other,
And I wish I was single again.
'I Wish I Was Single Again.' From J. W. Miller, student at Trinity
College in 1934, from Lincoln county. This te.xt lacks the opening
stanza and is more detailed than A about wliat followed.
1 When my wife died, oh then,
When my wife died, oh then.
When my wife died I laughed till I cried
To think I was single again.
2 I went after her cofifin, just laughing and talking
To think I was single again.
3 I went after her shroud, walking mighty proud,
To think I was single again.
4 I went to her grave, but I couldn't behave,
For to think I was single again.
5 I married another, but she was worse than the other ;
Oh, I wish I was single again.
6 She beat me, she banged me, she swore she would hang
me.
Oh, I wish I was single again.
'When I Was Single.' From Miss Madge T. Nichols, Durham county,
in 1922. Only two stanzas, "I married a wife" and "I married an-
other," and the "When I was single" chorus.
D
T Wish I Was Single Again.' From Bessie Lou Mull, Shelby, Cleve-
land county. This is one of the texts that seem to depart from the
normal verse form, stanza 2 being written :
My wife she died, (jh then.
My wife she died, oh then.
c () u R T 1 N c SO N c; s 39
And 1 1;iu|l;Ik'(1 until 1 cried.
And 1 wish 1 was single again.
r.ut tlic first ami tlic last of the six stanzas arc in the regular 3-3-4-3
riiythin. so that one suspects tliat the other stanzas are niiswritten.
Stanza i is "I wish I was single again,' 'in stanza 3 he goes for her
cotl.n, in stanza 4 he marries another, stanza 5 tells iiow tlie second
wife beat and l)anged him; the final stanza is stall-ballad moralizing:
So, boys, take warning from this,
So, boys, take warning from this ;
Be kind to the lirst. for the last is the worse;
And 1 wish 1 was single again.
"1 Wish 1 Was Single Again." From Ailie Ann Pearce, Colerain,
Bertie county. Text as in D.
"When 1 Was Single.' From Lucille Massey, Durham. Anotlier text
which seems to deny the 3-3-4-3 stanza structure. Four stanzas : "When
I was single," "I got me a wife," "My wife she died," and "I went
for the cofiin."
'I Wish I Was Single Again.' From Marguerite Riggs, Pitt county.
Three stanzas: "I wish 1 was single," "I married a wife," and "I
married another." Regular verse form.
'Song.' From Mrs. Nilla Lancaster, W'aync county. Tliree stanzas, in
the regular verse form : "I wish I was single again," "I married me a
wife, oh then," and "My wife she died, oh then.''
1
"1 Wish I Was Single Again.' From Miss Jewell Robl)ins, Pekin,
Montgomery county, in 1922. With the tune. Tliis siiows a slight
variation in the refrain :
1 I married a wife, aha
I married a wife, aha
I married a wife, the bane of my life.
And I wish I was single again.
Chorus:
Then 1 wish I was single again,
And I wish 1 was single again ;
If I was single my pockets would jingle,
And 1 wisli 1 was single again.
2 I married another, aha
I married another, aha
40 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I married another, the devil's stepmother,
And I wish I was single again.
'When I Was Single.' From J. C. Knox, Leland, Brunswick county.
With the tune. Five stanzas, the first four of which correspond to the
first four of A and the fifth to stanza 6 of B.
The following report but a single stanza, "I wish I was single," etc. :
K From Gertrude Allen (Mrs. Vaught ) , Taylorsville, Alexander county.
L From Ethel Hicks Buffalo, Oxford, Granville county.
M From Louise F. Watkms, Goldsboro, Wayne county.
N From Caroline Biggers, Union county.
O From Katherine Bernard Jones, Raleigh.
P From Louise Bennett, Middleboro, Wayne county.
Q From Lucille Cheek, Chatham county.
II
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS
w
'INE AND WOMEN have been favorite topics of popular
song at least since the days of the Carmina Burana. But in
North Carolina the women most often appear as the declared enemies
of drink, and the drink itself is for the most part not the juice of the
grape but of the (often hidden and illicit) still. To take first the
songs that came with the temperance movement about the middle of
the^last century: some (The Drunkard's Hell,' 'The Drunkard's
Doom,' The Drunkard's Dream'— this last in two quite difTerent
forms) attempt by lurid visions to frighten the drunkard from his
evil ways; 'Father. Dear Father. Come Home with IMe Now' and
The Drunkard's Lone Child' aim to tear his heartstrings with the
piti fulness of innocent childhood wrecked by his intemperance; in
'Don't Go Out Tonight. My Darling' and 'Be Home Early Tonight'
the woman pleads in a gentler tone. In 'Seven Long Years Fve Been
IVlarried' and 'I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again' (which are closely
akin to the songs at the end of the preceding section) a woman
deplores her evil plight in being the wife of a gambler and a
drunkard :
Washing their little feet, putting them to bed;
In comes the drunkard, wishing that I was dead.
Oh, Lord, I wish I was a single girl again !
One of these temperance songs, 'Lips That Touch Liquor Must
Never Touch Mine.' had a great vogue ; its refrain line became a
catchword, and is so yet. The Collection has it in two forms, quite
different but alike in that in both the woman pits her charms against
those of liquor and tells the man— with an unmistakable air of
triumph— that he must make his choice. 'I'm Alone' is the mono-
logue of an old man whose life has been wrecked by drink.
But drink has, naturally, its brighter side. 'Old Rosin the Beau'
has led a very satisfactory toper's life and now very cheerfully
gives directions for his burial. Everybody knows 'The Little Brown
Jug,' though its component stanzas are seldom just the same in any
two' texts. 'Pass Around the Bottle' seems to be a soldier's march-
ing song. 'Judy My Whiskey Tickler' is a college drinking song
of a hundred years "ago. Two songs, 'I'll Never Get Drunk Any
More' and 'Show Me the Way to Go Home, Babe,' are the maunder-
ings of a drunken and happv lover. 'Pickle My Bones in Alcohol'
42 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
and 'Sticks and Stones I\Iay Break My Bones' are favorites with
the Negroes. 'Moonshine' exalts the potency of the mountaineer's
favorite tipple, and 'The Hidden Still' describes the place where it
is made. And finally there is a group of songs that came originally,
one imagines, from the minstrel stage: 'Sweet Cider,' 'A Little
More Cider Too,' 'Sucking Cider through a Straw.'
Gamblers' songs are few. The best-known of them, 'The Journey-
man,' is not always the song of a gambler; in 'Jack of Diamonds'
the gambler accuses that card of being the cause of his downfall;
'I Got Mine' is a vaudeville piece that has acquired wide currency,
especially among Negroes.
20
The Drunkard's Hell
This contribution to the war against the demon rum has already
been reported from North Carolina (FSSH 378-80, JAFL xlv
55-8), Tennessee (FSSH 380-1), Kentucky (BKH no), Missis-
sippi (JAFL XXXIX 169-70), and the Ozarks (OFS 11 409-10).
'The Drunkard's Hell.' Reported by Miss Pearl Webb of Pineda,
Avery county, in 1922.
1 One dark and starless night
I saw an aw f til sight.
The lightning flashed, loud thtmder rolled
Across my dark, benighted soul.
I bowed my head, and saw below
Where all the dying drunkards go.
2 My awful thoughts no tongue can tell.
And is this my place and a drunkard's hell?
I started on. got there at last.
Thought I'd take one social glass.
I poured it out and started it well —
And then I thought of a drunkard's hell.
3 I dashed it out and left the place
And went to seek redeeming grace.
The very moment that grace began
Ten thousand joys within me sprang.
I started home to change my life,
To see my long-neglected wife.
4 I found her weeping at the bed.
Because her infant babe was dead.
I told her not to cry or weep.
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 43
Because her infant babe was just asleep;
Its little soul had fled away
To dwell with God eternally.
I took her by her white hand —
She was so weak she could not stand —
1 laid her down and breathed a prayer
That God might bless and save us there.
I started to the Temperance Hall
To take the pledge among them all.
One met me there with a welcoming hand.
Took me in with a Temperance Band.
Five long sober years have passed away,
Years since I have bowed my knees to pray.
Now I'll go home and live a sober life
With a good home and a loving wife.
'Dark and Stormy Night.' Reported in 1937 by Professor W. Amos
Abrams of Boone, with the note: "My father got this ballad from a
friend about 1897."
1 'Twas on a dark and stormy night
I heard and saw an awful sight.
The lightning flashed, loud thunder rolled.
Across the dark the night did stroll.
2 I heard a voice cry soft and low,
'Far down beneath all drunkards go.
Come in, young man, we'll make you room,
Because your road has led to ruin.'
3 I started on, got there at last,
And thought I'd take a social glass.
I poured it out and stirred it well —
Until I thought of a drunkard's hell.
4 I dashed it out and left the place
And sought to find redeeming grace ;
I started home to change my life.
To meet my long-neglected wife.
5 I found her weeping o'er the bed
Because our sweet little babe was dead.
I told her not to mourn or weep ;
Our little babe was just asleep.
6 I took hold of her pale white hand.
She was so weak she could not stand.
44 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I bowed her down and prayed a prayer
That God might bless and save us there.
7 I felt like Paul, who once did pray ;
I felt my sins all washed away.
And now I live a happy life
With a good home and a loving wife.
'On a Dark and Stormy Night.' The opening stanza only, copied from
the music as contributed by I. G. Greer of Boone, Watauga county.
On a dark and stormy night
I saw and heard an awful sight.
The lightning played, loud thunder rolled
Across my dark, benighted soul.
D
'Drunkard's Hell.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection. Uses
pretty much all the matter of A and B, somewhat dififerently arranged
in some of the items. Stanzas 2 and 3 are rather more dramatic than
in those texts :
2 I thought I saw a gulf Ijelow
Where all poor dying drunkards go.
My feelings then no tongue can tell :
This is my place — the drunkard's hell.
3 I met another weeping crowd
With bloodshot eyes and voices loud.
I heard them raise their voices, yell :
'This is your place — the drunkard's hell.'
21
The Drunkard's Doom
For the occurrence of this song elsewhere see BSM 468, and adtl
to the references there given Alissouri (OFS 11 392-3), Ohio (BSO
308), Michigan (BSSM 478, listed only), and Indiana (SFLQ iv
183-4).
'The Drunkard's Doom.' Reported by I. G. Greer. Boone. Watauga
county. With the tune. A line of each stanza is repeated in the re-
frain, as indicated in stanza i.
I I saw a man at early dawn
Standing by the grog-shop door ;
His eyes were sunk, his lips was parched ;
And I viewed him o'er and o'er.
And that's the drunkard's doom ;
His eyes was sunk, his lips was parched.
And that's the drunkard's doom.
DRINK AND CAMELING SONGS 45
2 His little son stood by his side
As if to him did say ■}
'Dear father, mother lies sick at home,
And sister cries for bread.'
3 lie rose, he staggered to the bar
As oft he done before.
He to the landlord whispering said,
'( ). give me one glass more.'
4 The host complied with his request.
He drank the poisonous bowl.
He drank while wife and children starved.
And ruined his poor soul.
5 In about one year 1 passed that way.
A crowd stood at the door.
I asked the cause, and one replied,
'The drunkard is no more.'
6 I saw the hearse move slowly on.
No wife, no child was there.
They to another world had gone
And left this world of care.
22
The Drunkard's Dream (I)
As Cox has pointed out (FSS 398). this is frequent in nineteenth-
century ballad print in England, and it is also widely known in
this country. See BSM 469-70, and add to die references there
given Virginia (FSV 306-7), North Carolina (SFLQ v 144). Mis-
souri (OFS II 393-6), Ohio (BSO 226-7), and Indiana (SFLQ
IV 188-91); it is known also in Michigan (BSSM 478, listed
merely). The five texts in our collection differ somewhat, chiefly
by omissions, transpositions, and other minor variations character-
istic of oral transmission.
'The drunkard's Dream.' From the manuscript songbook of Miss Lura
Wagoner of Vox, secured in 1922 but probably entered in the book
some ten years earlier. With the tune.
I 'Oh. Edward, you look so happy now ;
Your clothes are neat and clean ;
I never see you drunk about.
Pray, tell me where you've been.
^ Probably for "to him he said."
46 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 'Your wife and cliildren are all well ;
You once did treat them strange.
Oh, you are kinder to them now —
How came this happy change?'
3 'It was a dream, a warning voice,
Which heaven sent to me
To snatch me from the drunkard's curse,
Grim want and misery.
4 'My wages were all spent in drink ;
Oh, what a wretched view !
I almost broke my Mary's heart.
And starved mv children, too.
5 'What was my home or wife to me?
I heeded not her cry ;
Her winsome smile had welcomed me
When tears bedimmed her eye.
6 'Aly children, too, have oft awoke.
"Oh, father dear," they've said,
"Poor mother has been weeping so
Because we've had no bread."
7 'My Mary's form did waste away;
I saw her sunken eye.
On straw my babes in sickness laid ;
I heard their wailing cry.
8 'I laughed and sang in drunken joy
While Mary's tears did stream ;
Then like a beast I fell asleep
And had this warning dream.
9 'I thought once more I'd staggered home;
There seemed a solemn gloom.
I missed my wife — where can she be? —
And strangers in the room.
10 'I heard them say, "Poor thing! she's dead.
She lived a wretched life.
For grief and sorrow broke her lieart.
Who would be a drunkard's wife?"
11 T saw my children weeping round.
I scarcely drew my breath.
They called and kissed her lifeless form.
Forever still in death.
DRINK AND t; AMBLING SONGS 47
12 ■ "Oh father! come and wake her up!
The people sa}- she's dead.
Oh, make her smile and speak once more !
We'll never cry tor hread."
13 ' " She is not dead." I faintly cried
And rushed to where she lay
And madly kissed her once warm lips
Forever cold as clay.
14 ' "O Mary! speak one word to me.
No more I'll cause you pain,
No more I'll break your loving heart,
Nor ever get drunk again.
15 '"Dear Mary, speak! 'Tis Edward's voice."
"I know it is," she cried.
I woke, and, true, my Mary dear
Was kneeling by my side.
16 T pressed her to my throbbing heart,
While with joy our tears did stream.
And ever since I've heaven blessed
For sending such a dream.'
'The Drunkard's Dream.' From the manuscript book of Mrs. Mary
Martin Copley, obtained in 1923 by Jesse F. Carpenter of Durham.
This text lacks the awakening from the dream, ending with these lines:
My poor wife's form did waste away,
I saw her sunken eyes.
My babes on stray in sickness lay,
I heard their wailing cries.
'Oh, papa, come and wake her up !
The people say she's dead.
Just make her speak and smile once more
And we will never cry for bread.'
c
'The Drunkard's Dream.' Obtained by Professor W. Amos Abrams,
of Boone, from Mary Bost of States ville, Iredell county. Lacks stanzas
4-8 of A and has a few other minor variants.
D
'The Drunkard's Dream.' From Mrs. Minnie Church of Heaton, Avery
county, in 1939. This text too has lost the awakening from the dream,
ending with
'Oh, Mary, speak to me,' I said.
'I'll never cause you pain
48 NORTH CAROLINA 1-OLKLORE
Or will I break your loving heart ;
I'll never get drunk again.'
E
'The Drunkard's Dream." From the manuscripts of G. S. Robinson of
Asheville, obtained in August 1939. Lacks stanzas 5-8 and 12-13 of -^
and shows minor variations due to setting down the text from memory,
but retains the ending of A with an added final Hne : "Farewell to rum's
career."
23
The Drunkard's Dream (II)
This is quite distinct from the temperance song of the same title
given just above. That is very widely known both in England and
in America ; this song I have found nowhere else.
'The Drunkard's Dream.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 The drunkard dreamed of his old retreat,
Of his cozy place in the taproom seat;
And the liquor gleamed on his gloating eyes
Till his lips to the sparkling glass drew nigh.
He lifted it up with an eager glance
And sang as he saw the bubbles dance,
'Aha, I am myself again,
Here's a truce to care and adieu to pain !
2 'Welcome the cup with its creamy foam.
Farewell to work and a mopy home.
With a jolly crew and a flowing bowl
In barroom pleasures I love to roll.'
Like a crash there came to the drunkard's side
His angel child who that night had died.
With a look so gentle and sweet and fond
She touched his glass with her little hand.
3 And oft as he raised it up to drink
She silently tapped on its trembling brink ;
Till the drunkard shook from foot to crown
And set the untasted goblet dcnvn.
'Hey, man,' cried the host, 'what meanelh this?
Is thee canty sick, or the dram amiss ?
Cheer up, my lad, quick the bumper quaff.'
24
Father, Dear I-'atiier, Come with Me Now
One of Henry C. Work's songs; by no means so good as 'Wake,
N'codemus,' but still it achieved a considerable jxipularity. It has
DRINK AND (.AMBLING SONGS 49
been reported as a folk song from Virginia (FSV 306), Kentucky
(Shearin 33, BKH 144), and Arkansas (OFS 11 397). Of our
two texts one follows the original pretty closely except in the
chorus, which is quite different from Work's; the other is a reduced
form but retains the original chorus (probably; see headnote to B).
'Father, Dear Father, Come Home with Me Now.' From Lois Johnson,
Davidson county. No date given.
1 Father, dear father, come home with me now ;
The clock in the steeple strikes one.
You said you were coming right home from the shop
As soon as your day's work was done.
The house is all dark, the fires are all out.
And mother's heen watching since tea
With poor little Bennie so sick in her arms
And no one to help her htit me.
Chorus:
Hear the sweet voice of the child,
Which the night winds repeat as they roam.
Oh, who could resist this most plaintive of prayers,
'Please, father, dear father, come home.'
2 Father, dear father, come home with me now ;
The clock in the steeple strikes two.
Poor Bennie is worse, indeed he is worse.
And he has been calling for you.
Indeed he is worse, ma says he will die.
Perhaps before morning shall dawn.
And this is the message she sent me to tell :
Come quickly or he will be gone.
3 Father, dear father, come home with me now ;
The clock in the steeple strikes three.
The house is so lonely, the hours are so long
For poor weeping mother and me.
Yes. we're all alone ; poor Bennie is dead
And gone with the angels of light ;
And these were the very last words that he said :
T want to kiss papa goodnight.'
B
'Father, Dear Father, Come Home with Me Now.' From Bessie Lou
Hull, Shelby, Cleveland county. No date given. The chorus is per-
haps miscopied ; in the original song it runs
Come home ! come home ! come home !
Please, father, dear father, come home.
N.C.F.. Vol. TIT, (6)
50 NORTH CAROLINA I' 0 L K L 0 R E
1 Father, clear father, come home with me now,
The clock in the steeple strikes one ;
You said you were coming right home from the shop
As soon as your day's work was done.
Chorus:
Come home, come home,
Please, father, dear father, come home.
Come home, some home.
Please, father, dear father, come home.
2 Our light has gone out. our house is all dark.
And mother has been waiting since ten
With poor little Bennie so sick in her arms
And no one to help her but me.
3 Father, dear father, come home with me now,
The clock in the steeple strikes two ;
Our house has grown cold, and Bennie is worse,
But he has been calling for you.
4 Yes, Bennie is worse, mother says he will die.
Perhaps before morning shall dawn ;
But the message he sent me to bring :
'Oh, papa, dear papa, come home !'
25
The Drunkard's Lone Child
As Stout's Iowa texts show, there are two quite distinct songs
bearing this title (MAFLS xxix 122-4). Ours is the former of
the two. It has been reported also from Virginia (FSV 307),
North Carolina (FSSH 382). the Ozarks (OFS 11 398-402), Michi-
gan (BSSM 477. listed only), and Nebraska (Pound 55), and
Spaeth gives it in U'ccp Some More. My Lady 191-2.
'Bessie, or the Drunkard's Daughter." From the manuscript songbook
of Miss Lura Wagoner of Vox, Alleghany county, in whicli it was
entered probably in 1912 or thereabouts.
I Out in the gloomy night sadly I roam,
I have no mother dear, no pleasure have.^
No one cares for me, no one would cry
Even if poor little Bessie should die.
Weary and tired I've been wandering all day
Asking for work ; but I'm too small, they say.
On the damp ground I must now lay my head.
Father is a dnnikard and mother is dead.
' The I! text shows how this lino should rhyme.
DRINK AND C. A M B L I N G SONGS 5 1
We were so happy till father drank rum ;
Then all our sorrow and trouble begun.
Mother grew pale and wept every day,
Baby and 1 were too hungry to play.
Slowly they faded, till one summer night
Found their dead faces all silent and white.
Then, with big tears slowly dropping, I said,
'Father's a drunkard and mother is dead.'
Oh, if the temperance man only could find
Poor wretched father, and talk very kind.
If they could stop him from drinking, then
I would be so very happy again.
Is it too late, temperance men? Please try.
Or poor little Bessie must soon starve and die.
All day long I've been begging for bread.
Father's a drunkard and mother is dead.
'God Pity Bessie, the Drunkard's Lone Child.' Contrihuted in 1921 by
Miss Jewell Robbins of Pekin, Montgomery county. Eight lines only.
With the air.
1 Out in the cold I wander alone.
With no one to love me, no friends, no home.
Dark is the night and the storm rages wild.
God pity Bessie, the drunkard's lone child !
2 Mother, oh, why did you leave me alone
W' ith no one to love me, no friends, no home ?
Dark is the night and the storm rages wild.
God pity Bessie, the drunkard's lone child !
'Drunkard's Love Child.' Obtained from Bell Brandon of Durham.
Not dated. The text is the same as B except that it has "love" for
"lone."
26
Don't Go Out Tonight, My Darling
The age-old struggle between tlie wife and the tavern has
prompted many songs. This particular one, which is reported also
by Randolph from the Ozarks (OFS 11 434), shows by the vari-
ations in the three texts in our collection that it has passed by
word of mouth from singer to singer.
'Don't Go Out Tonight, My Darling.' Contributed by Professor W.
Amos Abrams, of Boone, about 1936.
52 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 Don't go out tonight, my darling,
Do not leave me here alone.
Stay at home with me, my darling ;
I'm so lonesome when you are gone.
2 Although that life may be tempting
And your finals full of glee,^
I will do my best to cheer you.
Darling, won't you stay with me ?
3 (Jh, now he's gone and left me
With a curse upon his lips.
There's no one knows what I have suffered
Over that awful tucked head.-
4 I hear a knock upon the door
And footsteps upon the floor.
Now they ha\e brought back ni}- husband.
There he is upon the floor.
5 Now he's dying ; yes, he's dying.
Soon I shall be left alone.
I ask that God go and his mercy^
And save him from a drunkard's doom.
'Don't Go Out Tonight, My Darling.' From Mrs. Minnie Church,
Heaton, Avery county, 1930.
1 Don't go out tonight, my darling,
Do not leave me here alone ;
Stay at home with me. my darling ;
I'm so lonesome when you're gone.
2 Altho the life has many atemptings
And your friendship will 1 grieve, "*
I will do my best to cheer you.
Darling, w'on't you stay with me?
3 Oh, no ! he's gone and left me
With a curse upon his lips.
There's no one knows how 1 have suffered
For those awful words he said.
^ Randolph's Arkansas text shows how this line shuuld run : "And
your friends are full of glee."
" B's "For those awful words he said" shows what is prohalily the
right reading.
■'' Here again B iielps out : "I pray that God's own tender mercy
May. . . ."
* For the right reading of the first two lines of stanza 2, see C and
the note on this stanza in A.
DRINK AND C A M B L I N G SONGS 53
4 1 liear a knocking at the door.
I hear his footsteps on the floor.
Now they brought nie hack my husband ;
Here he is upon the floor.
5 Now he's dying ; yes, he's dying.
Soon I will be left alone.
I pray that God's own tender mercy
May save him from a drunkard's doom.
c
'Don't Go Out Tonight, My Darling." From the MSS of G. S. Robin-
son of .Asheville, copied out in 1939.
1 Don't go out tonight, my darling.
Do not leave me here alone.
Stay at home with me, my darling ;
I'm so lonely when you're gone.
2 Though the wine cup may be tempting
And our friends are full of glee,
I will do my best to cheer you.
Darling, can't you stay with me?
3 You may meet with friends and faces,
They may tell you they are true,
But remember, my dear darling.
No one loves you as I do.
4 ( )h, my God! He's gone and left me
With a curse upon his lips.
You don't know how much I've suft'ered
From the careless cup he drank.
5 Hark ! I hear the heavy footsteps.
Hear the knock upon the door.
Here they've brought him home, my husband ;
Here he lies upon the floor.
6 Oh, my God ! I cannot wake him ;
For he craved his rum, his rum.
All the flowers I have cherished.
They have faded, one by one.
27
Be Home Early
This song was printed in Wehman Brotliers' Good Old Time
Songs No. 3 (New York, 1914), pp. 18-19, and in broadsides of
earlier date, e.g., Wehman No. 551. Randolph reports it from
Arkansas (OFS iv 379-80).
54 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Be Home Early.' Secured by Julian P. Boyd from one of his pupils
in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county, about 1927-28.
1 I have traveled through life, 1 have seen many a thing
That surprised me in every form.
I have been at the spade. I have lieen at the plow
From dark till sunrise in the morn.
Chorus:
Be home early tonight, my dear boy, my dear boy,
Be home early tonight, my dear boy.
Don't spend all your money to gamble and drink.
Be home early tonight, my dear boy.
2 At night I would go for some pleasure through town.
For Fm always for pleasure and joy.
My mother would say, when going away,
'Be home early tonight, my dear boy.'
3 One night I returned from my night's fun and joy.
I heard my poor mother was dead.
It was then the cold chills through my body did run
When I thought of the last word she said.
4 Come all you young men and take warning by me,
To your fathers and mothers attend.
For a good mother's love it must not be forgot.
When she's gone you have lost your best friend.
28
I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again
For the occurrence of tliis song elsewhere and its possible rela-
tion to 'When I Was Single' (given in this volume under Court-
ing Songs), see BSM 437 and add to the references there given
Virginia (FSV 167) and Missouri (OFS in 69-70). 'When I
Was Single,' however, has nothing to do with drink or gambling,
and is besides (|uite different metrically from diis lament of a
drunkard's wife. Mrs. Steely found it in the Ebenezer community
in Wake county.
'I Wish I Were Single Again.' Obtained from Mamie Mansfield, of
the Fowler School District, Durham county, in 1922. The first two
times that the word "girl" occurs in the manuscript it is followed by
"gal" in parentheses, indicating no doubt that that is the way the word
is to be pronounced.
I I left my poor old father, and broke his command,
I left my poor old mother a-wringing her hands.
Oh, Ford, I wish 1 was a single girl again.
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 55
Clionis:
The drunkard, the drunkard is a man of his own,
Ahvays a-drinking and away from his home.
Oh. Lord, I wish 1 was a single girl again.
2 When I was single I wore very fine shoes ;
Now I am married my toes are sticking through.
Oh, Lord, 1 wish I was a single girl again.
3 When 1 was single 1 wore a very fine dress;
Now 1 am married rags are my best.
Oh, Lord. 1 wish I was a single girl again.
4 When I was single I had plenty to eat ;
Now 1 am married it is corn bread and meat.
Oh, Lord, I wish 1 was a single girl again.
5 Now it is the floors to be swept, the spring to go to,
Little ones a-crying. Oh, Lord, what shall I do?
Oh, Lord. I wish 1 was a single girl again.
6 Washing their little feet, putting them to bed.
In comes the drunkard, wishing that I was dead.
Oh, Lord, I wish I was a single girl again.
B
A Drunkard.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 .\ drunkard, a drunkard, a man of his own,
Always drinking away from his home.
Lord, I wish 1 was a single girl again !
2 When I was single, I had plenty to eat ;
Now I am married, and it's cornbread and meat.
Lord, I wish I was a single girl again !
3 When I was single I had fine clothes to wear ;
Now I am married and the rags are my best.
Lord, I wish I was a single girl again !
4 When I was single I had fine shoes to wear ;
Now I am married and my toes are poking through.
Lord, 1 wish I was a single girl again !
5 The spring is to go to. and my floors are to sweep.
The little ones are crying, they're crying for meat.
The other is crying. 'Papa. I want to go to bed.'
Lord, what shall 1 do? I wish I was a single girl again.
6 The bread is to bake and little ones' shoes to put on.
In steps a drunkard, and I wish I was dead.
Lord, I wish I was a single girl again !
56 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
7 \\ hen 1 was single I lived at my ease ;
Now I am married and a drunkard to please.
Lord, I wish I was a single girl again !
'The Drunkard's Wife." Contributed by I. T. Poole of Durham in
June 1920. With the air. Brief as it is, the contributor has marked
it "complete."
1 Two little children, all so very small ;
Neither one is large enough to help me at all.
Chorus:
Oh, 1 wish 1 was a single girl again.
Oh, I wish I was a single girl again.
2 One a-cryin" 'Mama, I want to go to bed,'
One a-cryin' 'Mama, I want a piece of bread.'
29
Seven Long Years I've Been Married
The woes of married life, for man and for woman, are the sub-
ject of numerous songs, some of which appear in this collection;
but this particular development of the theme seems to have no wide
currencv. I have found it reported elsewhere onlv from Virginia
(FSV 170), Arkansas (OFS 11 417). and Michigan (BS.SM 132).
Mrs. Steely found it in the Ebenezer community in Wake county.
Something like it but not the same song is reported from Ohio
(BSO 185). Compare 'I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again' and
'The Inconstant Lover' E.
'Wish I'd Lived an Old Maid.' Contributed by Rosa Efird of Stanly
county. But the manuscript is not dated.
1 For seven long years I've been married.
I wish I'd lived an old maid.
My husband he is oft" gambling :
I'd better been laid in my grave.
CJwnts:
Off to the barroom he staggers.
Go bring him back if you can.
Young girls, you have never known trouble
Lentil vou marry a man.
2 He promised, when we were first married,
We'd live so happy and gay ;
Every day in the week long
Go in the parlor and play.
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 57
Get up soon in the morning,
\\'ork and toil all day ;
Supper to cook in the evening,
The children to put to hed.
Off soon in the morning,
Gamble and drink all day ;
At night when he comes home
He's gambled his money away.
Young girls, you had better take warning
In choosing you a man.
For if you have never known trouble
You'll find it with a gambling man.
'Seven Long Years I've Been Married.' Contributed l)y Mamie Mans-
field of the Fowler School District, Durham county, in July 1922. A
fragmentary text.
1 Seven long years I've been married.
I wish I'd lived an old maid.
For now it's get up early in the morning
And toil and toil all day.
2 Supper to get for the children,
And the table to all clear away.
And off to the alehouse I go
To fetch him away if I can.
Now, girls, you'll never see trouble
Until you are tied to a man.
30
The Lips That Touch Liquor Must Never Touch Mine
This song, particularly its refrain line, attained wide popularity
in the days of the temperance movement, but I do not find it recog-
nized as folk song except by Randolph (OFS 11 341-2, from Arkan-
sas). In its original form — our A text — it is the work of George
W. Young, and has been printed in Standard Recitations (New
York, 1884), in One Hundred Choice Selections Number i6 (Phila-
delphia, copyright dates 1878 and 1906). and no doubt in many
other publications. But about Young I can learn nothing. That
indefatigable student of Americana H. L. Mencken {Yoii Know
These Lines! New York, 1935, p. 92) says the earliest print of it
he knows is a temperance broadside, undated but of about 1870,
but of the author be knows nothing beyond the name. He tells of
another piece, no doubt suggested by Young's, that appeared in
Readings and Recitations (New Y'ork, 1878), which may very likely
be our B text.
58 NORTH CAROLINA I" 0 L K L 0 R E
'The Lips That Touch Liquor Shall Never Touch Mine.' Obtained by
Jesse T. Carpenter from the manuscript songbook of Mrs. C. T. Weath-
erly of Greensboro, Guilford county.
1 You are coming to woo me, but not as of yore,
When I hastened to welcome your ring at the door.
For I trusted that he who stood waiting for me then
Was the brightest, the truest, the noblest of men.
Your lips on my own, when they printed 'farewell,'
Had never been soiled by the beverage of Hell !
But they come to me now with the bacchanal sign ;
And the lips that touch liquor must never touch mine.
2 I think of that night in the garden alone
When in whispers you told me your heart was my own,
That your love in the future should faithfully be
Unshared by another, kept only for me.
Oh, sweet to my soul is the memory still
Of the lips that met mine when they murmured 'I will.'
But now to their pressure no more they incline ;
For the lips that touch liquor shall never tovich mine.
3 Oh, John ! How it crushed me when first in your face
The pen of the rum fiend had written 'disgrace,'
And turned me in silence and tears from that breath,
All poisoned and foul from the chalice of death !
It scattered the hopes I had treasured to last,
It darkened the future and clouded the past.
It shattered my idol and ruined the shrine ;
For the lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine.
4 I loved you, oh, dearer than language can tell.
And you saw it, you proved it, you knew it too well ;
But the man of my love was far other than he
\\nio now from the taproom comes running to me.
In manhood and honor so noble and bright.
His heart was so true and his genius so bright.
And his soul was unstained, unpolluted by wine.
But the lips that totich li(|uor shall Jici'cr touch mine.
5 You i^romised reform ; but I trusted in vain.
Your pledge was but made to be broken again.
And the lover so false to his promises now
Will not as a husband be true to his vow.
The word must be spoken that bids you depart.
Though the efiforts to speak it should shatter my heart.
Though in silence with l)lightc(l afifections I pine.
Yet the lips that touch li(|uor shall never totich mine.
DRINK A X 1) C, AMBLING SON C. S 59
If one spark in your Ijosoui of virtue remains.
Go fan it with prayer till it kindles again.
Resolve, with God helping, in future to be
From wine and its follies unshackled and free !
And when you have conquered this foe of your soul,
In manhood and honor beyond its control.
This heart will again beat responsive to thine,
And the lips free from liquor be welcome to mine.
'The Lips That Toucli Liquor.' Obtained by Jesse T. Carpenter from
the manuscript songbook of Mrs. Mary Martin Copley, Route 8, Durham.
1 The demon of rum is abroad in the land.
His victims are falling on every hand,
The wise and the sinful, the brave and the fair.
No station too high for his vengeance to spare.
O woman, the sorrow and pain is with you.
And so be the joy and the victory too ;
With this for your motto and succor divine :
The lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine.
The lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine.
Chorus:
With this for your motto and succor divine.
The lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine.
Shall never touch mine.
2 The homes that were happy are ruined and gone.
The hearts that were merry are wretched and lone,^
And lives full of promises of good things to come.
Wives, maidens, and mothers, to you it is given
To rescue the fallen and point them to heaven.
W'ith God for your guide you shall win by this sign :
The lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine.
The lips that touch liciuor shall never touch mine.
3 O mother, whose sons tarry long at the bowl,
Who loves their good name as you love your own soul ;
O maidens, with fathers and brother and beaux.
Whose lives you would rescue from infinite woes ;
Let war be your watchword from shore unto shore
Till rum and his legions shall ruin no more.
And write on your banners in letters that shine :
The lips that touch litjuor shall never touch mine.
The lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine.
^ The manuscript has here "Hne."
6o NORTH CAROLINA 1" 0 L K L 0 R E
31
I'm Alone, All Alone
This lament of an old man who has lost all his one-time happiness
and is now a lonely wanderer is no doubt conceived as an instru-
ment in the fight against drink. Randolph has found it in Mis-
souri (OFS II 424-5), and it appears three times in our collection.
A song reported by Henry ( FSSH 2^2~ ) from Kentucky has a like
refrain but is not the same song.
'Far Back in My Childhood.' The manuscript says "Recorded by ^Ir.
Coffey in . . . for the . . . Co.," which seems to mean that he sang it at
some time before a recording instrument for some phonograph company.
From O. L. Coffey of Shull's Mills, Watauga county.
1 Far back in my childhood, I remember today.
I was happy and beloved ere I wandered away ;
I was taught by my mother, who sleeps neath the stone.
And caressed by my father ; yet I've wandered here alone.
Chorus:
I'm alone, all alone, and I feel I'm growing old.
Yet I wandered, oh. how lonely ! I am shivering in the
cold.
2 I remember the maiden, and my heart bleeds to tell
How I loved her, her devotion ! But on this I cannot
dwell.
We were wed; our path was pleasant and the sun of for-
time shone ;
But alas, I took to drinking: and Fm a wanderer here
alone.
3 I remember my children, how they climbed upon my knees
And I kissed my little darling in the day when I was free.
But I've squandered all my fortune and I'm now with-
out a home.
And I know it was all from drinking. And F\e wan-
dered here alone.
'I'm Alone.' From Miss Pearl Webb of Pineola, Avery county, appar-
ently in 1921. With the music. The first three stanzas and chorus as
in A, but it adds a fourth stanza :
4 Can I break the bondage? Can I break this awful chain?
Can I escape the shackle ? Can I be free again ?
Friends of temperance, help me! Friends, my bondage is
untold,
And I kntnv it's all from drinking that I wandered alone.
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 6l
c
Louise Rand Bascom in 1909 printed (JAFL xxii 24) a fragmentary
version — the chorus, the last half of stanza i and the first half of stanza
3 of A— with the notation that it "has prohahly been transplanted from
the lowlands."
32
Old Rusin the Beau
For the history and occurrence elsewhere of this song, see BSM
2SS and add to the references there given Virginia (FSV 132-3),
North Carolina (FSRA 97), and Missouri (OFS iv 371-3)-
'Old Rosin the Beau.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as set down in 1910
from the singing of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
1 I live for the good of my nation.
And my sons are all growing low.
But I hope that my next generation
Will resemble old Rosin the Beau.
I've traveled this country all over
And now to the next I will go,
For I know that good quarters are waiting
To welcome old Rosin the Beau.
Chorus:
And drink to old Rosin the Beau,
And drink to old Rosin the Beau,
And rake^ down that big-bellied bottle
And drink to old Rosin the Beau.
2 In the gay round of pleasure I've traveled.
Nor will I behind leave a foe ;
And when my companions are jovial
They will drink to old Rosin the Beau.
But my life is now drawn to a closing
And all will at last be so.
So we'll take a full bumper at parting
To the name of old Rosin the Beau.
3 When I'm dead and laid out on the counter,
The people all making a show.
Just sprinkle plain whiskey and water
On the corpse of old Rosin the Beau.
I'll have to be buried, I reckon.
And the ladies will all want to know,
And they'll lift up the lid of the coffin
Saying, 'Here lies old Rosin the Beau.'
^ So in the typescript. Miswritten for "take"?
62 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 Oh, when to my grave I am going
The children will all want to go,
They'll run to the doors and the windows
Saying, 'There goes old Rosin the Beau.'
Then pick me out six trusty fellows
And let them all stand in a row
And dig a big hole in a circle
And in it toss Rosin the Beau.
5 Then shape me out two little donochs/
Place one at my head and my toe,
And do not forget to scratch on it
The name of old Rosin the Beau.
Then let those six trusty good fellows.
Oh, let them all stand in a row
And rake- down that big-bellied bottle
And drink to old Rosin the Beau.
33
Little Brown Jug
Very generally known and sung. See BSM 261, and for its use
as a play-party song consult Botkin's The American Play-Party
Song by index under "Brown Jug." It is reported also from Vir-
ginia (FSV 147) and from Missouri (OFS iii 141-2, 331, the
latter as a play-party song). It appears twenty-two times in our
collection, mostly in a stanza or two. All together these texts show
eight distinguishable stanzas, four of them frequently and one of the
four much more frequently than any of the others, four rarely.
The four stanzas of frequent occurrence appear in the following
text.
'Little Brown Jug.' Contributed in 1914 by Miss Amy Henderson of
Worry, Alleghany county.
1 My wife and I lived all alone
In a little log hut we called our own.
She loved gin and I loved rum.
Tell you what, we'd lots of fun !
2 ^Vhen I go toiling to my farm
Little brown jug is under my arm.
I place it under a shady tree.
Little brcnvn jug, 'tis you and me!
^ The manuscript adds liere in parenthesis "drinking mugs." Lomax
also so explains the word. But the New International Dictionary says
that "dornick" (variant spellings donnick, donnock) means a stone, a
small boulder.
- So in the typescript. Miswritten for "take" ?
DRINK A N I) C A M H L I N G SONGS 63
3 My wife and 1 and a stump-tailed dog
Crossed the creek on a hickory \og.
The log did hreak and we all fell in.
You het I hung to my jug of gin !
Ha ha ha. you and me,
Little brown jug. don't I love thee!
Ha ha ha. you and me.
Little brown jug. don't I love thee !^
4 If I had a cow that gave such milk
Ld dress her in the finest silk.
Ld feed her on the finest hay
And milk her forty times a day !
The third of these stanzas appears in eigliteen of our twenty-two
texts, sometimes with slight variations and frequently with nothing
else except the refrain. Stanzas that appear less frequently are
found in the following texts.
'Little Brown Jug.' Collected by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga
county, about 191 5. He notes that it "has been sung in this section for
over forty years, according to reliable people. Very few sing it today,
though several persons know the tune. Robert Smith recalled the above
verses lately." The fourth stanza of this text, incomplete, runs :
Whiskey and brandy all played out
Little brown jug was up the spout.
'Little Brown Jug.' Reported by Clara Hearne of Pittsboro, Chatham
county. The third of her four stanzas runs :
As I went down the railroad track
I took my brown jug on my back.
I stubbed my toe and I went down.
And broke my brown jug on the ground.
D
'Little Brown Jug.' Reported by Gertrude Allen (Mrs. Vaught) from
Taylorsville, Alexander county. Here the third stanza (incomplete)
runs :
Went to milk and didn't know how,
Milked a goat instead of a cow.
'Song.' Reported by Sarah K. Watkins as known in Anson and Stanly
counties. Here the second stanza runs :
' This refrain stanza is so placed in the manuscript, probably by error.
It should come after each successive stanza.
64 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Every night when I go to bed
Little brown jug does^ under my head ;
Every morning when I wake up
Little brown jug turns bottom-side up.
'Little Brown Jug.' As reported by Miss Doris Overton of Durham,
this stanza takes a slightly different form :
Every night when I go to bed
Put the little brown jug under my head ;
Every morning when I get up
Little brown jug is all dried up.
In Lois Johnson's version, from Davidson county, it ends more
piquantly :
Next morning I gave a pull :
Jug was empty, and my wife was full !
34
Pass Around the Bottle
The Archive of American Folk Song has a record under this
title from Kentucky. As we have it in North Carolina it is a
drinking song only in the first two stanzas ; stanza 3 is universally
known since Civil War times, and stanzas 4-6 are scarcely less
familiar. The refrain line shows that it is really a marching song.
'Pass Around the Bottle.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
Each stanza repeats, including the refrain line, as indicated in stanza i.
1 Pass around the bottle and we'll all take a drink.
Pass around the bottle and we'll all take a drink.
As we go marching home.
2 Pull out the stopper and fill it up again.
3 Hang John Brown on a sour apple tree.
4 Grasshopper sitting on a sweet potato vine.
5 Old turkey gobbler come slipping up behind.
6 Old turkey gobbler ]:)icked the hopper from the vine.
35
JuDiE Mv Whiskey Tickler
A college drinking song of a hundred years ago which seems to
have dropped out of the memory of present-day collegians.
^ Miswritten, one supposes, for "goes."
U R I N K AND GAMBLING SONGS 65
'Judie .My Whiskey Tickler.' Communicated by S. M. Davis of White
Hall uii the Neuse River, Wayne county, as "a song my grandfather
used to sing while at Jefferson's Academy in 1839." He adds that
there are two otiier stanzas which he does not know.
1 Judie, my whiskey tickler.
Judie, vou debl)il, vou l)()ther me so.
Woe! "Woe! Woe!
Like a red-hot potato vou are all a-^low.
Woe! Woe! Woe!
2 By^ faith, you are both elegant in form and face,
You walk with such stately magnificent grace !
Judie, you debbil, you bother me so.
Woe! Woe! Woe!
36
I'll Never Get Drunk Any More
The four texts here given have little in common beyond the re-
frain stanza. Shearin's syllabus shows that this is known in Ken-
tucky, and Perrovv (JAFL xxviii 151) reports it as sung by both
whites and blacks in Tennessee. It is reported also from Virginia
(FSV 308) and from Missouri (OFS 11 413-14, iii 140-1). Mrs.
Sutton notes that Miss Emeth Tuttle of Lenoir found it in
ALssissippi.
T'll Never Get Drunk Any More.' Reported by Thomas Smith of Zion-
ville, Watauga county, sometime between 1914 and 1920, with the nota-
tion : "This song was once popular around here (25 or 30 years ago).
Young people sang it a great deal in those days. The tune is still well
known to several of my neighbors."
1 When I go out on Sunday
What pleasure do I see?
For the girl I loved so dearly
Has gone square back on me.
Clionts:
Lll never get drunk any more, any more,
I'll never get drunk any more.
Lll lay my head in my true love's door,
Lll never get drunk any more.
2 When I go out on Sunday.
My head all racked with pain,
Lll tell my little honey
Lll never get drunk again.
' So the manuscript. One supposes that it should be "My."
N.C.F., Vol. Ill, (7)
66 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Once I had a fortune ;
I laid it in a trunk.
I spent it all a-gambling
The night I first got drunk.
No title. Reported by Miss Gertrude Allen (afterwards Mrs. R. C.
\'aught) from Taylor sville, Alexander county.
1 Some say that love is pleasure.
What pleasure do I see?
The girl I loved so dearly
Has turned her back on me.
CJiorus:
I'll never get drunk any more,
I'll never get drunk any more,
I'll lay my head in the barroom door,
I'll never get drunk any more.
2 As I go home tonight
I'll smoke my long-stemmed pipe,
I'll have no wife to bother my life,
No children to holler and squall.
3 Dem chickens they crowed for midnight,
Dem chickens they crowed for day,
Dem chickens they crowed for midnight,
And I got drunk again.
Til Never Get Drunk Any More.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton (while
she was still Miss Maude Minnish) from the singing of Mrs. Woody of
Jonas Ridge. Date not given.
1 One time I had an old blue hen.
I set her in a stump.
A 'possum come and got her
One night when I got drunk.
Chorus:
I'll never git drunk any more, any more,
Oh, I'll never git drunk any more.
I'll lay my head in some still-house door,
But I'll never git drunk any more.
2 One time I had a fortune ;
I put in a trunk.
I lost it all a-gamblin'
One night when I got drunk.
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 67
'I'll Never Get Drunk Any More.' From the John Burch Blaylock
Collection.
1 I'll never get drunk any more,
I'll never get drunk any more ;
I'll lav my head in some poor man's door,
I'll never get drunk any more.
2 Once I had a fortune,
I laid it on my trunk ;
I lost it all hy gambling
One night when I was drunk.
3 Once I had a sweetheart
My laziness did ensnare ;
But now I've got no money
Her poor little feet go bare.
4 Once I had fine horses.
I fed them on good hay.
I swapped them off for whiskey
One cold December day.
5 There are . . . region.
The flames they do not wilt ;
But down below the spring house
You'll find them at the still.
37
Show Me the Way to Go Home, Babe
This seems to be a fragment of the desultory Negro lyric that
Odum and Perrow collected, though this particular bit does not
appear in their collections as published in JAFL xxiv ^ 255-94,
351-96, XXV 137-55, ^xvi 123-73, XXVIII 129-90. Sbearin's sylla-
bus shows it known in Kentucky. Although our texts are much
alike, it seems desirable to give them all, for comparative study.
A
'Song.' Communicated by Ethel Hicks Buffalo from Granville county.
No date given.
Good mornin', Carrie.
When you gwine to marry?
I've been dreamin' 'bout you,
My dusky babe.
Chorus:
Show me the way to go home, babe,
Show me the way to go home ;
68 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I've been drunk for the past six months ;
Show nie the way to go home.
'Oh, Goodbye, Babe, Forever More.' From Miss Jeannette Co.x, W'ii?
terville, Pitt county, in 1921 or 1922.
Oh, goodbye, babe, forever more.
My boozing days will soon be o'er.
I've had a good time, as you may see ;
Just see what booze has done for me.
Show me the way to go home, babe.
Show me the way to go home ;
I ain't been sober since last October.
Show me the way to go home.
c
'Negro Fragment.' This also comes from Miss Cox, and with the
tune.
Show me the way to go home,
Show me the way to go home ;
I ain't been sober since last October;
Show me the way to go home, babe.
Show me the way to go home.
Show me the way to go home ;
I've been drunk for the last six months;
Show me the way to go home, babe.
D
'Show Me the Way to Go Home." Reported liy WilHam B. Covington in
1 91 3 from "reminiscences of my early youth spent in the country on
the border of the sand hills of Scotland county."
Show me the way to go home.
Show me the way to go home ;
I ain't been sober since last ( )ctober ;
Show me the way to go home, babe.
Show me the way to go home.
Show me the way to go home.
I've been drunk for the last six months;
Show me the way to go home, babe.
E
'Show "S\e the Way to Go Home.' From T.ouisc Bennett, .Middleburg,
Vance county. Not dated.
I ain't been sober since last October —
Show me the way to go home.
I's been drunk for de last six months —
Show me the way to go home.
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 69
'Show Me the Way to Go Home.' From Antoinette Beasley, Monroe,
Union county. Not dated.
I been drunk since the last month.
Show me the way to go home, babe,
Show me the way to go home.
Ain't been home since last October.
Show me the way to go home, babe,
Show me the way to go home.
G
Lucille Cheek of Chatham county reports a single line: "Haven't been
sober since last October."
H
'Show Me the Way to Go Home.' From the John Burch Blaylock
Collection.
1 Show me the way to go home,
I'm tired and I want to go to bed.
I had a little drink about an hour ago,
And it's gone right to my head.
2 Wherever I may roam
O'er land or sea or foam.
You'll always hear me singing that song,
Show me the way to go home.
38
Pickle My Bones in Alcohol
This jocose jingle seems to have a special appeal for Negroes,
though it is not confined to them nor is it, probably, of Negro
origin. It has been reported from New York (ANFS 368), Ten-
nessee (JAFL XXVIII 130), North Carolina (FSSH 438), Georgia
(FSSH 438), Missouri (OFS iii 197-8), and from Negroes in
Mississippi (JAFL xxviii 130). In a form which probably is of
Negro origin 'lasses and corn bread take the place of alcohol : so
in a text reported from Alabama Negroes (ANFS 277) and in
some of our North Carolina texts. Or the two notions may be
combined, as in our A text and in Negro versions reported from
Alabama (ANFS 368-9) and without specific locale bv Talley
(Negro Folk Rhymes 26).
'When I Die.' Reported by Julian P. Boyd, Alliance, Pamlico county, as
obtained from Duval Scott, a pupil in the school there.
I When I die don't bury me deep ;
Put a jug o' 'lasses at my feet.
NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Put a pone o' bread in my hand,
And I'll sop my way to the promised land!
When I die don't bury me at all ;
Just pickle my bones in alcohol.
Put a bottle of booze at my head and feet,
And then PU know that 1 will keep.
For Pm a man w4io must have a little likker
When Pm dry, dry, dry !
'When Colonel Died.' Reported by Miss Gertrude Allen (afterwards
Mrs. Vaught ) from Taylorsville, Alexander county. Not dated.
I When Colonel died with a bottle by his side
2 When I die don't bury me at all.
Just pickle my bones in alcohol.
3 Put a bottle of booze at my head and feet
And say, 'Colonel died in joy complete.'
c
'Drinking Song.' From Lucille Cheek, Chatham county.
Oh, when I die don't bury me at all ;
Just pickle my bones in alcohol.
Place a bottle of booze at my head and feet.
Tell all the girls Pve gone to sleep.
'When I Die.' From ]\Iiss F. Shuma, in 1920. Location not given. The
same as C except the last line, which runs : "So these old bones shall
rest in peace."
'When I Die.' From Miss Kate S. Russell, Person county. Here the
alcohol has disappeared.
When I die, want you bury me deep.
Put a jug of lasses at my head and feet.
Pone corn bread in the palm of my hand ;
Going to sop lasses in de promised land.
'O When I Die Don't Bury :\Ie Deep.' Contributed in 1919 by H. H.
Hanchey as heard in the southeastern part of North CaroHna. Like E,
but has its last line in the more familiar fdrni: "So I kin sop my way
to de promise land."
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 71
39
Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones
This line is found in Negro songs reported from North Carolina
and Alabama (ANFS 145) which are not specifically drinking
songs but are concerned, like the texts here presented, with the
singer's posthumous reputation — an element which Dr. White says
occurs "in various spirituals."
'A Drunkard's Song.' Contributed in 1913 by William B. Covington
with the notation : "Reminiscences of my early youth spent in the coun-
try on the border of the sand hills of Scotland County."
Sticks and stones may break my bones,
Say what you please when I'm dead and gone;
But I'm gona drink corn liquor till I die,
Till I die, till I die,
I'm gona drink corn liquor till I die.
B
'Song.' From Louise W. Sloan, Bladen county. No date given.
I'm a-living high till I die.
Bet your life I'm a-living mighty high;
Oh, sticks and stones for to breaker my bones,
I know you'll talk about me when I'm gone
But I'm a-living high till I die.
'Ise Gwine to Live in de Harvest.' Reported by Julian P. Boyd as ob-
tained from Duval Scott, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance,
Pamlico county.
1 Ise gwine to live in de harvest.
Till I die, till I die ;
Life Ise livin' is not so very high ;
Sticks and stones gwine break my bones,
I know you gwine talk about me when Ise gone ;
Ise gwine live in de harvest till I die !
2 Ise gwine build me a graveyard
Of my own, of my own !
Ise gwine build me a graveyard of my own.
Sticks and stones gwine break my bones,
I know you gwnne talk about me when Ise gone.
Ise gwine live in de harvest till I die !
72 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
40
Just Kick the Dust over my Coffin
In form this is akin to 'Pickle My Bones in Alcohol,' above ; but
its spirit is somewhat different, the speaker being about to die of
love, and perhaps it should not be here among the drinking songs.
I have not found it elsewhere. The manuscript is without name in
the Collection, but from surrounding circumstances it is believed to
have come from Obadiah Johnson of Crossnore, Avery county.
1 Just kick the dust over my coffin.
Say, 'There lies a jovial young lad :'
Pile the earth upon my carcass/
Then carve on the stone at my head :
Chorus:
Oh, ain't it a wonderful story
That love it will kill a man dead.
2 Oh, none of you bawling and squalling
Around me as tho' you'd gone mad ;
Just kick the dust over my coffin
And tell my true love that I said :
41
The Hidden Still
This little hymn to the moonshiner's still I have not found else-
where.
'Down under the Hill.' Reported, probably in 1939, by S. M. Holton
as known in Buncombe county.
1 Down under the hill
There is a little still,
W^here the smoke goes curling through the air.
You can easily tell
By the perfume and smell
There is licker in the air close hy.
2 How it fills the air
With a perfume so rare!
'Tis only known to a few.
So you wrinkle up your lip
And you take a little sip
()f the good old mountain dew.
^ The manuscript has an alternative reading that is lictter : "Pile the
earth high up o'er my carcass."
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 73
42
Moonshine
This laudation of the potency of the mountaineers' favorite
product has already been reported by Mrs. Richardson (A MS 94-5).
Presumably it is the work of some native celebrant.
'Moonshine.' From the manuscripts of Obadiah Johnson of Crossnore,
Avery county ; obtained in July 1940.
1 Come all ye boozefighters, if you want to hear
"Bout the kind of booze they sell round here,
Made way back in the swamps and hills
Whar there's plenty of moonshine stills.
2 Whar they don't give a darn for the Volstead law
'N for prohibition they don't give a straw.
Made of buckeye, lye, and cawn.
And was bottled up in some barn.
3 One drop'U make a rabbit whup a fool dawg,
And a taste will make a rat whip a wild hawg ;
Hit'll make a mouse bite off a torn, cat's tail.
Make a tadpole have a fuss with a whale.
4 Hit'll make a feist bite off an elephant's mouth. ^
^lake a fool dawg put a tiger to rout ;
Hit'll make a toad spit in a black-snake's face.
Make a hard-shell preacher fall from grace.
5 A lamb will lay down with a lion
After drinkin' that ole moonshine.
Then thrown back your head and take a little drink.
And for a week you won't be able to think.
6 Then you'll just take another little bit.
Then git ready to have a fit.
First thing you know you're awfully tight
And out in the street a-tryin' to raise a fight.
7 Then you begin to feel awfully sick ;
You think you feel worse than the very ole Nick.
You say that you'll never drink it any more ;
But you've said that a hundred times before.
8 The moonshiners are gettin' mighty slick
And the bootleggers are gettin' mighty thick ;
If they keep on bagging they better beware.
They'll be selling each other. I declare.
* So the manuscript ; but the rhyme and the sense call for "snout."
74 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
43
Old Corn Licker
Of the following fragment the first line appears in a parody of
'The Old-Time Religion' reported by Perrow from South Carolina
(JAFL XXVI 149), and a similar two-line fragment mider the same
title is reported from Virginia (JAFL xxviii 133).
'Old Corn Licker.' Reported in 1923 or thereabouts — the manuscript is
not dated — by Kate S. Russell of Roxboro, Person county.
I got drunk and lost my hat ;
Old corn licker was cause of dat.
44
Sal and the Baby
This may be a fragment of a vaudeville song. I have not found
it anywhere in print, and in our collection it comes only from
Duplin county.
No title. From Miss Minnie Bryan Farrior, Duplin county. No date
given.
I went down town to see my lady.
Nobody's home but Sal an' the baby.
Sal was drunk, and the baby crazy ;
All that comes of being so lazy.^
45
Sweet Cider
Apparently a fragment of the song reported from Tennessee
(ETWVMB 86, SSSA 184) as 'Pretty Little Black-Eyed Susan.'
Ford, Traditional Music of America 41, gives it as a square-dance
song, with "Paddy" in place of "Sallie." Most likely a product,
originally, of the music-hall, it has lived in memory here and there
in the Southern mountains.
'Sweet Cider.' Contributed by Clara Hearne of PittsI)oro, Chatham
county, in 1923.
Where's the mule and where's the rider?
Where's the gal that drinks sweet cider?
Refrain:
Sallie, won't you have some,
Sallie, won't you have some,
Sallie, won't you have some of my hard cider?
^ Another copy of this same quatrain lias here "crazy."
DRINK AND c; A MULING SONGS 75
46
A Little More Cider Too
Evidently from the minstrel stage, this has become a college
song, and is so entered in Wier's Book of a Thousand Songs. It is
very generally known and sung but has not often been admitted to
folk-song collections. It is reported from the Midwest (Pound 66)
and from the Ozark region (Ford 332-3 — with "white" and "black"
where our text has "blonde" and "brunette") and Henry C. Davis
(JAFL XXVII 249) lists it as sung by South Carolina Negroes.
'A Little More Cider.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as taken down from
the singing in 1910 of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
1 I love the blonde girl and brunette, and I love all the rest,
I love the girls for loving me, but I love myself the best.
Oh, dear, I am so thirsty, I've just come down from
supper ;
I drank three pails of apple-jack and a tub of apple butter.
Chorus:
A Httle more cider, cider, cider, a little more cider too,
A little more cider for Miss Dinah, a little more cider
too.
2 When first I saw Miss Snowflake, 'twas on Broadway I
spied her,
I'd have given my hat and boots, I would, if I had been
beside her.
She looked at me. and I looked at her, and then I crossed
the street ;
And smilingly she said to me, 'A little more cider sweet.'
3 I wish I was an apple and Snowflake was another.
To tiiink how happy we would be upon the tree together !
And then the darkies all would cry. wdien on the tree they
spied her.
To think how happy we would be all squashed up into
cider.
4 Now old age comes creeping ; I grow ole and don't get
bigger,
And cider sweet and sour then, but I'm the same ole
nigger.
Be the consequences what it may, long, short, or wider,
She am the apple of my eye, and I'm boun' to be beside
her.
yd NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'A Little More Cider.' Received from Otis Kuykendall of Asheville in
1939- Stanzas 2 and 3 of A, without significant variation.
No title. From the manuscript notebook of Mrs. Harold Glasscock of
Raleigh lent to Dr. White in 1943. Fragmentary; the first half of
stanza 2, the chorus, and the first half of stanza i of A, witli "blacks"
and "whites" in place of "blonde girl" and "brunette."
D
'A Little More Cider.' From Mrs. Laura M. Cromartie of Garland,
Sampson county. Fragmentary, consisting of tlit chorus and the fol-
lowing :
1 Oh, I wish I was a great big horse apple
And snowflake was another.
What a pretty pair we would make
Upon the tree together !
2 How mad the darkies all would be.
When on the tree they spied us.
To think how happy we would be
All squashed up in apple cider !
3 Oh dear me, I am so thirsty !
I've just come down from supper.
I had a pail of apple-jack
And a tub of apple-butter.
'A Little More Cider Sweet.' Obtained, apparently in 1923, by Jesse
T. Carpenter from Mrs. Mary Martin Copley of Durham. The chorus
and the first three stanzas of A, without significant variations except
that the chorus seems of a slightly different rlixthm:
A little more cider, cider,
A little more cider sweet ;
A little more cider for Miss Dinah,
A little more cider sweet.
'A Little More Cider.' Contributed in 1922 by J. H. Burrus of Weaver-
ville, Buncombe county, with the music and the notation : "This old folk-
song was used for an old-fashioned reel and cotillion (or square dance)."
The text here has undergone extensive changes, having picked up frag-
ments of several other songs.
Chorus:
A little more cider for Miss Dinah,
A little more cider sweet.
DRINK AND GAMBLING S O N c; S yj
A little more cider for Miss Uiiiah,
A little more cider sweeter.
1 I wish I was an apple
And Dinah was another ;
What a handsome time we'd have
Hanging on a tree together !
2 If you love me like I love you
\\'e'll have no time to tarry,
We'll have the old folks flying round
Fixing us to marry.
3 If I were only young again
I'd lead a different life;
I'd make some money and huy me a farm,
Take Dinah for my wife.
4 I wouldn't marry an old woman,
I'll tell you the reason why;
Her neck's so long and stringy
I'm afraid she'd never die.
5 I had rather marry Dinah
W ith an apple in her hand
Than to marry an old woman
With a house and tract of land.
'Plantation Song.' Contributed by Virginia C. Hall (place and date not
given) with the note: "This memory is of a gray whiskered old gentle-
man bouncing a little boy on his knee and singing to him 'plantation
songs' which he had learned as a child from the Negroes on his father's
plantation." Merely the first two lines of the second stanza of -A., and
the chorus with "sweet" instead of "too."
47
Sucking Cider Through a Straw
This well-known college song is ascribed in Downes and Sieg-
nieister's Treasury of American Song 290, words and music, to
Carey Morgan and Lee David. It has been reported as folk song
from Virginia (FSV 172), Tennessee (BTFLS v 38-9). Georgia
(ASb 329), and the Midwest (Pound 38, ASb 329). Only a frag-
ment appears in our collection.
'The Prettiest Girl I Ever Saw.' Communicated by B. S. Russell, Rox-
boro. Person county. No date given.
The prettiest girl I ever saw
Was sucking cider through a straw.
78 NORTH CAROLINA I'OLKLORE
48
Drinking Wine
This fragment has not been found elsewhere. Perhaps it is from
some college drinking song.
'Drinking Wine.' Reported by Gertrude Allen (later Mrs. Vaught)
from Taylorsville, Alexander county. Not dated.
Drinking- wine, wine,
Drinking wine, wine,
Ought a been three fotn- thousand years
Drinking wine.
49
The Journeyman
The song of 'The Roving Journeyman,' in which he describes his
way of life and particularly his success with the girls, has under-
gone extensive adaptations in this country; the journeyman has
become a gambler, a soldier, even a guerrilla of the Civil War. See
BSM 374-5, and add to the references there given Virginia (FSV
125-6), Arkansas (OFS iv 356-60), and Indiana (BSI 342-4).
Fairly persistent through these transformations are the lines
She took me in her parlor
And cooled me with her fan
and the girl's dialogue with her mother, which form the substance
of the texts in our collection. The title 'Broom Field Town' given
to the first text seems not to occur elsewhere.
'Broom Field Town.' Reported by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga
county, as sung by Mrs. Julia Grogan of Silverstone in 191 5. Smith
notes : "She heard the song about twenty-five years ago. . . . Mrs.
Grogan is about sixty. Her father, John Yarber, came to this county
over sixty years ago . . . from the Cheraw Hills of South Carolina"
and "was a popular singer here just after the Civil War."
1 I rode unto my journey
Till I came to the Broom h^ield Town.
2 I had not been there two weeks,
I am sure it was not three.
Till I fell in love with a pretty little girl
And she in love with me.
3 I asked her to marry me.
To see what she would say.
She said she would ask her mother
And see what she would say.
DRINK AND GAMBLING SONGS 79
4 'How can you treat me so,
To leave your kind old mother
And with the soldier go ?'
5 'Oh, mother, oh, mother,
I love you well.
But how much I love the soldier
No human tongue can tell.'
B
'The Rovin' Gambler.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 I am a rovin' gambler,
I gambled down in town;
Whenever I meet with a deck of cards
I lay my money down.
2 I gambled down in Washington,
I gambled down in Spain ;
I'm going down to Georgia
To gamble my last game.
3 I had not been in Washington
Many more weeks than three,
When I fell in love with a pretty little girl
And she fell in love with me.
4 She took me in the parlor.
She cooled me with her fan ;
She whispered low in her mother's ear,
'I love that gambling man.'
5 'Oh, daughter, oh, dear daughter,
Why do you treat me so ?
To leave your dear old mother
And with a gambler go?'
6 'Oh, mother, oh, dear mother,
You know I love you well ;
But the love I have for the gambling man
No human tongue can tell.
7 'I can hear the train a-coming,
Coming round the curve.
Whistling and blowing
And straining every nerve.
8 *Oh, mother, oh, dear mother,
I'll tell you if I can ;
If ever you see me again
I'll be with a gambling man.'
NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Journeyman.' Collected by M. F. Morgan in Nash county "from an old
lady." Note that while in A the man is a soldier and in B a gambler,
he is here simply a journeyman, as in the original song; and that here
the girl, not the man, is the narrator.
1 I went along the other day,
I met a journeyman.
I fell in love with [the] journeyman
And he fell in love with me.
2 I took him [into] my parlor,
I cooled him with my fan ;
I whispered in my mother's ear,
'I love that journeyman."
3 'Daughter, daughter, daughter,
Don't you tell me so ;
For if you love that journeyman
Away from me you go.'
Jack of Diamonds
A gambler's song — in one text the song of the gambler's wife.
It is known in Tennessee (JAFL xxviii 120-30), Mississippi
(FSM 207-8), Texas (CS [1910 ed.] 292-4, TNFS 279-80, OSC
303-5, the last two from Negroes), and the Ozarks (OFS in 405-9) ;
'Hustling Gamblers,' also reported from Tennessee (SSSA 102-4,
ETWVMB 23-5), has the "Jack o' Diamonds" phrase; a song re-
ported from Kentucky (FSMEU 223-4) voices the complaint of a
gambler's wife but it is not the same song. Our four texts vary
considerably, wliich is not surprising, for like many other American
folk songs it is an aggregate of stanzas some of which may be used
in other songs.
'Jack of Diamonds.' Reported by Edna Whitley — unfortunately without
indication of time or place. Stanza 2 seems incomplete.
1 Jack of diamonds, I know you of old.
You raveled my pockets for silver and gold.
For silver and gold,
You raveled my pockets for silver and gold.
2 I'm ragged, I'm ragged, I am ragged, I am ragged,
I know it's nobody's business how ragged I go.
3 I'll tune up my fiddle, I'll raise my l)Ow,
I'll carry sweet music wherever I go.
DRINK AND C. A M B L I N G S 0 N G S 8l
Wherever 1 go,
I'll carry sweet music wherever I go.
It's not this long journey I'm dreading to go,
It's leaving this country and the people I know,
And the people I know,
It's leaving this country and the people I know.
'A Card- Player's Song.' From Thomas Smith, Silverstone, Watauga
county, probably in 1915; with the notation: "This song has been sung
in this part of the country a good many years. I heard some card
players sing it 18 or 20 years ago. There are several people near here
who still sing it." The music was noted by Dr. Brown.
1 Jack of diamonds, I know you, I know you of old,
You've robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold.
2 I've played cards in England, I've played cards in Spain,
And I'm goin' to old Ireland to play my last game.
c
'Jack o' Diamonds." Obtained from Obadiah Johnson of Crossnore,
Avery county, in 1940. Here it is in the mouth of the gambler's wife.
The second stanza is one of the movable bits of folk lyric; see BSM
487, 488.
1 Jack o' diamonds. Jack o' diamonds. I know you of old,
You've robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold.
2 I'll build me a log cabin on yon mountain high.
Where the blackbirds will see me as they pass me by.
3 My children are crying for the w^ant of some bread ;
My husband's a gambler ; I wisht I was dead.
'Jack o' Diamonds." Reported by Evelyn Moody of Stanly county ; not
dated. Only a single couplet.
Jack o' diamonds. Jack o' diamonds, I know you of old ;
You lost me a fortune in silver and gold.
51
Shoot Your Dice and Have Your Fun
From Howell J. Hatcher, Trinity College student, December 5, 191 5,
with music. .As in White ANFS 364 (without music).
Shoot your dice and have )'our fun,
I'll have mine when the police come.
Police come, I didn't wanta go ;
I knocked him in the head wid a forty- fo'.
.V.C.F., Vol. Ill, (8)
82 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I Got Mine
White (ANFS 195-9, 200) says that this was originally a vaude-
ville song that attained wide popularity among the Negroes, and
gives texts from North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Perrow
had already (JAFL xxiv 369) reported it from the singing of
Negroes in Mississippi. The texts vary rather widely.
'I Got Mine.' Contributed by Otis Kuykendall of Asheville in 1939.
1 I went out to a nigger crap game ;
It was against my will.
Dem coons got all my money
Except a greenback dollar bill.
A hundred dollar bet was on the table,
The nigger's point was nine ;
Just then a cop stepped through the door
And I got mine.
Chorus:
I got mine, boys, I got mine ;
I grabbed that hundred dollar bill.
Through the window I did climb.
Ever since then been wearin' good clothes,
Living on chicken and wine ;
I'm the leader of Society
Since I got mine.
2 I went out to a buzzard feast ;
The eatables they were fine.
Half an hour before that table was set
Dem coons all formed in line.
When they brought that eagle in
Their eyes began to shine.
One grabbed that eagle by the neck,
But I caught on behind.
3 A coon in front thought he had the whole thing.
But I got mine.
I tried to get through the window,
But I didn't get through in time ;
I eat my meals from a mantel piece
Since I got mine !
Ill
HOMILETIC SONGS
THE MUSE of folk song has no antipatliy to incjralizing ; indeed,
street balladry is rather fond of it. But among the preachments
found in the North Carolina collection are few items that have any
long traditional history. 'When Adam Was First Created' is on a
theme, the proper relation between man and wife, that goes back
to Chaucer and less definitely to medieval sermonizing. But most
of the pieces of social moralizing, 'Pulling Hard against the Stream,'
'Paddle Your Own Canoe/ and the like, are certainly modern.
'Meditations of an Old Bachelor' and 'Why Do You Bob Your
Hair, Girls?' reprove newfangled fashions. 'Who Is My Neigh-
bor?' and 'You Say You Are of Noble Race' are apothegms. Of
those of a more definitely religious cast 'The Wicked Girl' is prob-
ably the oldest and certainly the most widely known.
53
When Adam Was Created
Whether or not this is to be admitted as folk song, it is at least
traditional and embodies a piece of folk-wisdom — wisdom that goes
back, as Jackson (Dozvii-Easf Spirituals 77-8) shows, to Chaucer's
"Parson's Tale" and back of that to church teachings as early as
the twelfth century. As traditional song it exists in two forms, one
of which may be called the English, the other the American form.
The English form is traceable as far back as the middle of the
eighteenth century and is found in Bell's Ballads and Songs of the
Peasantry of England (pp. 451-2 of the 1877 print), in Baring-
Gould's Songs of the Jl'cst No. 100 (from Devonshire), in Folk-
Lore XXIV 82 (from (Oxfordshire), in Williams's collection (FSUT
1 15-16, from Oxfordshire), in a stall print without printer's name
which I found in the Harvard College Library with the title 'The
Honest Man's Favourite,' and is the version given by Newell
(JAFL XII 250-1) as obtained from Mrs. E. Allen of Massachu-
setts. The American version is reproduced by Jackson from The
Social Harp of 1855 (SFSEA 41, the first stanza only) and from
The Original Sacred Harp of 191 1 (SFSEA 74-5, a complete text),
is that which has been attributed to Lincoln,^ was found by Sharp
in North Carolina (SharpK 11 272), and is in our collection. Appar-
^ So I am informed by Professor Francis Lee Utley, of Ohio State
University, who has made a detailed study of this song.
84 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
ently it is of Southern origin; both TJic Social Harp and The
Original Sacred Harp were compiled by Georgians, and Newell's
Massachusetts text represents the English, not the American version.
A
'When Adam Was Created." A clipping from the Lenoir Ncu.'s (also
from the Lenoir Times — or are these one publication?) of January
27, 1914, sent in by J. L. Nelson. The piece was sent to the paper
by S. C. Sherrill with a note that it was sung by Mrs. Nancy Coffee
at the age of eighty-four. "Mrs. Coffee could not read, but had
learned many hymns when young." With the music.
1 When Adam was created he dwelt in Eden's shade,
As Moses has related, before a bride was made.
Ten thousand times ten thousand creatures dwelt around
Before a bride was formed or any helpmeet found.
2 He had no conversation, he seemed like one alone.
Till at his consternation he found he'd lost a bone.
Great was his admiration when first he saw his bride.
Great was his adoration to see her by his side.
3 He spoke like one in rapture: T know from whence she
came ;
From my left side extracted, and woman is her name.'
This seems to be one reason why man should love his
bride,
A part of his own body, the product of his side.
4 This woman was not taken from Adam's head, we know,
And she must not rule over him. 'tis evidently so.
This woman was not taken from Adam's feet, we see.
And he must not abuse her, the meaning seems to be.
5 This woman was extracted from under Adam's arm.
And she must be protected from injury and harm;
This woman was extracted from near to Adam's heart.
By which we are directed that they should never part.
6 Here's counsel to the bridegroom and counsel to the bride:
Let not this loaded volume be ever laid aside.
The book that's called the Bible be sure you don't neglect.
In every sense of duty it will you both direct.
7 To you, most noble bridegroom, to )'ou 1 lay aside.
Be sure to live a Christian, and for your house i)rovidc.
Avoid all contentions, sow not the seed of strife;
That is the solemn dutv of every man and wife.
'Adam and Eve.' From Miss Sadie Jolmson, as sung by her grand-
mother, of Dchart, Wilkes county, in i<).V>. it is the same version
II <) Mil. K T I f S O N <; S 85
as A; Init it lias "maid" instead of "hclpnifi-t" in line 4. "adviration"
instead of "consternation" in line 0, "exultation" instead of "admira-
tion" in line 7, and "alimation' 'instead of "adoration" in line 8, and
from there on, though the matter is much the same, it has been so
thoroughly rearranged that it seems best to give the text (it is here
written in quatrains of short lines, so that the stanza numbering is
douliled ) :
5 He spoke as in a fapture :
'I know fi-om whence she came;
From my left side extfacted.
And woman is her name.'
6 The woman was not taken
From Adam's head, we know.
And he must not ahuse her,
It's evidently so.
7 This woman was not taken
From Adam's feet, we see.
And she must not rule o'er him.
The meaning seems to he.
8 This woman she was taken
From near of Adam's heart,
By which we are directed
That they must never part.
9 This woman she was taken
From under Adam's arm
And she must he protected
From injury and harm.
10 Here's council for the hridegroom,
Here's council for the l)ride :
Be sure you hoth live Christians
And for your house provide.
1 1 Avoiding all contention.
Don't sow the seeds of strife.
This is the solemn duty
Of every man and wife.
12 This hook that's called the Bihle
Be sure you don't neglect ;
In every scene of heauty
It will you both direct.
86 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
54
Pulling Hard against the Stream
This homely homiletic is listed in the Pound syllabus, p. 54. and
is given in Spaeth's IVcep Some More, My Lady, pp. 157-9, with-
out author's name. The California Check List notes a print of it by
De ^larsan, New York.
"Fulling Hard against the Stream.' Contributed by Miss Elizabeth
Janet Black of Wilmington, formerly of Ivanhoe._ Sampson county.
In the first line "word" should probably be "world."
1 In this word Pve gained my knowledge,
And for it have had to pay.
Though I never went to college
Yet Pve heard the poets say
Life is like a mighty river
Rolling on from day to day.
Men are vessels launched upon it,
Sometimes wrecked and cast away. So
Chorus:
Then do your best for one another,
Making life a pleasant dream ;
Help a worn and weary brother
Pulling hard against the stream.
2 Many a high, good-hearted fellow,
Many a noble-minded man.
Finds himself in water shallow;
Then assist him if you can.
Some succeed at every turning ;^
Others, too. tho' more deserving,
Have to pull against the stream.
3 If the wind is in your favor
And you've weathered every s(iuall.
Think of those whose luckless labors
Never got fair winds at all.
Working hard, contented, willing.
Struggling thro' life's ocean wide.
Not a friend and not a shilling.
Pulling hard against the stream. ^
4 Don't give way to foolish sorrow.
Let this keep you in good cheer :
Brighter days may come tomorrow
* The sixth line of stanza 2, "Fortune favors every scheme." has
dropped out from Miss Black's text; and the last word of stanza 3
should be "tide."
II O M 1 L i: T I C S 0 N G S 87
If you try and persevere.
Darkest nights will have a morning
Tho' the sky be overcast ;
Longest lanes must have a turning
And the tide will turn at last.
55
Paddle Your Own Canoe
This song, the work of H. Clifton, must have achieved consider-
ahle currency ; it is given in both the Franklin Square Song Col-
lection (ill 91) and Heart Songs (286-7). Davis reports it from
Virginia (FSV 129).
'Paddle Your Own Canoe.' Contributed by Miss Duo K. Smith of
Houstonville, Iredell county. Not dated.
1 I've traveled about a bit in my time
And of troubles I've seen a few,
But I found it better in every clime
To paddle my own canoe.
My wants are small ; I care not at all
If my debts are paid when due ;
I drive away strife in the ocean of life
AMiile I paddle my own canoe.
Chorus:
Then love your neighbor as yourself,
As the world you travel through.
And never sit down with a tear or frown.
But paddle your own canoe.
2 I have no wife to bother my life.
No lover to prove untrue ;
But the wdiole day long, with a laugh and a song,
I paddle my own canoe.
I rise with the lark, and from daylight till dark
I do wdiat I have to do ;
I'm careless of wealth if I've only the health
To paddle my own canoe.
3 It's all very well to depend on a friend,
That is, if you've proved him true ;
But you'll find it better by far in the end
To paddle your own canoe.
To borrow is dearer by far than to buy,
A maxim, though old, still true ;
You never will sigh if you only will try
To paddle your own canoe.
0» NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 If a hurricane rise in the mid-day skies
And the sim is lost to view,
Move steadily by, with a steadfast eye.
And paddle your own canoe.
The daisies that grow in the bright green fields
Are blooming so sweet for you ;
So never sit down with a tear or a frown,
But paddle your own canoe.
56
Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls?
Sounds more like a preachment than an attempt at humor, yet it
may have come from the vaudeville stage. Randolph, reporting it
from Arkansas, savs his informant called it a Holv Roller song
(OFS1V83-4).
'Why Do Vou Bob Your Hair, Girls?" Obtained from Mrs. Minnie
Church of Heaton, Avery county, in 1930.
1 Why do you bob your hair, girls?
It is an awful shame
To rob the head God gave you
To bear the flapper's name.
2 You're taking off your covering.
It is an awful sin.
Don't never hob your hair, girls;
Short hair belongs to men.
3 Why do you bob your hair, girls?
It's not the thing to do.
Just wear it, always wear it,
And to the Lord be true.
4 And when before the Judgment
You meet the Lord up there.
He'll say 'well done' for, wandering.
You've never bobbed vour hair.
57
Meditations of an Old Bachelor
This, doubtless from the music-hall stage, modernizes a theme
of which the pioneer age was fond. See 'Tlie Carolina Crew,' and
'When Young Men Go Courting,' and compare BSAI 426. This
particular embodiment of the theme has not been found elsewhere.
'Meditations of an Old Bachelor.' Reported liy Macie Morgan, Stanly
county.
H O M 1 I. K TIC SON C. S 89
1 The girls today are different from those I used to know.
They never seem contented unless they're on the go.
I can't quite understand them; I'm fond of them, it's true,
But they ahvays keep you guessing as to what they'll say
or do.
2 These made-up girls don't please me. At heart I'm really
sick
Of painted checks and eyebrows and abundance of lip-
stick.
On costly shows and cabarets your time and money's spent.
The modern girl, without a doubt, [isj always pleasure-
bent.
3 The styles are all so different: short hair, short dresses
too.
Womanly characteristics that we loved and prized are few.
But these modern girls are clever, and will keep you on
the go,
And if you please their fancy they'll surely let you know.
4 No courting by the fireside as in the days of old.
But on the highways riding, in weather warm or cold.
They call you up and make the dates, do their courting
too.
Now this is just their way, you say ; to me it's wholly new.
5 The old-time girls were modest, endowed with queenly
grace.
With voices soft and tender, a blessing to the race.
Now the mannish girls confront us, no more that graceftil
curl.
The average man is yearning for the good old-fashioned
girl.
6 In dreams I'm often with them, the girls of other days.
The happy blushing maiden, who walked in wisdom's
ways.
\\ hen with these gay young creatures my mind's kept in a
whirl ;
I'm longing — sadly longing — for the good old-fashioned
girl.
58
The Thresherman
Well known in the old country — Burns contributed a text to the
1792 edition of Johnson's Miiscidii, and it is still remembered in
Scotland ( Ord 48-9); it has been reported from Westmorland
90 NORTH C x\ R O L I N A 1' O L K L 0 R E
(JFSS V 299). Berkshire and Oxfordshire (FSUT 138), Essex
(JFSS II 198-9), Sussex (JFSS i 79), Hampshire (JFSS iii
202-3), and Dorset (JFSS v 202, tune only), and is also to be
found in stall ballad print — but infrequently recorded in America :
Vermont (VFSB 157-9, from the Green Mountain Songster of
1823), New Jersey (JAFL lii 60), Virginia (JAFL xxx 354-5,
FSV 169), Arkansas (OFS i 436), and now from North Carolina.
'Jolly Thrasher.' Contributed by Juanita Tillett of Wanchese, Roanoke
Island, in March, 1923.
1 As I rode out a-htmting. a-htmting one day,
I met a jolly thrasher all on the highway.
With a staff upon his shoulder and a bottle of good beer
He was as happy as a lord with a thousand pounds a year.
2 'O thrasher, jolly thrasher, come tell to me now
How you maintain your family with only one cow.
Your family it is large and your wages they are small,
And how you maintain them I know not at all.'
3 'Sometimes a-hedging, a-ditching I go.
Sometimes I reap and other times I mow,
Other times 1 follow the harrow and the plow.
I earn all my money by the sweat of my brow.
4 'When I go home at night just as tired as I can be.
I take the youngest child and I dangle him on my knee.
The other ones around me with their racket and their
noise ;
And that's all the comfort a poor man enjoys.'
59
You Say You Are of Noble Race
This fragment has not been found elsewhere. The collector's
account of it suggests that the whole, if it could be recovered,
would probably be a piece of moralizing.
No title. Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga county,
in 1915 with the following note: "Mrs. Polly Rayfield recalls one verse
(if an old song sung by Thomas Williams (who was a great singer of
old songs) over 40 years ago. Nothing more of the song can Mrs.
Rayfield remember — not even the story, except that it was about a
'stuck up' young lady who refused to marry a young man because he
was of a poor class of people."
Yoti say yoti are of noble race
And 1 of low degree.
We are all of Adam's race ;
Pray, what more can we be?
H 0 M I L E T I C S O N G S 9I
60
Will) IS AU' Nkic.hbor?
A bit of moralizing which I have not found elsewhere.
'Who is my Neighbor?' Reported by Carl G. Knox of Durham in 1924
or 1925. With the tune.
'Who is my neighbor ?'
Hear the poor Jew cry.
'Who will a-yescort me?
Help me ere I die.'
61
Dying from Home and Lost
Randolph, reporting this song from Arkansas and Missouri (OFS
IV 41-3), says it seems to be part of a longer song written by the
Reverend S. M. Brown and published in his Songs of Zion with a
copyright date of 1892, and he quotes from a later print (James
D. Vaughan's Crowning Praises, 191 1, in which it appears) the de-
tailed story of the young man in whose mouth the song is put,
killed in a bridge-building accident in Kansas City.
'Dying from Home and Lost.' Contributed by O. L. Coffey of Sinill's
Mills, Watauga county, in August 1939.
1 Companion, draw nigh. They say I must die ;
Early the stnnmons lias come from on high.
The way is so dark ! And yet I must go.
Oh, that such sorrow yott never may know !
Chorus:
Only a prayer, only a tear.
Oh, if sister and mother were here !
Only a song; 'twill comfort and cheer,
Only a word from that book so dear.
2 Ah, can you not bow and pray with me now?
Sad the regret — we have never learned how
To come before him who only can save,
Leading in triumph through death and the grave.
3 And can you not sing a song of his love?
How he came down from the mansion al)ove
To bleed and to die on Calvary's tree,
Bringing salvation to sinners like me.
4 Alas, it is so. But thus it must be,
No word of comfort or promise for me ;
To die without God or hope in his son,
Covered in darkness, bereaved and undone.
92 X () K T 11 C A R 0 L I X A 1* () L K L 0 R E
S ( ) people of God who have his l)lest word,
Will you not heed the command of your Lord
And puhlish to all of Adam's lost race
Pardon, forgiveness, salvation through grace?
62
The Wicked (hrl
Belden BSM 460-4 gives an account of tlie liistury of thi^ ballad,
indicating its American (possibly New England) origin; cites
printed and traditional appearances (including, among die former.
The Original Sacred Harp, and among the latter, versions from
Jamaica, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkan-
sas, Indiana, and Iowa) ; and prints four Missouri texts. See Hud-
son JAFL XXXIX 175 ff. for a counterpart from Mississippi. Add
Chappell FSRA 194, Eddy BSO 305-6, Brewster BSI 303, Ran-
dolph OFS IV 16-20, and Davis FSV 298.
Of the following North Carolina texts, A has considerable
antiquity as judged by American folk-song tradition. In order and
content of stanzas and in rhymes it is close to the Missouri A text,
but lacks a stanza corresponding to the last stanza of that text.
A
'Young People Hark.' From the Adams manuscript book (western
North Carolina, 1824-5), owned by W. Amos Abrams and copied by
him for the Frank C. Brown Collection in 1944. Professor Abrams notes
that he has several variants and that the song is known as 'Wicked
Polly,' 'The Dying Girl Unprepared to Meet Her God,' 'The Downward
Road Is Crowded.' etc. The manuscript spellings, lines, and stanzas
have been followed zr/'/x//;;;; ct scriafi)ii.
1 Young people hark & I will tell
the misteries of a soul in hell
a woman who was young & fare
Who died in sin and black dispare
2 Her tender parents oft did pray
for her poor soul from day to day
they gave her council good advice
hut she delighted still in vice
3 Shed go to frolick dance and play
in spite of all her friends could say
I'll return to (iod when I am old
And then he will recieve my soul
4 .\t length she heard the spirit say
thou sinful wreach forsake thy way
And tiu'n to mv or you shall dwell
for ever in the flames of hell
H O M I L E T 1 C S O N i; S 93
5 I am too young she then rephde
my comrades all will me deny
the spirit then bid her farwell
and so to commits this wreach to hell
6 it was [ ?| not long ere death did come
to call this hapless sinner home
and where-upon her diing bed
she calld her friends & thus she sd
7 My friends 1 bid you all farwell
I die I die I sink to hell
there I must lie & scream & cry
(down I
Im lost I am [ ] ft)rever more
I doom I
8 her tender parents she address
I hope your souls will boath be blest
but your poor child you now may se
but soon will be in misery
amen
B
'A Sad Parting.' From Mrs. Minnie Church, Heaton, Avery county,
1930. This is close to Brewster's BSI 303 text, from Indiana, having
one more stanza (the last) than that.
1 Young {)eople who delight in sin.
I'll tell you what has lately I)een :
A lady who was young and fair.
She died in sin and dark despair.
2 She'd go to frolics, dance, and play,
In spite of all her friends could .say.
'I'll ttu'n to God when 1 get old.
And tlu'n lie will receive my soul.'
3 On I^^-iday she was taken ill ;
Her stubborn heart began to fill.
'Alas ! Alas ! My days are spent —
Too late, too late now to repent.'
4 She called her mother to her bed ;
Her eyes were rolling in her head.
'Oh, earthly mother, farewell ;
Your wicked daughter screams in hell.'
5 She called her father to her bed.
Her eyes still rolling in her head.
'Oh, earthly father, farewell ;
I\Iv soul is lost and doomed in hell.'
94 N O R T 11 C A R () I. I N A I" O L K L 0 R E
6 She gnawed her tongue before she died.
She wrung her hands, she screamed, she cried
"Oh, must I burn forever more.
Ten thousand years rolls o'er and o'er?
7 "Young people all. with one accord
Take warning by my dying word.
You may escape these Hellish flames
While I am doomed to Endless Pain."
'Wicked I'olly." A phonograph recording made b}- Mrs. Church in i«J39.
The record has not lieen transcribed.
No title. One of several songs sent in September 1944 to Professor
A. P. Hudson, Chapel Hill, by Mrs. Katherine Thomas, a teacher in
the Durham High School for Negroes, who had been a member of one
of Professor Hudson's classes at the North Carolina College for Negroes,
Durham, in the spring of 1943. Regarding the songs, Mrs. Thomas
wrote, "I secured most of them from my students."
1 Young people who delight in sin,
I'll tell you what has lately been.
A lady who was young and fair
Who died in sin and sad despair.
Chorus:
She'd go to frocks,^ dance, and play,
In spite of all her friends wotild say.
T'U turn to God when I am old,
And then he will receive my soul.'
2 On Friday morning she took sick.
Her stumble heart begin to break.
'Alas, alas, my days I've spent.
Too late, too late for to repent !'
3 .She gnaw her tongue before she died.
She gown, she moun, she scream, she cried,
'( )h, must I burn forever more
Till tbou.sand. thousand davs arc old?'
4 She said. 'Oh, mother, mother, tell my mates
To turn to Ciod and seek His faith,
Upon their needs for mercy cry.
In sin and shame like Mary died.'
* So in the manscript. Read 'frolick,'
II U M I L E T 1 C SO N c; S 95
63
A Poor Sinner
Tliis resembles in theme, tone, and style 'The Wicked Girl,' above,
but seems to be an independent homiletic ballad. Dorothy Scar-
borough, SCSM "Ji, says that a Mrs. J. G. Stikeleather of Asheville
"sang a fragment of song with a Kentucky scene" and prints a
text with stanzas corresponding to the first and last of the following.
'A Poor Sinner.' From Miss Monnie McDonald, Lillington, Harnett
county. Not dated. "From her grandmother, as sung at a camp meet-
ing at Cool Springs Methodist Church, near Lillington, N. C, during
the Civil War." A line seems to have been lost from the third stanza.
1 Hark, sinner, hark, while 1 relate
What happened in Kentucky State.
A poor young woman lately died ;
She dropped from all her wealth and pride.
2 She once professed the Lord to know
And did with saints to meeting go,
But the young sinner drew her on
And brought her soul to laugh and scorn.
3 She called her father ; thus she said :
'Oh, father, mother, fare you well !
Oh, brother, sister, fare you well !'
4 'Oh, loving Betsy, fare you well !
I'm afraid your soul has gone to hell.'
She closed her eyes ; her nails turned blue ;
And she bade this world adieu.
64
Advice to Sinners
With music. From Miss Fannie Grogan, Silverstone, Watauga county.
Words and air by Miss Grogan as "written April 16, 1916, for Lawton
Grogan."
I Oh, Sinner, you'd better take heed to the Saviour's word
today.
You will follow the Christian round and still you will not
pray.
God in his angry frown
Some day will cut you down.
For your body has to lie in the ground.
Chorus:
Your body has to lie in the ground.
You will follow the Christian round.
96 X () R T H L A k O 1. I X A FOLKLORE
And \(tu'll trv to i)ull him down ;
But vour body has to he in the ground.
2 You join the church, poor Sinner, with sin polhite God's
land.
You never will be able before your Cod tcj stand.
You will travel on your ways.
And you'll sin away your days ;
For your body has to lie in the ground.
3 Oh. Death will soon recei\e you; your breath you'll cease
to draw.
When followed by the dragon it is then too late to war.
Woe and misery you will see
Throughout all eternity ;
For your body has to lie in the ground.
4 When Gabriel sounds his trumpet, poor Sinner, you'll be
lost.
You'll see the good old Christian come wagging with his
cross,
With his garments white and clean.
Crying, 'Lord, I've been redeemed.'
For your body has to lie in the ground.
5 Now turn your back on Satan and give the Lord vour
heart.
My God sits in His kingdom and always does His part.
Oh, the angels they will shout
When He casts the Devil out.
For your body has to lie in the ground.
6 One minute spent in Glory will satisfy your mind
For all the worldly pleasure^ that you have left behind.
You will fly around God's throne
W'ith Peter. James, and John.
For your body has to lie in the ground.
65
Wild ( )ats
There are in the Collection two — somewhat contradictory — ver-
sions of what Mrs. Emma M. Backus reports (JAFL xiv 297) as
a sinji^ing- f^ame played in rural Connecticut in 1865. Mrs. L. D.
Ames reports it as a ])lay-])arty song- in Missouri (JAFL xxiv
314). See also Botkin, API'S 36, 58 n., and 170-1. There is noth-
inji^ to show, however, that it is a i)lay-party song in North Caro-
lina. It seems rather to he homiU'tic.
II O M 1 I. K TIC SON (i S 97
Turn, Young Men.' From Miss Gertrude Allen (afterwards Mrs.
Vaugiit), Taylorsville, .\lexander county. Not dated, but sent in some
time ill the 1920s.
Turn, young men. from your evil ways ;
Go sow yoin- wild oats in the early days —
That you may be happy when you grow old.
B
No title. From Ethel Brown, Catawba county. Not dated.
Turn ye, young men, from your evil ways ;
Don't sow wild oats in your early days —
That you may be happy when you grow old.
66
You Can Run on a Long Time
From Julian P. Boyd, Alliance, Pamlico county, as collected from Min-
nie Lee, a pupil; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro fragment."
1 When I looked down into holiness,
I saw it true and plain ;
I saw that I could not despise his word
And in his love remain.
Chants:
You can run on a long time
With the cover of the world pulled over your face ;
You can run a long time ;
But your sins are going to find you out.
2 Let me tell you about a liar.
He won't do to trust ;
He'll tell a lie to make a fuss,
Tell another to make it wuss.
3 See that sister shoutin' ?
She seems to be mighty glad.
But when you tell the gospel truth,
You are sho' to make her mad.
4 We have some folks in de church.
You have often heard it said ;
You just can't live that holy life
L'Util you get upon your dying bed.
5 ^^ e have some brethren in the church
Who believe in having two wives.
X.C.F., Vol. TII. (9)
98 N 0 K T II C A K O L I N A F O L K L 0 R K
Vou can call them up into counsel
r>ut their temper will l)egin to rise.
6 Some women loving other women's husbands;
They had better be loving their own.
If they haven't got one. they had better get one,
Be ready when the judgment comes.
7 You told me you had been converted ;
Be sure you do not lie.
They say that in my leather's house
They are holy and satisfied.
8 \Ve have some sisters in the church ;
They say I am growing cold ;
They say I'm doin' nothin' wrong
But tattlin' from do' to do'.
IV
PLAY-PARTY AND DANCE SONGS
THE PLAY-PARTY is an American institution, a compromise
between the ineradicable love of social merrymaking and the
Puritan distrust of dancing as one of the wiles of the devil.
Throughout wide reaches of American life, especially along the ever-
moving frontier in the latter half of the nineteenth century, young
people would get together for an evening not for dancing, for danc-
ing was not respectable, but for a play-party. And what was a play-
party ? Why, it was a dancing party in everything except the name
and — in most communities — the help of instrumental music. For the
parlor organ was not very well suited to dance music, and the fiddle
and the banjo were gadgets of the devil. But dancing without
music to lift and carry the rhythm would be a dull affair; and so
they sang. The songs are of various origin. Many of them are
old English songs used in singing games of the sort gathered by
Lady Gomme in the old country and by William Wells Newell in
the United States. INIany of these are still used as children's games
in America, and the play-party is in considerable part a relic of
these games, become the play no longer of children but of grownups.
Others have been adopted from the minstrel stage ; others are mem-
ories of the frontier, of the War of 1812, of the Mexican War.
Some, like 'Old Joe Clark' and 'Uncle Joe Cut Off His Toe,' have
no discoverable origin and no very fixed content but a swinging tune
that ensures their popularity. And some are simply old dance tunes
with words to carry them, like 'Pop Goes the W'easel' and "Turkey
in the Straw.'
North Carolina has never been so definitely in the Bible belt as
many of the Midwestern states. The fiddle and the guitar, and
especially the banjo, have never been without their devotees in the
Old North State. Accordingly we find in our collection many songs
or fragments of songs described as favorites with "banjo pickers,"
and these we have included in this section. There are also a con-
siderable number of songs which are not labeled by the contributors
as play-party songs or dance songs but which seem from their
structure and content likely to have been used as such. These we
have assembled at the close of the section.
100 i\ 0 r t ii c a r o l i n a i- o l k l 0 r e
W'eevilv Wheat
Perhaps tlic most widely known and used of play-party songs is
this relic of the Jacobite sentiment of two hundred years ago. See
Botkin's The American Play-Party Song 345-51 a"fi the McLendon
finding list in SFLQ viii 228, and add X'irginia ( FSV 223-4) and
the oV.arks ( OFS in 297-301). Not infrequently all trace of its
Jacobite origin has been lost.
"Over the River to Feed the Sheep." Contributed in 1920 by O. J.
Burrus.
1 As I come down the motuitaiii
I give me horn a hlow.
You ought to have heard those pretty httle girls
Say, 'Yonder comes my heau.'
Clionis:
Oh. wait a little while, hoy,
We will all go.
Don't you know that old shanghai
Go ook 00k 00k 00k 00k?
2 One cold frosty morning
Barney come down the road.
He had no shoes upon his feet ;
The frost bit ofif his toes.
3 Over the river tf) feed the sheep.
Over the river to Charlie.
Over the river to feed the slieep,
Feed them well on barley.
4 I won't have none of your weevily wheat,
I won't have none of your barley ;
T must have some of the best of wheat
To bake a cake for Charlie.
5 Cliarlie he's a nice young man.
Charlie he's a dandy ;
Charlie is the very man
That 1 would ])ull my candy.*
No title. Obtained from Miss Jewell R(ibl)iiis, Pekin, Montgomery
county, in 1922. In the form of a record, on which Dr. Brown notes:
^ This line is evidently corrupt, l)ut the editor will not venture to
correct it.
P I. A V - 1' A K T V A N I) I) A N C K S () N C S lOI
"Song mack- up on two lovers, Florence Andrews and Charley Braid-
shire." The four-line fragment gives no clear idea of what the story
may be, but it evidently uses the "weevily wheat" verse and rhyme.
Florence ran tli rough the weevily wheat,
Florence ran through the barley ;
Florence fell down and broke her neck
And .so she died for Charley.
68
Here Comes Three Lawyers
One of the many variants of the singing game "Here Come Three
Dukes A-Riding,' for wliich see the McLendon finding list, SFLQ
viii 209. Reported also by Davis for Virginia (FSV 228-9) and
by Randolph for Missouri (OFS iii 360-1). The riders may be
three knights, three kings, three brethren otit of Spain, or still other
variants. To the references in the McLendon list should be added
Massachusetts (FSONE 13-15). Tennessee ( BTFLS v 26-7), and
the Czarks (OFS in 367-8). '
'Here Comes Three Lawyers, Three Lawyers Are We." From the manu-
script notebook of Mrs. Harold Glasscock of Raleigh, lent to Dr. White
in 1943. This, like other items in Mrs. Glasscock's book, was learned
from her parents. A note in tlie book explains that, in "acting it out,
Lawyer carries a book, merchants, goods, farmer, corn. Peddler with
pack on end of stick."
1 'Here conies three lawyers, three lawyers we are.
A-courting your daughter so rare and so fair.
Can we get lodgings here, oh here,
Can we get lodgings here ?'
2 'This is my daughter that sets by my side.
And none of you lawyers can get her for a bride.
You cannot get lodgings here, oh here,
And you cannot get lodgings here.'
3 'We care nothing for your daughter and less for yourself.
I betcha hve dollars I can better myself,
And we do not want lodgings here, oh here,
We do not want lodgings here."
Similarly fur merchants and farmers. Last come the peddlers : and now
the response is :
"This is my daughter that sits by my side.
And one of you peddlers can get her for a bride ;
And you can get lodgings here, oh here.
And you can get lodgings here.'
102 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
69
Jennie Jenkins
A color song, presumably a derivative of the very widely known
and sung 'Miss Jennia Jones,' for which see the McLendon finding
list SFLQ viii 216 — though 'Jennie Jenkins' is not there listed as
a title nor have our North Carolina texts any suggestion of a
funeral or of the wearing of mourning. A 'Jennie Jenkins' song
has been reported from New Hampshire (F.SONE 199-200), Ver-
mont (VFSB 164-7). N'irginia ( OSC 129-30), and Missouri (OF.S
III 208).
'Julie Jenkins.' Sung by Mrs. Nancy Prather of Sugar Grove, Watauga
county, in August 1937.
1 'Will you wear red, my true love?
Will you wear red, Julie Jenkins?'
'I won't wear red, it's the color of niy head :
Refrain:
'So I'll buy me a falli-ralli-dilly-dally
Servi-jtiicy-douhle binding-
To wear with a robe, Julie Jenkins.'
2 'Will you wear white, my true love?
Will you wear white, Julie Jenkins?'
'I won't wear white, the color is so light.'
3 'Will you wear blue, my true love?
Will you wear blue, Julie Jenkins?'
'T won't wear blue, the color is so true.'
4 'Will you wear black, my true love?
Will you wear black, Julie Jenkins?'
'I won't wear black, it's the color of a sack.'
5 'Will you wear brown, my true love?
Will you wear brown, Julie Jenkins?'
'I won't wear brown, it's the color of a crown.'
6 'Will you wear yaller, my true love?
Will you wear yaller, Julie Jenkins?'
'1 won't wear yaller, the color is so shaller.'
7 "Will you wear ])ur]:)le, my true love?
Will you wear purple, Julie Jenkins?'
'I won't wear ])ur])le, it's the color of a tiu'kle.'
'Jti'.nit.- Jiiikiiis' l\(.iHirtf(l by Thomas Smith of Zionviilc, Watauga
county, in 1921 as sung l)y Ik'niictt Sniitli and i^. J. Sniitli of that place.
P L A Y - P A R T Y A N D DAN C K S O N (i S I03
"They hoard it first sung over forty years ago in Caldwell county.
This song, they say. was very jxjpular just after the close of the Civil
War. Tlic Misses Green of Caldwell county were the ones who sung
the song to Bennett Smith and E. J. Smith over forty years ago." Nine
colors are proposed, I)lue, green, red, white, yellow, gray, hlack. hrown,
and spotted. The answers correspond often to those of A, hut the re-
frain is not just the same. It runs:
I'll buy me a turly whirly double lolly sookey juley
Salley katy double double row stick a beany
WsLU ter ma rose. Jennie Jenkins.
The answers for five of the colors are different from those of A :
'I won't wear green, for it is too clean.'
'I won't wear gray, for it's too gay.'
'I won't wear black, for it is too slack.'
'I won't wear brown, for it's the color of the ground.'
'I won't wear spotted, for it is too drotted.'
'Jenny Jenkins.' Contributed by R. D. Ware in 1921 from Albemarle,
Stanly county. Chorus and three stanzas dealing with red, black, and
brown as in A except that brown, as in B, "is the color of the ground."
'Tooley Wooley Iser.' From the manuscript notebook of Mrs. Harold
Glasscock of Raleigh, lent to Dr. White in 1943. "Most or all of her
songs Mrs. Glasscock learned from her parents."
1 'Oh will you wear the green, oh dear, oh dear.
Oh will you wear the green, Jennie Jenkins ?'
'I won't wear the green, for the color will be seen;
So buy me the tooley wooley Iser.'
Chorus:
Buy me the tooley wooley double lucky sucky tucky
ripe grown green brandy beer,
Bend your hooks, won't you wear it. Jennie Jenkins?
2 'Oh will you wear the blue, oh dear, oh dear.
Oh will you wear the blue. Jennie Jenkins?'
'I won't wear the blue, for the color isn't true;
So buy me the tooley wooley Iser.'
3 'Oh will you wear the gray, oh dear, oh dear.
Oh will you wear the gray. Jennie Jenkins?'
'I won't wear the gray, for the color will betray;
So buy me the tooley wooley Iser.'
104 ^' '* '< ' " *-' '^ ^ " '- ^ '^' ''^ FOLKLORE
Oh. Pretty Polly
Like "Miss Jennia Jones' this is a color song, but I have no evi-
dence that it is a play-party or game song. Indeed. I have nowhere
found it reported as traditional song.
'Oh. Pretty Polly.' Contributed in 1924 or thereabouts by Carl G.
Knox, Durham. With the tune.
1 Oh. pretty Polly, don't you cry.
Yotir sweetheart's a-comiiig by-and-by.
When he comes, he'll come in green ;
Then you may know that his love is keen.
2 Oh, pretty Polly, don't you cry.
Your sweetheart's a-coming by-and-by.
When he comes, he'll come in blue ;
Then you may know his love is true.
3 Oh, pretty Polly, etc.
When he comes, he'll come in yellow ;
Then you may know his love is shallow\
4 ( )]i. pretty Polly, etc.
\\ hen he comes, he'll come in black ;
Then you may know he'll turn his back.
5 Oh, pretty Polly, etc.
W^hen he comes, he'll come in brown ;
Then you may know he'll turn you down.
6 Oh. pretty Polly, etc.
When he comes, he'll come in red ;
Then you may know his love is dead.
7 Oh. pretty Polly, don't you cry.
Your sweetheart's a-coming by-and-by.
71
Don't Cry
It is not clear whether this is a play-party song, a cliild's singing
game of colors like 'Jennie Jenkins,' or a hillahy. It might, of
course, serve all three fiuictions. It is evidently a variant of tlie
preceding song.
'Don't Cry.' Secured by M. (i. b^ilton df Davidson College in 1914
from W. C. l-'ricrson. I. (nation not <iivtii.
I Ddu't cr\', little bab\'. don't you cry.
Your sweetheart will come by and by.
When he comes, if he's dressed in green.
Then voti ma\- know you'll be his (|ueen.
P LAV- 1' A K r N' A X I) 1) A N C E S O N c; S IO5
Don't cry, little liaby. don't you cry,
^'otir sweetheart will come by and by.
W hen he conies, if he's dressed in red,
Then you may know his love is dead.
Don't cry, little baby, don't you cry.
Your sweetheart will come by and by.
\\ hen he conies, if he's dressed in yellow,
Then you may know he's a jolly good fellow.
Don't cry, little baby, don't you cry,
Your sweetheart will come by and by.
When he comes, if he's dressed in black,
Then you may know he's going back.
Don't cry, little baby, don't vou cry.
Your sweetheart will come by and b}'.
When he comes, if he's dressed in blue.
Then you may know his love is true.
Don't cry, little baby, don't you cry.
Your sweetheart will come by and by.
A\'hen he comes, if he's dressed in purple.
Then you may know you will make a nice couple.
Don't cry, little baby, don't vou cry.
Your sweetheart will come by and by.
\\ hen he comes, if he's dressed in gray,
Then you may know he's going away.
Don't cry. little baby, don't you cry.
Your sweetheart will come by and by.
When he comes, if he's dressed in brown.
Then you may know he's going to town.
72
Here We (lo in Mourning
Possibly this lias grown out of those forms of 'Miss Jeniiia Jones'
which represent a death and a funeral: at any rate it is clearly a
song-game or a play-party song.
'Here We Go in Mourning.' Obtained by Julian P. lioyd from Minnie
Lee, one of his students in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county, in
1927. The tliird stanza seems to be imperfect.
I Here we go in mourning.
In mourning is my cry.
I have gone and lost my true love.
And surely 1 must die.
I06 NORTH CAROLINA l-OLKLORE
2 It's yonder lie c(jmes.
And it's How do you do ?
And it's How have you been
Since I parted from you?
3 Come now and let's go and get married ;
For I told you in Georgia
Just how the love would be.
73
Row THE Boat, Row the Boat
This is the play-party song which Cox (SFLQ vi) calls 'Uncle
John' and Wolford (The Play-Party in Indiana 97) calls 'Uncle
Johnie's Sick A-Bed.' It is really a form of the old singing game
'Wallflower, Wallflower, Growing Up So High' of which Lady
Gomme (11 324-42) gives thirty-five English texts. With the curi-
ous lines constituting the second half of the second stanza of our A
text, it is or has been known in Connecticut (JAFL xii 293), Mis-
souri (OFS IV 123-5), Ohio (JAFL xl 12), and Idaho (JAFL
XLiv 22) ; without these lines but with the opening lines of the next
stanza in Michigan (JAFL xxxiii 132-3). The title of our A is
echoed in Randolph's Missouri title for the song, 'Ride About, Ride
About.' I have not found elsewhere anything nuich resembling
the more ballad-like matter of our B te.xt.
.\
'Row the Boat, Row the Boat.' Reported hy K. P. Lewis from the
rendering of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill in 1910.
1 Row the boat, row the boat, where shall we land?
At Mr. Jones', and there we'll find land.
Who goes there, all booted and spurred.
But little Mr. Smith, a clever young man?
2 He knocked at the door and he rang at the bell
And asked Mrs. Jones if her Annie was well.
'She's neither within, she's neither without,
But she's upstairs a-frisking about.'
3 Down conies Miss Annie as white as milk
Her hands before her sewing of silk.
He hugged her and kissed her and parried her nails
And gave her a girdle of peacocks' tails.
4 Though peacock tails be ever so dear
Miss Annie shall have one once a vear.
'Tommy Jones." Contrilmtcd l)y .Miss (iirtrude' .MUmi (later .Mrs.
Vaught) from Taylorsville. .Alexander county, in 1023.
P L A V - r A K T Y A X 1) DANCE SON C. S 10/
1 I've been woiuk-rini; all my life
Where Toniiny Jones would ,^et him a wife.
2 Up to Mr. Smith's house, so they say.
He goes courting night and day.
3 Carries a pistol by his side.
Wants Miss Mary for his bride.
4 Up comes Tommy so brave and l)old.
Roses in his coat as yellow as gold.
5 'Say, Mrs. Smith, can you say
Wliere Miss Mary is today?"
6 "She's not in and she's not out,
She's upstairs flirting about.'
7 Down comes Mary all dressed in silk,
Roses in her hair as white as milk.
8 Out comes Mrs. Smith, jug in her hand :
'Say, Tommy, won't you have a little dram?'
9 'No, I thank you very kind.
Rather have Mary than any of your wine.'
10 Out comes Mr. Smith, club in his hand:
'Run, Tommy, run! I'll kill you if I can!'
'I'm Going to .' Published by John A. Loma.x in the North Caro-
lina Booklet, vol. XI, No. I. Clearly a fragment of the same song in
another version.
1 I'm going to , an' that will be the place
To get Miss Laura, if God'll give me grace
2 Out came Miss Laura all dressed in silk
With a rose in her hair as white as milk.
74
The Needle's Eye
Our collection has only a fragment of this very widely known
play-party song; more properly, a singing game. See the McLendon
finding list, SFLQ viii 217. To the references there given should
be added Maine (FSONE 43-4) and the Ozarks (OFS 111 351-2).
The Archive of American Folk Song has records of it from Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Washington, D. C. Mrs. Steely
found it in the Ebenezer community in Wake county.
I08 X () R T H (■ A K 0 I. 1 X A I" () L K L 0 R E
'Needle's Eye.' Contributed, words and music, in 1922 Ijy J. T. C.
Wright of Boone, Watauga county. The missing second Hue slT.mld be
'The thread that runs so true."
Needle's eye did supply
(line missing)
Many a beau have I let go
For the sake of kissing vou.
The Miller Bov
This is perliaps the oldest and most widely known of the play-
party songs. For English texts see Lady Gonime's Traditional
Songs I 289-93 and Northall's English Folk-Rhymes 366. and for
references to American texts Botkin's The American Play-Party
Song 247-52 and the ]\IcLendon finding list in SFLQ viii 209,
adding Virginia (FSV 22/) and the Ozarks (OFS iii 293-5). It
is represented in our collection only by the opening stanza.
A
'The Miller Boy.' Reported by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga
county, as obtained from Miss Mae Smith.
Oh. the miller boy that tends to the mill
He takes the toll with his own free will.
( )ne hand in the hopper and the other in the sack —
The ladies step forward and the gents fall back.
B
'Miller Boy.' From Ethel Brown, Catawba county.
Hapi)y is the miller that lives by the mill.
The mill ttirns around and gains what it will.
Hands in the hopper and hands in the sack —
Ladies step forward and the gents step back.
c
'Little Johnny .Miller." A manuscript in Dr. Brown's hand, with the
query 'G. S. Black?' Tiiis is repeated in another hand with the manu-
scrij)! (if tile music.
Little Johnnie Milk-r he worked at the mill.
He worked all day, no matter what you will.
With a hand in the hopper and the other in the sack.
The ladies keep a-going while the gents turn back.
76
In and ( )ut the \\'inim)w
An old favorite for play-parties. For Kngli.sh texts see Lady
("lonnue's Traditional Songs 11 122-43 and for its vogue in America
tlu' .McLcndon tinding list, S1""LQ \-iii 207; and add X'irginia (FSV
P I. A Y - I' A R T V A N I) I) A N C K S O N C. S IO9
22S) and tlic Ozarks (01*\S iii 313-14, 336-8). It is also known as
"Marchins: round the Levee' (for earlier "Marchins: round the Val-
ley'). It appears hut once in our collection. Mrs. Steely found it
in the Mhenezer coniniunity in Wake county.
"Marching round the Love-Ring.' Reported l)y Dr. Rrown as "played hy
grown girls and boys in Buncombe, Madison, and Haywood counties."
1 ( '.(> in and out the window,
Chj in and out the window,
Go in and out the window,
.Since you have gained the day.
Chorus:
We're marching round the love-ring,
We're marching round the love-ring.
We're marching round the love-ring,
.Since we have gained the day.
2 Step forth and face your lover,
Step forth and face your lover.
Step forth and face your lover,
Since yoti have gained the day.
3 I'll measure my love to show you,
I'll measure my love to show you,
I'll measure my love to show you,
Since you have gained the day.
4 I'll kneel because I love you,
I'll kneel because I love you,
I'll kneel becatise I love you.
Since you have gained the day.
5 ( )ne kiss before I leave you.
One kiss before I leave vou.
One kiss before I leave you,
Since you have gained the day.
77
Shoot the Buffalo
This is a fraf,nnent of the sinj^ing game or play-party song so
called, which in temper reaches back to early pioneer days. .See
Botkin. The American Play-Party Song 308-12. and the McLendon
finding list, SFLQ viii 223-4. Randolph reports it from the Ozarks
(OFS III 306-9).
'Ohio.' Contributed by Jesse T. Carpenter of Durham with the note :
"I think this is a song game. It was sung before the Civil War in the
neighborhood around McMannen's Chapel."
1 10 NORTH C A R 0 L I N A F 0 I. K L O R K
O my dearest clear, 1 will take you by the hand
And I'll lead you to the far off country
Where there's a better and fairer land ;
Where the girls can knit and sew.
Where the boys can plow and mow,
And I'll settle you on the banks of that river Ohio.
78
Coffee Grows on White Oak Trees
A favorite play-party song pretty much everywhere that play-
parties are — or have been — in vogue is made up of three elements:
a stanza beginning with the line liere chosen as title, another begin-
ning "pretty little pink" (sometimes '"my blue-eyed gal") and an-
other beginning "I'll put my knapsack on my back." It goes back
to the Mexican War. As Sandburg remarks ( ASb 166) : "a dance
song known in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois became a knapsack
and marching tune with Mexican War references." For its range
see the McLendon finding list, SFLQ viii 204 and 221, and add to
the references there given \'irginia (FSV 219-20) and the Ozarks
(OFS III 296-7, 309, 311). Sometimes only two of the elements
appear, and sometimes only one. Sometimes New Orleans or
Quebec appears in place of Mexico, carrying the reference back to
the War of 181 2.
'Daisy.' Communicated by Mildred Peterson of Bladen county, prob-
ably in 1923.
1 Coffee grows in the white oak tree,
The rivers run with brandy.
My little gal is a blue-eyed gal
As sweet as any candy.
2 Fly around, my blue-eyed gal.
So fly around, my daisy ;
Every time I see that gal
She almost runs me crazy.
'Song.' Communicated In' LuciUe Cheek from Cliatham county in 1923
or tliereabouts.
I The sui^ar grows on a white oak tree,
The river flows with brandy,
The little girls in Mexico
Are sweet as sugar candy.
All night long, all night long.
V L A V - l" A R T V A X 1) I) A N C E SON C. S
2 The rooster spreads his tail and crows,
The jayhird spreads his tail ;
The whippoorwill ain't got no tail.
But you ought to hear him sing
All night long, all night long.
c
'Pretty Little Pink." Reported by Ruth Morgan from Stanly county,
1 Pretty little pink, I used to think
That you and I would marry.
But now I've lost all hopes of that,
So farewell, my darling.
2 I'll throw my knapsack on my hack.
My rifle on my shoulder.
And march away to Mexico
To live to be a soldier.
3 Where the coffee grows on the white oak trees
And the rivers flow with brandy
And the street all lined with five dollar [bills] ^
And the girls as sweet as candy —
And the boys as sour as vinegar.
'My Darling Little Pink.' Contributed by J. B. Midgett of Wanchese.
Roanoke Island, probably in 1920. With the tune.
1 My darling little Pink. I once did think
That you and I would marry ;
But now I've lost all hope of love,
So I can no longer tarry.
2 I'll take my knapsack on my back,
My gun upon my shoulder.
And march away to New Orleans
To view a pleasant country.
3 Where money grows on white oak trees.
The rivers flow with brandy.
The streets are paved with radiant gold.
And the girls are sweet as candy.
E
Tretty Little Pink.' From Clara Hearne, student at Duke University
in 1923; a version probably from Chatliam county. Like the preceding
except that it has "Mexico" instead of "New Orleans" and the last
two lines are
' Omitted in the manuscript, doubtless by accident.
112 X O R T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Where the boys are like a lump of gold,
And girls are sweet as candy.
F
"Song." Contriljuted by Cozette Coble — probably from Stanly county.
1 I take my knapsack on my back.
]\Iy rifle on my shotilder.
March away to Mexico
Where for and yank a soldier.^
2 Where the coffee grows on the white oak trees
And the river is float brandy,^
Streets are lined with ten dollar bills,
And the girls are sweet as candy.
G
'I'll Put My Knapsack on My Back.' Contributed in 1914 or there-
abouts by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, with the nota-
tion : "The above song sung lately by Polly Rayfield, also by Bennett
Smith. They heard it over fifty years ago."
1 I'll put my knapsack on my back.
My rifle on my shoulder,
And march down to New Orleans
Just to be a soldier.
2 Where coffee grows on white oak trees
And rivers flow with brandy.
And ladies' hearts are lined with gold
And lips as sweet as candy.
No title. Contributed by V. C. Royster in 1914 from Wake county,
with the notation that it goes back to times before the Civil War.
I'll take my knapsack on my back.
My rifle on my shoulder,
And march away to old Quebec
There for to be a soldier.
I
No title. From Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, in 1915.
The same as H except that it has "New Orleans" for "old Queliec."
79
Little Fkhit in Mkxico
This memory of the Mexican W ar of a liundn-d years a.^o has
retained its place as a play-i>arty sonj^ pretty well in the .South and
^ The first of these lines should perhaps read "There for to be a Yankee
soldier"; the second can be understood by reference to preceding te.xts.
V LAY- r A U T Y A \ I) I) A N C K S C) N (1 S I I3
West; see the McLemlon tinding list, SFLQ viii 214. Davis re-
ports it also from Virginia (FSV 220 J and Randolph from the
Ozarks (OFS 111 357-9). Our text, like that remembered by Hud-
son from his boyhood in INIississippi (FSM 289;, reverses the atti-
tudes of the girl's and the boys in the presence of danger.
'Me.xican War.' Reported by Merle Smitli from Stanly county. Not
dated.
There was a war in Mexico
And all the boys and girls they had to go.
Btit when they got to the place where the blood was shed
The boys turned back and the gals went ahead.
Sing fol dol da, sing fol dol da.
80
Pig in the Parlor
One of the most generally known of the play-party songs. See
the McLendon finding list, SFLQ viii 220, and add Randolph, OFS
III 305-6. Our North Carolina texts are fragmentary.
A
No title. Communicated by Jessie Hauser from Forsyth county.
1 My father and mother were Irish.
My father and mother were Irish,
My father and mother were Irish,
And I am Irish too.
2 We put the i)ig in the parUn-.
We put the pig in the parlor,
We put the pig in the parlor,
And it is Irish too.
B
'My Father and Mother Were Irisli.' From Mildred Peterson. Bladen
county. The same as A except that the second stanza has
We keep a pig in the kitchen.
'We Have a New Pig in the Parlor." From J. C. Knox, Brunswick
county, with the tune. Only two lines, each repeated three times :
W^e have a new pig in the parlor
and
And he is Irish too.
X.C.F., Vi.i. III. rio)
1 14 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
8i
Buffalo Gals
S. Foster Damon (Scries of Old American Songs No. 39)
points out that the original form of this is the minstrel song 'Lubly
Fan,' the work of Cool White (real name John Hodges), copy-
righted in 1844. From this grew 'Bowery Gals,' which was in
Christy's repertory. The finally successful form of it, "Buffalo
Gals,' was copyrighted (without indication of author or composer)
in 1848, and spread all over the country, becoming a favorite play-
party song. See Botkin, The American Play-Party Song 150-4 and
the McLendon finding list, SFLQ viii 203. Davis reports it also
from X'irginia (FSV 243 ) and Randolph from the Ozarks (OFS iii
332-4). Perhaps it was suggested by an old English singing game,
'Pray, Pretty Miss,' known in Scotland, Yorkshire, Sussex, and
Cornwall (Gomme 11 65-7), an invitation to dance that has a like
catchy rhythm. Any place-name may be substituted for Buffalo.
'Won't You Walk Out Tonight." Contributed some time in the years
1921-24 by Miss Jewell Robbins of Pekin, Montgomery ccninty. With
the tune.
1 Oh, Buffalo gals, won't you walk out tonight.
Won't you walk out tonight, won't you walk out tonight ?
Oh, Buffalo gals, won't you walk out tonight
And dance In- the light of the luoon?
2 I kept a-dancin" and my heels kept a-rockin',
My heels kept a-rockin', my heels kept a-rockin',
I kept a-dancin' and my heels kept a-rockin'
Till I danced around the big round moon.
B
'Round Town Girls.' Reported by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga
county, in 1915, with the notation: "This was a favorite tune of Ranzo
Miller the fife player. I recall hearing him play it on a fife for a sch(X)l
entertainment over twenty years ago."
Round Town girls, won't you come out tonight,
Won't you come out tonight, won't you come out tonight
And dance by the light of the moon ?
82
( )ld Dan Tucker
This song of Dan Ennnett's, like some of Stephen Foster's, has
become indubitable American folk song. Perhaps because of its
rousing chorus, it is a favorite play-party song: the McLendon
finding list (SFLQ viii 218-19) has as many entries for it as for
'Weevily Wheat.' Davis reports it also for X'irginia (FSV 154)
I' I. A \- - r A R T Y A N I) D A N C IC S O N G S 1 1 5
and KaiKlolph fur tlie Ozarks (OFS in 301-4)- Although none
of our North Carohna texts is so marked, it is prohahle that most
of them are play-party or dance memories. It has even crept into
the tradition of' the Thames valley (FSUT 142-3)- And it has
accumulated a wide variety of stanzas in its course as traditional
song. Indeed, our thirty-odd North Carolina texts show hardly a
trace, beyond the chorus, of the original Emmett text (Damon,
Scries of Old American Songs No. 2)7 > fi'0"i a print of 1843 i" the
Harris Collection at Brown University), nor nmch more of the
fuller text which White (ANFS 446-7) reprints from Marsh's
Selection} And texts reported from other regions show variations
not found in the North Carolina texts. Some stanzas appear in pretty
much all the texts recorded from tradition: others occur less often,
though not, apparently, with any regional significance. Since all
our texts, if they exceed two stanzas (very many of them consist
of a single stanza), are a medley, they are presented here stanza by
stanza with notation of their occurrence elsewhere.
A
'Ole Dan Tucker.' Reported bv K. P. Lewis as obtained in 1910 from
Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
I Old Dan Tucker, he got drunk.
He fell in the fire and kicked up a chunk.
A coal of fire got in his shoe.
And l)less my soul, honey, how the ashes flew '.-
Chorus:
Get out the way, old Dan Tucker,
Get out the way, old Dan Tucker,
Get out the way, old Dan Tucker,
You're too late to get your supper.'^
'The Lomaxes, ABFS 261-2, print still another text as the original
Emmett version, but do not say where they found it.
" This is one of the persistent stanzas ; not in Damon's or Marsh's text,
Init reported from Kentucky (BKH 163, JAFL xl 97), Tennessee
(ETWV^JB 140, BTFLS v 31), North Carolina (ABFS 258), South
Carolina (JAFL xliv 427, Negroes), Oklahoma ( Botkin APPS 253),
the Ozarks (OASPS 151. JAFL xlu 210), Missouri (JAFL xxiv 309),
Indiana ( BSl 340), and Nebraska (JAFL xxviii 284). It is also in
the versions given in Trifet's Budget of Music and in Ford's Traditiunal
Music of Avicrica. And in our collection it is reported by T. J. Gill,
Jr., from Durham; Miss Amy Henderson from Burke county; Miss
Minnie Brvan Farrior from Duplin county: Miss Katherine Bernard
Jones, and 'Miss Dorothy McDowell Vann, from Raleigli ; Miss Mildred
Peterson, from Bladen county ; Mrs. W. L. Pridgen, from Durham ; and
Miss Irene Thompson, from Surry county. There are slight variations
in the wording of some of these.
" The chorus shows little variation— none in our texts, but in Ken-
tucky (BKH 163), Tennessee (BTFLS v 30), Texas (Owens 39 K the
Ozarks (JAFL lu 210), Ohio (JAFL xl 23), Indiana (Wolford 78).
and Nebraska (JAFL xxvni 284), and in the Lomaxes' version of
Emmett's text the last two lines sometimes run :
I l6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 A bullfrog jumped froui the bottom of the well,
He jumped so high I could not tell.
I tied him fast to a hickory stump.
And he reared and he pitched, but he couldn't get a
hump.^
3 Some folks say that a nigger won't steal.
But I caught one in my cornfield ;
I tied him fast to a knotty pine
And gave him with a horsewhip thirty-ninc.-
4 There was a man in Chapel Hill town
W ho carried a load of molasses down ;
The "lasses worked, and the hoops did bust
And sent him home in thundergust.'^
B
'Old Dan Tucker.' Obtained in 1927 by Julian P. Boyd from Minnie
Lee, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
1 Old Dan Tucker was a grand old sinner.
He never said grace till he went to his dinner.
Then he hung his head, and laughed, and said:
'Lord Jesus Christ, what a big pone of bread \'^
2 Old Dan Tucker clam a tree
His Lord and Saviour for to see.
The limb did break and he did fall ;
He never saw his Lord at all !"'
3 0\(\ Dan Tucker saw a hole in a hollow tree
And run [his] bill in there to see.
A snake slipped down and caught him by the bill;
Says "Please, good Lord, do keep him still !'"
Supper's over and breakfast's a-cookin'
And old Dan Tucker's standin' and lookin'
or the like.
^ This stanza is reminiscent of 'The Frog in the Well.' I have not
found it elsewhere associated with 'Old Dan Tucker.'
" This stanza from 'Some Folks Say that a Nigger Won't Steal' — sec
p. 508 — is nowhere else, so far as I can find, associated with "Old Dan
Tucker."
■'This stanza, clearly a local adaptation of "I.ynchlnirg Town,' is not
elsewhere brought into our song.
* The first half of this stanza is in Trifet's text, and the whole of it
constitutes an anonymous text in our collection; otherwise I have not
found it.
■"' This occurs as a stanza of "Old Dan Tucker' in Kentucky (J.AFL xl
96), North Carolina (ABFS 260). Oklahoma (Botkin APPS 263), and
Indiana (BSI 349) ; not elsewhere, so far as I can find.
" This is one of the few bits of the original song that appear in our
P L A Y - P A K T Y A N D 1) A N C K S 0 N G S I IJ
c
'Old Dan Tucker.' Contributed by Katherine Bernard Junes of Raleigh.
Not dated.
1 Old Dan Tiicker was a tine old fellow
Hut he would play cards with the ueLjroes in the cellar.^
2 1 went over heeple steeple.
There I saw a good many people ;
Soiue were white, some were hlack,
And some were the color of an old chaw tobacco. -
3 ( )ld 1 )an Tucker he got drunk ;
Fell in the hre and kicked up a chunk.
Coal of fire got in his shoe ;
Ha, ha, ha. how his coat-tail flew!'*
D
No title. From Miss Dorothy McDowell \'ann, Raleigh.
1 Old Dan Tucker was a mean old man,
Washed his face in the frying pan,
Coiuljed his hair with a wagon wheel,
Died with the toothache in his heel.
2 Old Dan Tucker he got drunk,
Fell in the fire and kicked up a chunk ;
A red-hot coal got in his boot,
And old Dan Tucker went toot, toot, toot.^
collection. It is a corruption of the fourth stanza of tlie song in the
original text and the seventh stanza of Marsh's text as reprinted by
White. None of the other texts found has it.
^ This appears as stanza 2 of the Negro song 'Captain Dime' (Talley
5), in a Kentucky text (JAFL xl 97), and as part of a stanza in our
collection contributed by Esther Royster from Vance county ; not found
elsewhere.
- Another remnant of the earlier form of the song. It is not in Em-
mett's text as given by Damon but it is the sixth stanza of Marsh's text
as given by White (ANFS 447) — where, however, the rhyme is better:
Some was black, an some was blacker.
Some was de color ob brown tobacur.
It is really a riddle and not properly a part of 'Old Dan Tucker.' It
has been reported from Ontario (JAFL xxxi 43), Kentucky (JAFL
XXVI 152), North Carolina (JAFL xxx 202), and Indiana (Wolford
78 — the last two lines only).
^ Already noted under A.
" For the second stanza see under A, above. Tlie first stanza is prob-
ably the most widely known of all, especially at play-parties. There is
nothing of the sort in Emmett's text as given t)y Danujn ( thougli it is
in what the Lomaxes, ABFS 262, give as Emmett's form of the song)
or in Marsh's or Trifet's; but it appears in Ford's Midwest version and
in reports from Ontario (JAFL xxxi 61, 152), Kentucky (BKH 163.
JAFL XL 97), Tennessee (JAFL xxvni 132, BTFLS v 30), North
Il8 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
E
No title. Contributed by Louise Bennett, Middleburg, Vance county.
Old Dan Tucker singing for his supper.
What shall he eat ? Cold bread and meat.
How shall he eat it without a knife ?
How shall he marry without a wife?^
'Old Dan Tucker.' Obtained by Dr. J. F. Royster from William C.
Daubken of the class of IQ15 at the University of North Carolina.
1 Old Dan Tucker he got drunk.
Fell in the fire and kicked out a chunk ;
Combed his hair with a wagon wheel.
Died with the toothache in his heel.
Refrain:
O run, nigger, run, the patteroller ketch ye,
Run. nigger, rim. it's almost day.
2 Old Dan Tucker an' er Henry Clay
They went to ride in a one-horse shay ;
Shay it broke an' they fell through.
Old Dan Tucker an' er Henry Clay.
83
Yonder Comes a Georgia Girl
This belongs to the general type of love songs represented by
'Knights of Spain,' 'Here Comes a Duke,' etc. in Newell's Games
and Songs of American Cliildren, but it is not in Newell or Botkin
or the McLendon finding list. It is, however, reported as a play-
party song from Virginia by Davis (FSV 228).
Carolina (ANFS 161, Negroes), Texas (Owens 40), the Ozarks
(OASPS 151, JAFL XLH 210). Missouri (JAFL xxiv 310). bidiana
(Wolford 78, BSI 340, 341), Illinois (JAFL xxxn 489), Michigan
(JAFL xxxni 116), Nebraska (JAFL xxv 273. xxvni 384), and Idaho
(JAFL XLiv 16). And it appears sixteen times in our collection, fre-
quently as the only stanza remembered, in contritnitions from Gertrude
Allen (Mrs. Vaught), Oakboro, Stanly county; Antoinette Beasley,
Monroe, Union county ; Caroline Biggers, Union county ; Lucille Cheek,
Chatham county; J. T. Gill. Jr., Durham; Minnie S. Gosney, Raleigh;
Amy Henderson, Worry, Burke county ; Lois Johnson, Davidson county ;
Flossie Marshl)anks, Mars Hill, Madison county; Lida Page, Durham
county; Mrs. W. H. Pridgen, Durliam ; Esther Royster, Vance county;
Irene Thompson, Surry county ; Louise F. Watkins, Goldsboro, Wayne
county ; Sarah K. Watkins, reporting from Anson and Stanly counties.
^ This stanza, evidently a reminiscence of 'Little Tommy Tucker,'
appears in connection with our song, so far as I have found, only in
Botkin's Oklahoma texts (Botkin 262).
P L A Y - P A R T Y A N 1) I) A N C K S O N G S 1 19
'Yonder Comes a Georgia Girl.' Contributed by Mrs. Peggy Perry of
Silverstone, Watauga county, in 1915, witli tlie notation: "Heard as a
play-song over sixty years ago."
1 Yonder comes a (k'()r<;ia i^irl.
Don't she look funny ?
She's got on a roundabout
Without a cent of money.
2 Once I could have married you.
Once I could, my honey.
\\'hen you wore your roundabout
With a pocket full of money.
84
Captain Jinks
This seenis {Weep Some More, My Lady 47) to have got its start
from the singing of William Lingard, apparently in the seventies.
There was a play of the same name. The song was sung all over
the country and became a play-party song; see the McLendon find-
ing list, SFLQ VIII 203 : and MAFLS xxix 23-4, 30. Our col-
lection has one stanza and chorus from Miss Florence Holton of
Durham, and a fragment reported by T. J. Gill, Jr.
I'm Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines,
I feed my horse on corn and beans
And sport young ladies in their teens
Though a captain in the army.
I teach young ladies how to dance.
How to dance, how to dance,
I teach young ladies how to dance,
For I'm the pet of the army.
Chorus:
Captain jinks of the Horse Marines.
I feed my horse on corn and beans.
And often live beyond my means.
Though I'm a captain in the arm\-.
85
Hop Light. Ladies
Perrow (JAFL xxviii 184) found this sung by country whites
in Virginia and Mississippi, not more than two couplets in either
place. Davis reports it from Virginia (FSV 249) and Randolph
(OFS II 323) as part of a text of 'Jump Jim Crow' in Missouri.
1 20 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
A
'Hop Light, Ladies." From Aliss Jewell Robbins, Pekin. Montgomery
county, in 1922.
Hop light, ladies, yo' cake's all dough.
Hop light, ladies, yo' cake's all dough.
Hop light, ladies, yo' cake's all dough.
You needn't mind the weather so the wind don't hlow.
No title. From Miss Louise Bennett. Vance county.
Walk light, ladies, de cake's all do',
Neber min' de weder so de wind don't blow.
86
Old Joe Clark
Essentially this is a play-party or dance song. See Randolph's
headnote to his Missouri texts, JAFL xlii 221, and to those from
Arkansas and Missouri, OFS iii 324. Botkin's study of its relation
to other song texts in Tlie American Play-Party Song 269-72, and
the McLendon finding list, SFLQ viii 219. The refrain, and very
likely the tune, have drawn to it stanzas from a variety of other
songs. Payne, commenting on his Texas version (PFLST i 32),
says a dance-caller once told him there are one hundred and forty-
four verses of it ; and Botkin calls it "this vigorously and fabulously
vulgar epic." It is widelv known in the South: Virginia (SharpK
11 259, FSV 244-5), West Virginia (FSS 495). Kentucky ( DD
106-7), Tennessee ( TAFL xxv 152, BTFLS v 23), North Caro-
lina (SCSM 65, ANFS 337), Mississippi (JAFL xxv 152), Texas
(PFLST I 32-4, Owens 56-61), Oklahoma (Botkin 272-85), Arkan-
sas and Missouri (see above); Brewster (SFLQ iv 192-3) reports
it from Indiana; the Archive of American Folk Song lists thirty-
seven records of it from a variety of places. Mrs. Steely found it
in the Ebenezer community in Wake county. It seems not to be
known in New England. The Brown Collection has two texts
illustrating the tendency to attach to it stanzas from other songs,
and three shorter versions.
A
'Old Joe Clark.' Cuntrilnitcd in i<),V) by Otis Kuykendall (if .\slieville.
I Now I've got no money.
Got no place to stay,
I've got no place to lay my head.
And the chickens a-crowin' for day.
Chorus:
Fare you well, old Joe Clark,
Fare you well, 1 say,
PL AY -PARTY AND DANCE SONGS 121
Fare you well, old Joe Clark,
I'm goin' away to stay.
2 I wish I had a nickel,
I wish I had a dime,
I wish I had a pretty little girl
To kiss and call her mine.
3 I don't like old Joe Clark,
I'll tell you the reason why :
He goes about the country
A-steaHn' good men's wives.
4 I went down to old Joe Clark's,
I did not mean no harm ;
He grabbed his old forty-four
And shot me through the arm.
5 Old Joe Clark's a mean old man.
I'll tell you the reason why :
He tore down my old rail fence
So his cattle could eat my rye.
6 I went down to old Joe Clark's,
I found old Joe in bed ;
I stuck my finger in old Joe's eye
And killed old Joe stone dead.
7 I wouldn't marry that old maid,
I'll tell you the reason why:
Her neck's so long and stringy
I'm afraid she'll never die.
8 I went down to Dinah's house.
She was standin' in the door
With her shoes and stockings in her hand
And her feet all over the floor.
9 Yonder sits a turtle dove.
Sitting on yonder pine ;
You may weep for your true love
And I shall weep for mine.
B
'Old Joe Clark.' From the manuscripts of G. S. Robinson of Asheville,
copy taken in August, 1939. This text uses few of the elements used
in A.
I Old Joe Clark he killed his wife.
Threw her in the branch ;
Going to be hung as sure as your life,
Ain't no other chance.
122 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Clwrus:
Fare thee well, old Joe Clark,
Fare thee well. 1 say,
Fare thee well, old Joe Clark,
I'm going away to stay.
2 1 don't like old Joe Clark,
I never think I shall.
I don't like old Joe Clark,
But I always liked his gal.
3 Old Joe Clark was a mean old man,
I'll tell you the reason why :
Ran across my garden plot
And tore down my rye.
4 I went up on the mountain top
To give my horn a blow.
I thought I heard my sweetheart say
'Yonder comes my beau.'
5 If I had no horse at all
I'd be found a-crawling
Up and down the rocky branch
Looking for my darling.
6 The possum in the simmon tree.
The raccoon on the ground ;
The raccoon said. 'You rascal, you.
Shake them simmons down.'
7 The jayl)ird in the sugar tree.
The sparrow on the ground ;
The jaybird shake the sugar down.
The sparrow passed it round.
8 The jaybird and the s])arr()whawk
They fly all round together.
Had a fight in the briar patch
And never lost a feather.
9 The jaybird died with the wlnxipiiig cough.
The sparrow with tlie colic.
Along came a terrajjin with a fiddle on his back
Inquiring the way to the frolic.
c
'Rock, Rock. Old Joe Clark." Rf])<)rted by Miss Jt-wcU Kohbins (after-
wards Mrs. C. P. Perdue) from Pekin, Montgomery county, some time
in the period 1021-24. With tlie tune.
P LAY- V A R T V AND I) A N C E SONGS I23
1 If you see that s^irl o' iniiie when you go,
Tell her, it you please.
Tell 'er, 'fo' she makes u\) doui^h
To roll uj) her dirty sleeves.
Chorus:
Rock. rock, old Joe Clark,
Cjoodhye. Betty Brown ;
Rock, rock, old Joe Clark,
Goodbye, Betty Brown.
2 Taylor wears a roundabout.
So does all the rest ;
John Henderson wears a long-tailed sack
And I lo\e him the best.
3 Farewell, my true love,
Farewell, I'm gone.
Farewell, old Joe Clark ;
Goodbye, Betty Brown.
D
'Old Joe Clark." This text was supplied by G. S. Block, but the manu-
script has no indication of time or place. It is accompanied by the
music.
1 Never liked the old Joe Clark,
Don't think I ever shall ;
Never liked the old Joe Clark,
Always liked his gal.
Chorus:
Round and round the old Joe Clark,
Round and round, I say.
Round and round the old Joe Clark,
Ain't got long to stay.
2 Fare you well, old Joe Clark,
Fare you well, Fm gone.
Fare you well, you old Joe Clark,
Goodbye, Lucy Long.
'Old Joe Clark." 01)tained l)y Dr. llrown from Eugene C. Crawford.
a student at Trinity College; no notation of date or place of origin.
Dr. White points out that the first stanza comes from the Jolin Hardy
song, and suggests that the "rock, rock" of the chorus refers to tlie
old dance of 'Rock Candy," concerning which see ANFS 162.
I I don't want no fifteen cents,
I don't want no change.
124 -'^' " K T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
All I want is a forty-four gun,
Shoot John Hardy through the hrain.
Chorus:
Rock, rock, old Joe Clark,
Rock, rock, I say,
Rock, rock, old Joe Clark,
Rock, rock, I say.
2 Last time I saw my wife
She was standing in the door ;
Shoes and stockings in her hand
And harefoot all over the floor.
3 If you see my wife
Tell her, if you please,
To roll up those dirty sleeves
Before she make of her dough.
87
What's the Lady's ^NfoTTON?
This game song appears to have been reported hitherto only from
Virginia (JAFL xxxiv 119). 'Monkey Motions' (TNFS 133) is
something like it but not the same song.
'Skip o'er the Mountain.' Reported in 1927 by Julian P. Boyd from the
singing of Catherine Bennett, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance,
Pamlico county. The first line and the refrain are repeated with each
stanza.
1 Skip o'er the mountain,
Tra-la-la-la-la,
Skip o'er the mountain,
Tra-la-la-la-la.
Ski]) o'er the mountain,
Tra-la-la-la-la,
Oh, she loves sugar and cheese 1
2 What's the lady's motion?
Oh, she loves sugar and cheese!
3 It's a very lovely motion.
Oh, she loves sugar and cheese!
4 Yonder goes a red-hird.
Oh. she loves sugar and cheese!
PLAY -PARTY AND DANCE SONGS 1 25
88
The Farmer's Boy
This romance of farm life is well known in England both tra-
ditionally and in stall print and has been reported in this country
from Vermont, Virginia, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, and
Wyoming; see BSM 272 and add to the references there given
Virginia (FSV 71-2), Missouri (OFS i 426-7), Wisconsin (JAFL
Lii ij), and Iowa (JAFL liv 172). It is known also in Michigan
(BSSM 479, listed but text not given). The texts in the North
Carolina collection are so closely alike that only one is given here.
It appears from Mrs. Sutton's account of it that it is a play-party
song in Caldwell and adjoining counties. She writes: " "The Farm-
er's Boy' is a grand tune for twistification. The good dancers can
stamp hard on the o sounds in the chorus. A group of boys and
girls singing 'For to reap or to mow, or to plow or to sow, or to
be a farmer's boy' and dancing an old English dance is a pretty
sight. 'Twistification' is a modified form of an intricate old dance
'The Grapevine Swing.' It takes skill and the figures are pretty."
Our four texts :
A 'The Farmer's Boy.' Contributed, without date but probably in 191 5
or 1916, by I. G. Greer of Boone. Watauga county. With the music.
B 'The Farmer's Boy.' From Miss Averie M. Martin. Text given
below.
C 'The Farmer Boy.' Collected for Professor E. L. Starr of Salem
College, Winston-Salem; probably in 1915.
D 'The Farmer's Boy.' Collected, probably in the early 1920s, by Mrs.
Sutton in Caldwell county. With the music.
1 The sun had set behind the hill
When across the dreary moor.
All weary and lame, a poor bo}' came
Up to a farmer's door.
'Can you tell me if any there be
Who'll give to me employ.
For to plow or to sow. or to reap or to mow.
( )r to be a farmer's boy ?
2 'My father's dead, my mother's left
With her five children small.
And what is worse for my mother yet
I'm the eldest of them all.
Though little I be I fear not work,
If you will me employ
For to plow or to sow, or to reap or to mow
Or to be a farmer's boy.'
126 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 'W'f'll try the lad' the farmer said.
'No longer let him seek.'
'Oh, yes. dear father.' the daughter cried
While tears ran down her cheeks.
'I<"or a lad who'll work 'tis hard to want
( )r to wander for employ
For to plow or to sow. or to reap or to mow.
Or to he a farmer's boy.'
4 In the course of time the lad grew up
And the good old farmer died.
Me left for the lad the farm he had
And his daughter for a bride.
And that same lad who is a farmer now
Doth often smile with joy
On the lucky, lucky day when he came that way
For to be a farmer's boy.
89
Sally Goodix
This seems to be a plav-party or dance sons^. It is sung in Vir-
ginia (FSV 249), Kentucky (BKH 158), Tennessee (ETWVMB
98), Mississippi (JAFL xxxix 168), and Missouri (JAFL xlii
227-8, OFS II 350-1), and Ford (Traditional Music of America
64) reports it as a square-dance song. What appear to be frag-
ments of it, dealing with "pie" and "pudding," are reported also
from INIissouri (JAFL xxiv 313, where Mrs. Ames calls it a song
used in kissing games), and a Negro version of 'Miss Mary Jane'
from South Carolina (TNFS 117) says that "Sally got a house in
Baltimo' an' it's full o' chicken pie." Compare also texts E and F
of 'Wish I Had a Needle and Tln-ead' in this volume. Because of
this apparent connection certain North Carolina fragments are
here presented although they do not include Sally's name.
A
No title. This appears in the collection as 'from Mother (ioosc i)i the
Ocarks, by Ray Wood,' and so is not proi)crly North Carolina folk
song ; but it was probably iiichulcd by Dr. Brown because be know it
in North Carolina.
1 Tlad a ])iece of pie.
I lad a piece of puddin',
(iave it all away
To see .Sally (loodin.
2 1 looked down the road,
.Saw .Sally coniin' :
I thought to my soul
I'd kill myself a-runnin'.
P L A Y - P A R T V AND DANCE S 0 N c; S I27
B
'Sally Goodin.' Reported by Thomas Smith of Zionville, presumably in
1915, as a dance song for fiddle and banjo, with the comment: "The
only verse so far as I can learn of this old tune. It was played by
lifers in the Confederate Army. 1 am told one of these old fifers, L. D.
.Miller, who lives near Zionville, can yet play this tune. Sally Goodin
has also been long time a favorite with fiddlers and banjo i)ickers."
Later the tune was secured as sung by a cousin in Silverstone.
I love a peach pie and I love a tater ptuUHn'
And I love that gal they call Sallv (ioodin.
'Hunks of Pudding and Pieces of Pie.' Rejxjrted by Miss Adelaide L.
Fries of Winston-Salem in 1926 as "traditional in our family."
Hunks of ptiddin' and pieces of pie
IVly nianiniy gave nie when I was a boy ;
If you don't believe, then come and see
W'hat hunks of puddin' and pieces of pie,
Hunks of puddin' and pieces of pie
IMy mammy ga\e me when I was a boy.
D
'Had a Pie.' Reported by Mrs. Doris Overton Brim of Durham, prob-
ably in 1922, as a nursery rhyme.
Had a pie
Made out of rye,
Rough enough and tough enough,
More than all can eat.
'The Jaybird and the Sparrow.' Contributed by W. E. Poovey of
Marion, McDowell county, in 1924. This is, as Dr. White notes on
the manuscript, "probably a stanza of 'Sally Goodin.' "
The jaybird and the sparrow went down in the field
together.
They had a fight in the brier patch and never lost a feather.
Refrain:
Old Sally Goodin, you can't fool me,
Old Sally Goodin, you can't fool me.
90
Doctor Jones
Known also in Kentucky (SharpK ii 368). Dr. Brown reports
it as "a game played by grown boys and girls in Madison Countv.
N. C, on Paw-Paw Creek, between Little and Big Pine Creeks?'
128 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 Dr. Jones is a good man, a good man, a good man;
Dr. Jones is a good man, he'll help whoever he can.
2 Ladie*; and gentlemen, sail around, sail around, sail
around ;
Ladies and gentlemen, sail aroimd. and kiss just who you
please.
3 Spider in the dumpling, roll around, roll around, roll
around,
Spider in the dumpling, roll around, roll around and roll.
91
She Loves Coffee and I Love Tea
This is rather a phrase, a line, or a stanza that may be put into
a song than an independent song itself. It probably derives from
an English nursery jingle (Halliwell 86) "I love coffee and Billy
loves tea." It has been found in North Carolina (SharpK 11 383,
as a play-party song), South Carolina (JAFL xxvii 253, in a
Negro dance song), Mississippi (JAFL xxviii 186), the Ozarks
(JAFL XLii 219-20, as a play-party song), Indiana (SFLQ iii
174, as a rope-skipping chant) ; it appears without precise localiza-
tion in Negro dance songs (Talley 81, 84-5) ;^ Winifred Smith of
Vassar College reports it as a jumping rhyme (JAFL xxxix 84) ;
Mrs. Richardson (AMS 53) gives it as the final stanza of 'The
Keys of Canterbury,' i.e., 'A Paper of Pins,' as sung in the South-
ern mountains. Although in several of these instances it appears in
play-party or dance songs, it is not recognized as a play-party song
either in Botkin's study or in the McLendon finding list; probably
because it is merely an element in the songs, not a song by itself.
It appears in two forms in our collection.
'I Love Coffee, I Love Tea.' From Miss Doris Overton of Durliam in
July 1922.
1 love coffee, I love tea,
I love the boys, and the boys love me.
Wish my mama would hold her tongue;
She loved the boys when she was ycjung.
'I Love Coffee, I Love Tea.' From Mrs. W. L. Pridgcn, Durham. The
same as A.
' A couplet couinuuiicatcd l)y Cousor, Bishopsville, South Caro-
lina, sIkjws that it lias i)asscf! into the repertory of the Carolina Negroes:
I drink coffee and she drinks tea,
I love a yaller gal and she loves me.
PL AY -PARTY AND UANCE SONGS I29
c
No title. From Allie Ann Pcarce, Colerain, Bertie county. 'I'lie same
as A and B.
D
'I Love Coffee, I Love Tea.' From Carl G. Kno.x, Durliam. The
first four lines as above and then these two :
1 wi.sh my i)apa would do the same,
For he eau.sed a girl to change her name.
'Me and JMy Sister, We Fell Out.' From Carl G. Knox of Durham,
the same who supplied D ; but the text is quite different :
Me and my sister, we fell otit.
What was it all about ?
She loved coffee, and I loved tea ;
That's the reason we couldn't agree.
92
I Do Love Sugar in My Coffee O
This seems to be no more than a refrain, and a tmie, to which
various matter may be attached. I have found it reported else-
where from Tennessee (BTFLS v 32-3), Iowa (JAFL xxviii
281), and as Negro song not localized (Talley 30).
A
'I Do Like Sugar in My Coffee.' Contributed in 1915 by Thomas Smith
of Zionville, Watauga county, as a "dance song — fiddle and banjo." He
says it "was played and sung thirty or thirty-one years ago by a
fiddler named Jehiel Smith who lived on Sharp's Creek."
I do like licker and I will love a dram.
I'd ruther he a nigger than a pore white man.
Chorus:
I do like sugar in my coffee O
x\nd I do like sugar in my coffee O
Black man stole the white man's wife.
White man struck him with a barlow knife.
B
'A Little More Sugar in My Coffee.' Communicated by Mrs. Sutton
(then Miss Maude Minish) in 1923 from the singing (and banjo play-
ing) of "a typical story-book mountaineer" apparently in Caldwell
county. "He has blue-black hair, snappy black eyes, a debonair manner
and a devilisli smile, and how he can play the banjo!" There are two
copies among her papers. Tlie longer is given here, with notes of its
variations from the other. The tune was taken down by Miss Vivian
Blackstock.
N.C.F., Vol. Ill, (11)
130 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 The rahhit hipped, tlie rabbit hopped,
The rabbit bit off the turnip top.
I do love sugar in my coffee O
1 do love sugar in ni}- coffee O.
2 I do love licker and 1 will take a dram.
'Druther be a nigger than a pore white man.
I do love etc.
3 I'll make my licker and I'll have my fun.
But I'll run like hell when the Revenues come.
I do love etc.
The shorter text has "I do want sugar" in the refrain the first time,
"a little more sugar" the second time ; and it lacks the third stanza.
93
Pop Goes the Weasel
This old favorite dance and play-party song — perhaps one should
say tune — is represented in our collection by but a single stanza.
For its vogue as a play-party song, see the McLendon finding list,
SFLQ VIII 221 ; for its history see the headnote to Randolph's
Ozarks texts (OFS iii 368). Davis reports it as a Civil War
song in Virginia (FSV 251). Our stanza appears in one of
Davis's texts and in a text from the Midwest, Ford's Traditional
Music of America 412. But the whooping cough seems to have some
special appeal to the fancy of singers in the South ; see 'The Jay-
bird' in this volume.
'Papa Has Got the Whooping Cough.' Contributed by H. F. Shaw
from "the eastern part of North Carolina." Not dated.
Papa has got the whooping cough.
Ma, she's got the measles ;
That's where all the money goes —
Pop ! goes the weasel.
94
Turkey in the Straw
A general favorite. See Botkin 335-6 and the McLendon finding
list, SFLQ VIII 226. Randolph reports it from the Ozarks (OFS
II 353-5) with an informative headnote.
'Turkey in the Straw.' Contributed by Aliss Kate S. Russell of Rox-
boro, Person county, probably in 1923. With the music.
Did you ever go a-fishing
On a bright sinnmer day.
See the little fishes
Come out to play,
P L A Y - 1' A R T Y AND DANCE SONGS I3I
\\ ith their i)ants in their pockets
And their pockets in their pants?
Did you ever see the ladies
Do their hoochv-koochy (kmce ?
95
We're All A-Singing
This seems to be a mimetic singing game. The "dodging" of the
last two lines belongs to a popular satirical song, reported by Davis
from Virginia (FSV 155) and by Randolph from Arkansas (OFS
III 218), and found also in our collection, pp. 387-9, below.
'Oh, We're All A-Singing, A-Sing-Sing-Singing.' From the manuscript
songbook of Airs. Harold Glasscock of Raleigh, lent to Dr. White in
December 1943. Most of the songs in the book Mrs. Glasscock learned
from her parents.
1 Oh, we're all a-singing, a-sing-sing-singing.
Oh, we're all a-singing so happy and so gay ;
We open wide oiu- lips with a soft fa fa,
And merrily we skip o'er the fra la la la,
Oh, we're all a-singing so happy and so gay.
2 Oh, we're all a-weaving, a-weave-weave-weaving,
Oh, w-e're all a-weaving so happy and so gay ;
The shuttle in our hand we send with a glide
And through the goods it goes with a stride-stride-stride ;
Oh, we're all a-weaving so happy and so gay.
3 Oh, we're all a-sewing, a-sew-sew-sewing.
Oh, we're all a-sewing so happy and so gay.
The needle in our hand we stitch-stitch-stitch
And through the goods it goes with a switch-switch-switch,
Oh, we're all a-sewing so happy and so gay.
4 Oh, we're all a-sawing, a-saw-saw-sawing.
Oh, we're all a-sawing so happy and so gay ;
The saw up and down we push-push-push
And through the wood it goes with a swish-swish-swish ;
Oh, we're all a-sawing so happy and so gay.
5 Oh, we're all a-dodging. a-dodge-dodge-dodging,
Oh, we're all a-dodging so happy and so gay. . . .
96
The Dolly-Play Song
Not a play-party, i.e., dance song but a singing game of little
girls. 'Early Sunday Morning,' reported from Virginia (SharpK
II 373)) is similar but has no dolls.
132 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'The Dolly Play Song.' Contributed by \\'. N. Vaughan, student at
Trinity College, probably in 1920 or thereabouts. The fifth stanza is in
Dr. Brown's hand, possibly procured from elsewhere.
1 Here we come with our dollies dear.
Dollies dear, dollies dear ;
Here we come with our dollies dear.
And we're their little mothers.
2 This is the way we comb their hair.
Comb their hair, comb their hair;
This is the way we comb their hair.
For we're their little mothers.
3 This is the way we dress our dolls,
Dress our dolls, dress our dolls ;
This is the way we dress our dolls,
For we're their little mothers.
4 This is the way we rock them to sleep.
Rock them to sleep, rock them to sleep ;
This is the way we rock them to sleep.
For we're their little mothers.
5 This is the way we put them to bed.
Put them to bed, put them to bed ;
This is the way we put them to bed.
For we're their little mothers.
6 Here we come with our dollies dear.
Dollies dear, dollies dear ;
Here we come with our dollies dear
And we're their little mothers.
97
Uncle Joe Cut Off His Toe
'i'his title is chosen because the stanza to which it belongs seems
to have a certain currency independent of the rest of the A text.
Stanza 4 suggests that the A text niiglit be reckoned a form of
'Liza Jane' — which is a song of very indefinite content. Most of
its stanzas are found in other contexts; stanza i commonly with
"raccoon" instead of "'squirrel," as in "De Raccoon Has a Bushy
Tail.' which see; stanza 2 as part of a square-dance song (Ford's
Traditional Music of America 29) ; stanza 3 as a separate item.
'If I Had a Scolding Wife'; stanza 5 is substantially the same as a
bit of Negro song reported by Pcrrow from Mississippi (JAFL
XXVI 126) ; stanza 7 is but a slight variation of the second stanza
of 'Tlie Jaybird' A and D in our collection. See also White, ANFS
234-6, and Davis, FSV 152. The chorus (which appears as the
P 1. A V - 1- A R T Y A X I) I) A X C I". S () N V. S I33
last stanza in A) is known also in Arkansas and 'I'exas (TNFS
153-4). Probably, altboujjh tlie contributors do not say so, the
whole thing was sung as a play-party, i.e., dance song.
A
'Song.' Contributed by Elsie Doxcy of Currituck county as sung in
western North Carolina.
1 The scitiir'l he has a btishy tail.
The posstini's tail is bare.
The rabbit has no tail at all
But a little bit of hair.
2 The raccoon up a chestnut tree,
The possum in the holler,
A purty girl at our house
As fat as she can waller.
3 Ef I had a scolding wife
I'd lick her sho's yo' bawn ;
I'd take her down to New Orleans
En trade her off for cawn.
4 Git erlong, Liza,
Git erlong, Liza Jane ;
I don't keer wherever yoti go
Jes' so you come back ergain.
5 Once I had an old gray mule ;
'Member day she wuz bawn.
Ever' tooth that ol' mule had
Would hold a barrel of cawn.
6 Apples in the spring-time.
Peaches in the fall ;
Ef I can't get the one I want
I won't have none a-tall.
7 Jay bird sitting on a hickory limb
\\'inked at me, I winked at him ;
Up with my gun and let her go
An' knocked her plumb to Mexico.
8 Uncle Joe cut oft' his toe
And hung it up to dry ;
And all the girls began to laugh
And Joe began to cry.
9 Rock the cradle, rock the cradle,
Rock the cradle, Joe.
Rock the cradle, rock the cradle,
Rock the cradle, Joe.
1 34 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
B
'Peaches in the Summer Time.' Contributed by W. B. Covington, with
the notation: 'Sung anywhere in X. C, but first heard in Scotland
countj'. Tliis is one of those never ending songs." But all that he set
down is a form of stanza 6 of A and the start of another stanza.
Peaches in the summer time.
Apples in the fall ;
If I can't get the gal I want
I won't have none at all.
Cabbage in the summer time,
Collards in the fall. . . .
c
'Old Uncle Joe Cut Off His Toe.' Reported by S. AI. Davis of White
Hall on the Neuse River as a nursery rhyme : "A song my mother's
old nurse used to sing her to sleep by."
1 Uncle Joe cut off his toe
And hung it up to dry ;
The ladies began to laugh
And Joe began to cry.
Clionts:
Rock the cradle, rock the cradle,
Rock the cradle, Joe.
'I will not rock, I shall not rock,
For the baby is not mine.'
2 My wife is sick, my wife is sick.
My wife is sick abed.
You hateful Reb, you hateful Reb,
There's whiskey in your head.
The first stanza of C is reported by K. P. Lewis of Durham as sung
in iQio l)y Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
'Uncle Joe Cut Off His Toe.' The same stanza reported by
Fairley, a student at Duke University. Locale and date not noted.
98
( )H. L()\i:i:y. Co.mk This W'.w
Despite the mention of tlie ])reacher, the church, and the devil,
this seems to be rather a play-jjarty sonti; than a spiritual. I have
not found it elsewhere.
'Oh, Lovely, Come llus Way.' Contributed by Miss Pearle Webb,
Pineola, Avery county, in 1922. The first line of each couplet and of
the chorus is rejK'ated three times, making a four-line stanza.
PLAY-PARTY AND DANCK SONGS I35
1 1 had an old shoe, it had no heel,
I had an old shoe, it had no heel,
I had an old shoe, it had no heel,
I looked like a i)i"eacher with a mouthful of meal.
Clwrits:
Oh, lovely, come this way,
Oh, lovely, come this way,
Oh, lovely, come this way.
Never let the wheels of the church roll away.
2 I had an old shoe, it had no sole,
I looked like a terrapin a-going to his hole.
3 Whip old Satan round the stump,
To hear his heart go flumpety flump.
4 I had an old ox, I led him to the well,
He stumped his toe and in he fell.
5 Devil in the meal sack shaking out the bran,
He will get you if he can.
6 I had an old horse, he was white as snow ;
I rode him every w4iere I'd go.
7 Had an old banjo hanging on the wall ;
It hasn't been tuned since away last fall.
8 Granny's pup treed the devil in a stump ;
I heard his heart go flumpety flump.
99
The Duke of York
This old English singing game or jingle (Gomme i 121-2, Halli-
well 12, Northall 98-9) is known everywhere, especially to college
students. It is recorded as traditional song in Pennsylvania (NPM
195) and North Carolina (OSSG 41); otherwise collectors have
not thought it worth while to report it.
'The Duke of York.' Contributed by the Misses Holeman of Durliani
in July 1922.
The noble Duke of York
He had three thousand men.
He marched them up the hill one day
And then marched them down again.
And when he was up he was up.
And when he was down he was down,
But when he was only half-way up
He was neither up nor down.
1 36 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
100
I'll Tell Your Daddy
These two stanzas look as if they might be fragments of a play-
party song, but they are not so described by the contributor. The
first of them is reported as the chorus of a mimetic play song of
children in Cincinnati (JAFL xl 16). See also Davis (FSV 149)
and Randolph (OFS iii 315-16).
'John, John, John.' Sent in by Julian P. Boyd as obtained in 1927 from
Minnie Lee, pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
1 John, John, John, I'll tell your daddy,
John, John, John, I'll tell your daddy,
John, John. John, I'll tell your daddy.
So early in the morning.
2 The blue-eyed gal is dead and gone.
The blue-eyed gal is dead and gone.
The blue-eyed gal is dead and gone.
So early in the morning.
lOI
I Want to Go to Baltimore
Altha Lea McLendon's finding list for play-party songs (SFLQ
VIII 202) cites several texts of a song called 'Baltimore,' but none
of them is much like our North Carolina fragment. William A.
Owens (Sun'ng and Turn 22) says of his Texas form of it that
"this song seems to be a variant of the old bawdy song 'Baltimore,'
which is still sung by certain persons of low repute."
'I Want to Go to Baltimore.' Reported by Mrs. W. L. Pridgen of
Durham in 1923.
I want to go to Baltimore,
I want to go to France,
I want to go to Baltimore
To see the ladies dance.
102
Poor Little Laura Lee
Perrow (JAFL xxviii 175-7) gives versions of this song ob-
tained from mountain whites in North Carolina, Tennessee, Ken-
tucky, and Mississippi and from Negroes in Mississippi. It is a
hodgepodge of stanzas trailing off into the 'I wouldn't marry' theme:
but there is no doubt that our A version is a form of it. Our other
text is connected with it only by the name 'Laura Lee' and the
mention of the yellow girl, who appears in one of Perrow's stanzas.
.Stanza 2 of A seems to be a reminiscence of 'CoiYee Grows on
White Oak Trees,' but the contributors do not say either piece is
used as a i)lay-party song.
r I. A V - r A R T Y AND DANCE SONGS I37
A
'Laura Lee.' Contributed hy Clara Hcarnc of Pittsl)oro, Cliatliani county,
in or about 1022.
1 Poor little Laura Lee gal.
Poor little Laura Lee gal.
Poor little Laura Lee gal,
Do pray remember me.
2 Rifle on my shoulder,
Banjo on my knee.
Poor little Laura Lee gal.
Do pray remember me.
B
'Up the Lane and Down the Level." From Miss Kate S. Russell of
Roxboro. Person county. Not dated, but about 1923. The pointing is
editorial and may not be right.
L'^p the lane and down the le\'el.
Salute your bride, you ugly devil.
Laura Lee !
Went down the road, didn't go to stay.
Met up with a yaller gal and couldn't get away.
103
Darling. You Can't Love but One
This number song, Professor Hudson tells me. is a familiar tune
at North Carolina square dances. The Archive of American Folk
Song has recordings of it from Connecticut, Virginia, and Ohio.
'New River Train.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 Lni leaving on that New River train.
I'm leaving on that New River train.
The same old train that brought me here
Is going to carry me away.
2 O darling, you can't love but one.
O darling, you can't love but one.
You can't love but one and have au}- fun.
O darling, you can't love but one.
3 O darling, you can't love two.
O darling, you can't love two.
You can't love two and still be true.
O darling, you can't love two.
4 ( ) darling, you can't love three,
O darling, vou can't love three.
138 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
You can't love three and still love me,
O darling, you can't love three.
5 O darling, you can't love four,
O darling, you can't love four.
You can't love four, and love me any more,
O darling, you can't love four.
6 O darling, you can't love five,
O darling, you can't love five.
You can't love five and get honey from my beehive,
O darling, you can't love five.
7 O darling, you can't love six,
O darling, you can't love six.
You can't love six and still love Saint Nix,
O darling, you can't love six.
8 O darling, you can't love seven,
O darling, you can't love seven.
You can't love seven and go with me to heaven,
O darling, you can't love seven.
9 Oh, I'm leaving on that New River train.
Oh, I'm leaving on that New River train.
The same old train that brought me here
Is going to carry me away.
104
Page's Train Runs So Fast
Southern Pines is in Hoke county near the Cumberland county
line. Dr. Brown has noted on the manuscript: "Made when South-
ern Pines was built up." The song is made on the pattern of
'Cotton-Eyed Joe,' a dance song the words of which generally do
not extend beyond two or three couplets, though as known in
Texas and Louisiana (TNFS 69-70) it has something like a story:
the singer tells how cotton-eyed Joe "hoodooed" liis girl away from
him "forty years ago." The Lomaxes (ABFS 262-3) have a nine-
couplet version, provenience not given. In its reduced form of a
couplet or two sung to a dance it is known in Tennessee (BTFLS
v 25, OSC 99) and the Midwest (Ford's Traditional Music of
America 60) and among the Negroes (ANFS 359, Alabama, and
Talley's Negro Folk Rhyi)ies 32 without definite locale).
'Page's Train Runs .So I-ast." From Miss Kwcll Rolihins, I'ckin. Mont-
gomery county, in ]<)22.
1 Page's train runs so fast
Can't see nolhin' httt the window glass.
P I. A Y - I' A R T V A X 1) I) A N C K SONGS I39
2 1 got a gal ill Sdutlicni I'ines,
She ain't so prctt\' hut she (h-ess so fine!
3 Hadn't a heen for cotton-eyed Joe
I'd a been married forty years ago.
105
Turkey Buzzard
There are in the Collection three fragments of song that hear
this title and another that might. One of them, in which with
the turkey huzzard stanza is combined a memory of the Civil War,
is dealt with under the title "Harness Up Yo' Horses' in the group
of Martial, Political, and Patriotic Songs, below. Texts A and C
certainly, and B probably, are dance songs. C is a stanza from
'Junip Jim Crow' and has already been reported (with some slight
dilTerences) from North Carolina (ANFS 163). South Carolina
(JAFL XLiv 428). and New Orleans (TNFS 127).
Turkey Buzzard.' Communicated by Thomas Smith from Zionville,
Watauga county, probably in 1915; the tune was obtained a few years
later frum Mrs. N. T. Byers. In her singing, the first line of "each
stanza is sung three times, which makes one suspect that the text of the
first stanza is not correctly reported. Mr. Smith calls it a jig and says
that it is "very popular among mountain musicians."
1 Shoot that turkey buzzard
Come flopping down the hollow.
Come flopping down the hollow.
2 Shoot old Davy Dugger dead ;
He eat my meat and stole my bread.
3 Shoot old Davy Dugger,
Take his wife and hug her.
4 Oh, that gal with a blue dress on,
She stole my heart and now she's gone.
B
'Old Turkey Buzzard.' Contributed probably in 1924 by Carl G. Kno.x,
student at Trinity College, as a "banjo song." With the music. Four
lines only :
Old turkey buzzard.
Lend me your wings
To fly across the river
To see Sally King.
c
No title. Contributed by Flossie Marshbanks of Mars Hill. Madison
county. It is a stanza from T. D. Rice's famous 'Jump Jim Crow.' For
140 X 0 K T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
its use as a play-party song, see the AIcLeiidoii finding list, SFLQ viii
213. Other texts show that "grub and hoe" in the last line should be
"grubbin' hoe," a familiar instrument in Southern agriculture.
'Where you gwine, turkey buzzard,
Where you gwine, crow ?'
'Gwine down in the new ground
To get the grub and hoe.'
106
All Around de Ring, Miss Julie
Presumably from the minstrel stage originally, and probably used
as a dance song in North Carolina, though the informant does not
say so.
'All Around de Ring, Miss Julie." Obtained, probably in 1927, by Julian
P. Boyd at Alliance, Pamlico county, from Catherine Bennett.
All around de ring. Miss Juhe, Julie, Julie !
All around de ring. Miss Juhe !
All on a summer day.
Oh, de moon shines bright, de stars give light ;
Look way over yonder !
Hug her a little and kiss lier too,
And tell her how you love her !
107
Too Young to Marry
This scrap of song I have not found elsewhere. Mr. Smith's
note on his text implies tliat it is a dance or play-party song.
A
'Pm Aly Mammy's Youngest Son.' Contributed by I. G. Greer of Boone,
Watauga county, apparently in 1915 or 1916.
I'm my manuny's yoiuigest son,
I'm my mammy's baby,
I'm my mammy's youngest son,
I'm too ycjinig for to marry yet.
I'm too young,
I'm too young to marry yet;
I'm my mammy's youngest son,
I'm my mammy's baby,
I'm my manuny's youngest son,
I'm too young for tcj marry yet.
'I'm My .Mammy's Youngest Child,' Kejxjrted liy Thomas .Smith of
Zionville, Watauga county, in i<n.=; as a "banjo s(jng," with the nota-
PL AY -PARTY AND DANCE SONGS I4I
tion tliat it is all that he could recall of "a song witli a good tunc.
This tunc lias been a favorite with fiddlers and banjo pickers for many
years."
I'm my mammy's youngest child.
I am my mammy's darlin',
1 am my mammy's youngest child,
1 am too young to marry.
'Love Somebody." Recorded by Dr. Brown as s>ung by Mark Erwin on
Rabit Ham in Leicester Township, P)uncombe county, probably in 1921.
The second stanza belongs to a quite different song.
I'm my mamma's darhn' chile.
I'm my mamma's darlin' chile,
I'm my mamma's darlin' chile,
I'm most too young to marry yet a while.
I love somehody. ves I do,
I love somebody, yes I do,
I love somebody, yes I do,
And I wish somebody loved me too.
108
Poor Little Kitty Puss
This dance song is known in Virginia (JAFL xxvi 131) and
Mississippi (FSM 293), and a stanza that accompanies it in Mis-
sissippi is known in Missouri (JAFL xxvii 291).
'Pore Little Kitty Puss.' Reported in 1915 by Thomas Smith of Zion-
ville, Watauga county, as a "dance song — fiddle and banjo" with the
notation: "This silly song with a tune resembling 'Black-Eyed Susie' is
very old. I am told it was popular here before the Civil V/ar. It w^^j
olayed at dances a great deal and there are lines somewhere in the song
which run as follow-s : 'If you can't dance Kitty Puss you can't dance
nothin'.' " There is in the Collection also a recording of this song, as
sung by B. L. Lunsford at Turkey Creek, probably in 1921.
Pore little Kitty Puss,
Pore little feller,
Pore little Kitty Puss
Died in the cellar.
CJionis:
Pore little Fido,
Pore little Fidie,
Pore little Fidie
Died last Friday.
142 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
109
Fare You \\'ell, My Own True Love
This has not been lound elsewhere reported as a play-party song.
The 'keg o' rum' stanza is known in Georgia (FSSH 439) and
among the Negroes in Alabama (ANFS 164). Of our text Dr.
Brown notes : "Words and air from the Rev. Andrew Jackson
Burrus originally of Rockford. N. C. He sang this to his own
accompaniment on the banjo. I remember the first stanza thus:
If I had a keg of rum
And sugar by the pound
And a silver spoon to stir it with
I'd treat them ladies round."
Actually, however, the text was supplied later, in August 1922, by
the singer's brother, J. H. Burrus of Weaverville, Buncondje county,
with tlie notation that it was "used for an old Virginia break-
down." The "Fare you well" stanza is evidently a chorus.
Fare yon well, my own true love,
Fare you well, I say ;
Fare you well, my own true love,
T am gwine away.
1 Jf I had a keg o' rum,
Sugar by the pound,
•\ great big bowl to put it in,
A spoon to stir it around.
b'are you well, etc.
2 I f ever you intend to marry at all
Oh, do pray tell me now.
You broke my heart, yoti killed me dead.
And vou'll be hung for mtirder.
Fare you well, etc.
3 I'll give my heart to you right now;
( )h. do give yotU"s to me.
We'll lock them up together right close
And throw away the key.
Fare \'ou well, etc.
no
Mr. Carter
A fragment of dance song, very likely from some music-hall
piece. But I have not found it elsewhere.
'Mr. Carter.' Rci)orted by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga county ;
r L A Y - 1' A K T Y A N 1) 1) A N C K S 0 N (; S 143
"said to liave been played here over twenty years ago. A great favorite
with liaiijo-pickers."
Mister Cyarter, Mister Cyarter,
Won't you be my dawg?
He won't bite a sheep
But 'e will bite a hog.
Ill
Wish I Had a Needle and Thread
Here are brouglit togetlier a number of songs tliat are linked by
stanzas or phrases, though not all of them have the element that
I have chosen for the general title. Indeed, they are hardly integral
songs but chance aggregates of song elements, all or most of them
used in plav-party or dance songs. The needle-and-thread motive
is found in'Virginia (TNFS 125), North Carolina (JAFL vi 131,
ASb 308-9, in both cases as part of a 'Liza Jane' song), Texas
(Owens 70-1), Missouri (JAFL xlii 223, OFS in 184, 2<77) , and
the Bahamas (JAFL xlii 294). The "give my horn a blow" motive
has been found" in Missouri (JAFL xxiv 299) and without specific
locale in the Midwest (Ford 395, again in a 'Liza Jane' song),
and sung by Negroes in North Carolina (ANFS 337). With F
and stanza 4 of E compare 'Sally Goodin' A and 'Eliza Jane' (I)
in this collection. The basic stanza appears also in 'Eliza Jane'
(II). The chorus of A appears also in 'Shady Grove' and the
third stanza of D is the first stanza of 'Shady Grove' B. The
fourth stanza of E prompts the inclusion here of F.
No title. Obtained from someone named Hodgin ; date not noted, and
place only as "Southeastern" — which probably means the sontheastern
part of the state.
1 I wish I had a needle and thread
Fine as I could sew.
I'd stitch my darling to my side
And sail to Baltimo.
Chorus:
Wash your face and comb your head,
Put on your Sunday clothes.
Wash your face and comb your head.
For we're going to Bridge's Grove.
2 Wish I had a pig in a pen.
Corn to feed him on,
A pretty little girl to stay at home
To feed him when I'm gone.
144 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'"Wish 1 Had a Pig in a Pen.' Contributed by tlie Misses Holeman of
Durham in July 1922. With the tune.
1 Wish I had a pig in the pen
And the corn to feed him on.
All I want is a pretty little gal
To feed him when Tm gone.
2 Wish I had a needle and thread
Fine as 1 could sew ;
I'd sew my true love to my side
And down the road I'd go.
3 (iit up on the mountain top,
Give my horn a blow,
Think 1 hear my true love say
'Yonder comes my beau.'
'If.' This single quatrain conies not from North but from South Caro-
lina, from Cousor, Bishopville, S. C.
If I had a needle and thread
As fine as I could sew.
I'd sew my true love to my side
And down the road I'd go.
D
'I Wish I Had a Pig and a Pen.' This text comes from W^orry, Burke
county, in 1914. Name of contributor not given; perhaps Miss .Amy
Henderson, who supplied many texts from that neighborhood.
1 I wish I had a pig and a pen.
Corn to feed him on.
Pretty little girl to stay at home.
Feed [him| while I am gone.
2 Mamma give me silver.
Papa give me gold.
Sweetheart give me a sweet little kiss
And (jod bless her sotil.
3 (lod bless the ocean,
(i(jd l)less it sweet, ^
(]od bless the pretty little girls
That fell m love with me.
' The priiici|)le of i)arallelism and the rhyme call for "the sea" here, as
in 'Siiadv drove' H.
P L A Y - P A R T Y A X D I) A N C l'. S () N C S I45
'Italy.' Sung by Willard Randall of Ellenhoro, KiitlKTlurd county. No
(late given. With the tune.
I Yonder comes a pretty little ,i;irl.
Tell you how 1 know ;
Her head is full of pretty little curls
A-haiigiii' down so low.
Clionts:
I'm going- to Italy 'fore long,
Going to Italy 'fore long,
I'm going to Italy 'fore long
To see that gal of mine.
2 Finger ring, tinger ring.
Shines like glittering gold.
I'm going to see my dear love
Before she gets too old.
3 Apple like a cherry.
Cherry like a rose.
How I love my pretty little girl.
Oh. God in heaven knows.
4 I have a house in Baltimore,
Sixteen stories high ;
Every story in that house
Is filled with rock and rye.
5 I wish I was an apple
Hanging in the tree ;
Every time my sweetheart passed
She'd take a hite of me.
6 I wish I had a needle and thread
As fine as I could sew,
And a thimble from Ijaltimore
To make that needle go.
'Big Fine House in Baltimore.' Contributed by Lucille Cheek from
Chatham county, witiiout date. The text is different from that of the
same title in John \V. Work's American Negro Soiu/s (1940 ed.) 241
but is probably a version of the same piece. Similar "chicken pie"
stanzas are sung by Negroes in South Carolina (JAFL xxvu 249,
TNFS 117) and Alabama (ANFS 155), which are perliaps to be traced
back to a Yorkshire knitting rhyme reported in JAFL vui 81.
I Big fine house in Baltimore.
Big fine house in Baltimore,
X.C.K.. \i.l. Ill, (IJ)
146 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Big fine house in Baltimore,
Sixteen stories high.
2 Every story in that house,
Every story in that house,
Every story in that house,
Filled with chicken pie.
'Song.' Reported by Cozette Coble, apparently from Stanly county; not
dated. For lines 5-8 see headnote above. For the "apron strings" motive
see BSM 202. In line 6 "horny" is of course for "horn a."
1 Yonder comes my old true love ;
How do I know ?
I tell her by her apron string
Hanging down so low.
2 If I were on the mountain top
I'd give my horny blow.
I hear my true lover say,
'Yonder comes mv beau.'
LULLABIES AND NURSERY
RHYMES
OF THE LULLABIES, some— 'Rock-a-hy Baby,' 'Bye Baby
Bunting.' 'Kitty Alone' — are part of our Engbsb inberitance.
Tbe last of tbese, 'Kitty Alone,' derives from 'Tbere Was a Frog
Lived in a Well' and is sometimes reckoned a form of 'The Frog's
Courtship.' but our North Carolina version has lost all connection
with the frog and the mouse and the wedding party and become
purely a lullaby, a "sleepy song," as the singer says, of peculiar
loveliness. Others, rather more numerous, seem to be creations of
the Negro "mammy" — or have been made on the suggestion of her
singing. 'Poor Little Lamb Cries "Mammy" ' strikingly combines
gruesomeness and tenderness.
The nursery songs cover a wide range. 'The Frog's Courtship'
appears many times, most often with the nasal hummed refrain but
also sometimes with the "kimo" chorus. 'I Went Down to Suckie's
House' and 'Old Napper' seem to be made on the frame of 'Taffy
Was a Welshman' though neither Taffy nor a Welshman appears
in them. 'Billy Boy' is reported nearly fifty times, from all parts
of the state, and his love has an amusing variety of accomplish-
ments. 'Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?' is no doubt much
better known than the two texts reported would imply. The imita-
tion of barnyard sounds appears in two songs, 'Barnyard Song'
and 'McDonald's Farm,' both of which are probably though not
demonstrably of Old World origin. Other favorites are 'Go Tell
Aunt Patsy,' 'The Fox and the Goose' (who is more often a duck)
and 'The Old Woman and Her Pig.' 'Chicken in the Bread Tray'
seems to belong to the Southern states. Se(|uence or cumulative
songs are represented by 'The Pretty Pear Tree,' 'John Brown Had
a Little Injun,' 'Bingo,' and 'The Vowels.' There are nine more
or less variant versions of that shivery delight of childhood 'The
Old Woman All Skin and Bones.' Several Mother Goose rhymes
and nonsense jingles occur, of course. Some songs and song frag-
ments that cannot be traced and are of doubtful validity as folk
song have been included.
148 NORTH CAROLINA I- 0 L K L 0 R E
112
Bye Baby Bunting
Perhaps because it is so very widely known and sung, this old
English lullaby (Halliwell 102. Northall 426) does not often appear
in collections of traditional folk song. It has been reported from
\'irginia (FSV 183), Kentucky (Shearin 38), and from Jamaican
Negroes (JAFL xli 589 ) ; but it is probably sung to children in
every state in the Union. It appears twenty-odd times in our col-
lection, in localities all the way from the mountains to the sea and
with very little variation in form. The following, from Professor
J. T. C. Wright. Boone, Watauga county (with the tune), may be
reckoned the standard form :
Bye, baby bunting.
Daddy's gone a-hunting
To get a little rabbit skin
To wrap the baby bunting in.
The variations appear chiefly in the last line, which often lacks a
syllable, reading "up" instead of "bunting." or, with a shifting of
the stress incidence.
To wrap baby bunting up in.
or even, with the loss of one stress,
To wrap the baby in.
Only one text, reported by Mrs. Nilla Lancaster from Wayne
county, adds a second stanza :
Sister stayed at borne
To rock-a-byc-a-baby bttnting.
Mama stayed at home
To bake a cake for babv bunting.
"3
Rock-a-1jNk I)Aby in the Tree-Top
Like 'Bye Baby Bunting.' this old English lullaby ( Halliwell
102 and 137, Northall 425-6, Riml)ault 17) seldom appears in col-
lections of traditional folk song; it is listed in ]\Iiss Pound's Mid-
western syllabus and by Davis as found in X'irginia (FSV 182),
and as sung in Jamaica (JAFL xli 500). But uncjuestionably it is
known and sung all over the United .States. It appears a dozen
times in our collection, in localities all the way from the mountains
to the sea. The texts vary but little. The following, reported by
Allie Ann Pearce, Colerain, Bertie county, may be taken as the
normal text :
Rock-a-bye baby in tbe tree-top.
When tbe wind l)lows tbe cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks tbe cradle will fall
And down will come cradle, babv. and all.
L U L L A 1! 1 !•: S AND N L' K S K R Y K H V M K S I49
One text slitilitly chaniics the tliird line, reading-
Tile liiul) will break and the cradle will fall.
Down will come babies, cradle, and all.
Down will come babies, cradle, and all.
One tills out tlie trisyllabic rhythm expected in tlie last line:
Down will come bab\\ bough, cradle, and all.
And one has lost the third line of the quatrain:
Rocky b\-, baby, in the tree top.
When the wind blows the cradle will rock.
Down comes baby, cradle, and all.
114
Kitty Alone
'There Was a Frofj Lived in a Well,' with its "Kitty alone" re-
frain, is commonly reckoned a form of 'The Frog's Courtship'
because it includes in many of its versions much of the nonsensical
matter of the wedding- party of tliat song. In itself, however, it is
an independent song, so recognized in Halli well's Nursery Rhymes
of England and in Rimhault's Nursery Rhymes, and going back to
the eighteenth and possibly to the sixteenth century. See the head-
note to 'The Frog's Courtship' in this volume and BSM 495, and
add to the references given in the latter Massachusetts (FSONE
204-5) and Indiana (BSI 234). Our North Carolina song with
the "Kitty alone" refrain has no mouse, no courtship, no wedding
party; it is purely a lullaby, and is therefore presented here as a
separate item.
'Cradle Song.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton as sung by Mrs. Silas Bu-
chanan of Horse Creek, Ashe county, "sitting in a homemade chair in the
little porch of her log cat)in crooning this song to a hlackhaired baby. . . .
'It's a sleepy song,' my hostess said; 'mammy sung hit to me, I sing Iiit
to Elziny, she'll sing hit to her younguns. Younguns like hit.' "
1 Saw a crow a-flyin' low.
Kitty alone, kitty alone,
Saw a crow a-flyin' low,
Kitty alone alee.
Saw a crow a-flyin' low
And a cat a-spinnin' tow.
Rockabye baby bye, rockabye babv bye.
2 Saw a red cloud in the sky,
Kitty alone, kitty alone.
Saw a red cloud in the sky,
Kitty alone alee.
Saw a red cloud in the sky
I 50 N 0 R T II CAROLINA I- O L K L O R E
And a star a-sailin' l)y.
Rockabye baby l)\e, lockabye bab}- bye.
3 Saw tbe moon in tbe river bed,
Kitty alone, kitty alone.
Saw tbe moon in tbe river bed,
Kitty alone alee.
Saw tbe moon in tbe river bed.
Big black frog swnm over her head.
Rockabye baby bye. rockabye baby bye.
4 Saw an owl in tbe hickory tree,
Kitty alone, kitty alone.
Saw an owl in the hickory tree,
Kitty alone alee.
Saw an owl in the hickory tree.
Big owl eyes a-lookin' at me.
Rockabye baby bye, rockabye baby bye.
"5
Hush-a-Bye, Don't You Cry
This lullaby is perhaps of Southern origin. It is not recorded
by Halliwell or Rinil)ault nor has it been reported by folk-song col-
lectors in New England or the Middle or the Western states, but
it is known in Virginia (SharpK ii 341, FSV 182-3), South Caro-
lina (JAFL XLiv 419), Georgia (JAFL xlvii 334, ASb 454-5),
Louisiana (TNFS 147, Negroes), and Texas (TNFS 145-6,
Negroes). It appears four times in our collection.
'Hush-a-Bj-.' Reported by Laura AL Cromartie of Garland, Sampson
county. Not dated. Dr. White notes on the manuscript : "I recall the
third stanza from my own childhood in Statcsville, N. C., ca. 1898."
1 Hush a by an' don't you cry,
x^n' go to sleep, little baby ;
When you wake you shall have some cake
An' ricle a pretty little horsey.
2 You shall have a little canoe
An' a little bit of a i)addle ;
You shall have a little red mule
An' a little bitty saddle.
3 Tbe black an' the bay, the sorrel an' the grey,
.\11 belong to my baby.
So hush a by an' don't you cry
An' go to sleep, little baby.
LULLABIES AND NURSERY RHYMES I5I
B
'Rock-a-bye, Don't You Cry." From Mrs. Nilla Lancaster, Wayne
county. Probably in 1923.
1 Rock-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep, little baby.
When baby wakes, give her some cake ;
That will do for baby.
2 Rock-a-bye, don't you cry.
All those piu'ty little, little horsies.
W hen baby wakes, give him cake.
Let him ride them purty little horsies.
'Go to Sleep.' Not really a North Carolina text, having been contributed
by Cornelia Evermond Covington from Florence county, South Carolina.
Go to sleep, go to sleep.
Go to sleep, little baby.
When you wake I'll give yoti a cake
And five or six little horses.
'Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep.' Communicated by Louise W. Sloan, of
Bladen county. Differs from C only in the last line, which runs : "A
coach and four little horses."
116
Go TO Sleep, ]\Iy Little Pickaninny
Perliaps tliis should rather be named from its first line, 'I'se a
little Alabama coon.' Dr. White remarks of it : "A minstrel or
'coon-song' of the late nineteenth century, used as a nursery song.
I remember it from childhood, ca. igoo." In ANFS 397 it is re-
ported from Alabama, in TNFS 146-7 from Texas, in JAFL xli
590-1 from Jamaica, all these as sung by Negroes; SharpK 11 346
reports it from Virginia, presumably from the singing of whites.
A
'Little Alabama Coon.' Contributed in 1927 liy Julian P. Boyd of Alli-
ance, Pamlico county.
I I'se a little Alabama coon,
Hain't been born very long.
I remember seeing a big round moon,
'Member hearing one sweet song.
When dey toted me down to de cottonfield
Dar I rolled and I tumbled in de sun ;
Daddy picked de cotton and mammy watched me grow,
And dis am de song she sung :
1 52 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Chorus:
Go to sleep, my little pickaninny,
Brudder Fox'll catch you it you don't;
Slumber on de bosom of your old mammy Jinny.
Mammy's gwine to switch you if you won't.
Hush-ush-hush lu-lulla-luU-lu-lulla
Underneath the silver southern moon ;
Hush-a-bye. rock-a-bye. mammy's little baby,
Mammy's little Alabama coon.
2 Dis here little Alabama coon
'Spects to be a grown-up man some day.
Dey's gwine to christen me soon.
My name's gwine to be Henry Clay.
When I'se big. I'se gwine with de yaller gals
And we'll have pickaninnies ob our own ;
Dey'll slumber on de bosom ob dear old mamni}' Jinny.
Dis am de song she'll croon :
B
'Go to Sleep. My Little Pickaninny.' From Mabel Ballentine, Wake
county. Not dated. A reduced text, not much like A yet clearly a
form of the same song.
1 Go to sleep, my little pickaninny.
Brother Fox will catch you if you don't.
Ride on the old mammy Jinny,
My little pickaninny coon.
2 Snake baked a hoecake and set the frog to mind.
The frog dropped asleep, and the lizard come and find.
Bring back my hoecake. you long-tailed Nanny !
C
No title. Reported, apparently in 1923, by Helen Eraser Smith as "an
old lullaby" preferred by her nurse. Only lines i, 6, 7, 8 of the chorus
of A. No place nor date indicated.
117
Poor Littlk La.mh Cries 'Mammy!'
This lullaby — suf^^estive, somewhat, of "The 1 \va Corbies' ( Child
26) — is reported by Miss Scarborous^h (TNF.S 147-9) "" three
forms: one from Virj^inia (where it is told of a cow and her calf).
one from New Orleans (ewe and Ianii)|, and one known in both
Virp^inia and South Carolina (where as in our A it is the "mannnv"
whose eyes are beini;: picked out by jjnats and Hies). Davis lists
two te.xts from Virg^inia (F.SV 204) and Randolph two from Mis-
souri (Ol'^.S II ,:545-6). Jolui W. Work's .Inicn'caii Xcgro Songs
250 has a version w ithout the macabre trait of tlio eyes bcinir ])ickcd
L V I. I, A li 1 E S A N I) N V R S K R Y R H V M K S I 53
out. Mrs. Riclianlson (AMS 49) gives a version of 'The Foolish
Boy' which uses "tlie pore httle thing cried 'Mammy' " as refrain.
Mrs. Steely reports the refrain stanza as part of a medley heard
in the Ebenezer community in Wake county.
A
'Cradle Song.' Reported by W. B. Covington in 1913 as part of his
"reminiscences of my early youth spent on the border of the sand hills
of Scotland county." Mrs. Sutton also supplies a text, identical except
that it omits "bell' 'in the first line, but does not say where or when
she got it.
1 The old cow bell goes jingle-ing.
Go to sleep, little baby.
Papa gone and mama too.
Go to sleep, little baby.
2 Little black sheep, little black sheep,
WHiere is your mammy ?
Way down in the meadow.
Little black fly pickin' in her eye.
Poor little lamb cries 'Mammy !'
6
'Black Sheep, Black Sheep, Where'd You Leave Your Lamb?' From
R. D. Ware, student at Trinity College ; probably heard in Stanly county.
'Black sheep, black sheep, where'd you leave yotir lamb?'
'I left iiim down in the valley.
Birds and butterflies picking out his eyes
And the poor little thing crying "Mam-ma, mam-ma!"'
c
'Old Black Sheep.' From Miss Florence Holton, Durham. Not dated.
'Say, old black sheep, where's yotir lamb?'
'Way down yonder in the valley.
Crow and blackbird picking out its eye ;
Poor little lamb cries "Mammy!" '
118
Hush. Honey. Hush
This begins as a lullaby but passes into a dance song, or at least
into a "banjo-picking" tune. It is without finder's name in the
collection, but bears this notation: "Found in Guilford county, near
High Point. Sung by Negroes before Civil War." Compare
Talley, Negro Folk Rhymes 21, 'The Banjo Picking.'
Hush, honey, hush,
Not a bit o' fuss.
While ole master's sleeping.
1 54 N 0 R T H C A R O L I N A FOLKLORE
Go down to the barn.
\\ akt" up the boys.
And liave a Httle banjo pickini;-.
Tink-a-link a-Hnk a-link a-link a-Hnk a-bnk.
"Refrain with banjo. The refrain is a banjo sound and produces the
effect of a banjo being played."
119
PiTTY Patty Poke
A nursery jini::le said wliile one pats the baby's feet. Possibly
it is only a modification of the old English nursery rhyme (Mason
3. Halliwell 132, JAFL xxxi 62) 'Pat-a-cake pat-a-cake baker's
man.'
■Pitty Patty Poke. Nursery Kliyme." From Airs. Doris Overton Brim,
Durham, 1924 or thereabouts.
Pitty patty poke,
Shoe the wild colt.
Here a nail, there a nail.
Pitty patty poke.
120
The Frog's Courtship
For the history and range of this nursery classic, see Kit-
tredge's bibliographical note (JAFL xxxv 394-9), Payne's study
(PFLST V 5-49), Grace Partridge Smith's (JAFL lii 125-7), and
the headnote in the Missouri collection ( BSM 494-5), and add to
the references in the last of these Massachusetts (FSONE 204-6),
X'irginia (FSV 208-13), Tennessee (BTFLS v 43-5), Florida
( .SFLQ IV 146-7, VIII 179-81), the Ozarks (OFS i 403-10), Indiana
(BSI 226-38), and Michigan (BSSM 455-9). Of the six types
into which Payne divides the texts our collection shows chiefly two,
that with the "kimo" and that with the nasal grunt or hum refrain,
along with a few other forms and two with no refrain indicated.
Texts A-C have the "kimo" refrain in some form, texts D-W have
the hunnned refrain. The 'Kitty Alone' song, often reckoned as a
form of 'The Frog's Courtship,' occurs but once in our collection
and has no mouse and no courtship, is indeed merely a lovely lullabv,
,111(1 is therefore presented as a separate item. Sam Cowell's adapta-
tion of 'The Frog's Courtship' to the blackface minstrel fashion of
a hundred years ago, and an American memory of it, are considered
here in an appendix.
A
'.■\ I'rog Went .A-Courtin'.' Reixirted liy Flossie .Marslibanks of Mars
Hill, Madison county. Not dated.
LULL A 1! 1 1". S A \ I) N V R S I'. K V K H Y M E S 155
1 Vvog went a-courtin' and he did ride,
Ring ting bottom and a kynio
Sword and pistol by his side.
Ring ting bottom and a kymo
Clionts:
Hello naro he's my caro.
Hello caro narrow.
Ring ting bottom ditty boat aroun(l
Ring ting bottom and a kymo.'
2 Rode up to Miss Mousie's house.
Asked Miss Mousie to be his wife.
3 Where shall the wedding' supper l)e?
\\'ay down yonder in the hollow tree.
4 What shall the wedding supper be?
A plate of butter and a black-eyed pea.
5 The first came in was a butterfly.
With her pudding and her pie.
6 Next came in was a bumblebee.
With his fiddle on his knee.
7 Next came in was a crippled flea ;
Danced all night for the bumblebee.
8 Next same in was a yellow cat.
Seized ^liss Mousie by the back.
B
'Frog Went A-Courting.' Reported by D. W. Newsom as learned "at
his mother's knee" in Littleton, Halifax county, about 1885-90. With
the tunc. The refrain is an interpolated line and then a four-line part,
as in A.
1 Frog went a-courting and he did ride.
Rain down bonny mish ki-me-oh
Sword and buckler by his side.
Rain down bonny mish ki-me-oh.
Kero kiro gilt and garo
Kero kiro karo
Rap Jack penny winkle flammydoodle yellow buckle
Rain down bonny mish ki-me-oh.
2 He rode down by the mill side door
To hear his saddle squeak and rf)ar.
' The refrain line is thus interpolated in and the cliorus sung after
each stanza.
1 =6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 He rode down to Lady Mouse's house.
The old Miss Mouse was not at home.
4 The old mouse came home at last.
Shook her big fat sides and laughed.
5 He took Miss Mousie on his knee:
■Prav. Miss Mousie. will you marry me?'
6 'Who will make the wedding gown?"
'Old Miss Rat from pumpkin town.'
7 'Where will the wedding breakfast he?'
'Way down yonder in a hollow tree.'
8 'What will the wedding supper be?'
'A fried mosquito and a roasted flea.'
'One Two Three." From Thomas Smith. Ziunville, Watauga county,
as sung by Mrs. Julia Grogan in March 1913. "She says it was sung
when she was a child, over forty years ago." It lacks the first part of
the story.
1 Mrs. Mousey went to town
Tim a rang tang l)ottom a my kimo
To buy her niece a wedding gown.
Chorus:
Tim a rang tang bottom tim a kimo come a nedro
Keep my caro turn a turn bum stumpy tum dido bodey
Round tim a rang tang bottom a my kimo.
2 'Where will the wedding supper be ?"
'Way down yonder in a hollow tree.'
3 'What will the wedding supper be?'
'Two blue beans and a l)lack-eyed pea.'
4 First come in was Mrs. \'\y.
She brought her peaches and her ])ie.
5 Next come Mrs. Ikitterfly.
She fanned all as she passed by.
6 Next come in was .Madam Cat.
.She took -Miss Mousf\' 1)\' the back.
'Frog Went .\-Courting.' Reported liy K. 1'. Lewis as set down in
igio by Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill. Each stanza is a couplet
e.xtended to three lines l)y reixating the first line, and the nasal hum
comes after tlu- first and third lines of each such stanza.
L U L L A n I K S A N I) X T R S K K V K H Y M E S 157
1 Frog went a-courtin'. he did ride, M-ni 11 -ni
Frog went a-courtin". he did ride.
Sword and pistol by his side, M-ni 11-ni
2 lie rode to Mistress Mousie's hall;
There he knocked and loudly called.
3 "Miss Mousie. are you within?'
"Yes. kind sir, I sit and spin.'
4 Me took Miss Mousie on his knee :
'Miss Mousie, will you marry me?'
5 "Oh no. kind sir. I can't say that
Without the consent of old Uncle Rat.'
6 ( )ld Uncle Rat came a-riding lK)me.
"Who's been here since Fve been gone?'
7 'A very tine gentleman has been here
Who says he'll marry me if you don't care.'
8 Old Uncle Rat laughed and shook his fat side
To think his niece should bt- a bride.
9 'Where shall the wedding supper be?'
'Wav down yonder in the old hollow tree.'
10 'What shall we have for the wedding supper?'
"Black-eyed peas and bread and butter.'
1 1 The first came in was Capt. Bedbug,
Who swore by all he was a run^ jug.
12 The next came in was Colonel Mea ;
He danced a jig wMth a bumblebee.
13 And while they all were eating supper
In came the cat and made a great splutter.
14 The first he pursued was old Uncle Rat,
And threw him down and spoiled his fat.
15 The next he pursued was Miss Mousie;
But she ran up a hollow tree.
16 The frog he swam across the lake
And got swallowed up l)y a big black snake.
17 This is the end of one. two, three.
Frog and Rat and Miss Mousie.
^ So the manuscript. Proba))ly it should be "rum."
158 NORTH C A R O L 1 X A !• 0 L K L 0 R E
E
'Frog Went A-Courting.' Contributed hy Miss Amy Henderson of
Worry, Burke county, in 1914. Refrain and stanza structure as in D and
corresponds in i)art to that version, but lacks stanzas 6-7 of D and has
more formal manners in stanza 4 :
Down upon his knee fell he ;
Says he, 'Miss Mousie, will you marry me?'
In stanza 5 she tells him that
Not without Uncle Rat's consent
Would I marry the President.
The list of guests and the outcome of the party are different:
9 The hrst to come in was the humhlehee
With his fiddle on his knee.
I o The next come in was a great hig flea ;
He said, 'Dance with the humhlehee.'
I I Next to come in was Major Tick,
Who ate so much it made him sick.
12 Then they sent for Dr. Fly,
Who swore l)y George old Tick would die.
13 They all went sailing down the lake
And were swallowed up by a great hig snake.
14 That's the end of one, two. three,
The rat and the mouse and little froggie.
F
'Frog Went A-Courting.' Reported I)y Miss Gertrude Allen (later
Mrs. Vaught) from Oakboro, Stanly county. C'lose to E through the
first nine stanzas, but inserts after stanza 5
Uncle Rat he went down town
To I)uy his niece a wedding gown.
The account of the wedding party, however, is different:
10 T'^irst came in was a little seed tick;
It ate so much it made it sick.
I I Next came in was a hig black snake;
lie ate up all the wedding cake.
I J Next came in was a little fat pig;
Thought he'd have a little jig.
13 Lady Mouse came a-tripi)ing down;
She fell over her wedding gown.
14 Then Frog came a-swimming across the lake.
He got swallowed by a big black snake.
LULL A 1! 1 K S A X I) N U K S K R Y RHYMES 1 59
'Froggy Went A-Courtin'.' Contributed by I. T. Poole from Burke
county. A somewhat reduced version.
1 l*roggy went a-courtin' and he did ride nniph-luiinph
l">uggy went a-courtin' and he did ride.
Sword an pistol hy his side uniph-humph.
2 Rode down to Miss Mousie's den :
'Say, Miss Mousie, are you within?'
3 'Yes. kind sir, I'm sitting to spin ;
Pull the string and you'll come in.'
4 He took Miss Mousie on his knee:
'Say, Miss Mousie. will you marry me?'
5 'Who shall the wedding waiters he?'
'Miss Grasshopper and Captain Flea.'
6 'Where shall the wedding supper he?'
'Away down yonder in a hollow tree.'
7 'What shall the wedding supper be?'
'Three green beans and a black-eyed pea.'
'Frog Went A-Courting.' Reported by P. D. Midgett of Wanchese,
Roanoke Island, in 1920, as writen down for him by a friend. First
seven stanzas as in E except that stanza 4 runs :
'Say. Miss Mouse, will you marry me.
And live over yonder in a hollow tree ?'
The remaining nine stanzas introduce some new figures :
8 'What shall the wedding supper be?'
'A cup of tea and a black-eyed pea.'
9 First came in was little moth.
Bringing in the tablecloth.
10 Next came in was a great big snake,
Bringing in the wedding cake.
11 Next came in was a little louse,
Bringing in a j^late of souse.
12 Next came in was a great big tick.
Walking around with a hickory stick.
13 Next came in was a l)unil)lel)ee.
Took a jig with a broken-back flea.
l6o N () K T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
14 Next catne in was a little sea tick,^
Eat so much it made him sick.
1 5 Had to send for Dr. Fly.
Thought to my Lord that tick would die.
16 Old gray goose she swam the lake.
She got hit hy a great hig snake.
I
'Frog and tlie Mouse.' From a notebook of Mrs. Harold Glasscock of
Kalcigli, lent to Dr. White in 1943, in whicli Mrs. Glasscock had set
down s(jngs she had learned from her parents. Much like D, but has
a preliminary stanza :
Gentleman frog lived in the well em hu
Gentleman frog lived in the well,
Lady mouse lived in the mill em hu.
The mouse's answer to Uncle Rat sounds coy :
'Who's been here since Lve been gone?"
'There was a tall, nice young man,
Gentleman Frog was his name."
The price Uncle Rat pays for the wedding gown is given :
What do you reckon he paid for it ?
Nine dollars and a bit.
The conclusion presents some new figures :
12 First came down was a bumblebee,
Timing a fiddle on his knee.
13 Next came down was a little seed tick
Dancing a jig with a hickory stick.
14 Next came down was a butterfly;
She fanned the company as she went by.
15 Next came down was the pussy cat.
She caught Miss Mousie and then ran back.
16 Mr. Frog jumped in the lake
And there was swallowed by a big black snake.
17 Big black snake swam to the land
And there was killed by a little nigger man.
18 Little nigger man went off to sea;
And that's the end of my story.
' Miswrittcn no doubt fur "seed tick," wliicli occurs in F and I.
L L' L I, A H 1 K S A N U N V 1< S K K Y K II V M K S l6l
J
'Frog Went A-Courtiiig.' Contributed l)y Miss Marj^aret Higgs of Green-
ville, Pitt county. Fourteen stanzas, introducing nothing not already
presented in the preceding versions except a junel)ug. It ends:
13 The iH'xt to come- in was the little Jtine 15 tig ;
He jumped in the fi(X)r and gave the hricle a luig.
14 Mr. Ffug gut mad and jtimped in the lake
.And there he got hit hy a hig hlack snake.
K
'Frog Went A-Courting.' From Mrs. Sutton, who says she has heard
it in Caldwell, Mitchell, .Avery, Watauga, Henderson, and Bunconil)e
counties, and gives a Caldwell version of eight stanzas as she learned
it from her grandmotlier. The wedding supper here becomes an 'infair
supper,' and the flea dances a jig with the bumblebee.
L
'A Woodman's Song.' Reported by Julian P. Boyd as obtained from
Minnie Lee, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county,
in 1927. Six stanzas, of which the first is the same as stanza i of D
and the second the same as stanza 4 of S (except that the refrain is
spelled "Humph" instead of "Ah-ha"). The other four stanzas (the
last of which is an intruder from the body of floating bird and animal
jingles) are as follows:
3 'Say. Miss Mouchy, where will we he?'
'We'll bttild our house in a hollow tree.'
4 'Say, Miss Mouchy, what shall we eat?'
'Two big hams, bread and meat.'
5 'Say, Miss Mouchy. where shall we lie?'
'Between the wheat straws and the rye.'
6 Jay bird died with the whoopingcough.
'Long come de bird with his tail bobbed off.
M
'Frog Went A-Courting.' Reported by Jesse T. Carpenter from Dur-
ham county. Ten stanzas, the last three of which run:
8 The next one was a big black bug.
He came in dragging a jug.
9 Then came in the practice goose.
She had a hddle and she cut loose.
10 Thev all went swimming down the lake.
And all were swallowed bv a big blacksnake.
'Frog Went A-Courting.' Reported by James .\. McKay, student at
Trinity College, as sung in New Hanover county. Five stanzas, giving
X.r.I-"., Vol. III. 11:0
l62 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
only tlie first part of the song. The bride was dressed in "green pea
sHppers and a big brass breastpin" and they had for supper "black-eyed
peas and dog-foot liutter."
O
'Frog Went A-Courting.' Obtained from Miss Lura Wagoner of Vox,
Alleghany county, in 1921. Ten stanzas, not differing significantly from
E except that the latter part is reduced to two stanzas :
9 The first to come in was the humhle])ee
With his fiddle on his knee.
I o The next to come was a great big flea ;
He said, "Dance with the l)umblebee.'
p
'Frog Went A-Courtin'.' Reported by Sarah K. Watkins as known in
Anson and Stanly counties. Only four stanzas, corresponding to stanzas
I, 2, 9, 10 of D.
Q
'Frog Courtship.' From Mrs. Nilla Lancaster, Wayne county. Eleven
stanzas. No element not already given in one or another of the preced-
ing texts except at the close, which runs :
Frog went a-floating down the brook.
He got caught by the fisherman's hook.
R
No title. Reported by Alinnie S. Gosney as known in Raleigh and Wake
county. Here the stanza structure is different; the "uhuh" refrain comes
only at the end of the couplet. The story is disarranged; it begins with
the wedding party.
1 I^^irst came in was a bumljle-bee ;
Stung Miss Mousie on the knee.
Uhuli uliuh
2 Next came in was Mr. Tick ;
Ate so much it made him sick.
3 Had to send for Dr. Fly.
And he swore, by gosh, Air. Tick woidd die.
4 Mr. b'roggie rode by Miss Mousie's den;
Says he. 'Aliss Mousie. are you within?'
5 Took Miss Mousie on his knee;
Says he. 'Miss Mousie, will \du marry me?'
6 Mr. I'Vcjggie went U) town
To buy Miss Mousie's wedding gowiL
7 Mr. Froggie went by the lake.
There he was swallowed u]) b\- a big black snake.
L r I. L A H 1 I". S A N I) N U K S K K V K II Y M E S 1 63
8 That snake swum to shore.
A big black negro killed hiui there.
9 That big black negro lias gone to h^-ance
To teach the negroes how to dance.
10 Now 1 lay my book on the shelf ;
If you want any more, you can sing it yourself.
S
'Frog Went A-Courting.' Contributed by Mrs. A. J. Ellis of Raleigh.
Eighteen stanzas. The refrain here (at the end of tlie first and third
lines of each stanza, as in D) is written "Ah-ha." but this is doubtless
just a variant writing of the usual hum or grunt. Otherwise the text
is substantially the same as D.
T
'A Frog Went A-Courting.' Obtained by Professor James F. Royster
at Chapel Hill in 191 5 from William C. Doubkin. student at the Univer-
sity of North Carolina. Five stanzas, ending with
•What will the wedding supper be?'
'A slice of toast and a cup of tea,'
and the notation "I do not recall more."
U
'A Frog Went A-Courting.' From James A. McKay. A variant form
of N. Here the refrain comes after each line, not only after the first
and third— at least, so the manuscript is written. Fur example :
Frog went a-courting, he did ride uh huh
Frog went a-courting. he did ride uh huh
Sword and pistol by his side uh huh
Went down to Lady Mouse's hall uh huh
Went down to Lady Mouse's hall uh huh
Gave a loud knock and loud he called uh huh
etc.
The form of the wooing dialogue is slightly different from that in
preceding versions :
'Old lady mouse, will you marry me?'
'Yes, kind sir, but you frighten me.'
V
'Mr Frog Went A-Courting.' From Miss Mamie E. Cheek of Durham.
.A.n unusually full form, eighteen stanzas. When Uncle Rat asks "Who's
been here since I've been gone?" Miss Mousie replies "A very nice
fellow all dressed in brown, the very nicest fellow in town." The wed-
ding guests are a bumblebee, a little moth, "a big black spider who
walked up the aisle and sat down beside "er," a little brown flea, a big
green snake, a little tick— who dies despite the ministrations of Dr. Fly.
The bride and groom march in and "They jumped over the handle of
the broom." A "broomstick marriage" is an illegal or mock marriage.
See NED under broomstick.
1 64 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
W
'Frog Went A-Courting.' From Lida Page of Durham county. This
is in the collection in two forms, one with the normal hummed refrain
as in D. the other with the hum after each line of the four-line stanza,
tlius :
Frog went a-coiirting and he did ride tih tih
F"rog went a-courting and he did ride nh tih
Frog went a-courting and he did ride uh uh
Sword and pistol by his side uh huh
The flea is crippled yet danced all night with the bumblebee ; the cat
is yellow.
X
'Frog Went .\-Courting." From Miss Isabel B. Busbee of Raleigh, as
sung by her great-aunt Miss Louisa Nora Taylor. Marked by a refrain
that I have not found elsewhere. Nine stanzas. Begins
Mr. Frog a- wooing rides
Linctim lee lincum loddy
With sword and pistol by his sides
Fddlin dav fodlin doddv.
'Froggie Went A-Courting.' A second te.xt reported by Mrs. Vaught
(see F), this one from Taylursville, Alexander county. The first four
•Stanzas only. Has neither the "kimo" nor the hummed refrain but a
"clinrus," sung apparently after each stanza:
Plot, plot, plot, plot.
Z
No title. Contributed by Allie Ann Pearce of Colerain, Bertie county.
No refrain is indicated. The text differs in other respects from the
others in tine collection.
1 .\ frog he would a- wooing go
Whether his niotlier would let him or not.
So off he started with his opera hat.
And on the way he met with a rat.
'Pray, Mr. Rat, will you go with me
Kind Miss .Mousy for to see?'
2 Thev soon arrived at Mousy's hall;
They gave a loud knock and gave a loud call :
'Pray, Mis.s .Nhmsy, will vou give us some beer?
Froggie and 1 are fond of good cheer.'
3 .\s they were having a merry time
The cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
The cat she seized the rat by the crown.
The kittens they pulled little mousie down.
L V 1. 1. A i; 1 K S A \ 1) \ V K S K R Y U H V M K S 165
The frog was in a k'rrihlt' fright ;
He picked up his hat and hade them gdochiis^ht.
4 As tix)ggy was crossing a sihery hrook
A lily white duck came and gohhied him up.
So this was the end of one, two, three.
The frog, the rat, and the little mousie.
AA
Xo title. From Valeria Johnson Howard, Roseboro, Sampson county.
A reduced form of four stanzas. No refrain indicated.
APPENDIX
About a hundred years ago, when blackface minstrelsy was as
much the fashion, in England scarcely less than in the United States,
as hot jazz is now in this country, a famous comic singer, Sam
Cowell — London born, but he started his career in America — turned
the "kimo" refrain to the purposes of minstrelsy in a nonsense song
about South Carolina Negroes. The song was brought to this coun-
try and became in a sort traditional ; at least it underwent the
changes due to oral transmission. At the request of Miss Adelaide
L. Fries, Miss Lucy Logan Desha of Winston-Salem copied out
from Harold Scott's English Song Book Cowell 's song, with the
music (see vol. IV). Clearly a derivative of Cowell's song is the
following, reported by Miss Fries as obtained from Miss Etta
Shaffner, who learned it from her mother. As will be seen, it has
hardly more of 'The Frog's Courtship' than the refrain. For its
occurrence elsewhere in this country, see White's notes, ANFS
175-6, and Randolph, OFS ii 362-5. Mrs. Steely found one stanza
and chorus in Wake county.
'Kitchie Ki-Me-0.'
I \\ ay down south where the niggers grow,
Sing song kitchie kitchie ki-me-o.
That's where the white folks plant their tow,
Sing song kitchie kitchie ki-me-o ;
They cover the ground all over with smoke.
Sing song kitchie kitchie ki-me-o.
Up the darkies' heads they poke.
Sing song kitchie kitchie ki-me-o.
Chorus:
Ke-mo. ki-mo. da-ro-ar,
Me-he, me-hi, me-ho ;
In come .Sallie singing sometime ])enny-winkle linktnm
nipcat
Sing song kitchie kitchie ki-me-o.
l66 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 There was a frog lived in a pool,
Sure he was the biggest fool ;
l^'or he could laugh and he could sing
And make the woods around him ring.
3 Milk in the dairy nine days old.
Frogs and skeeters gittin' mighty hold.
1 tried to sleep but 'tain't no use.
So I hung my legs for the chickens to roost.
Tlie followinij- is clearly another ineniory of the same song.
'Keemo Kinid." RcpMrted by S. M. Davis of White Hall near the Neuse
River as a nursery rhyme "sung by an old Negro of ours."
Milk in the dairy nine days old.
Sing a song. Kitty can't you climbo
Frogs and skeeters getting mighty bold,
Sing a song. Kitty, can't you climb-e-o.
Chorus:
Clemo. climbo, dario. clash,
To my high, to my low,
In come Sally Winkle sometimes
Penny Winkle limpturn nip cat.
Sing a song Kitty can't you climb-e-o.
And so is this, reported by Elsie Doxey of Currituck county. The
first stanza of it has been found also in Florida (SFLQ viii 183)
and in the singing of Negroes ( Talley 30), with only a faint echo
of the kimo chorus.
Sweetest little girl in the county O,
Mammy and daddy Ixjth said so.
Kitchy kitchy kitchy kime-o
Kime-o kime-o
Kitchv kitchy kitch\' kime-o.
Milk in the dairy nine days old
Kitchy kitchy kitchy kime-o
Kime-o kime-o
Kitchv kilcln- kitcln- kime-o.
I Jl
l')ll.l.^• P)OV
This old English nursery song is very widely known. See BSM
4()(). and add to the references there given Rinibault's Nursery
h'hvmcs .^2-3, and for this cmnitry X'irginia ( h"S\' i<).V.^). Indiana
L V L L A I! 1 I". S A N 1) XI' R S I". K Y R H Y M E S 1 67
(^Woltord 24. a play-party suiis^ ) , Arkansas (OFS i 392-3), and
Missouri (OFS 1 391-2, ^^'•j^^). Tlierc are forty-seven texts of it
in our collection, coverinj^ all parts of the state from Nag's Head
on the Banks to the western mountains. The ([uestions asked vary,
thouijh some of them, especially "Can she make a cherry pie?" are
fairly persistent. Instead of .i,nving- all the texts it will be sufficient
to print a few of the fuller versions; hut a listing here of the (jues-
tions asked will give an idea of the range of interest involved. In
all of the texts taken together twenty questions are asked. They
all begin with "Where have you been?" Five of them concern the
person of the "wife": How old is she? How tall is she? Are her
eyes very bright? Is she worth anything? What is her name?
A larger number deal with her housewifely qualities: Can she sweep
up the floor? Can she make a feather bed? Can she make a loaf
of bread? Can she make a clierry pie? Can she knit, can she
sew? Can she make a cup of tea? Can she make a pudding well?
Can she make a man a shirt? Others look to the wedding: Do
you think she loves you well? Will her mother give her up? Is
she titten for a wife? Have you set the wedding day? Still others
constitute a sort of reverse of 'The Old Man's Courtship' : Did she
ask you in? Did she ask off your hat? Did she give you a seat
(set for you a chair) ? Did she bid you to come back? And one
text (contributed by Mrs. Vaught from Alexander county) has a
question reflecting an interest in her respectability: Does she often
go to church ? To which the answer is : Yes, she goes to church
and wears a bonnet white as perch. The answers to the questions
vary slightly from text to text but not significantly. To the question
about her age the answer is always a nonsense rigmarole — perhaps
implying that it is none of the (juestioner's business.
Here are three of the fuller versions. Most of the texts have
only four or five stanzas.
A
'Charming Billy.' Contributed by Miss Amy Henderson of Worry, Burke
county, ill 1914.
1 'Where have yoti been. Billy boy, Billy boy,
Where have yoti been, charming Billy?'
"I've been seeking me a wife, she's the comfort of my life;
She's a yoting thing, and cannot leave her mother.'
2 'Did she ask ycni to come in, Billy boy, Billy boy.
Did she ask yoti to come in, charming P)illy ?'
'Yes, she asked me to come in ; she's a dimi)le in her chin.
She's a young thing, and cannot leave her mother.'
3 'Did she bid you ha\e a chair, liilly boy. Billy boy.
Did she bid yoti have a chair, charming I'illy ?'
'Yes, she bade me have a chair; she has ringlets in her
hair.
She's a young thing, and cannot leave her mother.'
l68 X () R T II C A K O L I X A I- O L K L 0 R E
4 'Can she make a cherry pie. Billy boy, Billy boy,
Can she make a cherry pie, charming Billy ?'
'Yes, she can make a cherry pie quick as a cat can wink
its eye.
.She's a young thing, and cannot leave her mother.'
5 'Can she make a pudding well, Billy boy, Billy boy.
Can she make a pudding well, charming Billy?'
'Yes, she can make a pudding well, you can tell it by the
smell.
.She's a voung thing, and cannot leave her mother.'
0 "Did she bid you to come back, Billy boy, Billy boy,
Did she bid you to come back, charming Billy ?'
'Yes. she bade me to come back, after giving me a smack.
She's a young thing, and cannot leave her mother."
7 'lldw old is she. Billy boy, Billy boy.
How old is she, charming Billy?'
'She'll be fortv-four next fall, and she's got no teeth al
all.
She's a young thing, and cannot leave her mother.'
B
'Billy Boy.' From Miss Florence Holton of Durham.
1 'W here have you been. Billy boy. Billy boy.
\\ here have you been, charming Billy?'
'1 have been to see my wife, she's the joy of my life;
.She's a young thing, and can't leave her mother.'
_' 'Did she ask you in. Billy boy. I'illy boy.
Did she ask you in, charming Billy?'
'She did ask me in. with a dimple in her cliin ;
She's a young thing, and can't leave her mother.'
3 'Can she make a cherry i)ie. i'illy boy. l>illy boy.
Can she make a cherry pie, charming Billy?'
'She can make a cherrv pie (|uick as a cat can wink his
eye.
She's a \'(iung tiling, and can't leave lier nidther.'
4 'Did she set for \<n\ a chair. I'illy boy. Billy boy.
Did she set for you a chair, charming I'illy?'
'.She did set for me a chair with a ringlet in her hair.
She's a voung thing, and can't leave her mother.'
5 '(an she make a feather brd. r>ill\- boy. I'illv bov.
Can she make a feather bed. charming Billv?'
'.She can make a feather bed. with a candle on her head.
She's a voung thing, and can't leave her mother.'
h V L I. A I! I K S A N I) N U R S E R Y RHYMES 169
6 "How tall is she, l*>illy hoy. Billy hoy,
How tall is she. channing IJilly ?'
'She's as tall as any pine and as thin as a pumpkin vine.
She's a younj^- tliin.i;-. and can't leave her mother.'
7 "Is she worth anything. IJilh- hoy. P)illy boy,
Is she worth anything, charming Billy?'
'She is worth a cow and a calf, and a dollar and a half.
She's a young thing, and can't leave her mother.'
8 'What is her name. Billy boy. Billy boy.
\\ hat is her name, charming Billy ?'
'Her name is Susanna, and she lives in Louisiana.
She's a young thing, and can't leave her mother.'
9 'How old is she. Billy boy. Billy boy.
How old is she. charming l)illv ?'
'Twice six. twice seven, twice twentv and eleven ;
She's a young thing, and can't leave her mother.'
c
'Billie Boy.' Reported by Gertrude Allen (later Mrs. Vaught) from
Oakboro, Stanly county. Stanzas i, 2, and 4 as in A. Stanza 3 runs :
'Did she give you a seat. Billy boy, Billy boy.
Did she give you a seat, charming Billy?'
'Yes, she gave me a seat and a piece of bread and meat.
She's a young thing that cannot leave her mother.'
.And after stanza 4 it runs as follows :
5 'Can she make a loaf of bread. Billy boy. Ijilly boy.
Can she make a loaf of bread, charming Billy?'
'Yes, she can make a loaf of bread hard as any negro's
head.
She's a young thing and cannot lea\e her mother.'
6 "Can she make up a bed. P)illy boy. \V\\\\ bov.
Can she make up a bed. charming Billy?"
'Yes, she can make up the bed. fit the pillows at the head.
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.'
7 'How tall is she. IJilly boy. Billy l)oy.
How tall is she. charming Billy ?'
'She's as tall as a rail, slick as any monkey's tail.
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.'
IJO NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
122
Oh. Dear. What Can the Matter Be?
Williams, who reports this from Oxfordshire (FSUT 201 ). calls
it an "old morris fragment." It has been found in Pennsylvania
(NPIM So), Virginia (FSV 197), West Virginia (SFLQ vi 252,
as a play-party song), Kentucky (DD 144-5). ^ii^^ Mississippi
(JAFL XXVIII 169); it is listed in Miss Pound's syllabus for the
^lidwest and is given in Ford's Traditional Music of America and
in Heart Songs. Unquestionably it is nmch more generally known
than this list indicates.
A
'O Dear, What Can the Matter Be.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as set
down in 1910 from the singing of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
1 Oh, dear, what can the matter be ?
Dear, dear, what can the matter be?
Oh. dear, what can the matter be,
Johnny's so long at the fair ?
He promised to bring me a fair ring^ to please me,
And then for a kiss, oh, he vowed he w^oiild tease me ;
He promised to bring me a bunch of blue ribbon
To tie up my bonny brown hair.
2 Oh, dear, what can the matter be ?
Dear, dear, w hat can the matter be ?
Oh, dear, wdiat can the matter be.
Johnny's so long at the fair ?
lie promised to bring me a basket of posies,
A garland of lilies, a garland of roses,
A little straw hat to set off the blue ribbons
That lie up my bonny brown hair.
B
'Oh iJcar, What Can the .Matter P>e?' Cdmniunicated liy Lucille Massey
of Durham. Not dated. The first stanza only ; the same as A except
that it has the old word "fairing" instead of "fair ring."
123
Taffy Was a Wklshmax
The three songs entered here are clearly derived from the familiar
Mother Goose rhyme about the thieving Welshman. What appears
to he a Negro version of the first of the three has been reported
from Mississij)pi (JAM. xxvui 141), and of the second from Vir-
ginia ( I'".SV 167, TNFS 103); and the first stanza of our B cor-
resjjonds to stanza 3 of another Virginia song (TNFS 166).
' This is a misunderstanding of the old word "fairing," a present from
the fair.
L U L L A B 1 K S AND N U K S IC U \- 1< U V M K S I/I
A
'I Went Down to Suckie's House.' Communicated by Professor M. G.
Fulton of Davidson College, in 1915 or thereabouts.
1 I went down lo Suckie's hotise to i;el a ctip of tea.
What do yoti s'pose old Stickie had for me?
Chicken feet, sparrowgrass, hominy, and tea.
2 I went down to Stickie's hou.se and fell upon mv knees
And I like to lau,i;h myself lo death to hear the turkey
sneeze.
B
'Napper.' Contributed in 191 4 by C. R. Bagley of Moyock. Currituck
county, as a fragment of vviiat are "known among the Negroes as
breakdowns."
1 Napper come to my house,
I th(jught he come to see me.
\\ hen I come to find him out
He 'suade my wife to leave me.
Cliorus:
Break down, Napper, hoo, hoo,
Break down, Napper, hoo.
2 I went to Napper's house ;
Ole Napper sick in hed.
1 ruhbed my hand across his head
And killed ole Napper dead.
3 Goose chewed tobacker.
Duck drinked de wine.
Hog played de cwards^
In de punkin vine.
c
'Old Napper.' Contributed by P.cll Brandon of Durham. Not dated.
I Napper went a-htintin' ;
He thought he'd catch a coon.
And when his old dog treed
He treed a mushy-room.
Chorus:
Poor old Napper, hoodie dinkey, hoodie dinkey.
Poor old Napper, hoodie dinkey, ha!
' So in the manuscript. One supposes it should be "cyards." witii the
familiar Southern breaking of the vcjwel after palatals. It will t)c seen
that this final stanza is a form of the jingle dealt with under tlie title
'Get Along, John, the Day's Work's Done' in the section on Bird and
Beast Jingles.
1 -z X O K T H t' A K 0 L I X A FOLKLORE
2 Napper come to my house.
I thought he come to see me.
When I come to find out
He was persuadin' my wife to leave me.
124
Barxyard Song
A
'I Bought Ale a Hen.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton with the following com-
mentary : "This is an old English folk song that is found all over the
North Carolina mountains. It is sung for the 'least un' and the children
love it. I first heard it sung by an old lady who was a friend of my
mother's and who lived in the upper end of Caldwell county near Blow-
ing Rock. Her name was Miss Mary Ann Webster. ... I have heard
this song in every county of the Blue Ridge. ... I believe this is the
best-known children's song in the mountains." But she adds : "I am
quite well aware that none of the traditional folk songs in my collection
are of necessity limited in North Carolina to the mountains. They are
in a better state of preservation there because the isolation has kept out
other songs, but they are probably found in every county in the state.
Certainly this one is. It was found in Caldwell county a hundred years
ago, for Miss .Mary .A.nn Webster was seventy when she died, and she
told me that her grandmother sang it to her."
1 I bought me a hen and my hen loved me,
I fed my hen under yonder tree.
Hen said 'Fiddle I fee.'
2 1 bought nie a turkey and my turkey loved me.
1 fetl my turkey under yonder tree.
Turkey said '(Gobble gobble.'
Hen said 'Fiddle 1 fee.'
3 1 bought me a guinea and my guinea loved me.
] fed my guinea under yonder tree.
(luinea said 'Potrack, ])otrack.'
Tiu'key said '(Gobble gobble,'
Hen .said 'b'iddle 1 fee.'
4 I bought me a duck and my duck loved me.
1 fed my duck under yonder tree.
Duck said 'Ouack (|uack,'
Guinea said 'I'otrack, ])otrack.'
LULL A H 1 K S A N I) N U R S K R Y R H V M K S 1/3
I'urkcy said '( lohhlc i^obble,'
Hen said 'I'^iddlc 1 fee.'
5 I bought me a gouse and my goose loved me,
I fed my goose under yonder tree.
(loose said 'honk honk,' cfc.
And so on witli the cow. whicli said "Moo, nioo," the horse, which said
"Neigli, neisli," tlie slieep. which said "Baa. liaa," up to this conclusion:
9 I bought me a wife and my wife lo\ed me,
1 \cd my wife under yonder tree.
\\ ife wotild scold, scold,
Sheep said 'Baa. baa,'
Horse said 'Neigh, neigh,'
Cow said 'Moo, moo,'
CJoose said 'Honk, honk,'
Duck said 'Quack, qitack,'
(hiinea said 'Potrack, potrack,'
Turkey said 'Gobble gobble,'
Hen said 'Fiddle I fee.'
B
'I Bought Me a Hen.' Another version from Mrs. Sutton. The series
is hen, duck, turkey, cow, dog, horse, sheep, "and so on, interminably.
Always the song ends with 'I bought me a wife,' etc." The tune was
recorded from the singing of Miss Pearl Minish, Mrs. Sutton's sister.
C
'I Bought Me a Hen.' Obtained from Miss Mamie Mansfield of Durham
in July 1922. Here the series is hen, duck, guinea, turkey, cat (which
went "meow, meow-"), dog (which went "bow w-ow"), cow, horse, wife;
but it adds at the end a stanza that brings it up to date :
T bought me a I'^ord and my Ford pleased me,
And 1 fed my Ford under yonder tree.
]"ord went 'Get you there, get you there,'
\\"\ie went scold, scold, cfc.
D
'I Had a Little Hen.' Reported by R. D. Ware in 1921 as known in
Stanly county. Here the singer keeps the various creatures in a mys-
terious "oneyers tree," and the sounds ascribed to tliem are different.
The hen, to be sure, says "Fiddle-like-fcc" ; but the duck says "dey,
dey," tile turkey says "shimmy-shack, shimmy-shack," the hog says
"griffy-greffy," the cow says "paw, paw" ; and in place of the wife at
the end is the baby :
I had my baby and my baby pleased me.
Had my baby in the oneyers tree ;
Baby says 'ma, ma,'
Sheep says 'ba, ba,'
Cow says 'paw, paw,*
1 74 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Hog says 'grifify-greffy,'
Turkey says 'shimmy shack,'
Guinea says 'poterack,'
Hen savs 'fiddle-like fee!'
No title. Communicated, probably in 1923, by Mildred Peterson of
Bladen county. The series is cat (which went "fiddle-i-dee"), dog
(which went "boo, boo"), hen (which went "ka, ka, ka"), hog (which
went "krusi, krusi, krusi"), sheep (which went "baa, baa, baa"), cow
(which went "moo, moo, moo"), and calf (which went "ma, ma, ma").
Xo title. From Katharine Jones, Raleigh. Not dated. Only the first
two stanzas are given, but they differ appreciably in structure from the
preceding versions.
Bought me a chicken, and a chicken wit^ me,
Fed my chicken behind a tree.
And my chick said coo, coo, coo.
Every fellow feeds his chicken
And I feed my chicken too.
Bought me a duck, and a duck wit^ me.
Fed my duck behind a tree.
And m}' duck said quack, quack,
Every fellow feeds his chicken
And I feed my chicken too.
etc.
125
McDonald's Farm
So called in one of our texts ; each of the five has a different
title. In Quebec it is known as 'Come, Come' (JAFL xxxi 177-8) ;
in Arkansas (OFS iii 211-12), as in our D, it is called 'The Merry
Circen Fields of the Lowland'; in Iowa (JAFL Liv 177-8), 'The
Banks of Holland'; in Nebraska (ABS 238-40), "Sweet Fields of
Violo.' In content it is similar to "Barnyard Sons'. ' hut its structure
is different. It seems to have arisen from the familiar "this-a-way
that-a-way" sonj? f^ame which in this country has developed into
social satire; see 'When I Was a Young- Girl' in this volume. Or
perhaps the nursery song gave rise to the game.
A
'McDonald's Farm.' From Miss Mary Scarborough of Dare county, in
1923 or thereabouts.
'Possibly this is "bit"; the manuscript is not clear. Neither word
seems to make sense in this connection.
LULL A I! I K S A \ I) X r K S K R Y K H Y M K S 1 75
Old McDonald had a tarni.
E-i ei o
And on that farm he had sonic chicks,
E-i ei o
\\'ith a chick chick here and a cliick chick there.
And a here chick, there chick, e\ ervwhere chick chick.
Old McDonald had a farm,
E-i ei o.
And on that farm he had some turkeys,
E-i ei o
With a gobble gobble here, and a gobble gobble there.
And a here gobble, there gobble, everywhere gol)ble gobble,
Chick chick here, chick chick there.
Here chick, there chick, everywhere chick chick.
Old McDonald had a farm,
E-i ei o.
And on that farm he had some ducks,
E-i ei o
\\'ith a quack quack here and a quack quack there,
And a here (juack, there quack, everywhere quack (|uack,
etc.
And on that farm he had some geese,
E-i ei o
With a honk honk here, and a honk honk there, etc.
'In the Merry Green Fields of Ireland.' Reported by Miss Gertrude
Allen (afterwards Mrs. Vaught ) from Taylorsville, Alexander county.
"Any other animal may be put in also." But the distinctive sounds made
by the different creatures are not given after the first stanza.
1 My grandmammy had some very fine ducks
In the merry green fields of Ireland.
\\ ith a quack quack here
And every now and then a quack cjuack
In the merry green fields of Ireland.
2 My grandmammy had some ver}- fine sheep
In the merry green fields of Ireland.
etc.
3 My grandmammy had some very fine pigs
etc.
4 ^ly grandmammy had some very fine cows
etc.
176 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
5 My graiidinaniniy had some very fine dogs
'etc.
6 J\ly grandmainniy had some very fine cats
etc.
c
'Oil, Grandma Had Some Very Fine Geese.' Reported by Julian P.
Buyd as collected from Minnie Lee, one of his students in the school
at Alliance, Pamlico county, in 1927.
( )h, (irandma had some very fine geese
That Alary feeds in the morning.
Otiick (|uack here ! Quick qtiack there !
ICvery then a ([uick and every now a qtiack.
Ouick, quack, quack in the morning.
And so on for dogs ("l)o\v wow"), cats ("mew mew"), and sheep ("baa
baa"), and it ends :
Oh, Grandma has some very fine stock
That Mary feeds in the morning.
Quick, quack here ! Bow^, wow there !
Every then a how. and every now a meow.
Baa, baa. ])aa-aa in the morning.
D
'The Merry Green Fields of the Low Lands.' From Miss Elizabeth
Walker, Boone. Watauga county, in 1936. With the music.
My grandfather had some very fine ducks
In the merry green fields of the low land.
'Twas a quack-quack here and a quack-{|uack there
And here a quack and there a quack.
Oh, say, bonny lassie, will you go with me
To the merry green fields of the low land ?
And so on with hens ("cack-cack"). sheep ("baa-baa"), "as long as one
has breath to sing and can think of animals and their respective sounds
to hll in the song."
E
'Come, Says Harry." Reported as "traditional in our family" by .Miss
Adelaide Fries of Winston-Salem in 1926. "The number of verses is
limited only l)y tlie numlier of animals and fowls whose names and cries
arc known to the singer."
'Come,' says Harry, 'will you gang with nu-
To the merry green woods that I own ?'
'Come,' says Harry, 'will you gang with nu-
To see my father's sheei)?'
With a baa. baa here and a baa, baa there,
Here baa. there baa. here and there baa. baa. baa.
L U L L A H 1 K S A N I) N U K S K K Y K II V M K S I//
126
Quack, Ouack, Quack
A nursery rhyme, apparently. I have not found it elsewhere.
'Quack, Quack, Quack.' Reported by Miss xMainie Maustield as obtained
from a fuurtli-grade pupil, Azzilee Norris, in the Durham school.
1 There were six fat chicks that once I knew,
Pretty ducks, fat ducks they were too;
But the one with a feather curled up on his back,
Oh, he ruled the others with a quack, (juack, (|uack.
Chorus:
Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack,
( )h. he ruled the others with a ({uack. c|uack, ([tiack.
2 Down to the meadow these ducks would go,
A-wiggling and a-waggling all in a row,
But the one with a feather curled up on his back.
Oh, he ruled the others with a quack, quack, (jitack.
3 Down to the pond these ducks would go,
A-splashing and a-splashing all in a row.
But the one with a feather curled up on his back.
Oh, he ruled the others with a quack, quack, (|uack.
127
The Dogs in the Alley
A jingle on animal sounds akin to the familiar '1 had a duck and
the duck pleased me,' thougli I have not found just this use of the
idea elsewhere.
'O, the Dogs in tlie .Alley. Nursery Rhyme.' Communicated by B. O.
Aiken of Durham. Not dated.
Oh, the dogs in the alley
They go bow-wow-wow,
And the cats join the chorus
W ith a meow-meow-meow.
And the pigs in the pen
They go we-we-we.
And the rooster, he goes
Cocka-do-dle-do.
128
Go Tell Aunt Patsy
This nursery jingle is very generally known: in .Maine ( FSONK
207 J, Virginia (JAFL x.wi 130). North Carolina (.SharpK 11 345,
N.C.F.. Vol. in, (l-t)
178 N O R T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
ANFS 177, OSSG 3), Georgia (JAFL xlvii 336), Texas (TNFS
8 and 195-6), the Ozarks (OFS 11 347-9), Iowa (JAFL lvi ho),
and perhaps Kentucky ( Shearin 38). ^Irs. Steely found it in the
Ebenezer community in Wake county.
'Old (iray Goose." Reported by Etliel Brown from Catawba county.
No date given.
1 Go tell Aunt Patsy,
Go tell x^unt Patsy,
Go tell Aunt Patsy
The old gray goose is dead.
2 The one she's been saving,
The one she's been saving.
The one she's been saving
To make a feather bed.
3 Old granny's weeping.
Old granny's weeping,
Old granny's weeping
Because her true love's dead.
4 She died last Friday,
She died last Friday,
She died last Friday
\\ ith the toothache in her head.
129
The Fox and the Goose
For references to this song both in England and in America, see
the note in SharpK 11 398, and add Vermont (VFSB 119-20),
Massachusetts (FSONE 202-4), Virginia (FSV 207-8), Kentucky
(BKH 181-2), Florida (SFLQ iv 148-9, among the Conchs), the
Ozarks (OFS i 387-9), Ohio (BSO 213), Indiana (BSI 323),
Michigan (BSSM 465), and Iowa (MAFLS xxix 42-4. JAFL lvi
105). It goes under various names and is very widely known. Of
the four texts in the Brown Collection all but one have to do with
a duck, like Sharp's Tennessee and North Carolina texts, not with
a goose ; but they all belong to one tradition none the less.
'The Fox and the Goose.' Reported by Mrs. R. D. Blacknall of Durham
as "sung by a Negro servant, Maria McCauley, presumably an ex-slave
of the Chapel Hill .McCauleys. Heard forty-five years ago.''
I The fox marched forth one moonshiny night ;
He stood upon his hind legs, itiuch about right ;
'Some meat, some meat I must have this night
Before I leave this town-e-o,
lieforc 1 lea\c this town-e-o.'
L U L I. A I! I !•: S A X I) N I' R S K K Y K II V M K S 1/9
2 The fox marched up to the farmer's cooj)
And there he met the old grey goose.
'Old goose, old goose, you must come along o' me ;
I'm the finest old fellow in the town-e-o.
I'm the finest old fellow in the town-e-o.'
3 The fox took a nigli cut to his den.
( )ut come his young ones, eight, nine, ten.
'Daddy, daddy, do go again !
You're the luckiest old fellow in the town-e-o,
You're the luckiest old fellow in the town-e-o!'
4 ( )ld mother grey goose jumped out of hed
And out of the window she poked her head :
'Old man. old man, the grey goose is dead.
For I heard her holler "Quing quath-e-o !"
For I heard her holler "Quing quath-e-o !" '
B
No title. From .Miss Mamie E. Cheek. Durliani. Not dated.
1 The fox jumped up one moonshiny night.
He prayed for the moon to afiford him light ;
He had many miles to travel that night
Before he reached the Towny-o, towny-o, towny-o,
Before he reached the towny-o.
2 At last he reached the farmer's yard.
There he met an old gray drake.
'Old drake, old drake, you must come along with me.
I'm the finest old fellow in the towny-o, towny-o,
I'm the finest old fellow in the towny-o.'
3 ( )ld iMother Huhhard jumped out of her hed
And out of the window she popped her head :
'John, John, John, the hlack cluck's gone;
I thought I heard 'er holler "Quin (|ua nn'o. (|uin (|ua niio,
quin (|ua mio,"
I thought I heard her holler "yuin (|ua mio!" '
No title. Reported by Miss Iris C. Chappeile (later Mrs. H. C. Turling-
ton) from Creedmoor, Granville county.
I A fox went out one moonshiny night.
Prayed to the Lord to 'ford him a light;
Had many miles to go that night
Before he reached the town O, town ( ),
Before he reached the town O.
1 8o NORTH CAROLINA !•* 0 L K L 0 R E
2 He came to a pen,
Saw there black clucks nine or ten,
Gralibed a black duck by the neck.
And the feet went dangling down O, down O,
And the feet went dangling down O.
3 Old mother Whittle popped out of bed,
Out to the window she poked her head ;
She cried, 'John, John, my black duck's gone !'
But the fox went through the town O, town O,
But the fox went through the town O.
4 (Jld mother Whittle she hopped back to bed.
She covered up her head and she hollered and she cried.
'Oh, John, my black duck's gone.'
But the fox went through the town O. town O.
But the fox went through the town O.
5 He came to a woods. . . .^
D
'Fox.' Contributed by Katherine Bernard Jones of Raleigh. Not dated.
1 Fox jumped out one moonshiny night.
Prayed to the moon to afford him light.
For he had many miles to travel that night
Before he reached the town O, town O.
For he had many miles to travel that night
Before he reached the town O, town O.-
2 \\ hen he reached the farmer's barn
The geese and ducks raged and charged ;
'But the best of you shall grease my beard
Before I leave the town O, town O.'^
3 He seized the old black duck by the neck.
Swung her across the back.
'Quack, quack, quack,' said the old duck.
But the fox went dangling down (). down O.
4 Ole Mother Widdle Waddle out of the bed,
Out of the window popped out her head :
'John, John, John, the black duck's gone.
And the fox lias gone through the town ( ). town O !'
5 John ran out upon the hill.
Blew liis horn loud and shrill.
^ The manuscript notes: "I have forgotten the last verse."
* The last two lines of each stanza are thus repeated throughout.
" The "town O" is written three times in this line in the manuscript,
doubtless by a mere slip of llic pen.
I. r 1. I. A I! 1 K S A .N I) X r K S K K V K H V M K S
'Ha ha ha!" said tlu' old fox,
'But I've yol throvij^li the town (^, town O !'
'Tile Fox and the Goose.' Fruin Mrs. A. I. (ireen, Hector, Avery
county. Not dated. A single stanza, the same as tlie fust stanza of A.
130
Thk Oi.n \\'(»M.\N AND IIkr Pic,
This old English nursery ditty (Halliwell 18, Rinihault 42) is
known under various names in tliis country: in X'irginia ( FSV
192-3) as 'The Little Pig' or 'The Little Old Woman,' in West
\'irginia (FSS 496-7) as 'Old Sam Fanny' or 'Old Joe Finley,' in
Ohio (BSO 179-81) as 'Old Sam Fanny.' It is reported also from
North Carolina ( SharpK 11 343-4) and Georgia (MSHF 14-15).
Both of our texts have the nasal grunt by way of refrain that marks
many versions of 'The Frog's Courtship.'
'The Old Woman and Her Pig.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton from the
singing of school children at CoUettsville, "in the John's River valley,
right down under Blowing Rock." Blowing Rock is in Watauga county.
1 There was an old woman had a little pig, uniph humph
There was an old woman had a little pig, umph humph
There was an old woman had a little i)ig.
The little pig was just so big, umph humph.
2 The little pig ran all around the farm, umph humph
The little pig ran all around the farm, umi)h hum])h
The little pig ran all around the farm
But he didn't do much harm, umph humph.
3 The little pig died for the want of bread, ^ um])h humph
The little pig died for the want of bread, umph humph
The Httle pig died for the want of bread ;
Don't you think that's a mighty hard death? umph humph.
4 Then the old woman lay down and died, umph humph
Then the old woman lay down and died, umpli humph
Then the old woman lay down and died
And the old man he sat and cried, umph humph.
5 The old man died for the want of breath, umph humph
The old man died for the want of breath, umph hum])h
The old man died for the want of breath.
Don't you think that's a mighty hard death? umph humjih.
' So the manuscript ; but the rhyme, and the B text, show that it
should be "breath."
1 82 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
6 There's an old song book that lies on the shelf, uniph
humph
There's an old song book that lies (in the shelf, uniph
humph
There's an old song book that lies on the shelf,
If you want any more you'll sing it yourself, umph humph.
B
'The Old Woman's Little Pig.' Reported in May iy20, by C. E. Buck-
ner of Asheville from the singing of his mother, Mrs. Mattie Buckner.
1 There was an old woman who had a little pig, mm-mm-mm
There was an old woman who had a little pig.
Didn't eat much for it wasn't very big. mm-mm-mm.
2 That little pig did a heap of harm, mm-mm-mm
That little pig did a heap of harm.
^lade little tracks around the barn, mm-mm-mm.
3 That little pig. it died a bad death, mm-mm-mm
That little pig, it died a bad death.
Died because it couldn't get its breath, mm-mm-mm.
4 The old woman sobbed, she mourned, she cried, mm-mm-
mm
The old woman sobbed, she mourned, she cried ;
Then she layed right down and died, mm-mm-mm.
5 The old man died on the count of grief, mm-mm-mm
The old man died on the count of grief ;
Wasn't that a great relief? mm-mm-mm.
6 There they lay all, one, two, three, mm-mm-mm
There they lay all, one, two, three.
Old man, old woman, and a little piggee. mm-mm-mm.
7 There it lays up on the shelf, mm-mm-mm
There it lays up on the shelf,
If you want anymore, you'll sing it yourself, mm-mm-mm.
c
'The Old Woman and Her Pig." l-'rom Catherine Cox. Salislmry.
Rowan county. Not dated. Does not differ significantly from B.
W II K.N" 1 Was .\ LiTTLK Uov
l'"()r the comhinatiiin of this with the '.Swappinti' Sonjj' sec that
title anionjj the ballads. As a nursery rhyme in its own r\g]n it is
old and very tjenerally known (Halliwell 14, and compare 'When
I Was a Wee Thing' in Herd's A)iciciit and ModcDi Scottish Songs,
L U L L A 1$ I K S AN I) N U R S V. U V R II V M K S 183
II 213-14 of the 1869 reprint), but, for that very reason probably,
seldom inchided in rei;ional folk song collections. It appears three
times in the North Carolina oollection :
A From K. P. Lewis, wlid liad it imm Dr. Koni]) T. Battle of CliaiX'l
Hill.
B From the Misses Holonian of Durham, in 1922.
C From Miss Mamie Mansfield of Durham, in 1922.
As the texts do not vary sii^iiirtcantly it will be sufficient to j,nve
the first of these. None has any refrain indicated.
1 When I was a little boy I lived by myself
And all the bread and cheese I got 1 put upon the shelf.
2 The rats and the mice they made such a strife
I was forced to go to London to buy me a wife.
3 \\'hen I got there the streets were so narrow
I was forced to bring my wife home in a wheelbarrow.
4 The wheelbarrow broke and my wife had a fall;
Down came wheelbarrow, wife, and all.
132
Bobby Shaftoe
This old English nursery song ( Halliwell 149, Riinbault 42) I
have found reported as folk song in this country onlv from Virginia
(FSV 200).
'Bobbie Shaftoe.' Contributed in July 1922, by Miss Doris Overton of
Durham (afterwards Mrs. K. M. Brim). With the tune.
1 Bobbie : Marie, will you marry me ?
For you know I love thee.
Tell me, darling, will you be
The wife of Bobbie Shaftoe?
2 Marie: Bobbie, pray don't ask me more.
For you've asked me twice before.
Let us be good friends, n(j more,
Dearest Bobbie Shaftoe.
3 Bobbie: If you will not marry me
I will go away to sea
And you ne'er again shall see
Your friend P)obbie Shaftoe.
4 Marie: I'obbie Shaftoe's gone to sea
1^4 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
5 Bobbie Shaftoe's come from sea.
Silver buckles on his knee.
He's come back to marry me,
Dearest Bobbie Shaftoe.
133
The Pretty Pear Tree
This English cumulative song (Halliwell 115, Mason 26-7; also
Newell 111-13), more often called 'The Tree in the Wood' (FSSom
II 12-13; see also SCSM 359, and for a possible connection with
"the faucon hath borne my make away" JFSS iv 52-66), is well
known also in America; Newfoundland (FSN 72), Massachusetts
{ (AFL VIII 86-8, FSONE 79), Virginia (SharpK 11 282, SCSM
35, 8-60, FSV 186), Kentucky (BKH 87-8). North Carolina
(SharpK 11 281-2). Missouri (OFS iii 213-15). Indiana (HFLB
III 67). >.Iichigan (BSSM 474) ; a text without location but prob-
ably Southern is given in JAFL xi 272.
'The Pretty Pear Tree.' Reported by Mrs. M. M. Moore of Raleigh
in 1924 as sung by her grandmother. Mrs. Erville Chamberlain, who
came from western New York State, where her people were "Americans
of several generations at the time of the Revolution." With the music.
1 What is out in yonder field?
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
2 \Vhat is on the tree?
A very pretty limb.
Limb on the tree.
Tree in the ground.
Out in that beautiful field
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
3 W^hat is on the limb?
A very pretty branch.
Branch on the limb.
Limb on the tree,
Tree in the ground.
Out in that beautiful field
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
4 WHiat is on the branch?
A very pretty bough,
liough on the branch,
{'ranch on the limb,
Limb on the tree,
1, U L I. A B I E S AND N U R S K R Y R H Y M E S 185
Tree in the ground.
Out in that hcautifnl field
There stands a pretty pear tree,
Pretty pear tree witli leaves.
5 What is on the hough?
A very pretty twig.
Twig on the hough, etc.
6 \\ hat is on the twig?
A very pretty nest.
Nest on the twig, rfc.
7 W hat is on the nest ?
A very pretty egg.
Egg on the nest, etc.
8 What is on the egg?
A very pretty bird.
Bird on the egg, etc.
9 What is on the bird?
A very pretty feather.
Feather on the bird, etc.
10 What is on the feather?
A very pretty speck.
Speck on the feather.
Feather on the bird.
Bird on the egg.
Egg on the nest.
Nest on the twig.
Twig on the bough.
Bough on the branch.
Branch on the limb.
Limb on the tree,
Tree in the ground.
Out in that beautiful field
There stands a pretty pear tree.
Pretty pear tree with leaves.
134
Jack-a-Maria
A sequence jingle, known also in South Carolina (JAFL xliv
436). Georgia (SSSA 242. JAFL xlvii 339), Mississippi (JAFL
XXVI 143), Texas (PFLST xiii 251), Arkansas (Ozark Folklore
I 7), and Indiana (SFLQ iii 181).
'Jack-a-ma-rier. Nursery Rhyme.' Communicated by Mrs. Doris Over-
ton Brim of Durham in 1923 or thereabouts.
l86 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Jack-a-nia-rier
Jumped in the fire ;
Fire so hot
He jumped in the pot ;
Pot so black
He jumped in a crack ;
Crack so high
He jumped in the sky;
Sky so bkie
He jumped in a canoe;
Canoe so shallow
He jumped in the tallow ;
Tallow so white
He stayed all night.
135
There's a Hole ix the Bottom of the Sea
A sequence song, somewhat on the model of 'The Pretty Pear
Tree.' I have not found it in print.
'There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea." Reported in 1923 by Miss
Lucille Cheek as "sung by boys and girls in Chatham county on hay-
rides."
1 There's a hole in the bottom of the sea,
There's a hole.
There's a hole.
There's a hole in the bottom of the sea.
2 There's a rock in the bottom of the sea,
There's a rock.
There's a rock.
There's a rock in that hole in the bottom of the sea.
3 There's a frog in the bottom of the sea,
There's a frog,
There's a frog,
There's a frog on that rock in that hole in the bt)ttom of
the sea.
136
John Brown Had a Tjttle Tnjux
Presumably English, though it is not in Rimhault's collection and
Halliwell has only a piece al)out two little Indians — not a number
song. In this country it has been reported from Virginia (FSV
lyo), Kentucky (.Shearin 34), Georgia (S.SSA 241-2), Arkansas
(OFS III 399), the Midwest (Pound y^. Ford 448), the Southern
L U L I. A li 1 F. S A NO N L' R S 1". K Y R II Y M K S 187
nuiuiitains (AMS 84-3 — not (|uite tlic >;mic tliint;", hut a minil)(.T
sunjj ) ; it appears in tiie refrain ul a play-party son^' in lilaho
(JAFL XLiv 9) ; and in Negro song with "niggers" in place of
Indians (Talley 163). Perrow (JAFL xxvi 154) reports it from
Alabama Negroes with "angels" in place of Indians.
A
'Jolin Brown Had a Little Injun." Contributed l)y Ktlal I licks I'uffalo,
Granville county. Not dated.
1 John Brown had a little liijtiii.
John 15rown had a little Injun.
John Brown had a little Injun.
Had a little Injun boy.
2 One. two, three little Injuns.
Four, five, six little Injuns.
Seven, eight, nine little Injuns,
Ten little Injun boys.
B
No title. Communicated from Chatham county, in 1923 or thereabouts,
liy Miss Mamie E. Cheek. The same as A, except that it completes the
circuit witli a third stanza :
Ten little, nine little, eight little Injuns,
Seven little, six little, five little Injuns,
Four little, three little, two little Injuns,
One little Injun boy.
137
Bingo
This old English spelling song (Rinibault 62-3) is still sung in
England (JESS i 242. v 219) and has been reported from the sing-
ing of school children in Cincinnati (JAFL xl ^y ) .
'Bingo.' K. P. Lewis reported this from the singing of Dr. Kem]) P.
Battle of Chapel Hill in November 1910.
There was a dog lay on a barn floor,
And Bingo was his name.
B-a ba, b-e be, b-i bi.
B-o bo, b-u bu, b-y by,
Bingo was his name.
138
Call My Little Dog
Possibly a modification of. or suggested by, 'Bingo,' above,
have not found it elsewhere reported as folk song.
1 88 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Call My Little Dog.' Like 'Bingo,' this is reported by K. P. Lewis
from the singing, in November 1910, of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel
Hill.
'Call my little dog.'
•What shall I call him?'
'Call him Ponto,
Call him Carlo,
Call him J-A-C-K !'
139
The Vowels
This spelling chant has been reported from Virginia (FSV 185)
and Texas (PFLST vi 227-8), and is doubtless known elsewhere.
'The Vowels.' Contributed by the Misses Holeman of Durham in 1922.
They note that the song continues until all the consonants are used.
B-a ba, b-e be,
B-i bick-a-bi,
B-o bo, bick-a-bi-bo,
B-u bu, bick-a-bi-bo bu.
C-a ca, c-e ce,
C-i cick-a-ci,
C-o CO, cick-a-ci-co.
C-u cii, cick-a-ci-co-cu.
140
Banbury Cross
This very familiar nursery jingle seems not to have been thought
worth recording by folk-song collectors. I have found it reported
only from Ontario (JAFL xxxi 112). As reported in our col-
lection it is a composite of fragments ; the last four lines are from
the singing game 'Ring around a Rosy.'
No title. Reported by Miss Leonora Aider, l)ut without notation of time
or place.
1 Trot a hobby horse
To the Bandbury Cross
To get some cherries.
When you get there
The trees don't bear.
Here yon come
A-trotting back, a-trotting back.
Take care, little boy,
And don't yon fall off.
2 CJall(jp, gallop to .Strawberr\' town.
Take care, little bov, and don't tall down.
I, U L I. A H I F. S A N I) N V H S K R Y R H Y M E S 189
3 My turkey, your turkey,
Shoo, turkey, shoo !
4 Swing around the roses,
I'ocket full of posies.
Sweet bread, rye bread,
Squat !
141
Oh, Mr. Rf.vel!
The rhvme about "the devil, with his wooden pick and shovel"
is English : Northall, English Folk Rhymes 3o(y, records it as known
in Warwickshire and •'the west of England." Henry (SSSA 252)
reports a form of it from the Southern mountains.
A
'Mr. Revel." Communicated by K. P. Lewis as set down in 1910 from
the singing (or recitation) of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill,
with the notation "Sing very fast" and "must be acted to be effective,"
but with no indication of what the action is.
Oh. Mr. Revel!
Did you ever see the devil
With wooden spade and shovel
A-digging up the gravel
With his long toe-nail?
6
'Negro Song.' Reported by Mrs. J. R. Chamberlain of Raleigh in 1924.
Did you ebber see de debbil
W'id his iron-wooden shubble
Diggin' grabble, diggin' grabble?
Po sinnei"
142
Old Woman All Skin and Bones
This old English shudder-story (Halliwell 64-5. Rimbault 30-O
is still told to children in various parts of the United States. See
BSM 502. and add to the references there given Massachusetts
(FSONE 33-6). \'irginia (FSV 198-200), the Ozarks (OPS i 301-
2), Ohio (BSO 206-7), and Indiana (BSI 268). Our North Caro-
lina texts differ interestingly in regard to what it was that the old
woman saw.
A
'There Was an Old Woman.' Sung into the Ediphone in 1920 by Miss
Tina Fussell, a student at Trinity College from Snow Hill, Greene county.
igO NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 There was an old woman all skin and bones
Oo-oo-oo
And full of dreadful sighs and groans.
Oo-oo-oo
2 This woman had a mind to pray,
Oo-oo-oo
So to church she went one day.
Oo-oo-oo
3 And when she got up to the stile
Oo-oo-oo
She thought she'd stop and rest a while.
Oo-oo-oo
4 And when she got to the church door
Oo-oo-oo
She thought she'd rest a little more.
Oo-oo-oo
5 And when she got inside the door
Oo-oo-oo
She spied a corpse lying on the floor.
Oo-oo-oo
6 And from its eyes and nose and chin
Oo-oo-oo
The worms crawled out, the worms crawled in.
Oo-oo-oo
7 The woman to the parson said :
Oo-oo-oo
'Shall I look so when I am dead?'
Oo-oo-oo
8 The parson to the woman said :
'Boo!!!'
B
'TheiL' Was an Old Woman All Skin and Bones.' A revised version
sent in by Miss Fussell with this explanation: "'The Old Woman All
Skin and I'ones' must be clianged some. My mother sang it to me this
afternoon and I'm sending you the stanzas that are changed, and several
more stanzas that I could not rememlu-r when I sang it into the Edi-
phone." But this revised text does not really differ much from A ;
chiefly in the placing of the groan that constitutes the refrain, which in
this revision comes not after each line but only after each cou])let. It
ends :
And the worms crawled in and the worms crawled out
And the worms did crawl all round about.
Oo-oo-oo-oo
L U L I. A r. ] K S AND N U K S K K V K 11 Y M K S I9I
'Vhv woman to llic ])r(.'acher said:
"Will I look so when 1 am dead?'
( )o-()0-00-00
And Miss Fussell adds: "Tliis is all Mother can ii'meinbcr distinctly,
but there's one more stanza wiiich is about the woman swooning and
falling dead on the Hoor."
C
'The Old Woman All Skin and Bones.' Taken down by Miss Jean
Holeman of West Durham in 1922 from the singing of Mrs. R. D.
Blacknall. The te.xt is the same as B with the addition at the close of
the stanza that Mrs. Fussell did not remember; the same as A 8.
D
'There Was an Old Woman.' From Miss Kate S. Russell of Roxboro,
Person county, in 1923 or thereabouts. A somewhat reduced version.
The refrain is here hummed rather than groaned.
1 There was an old woman skin and bones
M-M-M-M-M-M-M
2 This woman had the mind to pray ;
'Twas on a Sahl)ath day.
M-M-M-M-M-M-M
3 This woman thought to church she'd go
To hear the parson preach and pray.
M-M-M-M-M-M-M
4 As she got to the church door
She spied a corpse lying on the floor.
M-M-M-M-M-M-M '^
5 This woman to the parson said.
'Will I look so. when I'm dead?'
M-M-M-M-M-M-M
6 The parson to the woman said :
'Yes, you'll look so when you are dead.'
M-M-M-M-M-iM-M-BOO ! ! !
E
'There Was an Old Woman All Skin and Bones.' Contributed by Miss
Mary Morrow, (ireensboro, Guilford county, in 1928. This has the
humming refrain like D, and changes the story somewhat. .After four
stanzas as in C it runs thus :
5 And when she opened the door
Her shadow floated on the floor.
6 And when they turned to the door
Behold, her corpse lay on the floor.
192 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
7 And when they carried her out the door
The poor old woman was seen no more.
8 But when they open the old church door
They see her ghost lie on the floor.
Exactly the same text appears also in Lucy R. Cobb's M.A. thesis at
Duke. ■
'Old Skin and Bones.' Contributed in 1922 by Miss Jennie Belvin of
Durham. Here again the refrain is hummed ; it is "her corpse" that the
old woman sees on the ground ; and the piece "closes with a fearful
yell; the singer jumps at the listener and gives the yell."
'There Was a Lady, Skin and Bone.' Collected by John A. Lomax and
published by him in the North Carolina Booklet, xx, No. i, pp. 27-9.
Here the lady sees not a corpse but a ghost lying on the ground, and the
closing dialogue is between her and this "spirit."
H
'Skin and Bones.' Contributed by Miss Madge T. Nichols of Durham
county in 1922. Here there is no corpse or shadow or ghost, so that
the point of the story is pretty much lost.
1 There was an old woman all skin and bones,
Skin and bones, skin and bones,
There was an old woman all skin and bones
uin um um
2 This old woman went to church one day
To hear the minister preach and pray,
This old woman went to church one day
um um um
3 This old woman to the minister said,
'I feel so bad, so bad. so bad.'
This old woman to the minister said
um um um
4 The minister to this old woman said,
'You look so bad, so bad, so bad,'
The minister to this old woman said
um um um
'There Was an Old Woman.' Reported by Edna Whitley, but without
indication of time or place. Here again the core of the story is lost.
Perhaps it is simply a case of defective memory. No refrain is indicated.
I There was an old woman,
She was all skin and bones,
All skin and bones.
LULL A 15 1 K S A N 1) N U R S K K Y K H Y M K S 1 93
2 She lived alone,
She lived all alone.
3 She said she was going to ])reaching once more,
She said she was going to preaching once more.
4 She went to preaching once more,
.She went to preaching once more.
5 I When I she got there she knocked.
And the preacher said 'Boo.'
143
What Are Little Girls Made Of?
This English nursery rhyme (Halliwell 119, Riinl)ault 72-3) is
presumably known all over the United States but seems to have
swum into the ken of ballad collectors only in Ontario (JAFL xxxi
92), Virginia (FSV 193). and Kentucky (SharpK 11 334-5).
No title. Reported by Miss Gertrude Allen (afterwards Mrs. Vaught)
from Taylorsville, Alexander county, in 1923. In each stanza the ques-
tion line is repeated once, and the conclusion to the answer is repeated
once, making a five-line stanza, here written out only for the first stanza.
1 What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of ?
Sngar and spice and all that's nice,
And that's what they are made of.
That's what they are made of.
2 What are little hoys made of ?
lUickets and hails and pnppy dog tails.
•3 What are yonng girls made of?
Ribbons and roses and sweet-smelling i)osies.
4 What are young men made of ?
Stiff cuffs and collars and a few paper dollars.
5 What are old maids made of ?
Ruffles and laces and old sour faces.
6 What are old men made of?
Cradles and wheels and the Devil's heel.
7 Wdiat are old women made of?
Rocks and reels and old spinning wiieels.
144
Neighbor Jones
These nonsense verses I have found nowhere else. Possibly they
are a college song.
X.C.F., \'(.l. III. (15)
194 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Neighbor Jones.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as set down from the sing-
ing in 1910 of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
1 Good morning, neighbor Jones, how do you do this
morning ?
Good morning, neighbor Jones, how do you do this
morning ?
I have for you for you for you, for you for you, for you
for you
A budget full of wonders, neighbor Jones.
2 The old white cow's got a calf way down in yonder stable,
The old white cow's got a calf way down in yonder stable.
And she can't eat hay hay hay, hay hay hay, hay hay hay,
Because she's not able, neighbor Jones.
3 The old duck swallowed a snail, is it not a wonder?
The old duck swallowed a snail, is it not a wonder ?
The horn grew out through her brain brain brain, brain
brain brain, brain brain brain.
And split her head asunder, neighbor Jones.
145
Whistling Girls and Crowing Hens
This notion — but not the name "Grandma Grunts' — has been re-
ported from Ontario (JAFL xxxi 103), Connecticut (JAFL xlv
502), and from the Pennsylvania Germans (JAFL 11 198). It is
probably much more widely known than this list would indicate
but has not happened to come into the net of the folk-song collector.
'Grandma Grunts.' Text from the manuscripts of Obadiah Johnson of
Crossnore, Avery county, in July 1940. He did not sing it, however ;
the record of it was made in August from the singing of Clarice Burleson
and Joe Powles.
I Grandma Grunts said a curious thing :
Boys can whistle, but girls must sing.
That is what I heard her say,
'Twas no longer than yesterday.
Refrain:
Boys can whistle (zvhistle)
(jirls must sing {tra la la la)
Boys can whistle, of course they may
They can whistle the livelong day.
Why can't girls whistle too, pray tell,
If they manage to do it well?
L U L 1. A I! 1 E S AND N U R S I- K Y K II Y M I£ S I95
3 (Irandma Grunts says it wouldn't do,
Gives a very good reason, too ;
Whistling- girls and crowing hens
Always come to some bad end.
4 I asked my papa the reason why
Ciirls couldn't whistle as well as I.
He says to me, 'It's the natural thing
For boys to whistle and girls to sing.'
146
Little Birdie in the Tree
This is from some unnamed contributor, very likely Dr. Brown
liimself. The manuscript is marked: "Found in Guilford county
near High Point. Sung by Negroes before the Civil War"; and
Dr. White notes that it is "a corruption of a nursery song I heard
in my own early childhood and can still sing." Our fragment is
the first stanza, slightly altered, of a song of the same title by
P. P. Bliss to be found in the Franklin Square Song Collection i 140
dealing with a series of birds — the redbird, snowbird, bluebird,
blackbirtl.
Little birdie in the tree.
Singing a song to me,
Singing about the roses,
Singing about the tree ;
Little birdie in the tree
Singing a song for me.
147
Howf I Love the Old Black Cat
This has been reported as folk song from Mississippi (JAFL
XXVI 130), and Dr. White notes on the manuscript that he knew it
in childhood in western North Carolina as a nursery song. Its
origin has not been discovered.
'How I Love the Old Black Cat.' Rcix)rtc(l in 1922 by Mary Straw-
bridge. Durham.
I Who so full of fun and glee?
Happy as a cat can be.
Polished sides so nice and fat.
How I love the old black cat !
Yes, I do.
Chorus:
Poor kitty, oh, poor kitty.
Sitting so cozy close to the fire,
196 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Pleasant, purring, pretty pussy,
Frisky, full of fun and fussy,
Mortal full of mouse and rat.
How I love the old black cat !
Yes, 1 do.
2 And the boys, to have some fun,
Call the dogs to set them on.
Quickly I jump on my hat
And try to save the old black cat.
Yes, I did.
3 Some may choose tartar^ shell.
Others like the white so well.
Let them choose of this or that.
But give to me the old black cat.
Oh, please do !
148
I've Got a Master and I Am His Man
This looks like an English ballad or nursery rhyme, but I have
not found it anywhere in print. Mrs. Sutton says, "There are a
dozen verses more or less; I copied four"; but only one stanza is
now to be found in our collection.
'Oh I've Got a Master and I Am His Man.' Communicated by Mrs.
Sutton but without notation of date or source.
Oh. I've got a master and I am his man.
Galloping steadily on.
Oh, I've got a master and I am his man.
I'll marry me a wife as soon as I can.
With a higglety pigglety. gambling gay,
Iligglety pigglety. gambling- gay,
Galloping steadily on.
149
The Cobbler
Another song about the shoemaker has been reported from North
Carolina (SbarpK 11 75), but this one I have not found elsewhere.
'Walking up and down One Day.' Obtained in i()23 from Carl G. Knox
of Durham. With the music.
' So in tile manuscript. W'iictlicr this is a local pronunciation of "tor-
toise" or just a misapprehension of the word the editor does not know.
" So spelled both times in the manuscript ; presumably with the meaning
"gamboling."
L r I. I- A U I F. S A X 1) X r K S K R ^■ K 11 Y M K S 1 97
Walking up and down one day,
1 peci)ed in the window over the way.
I'ushing his needle through and through.
There sat a cobhler making a shoe.
'Rap-a-tap-tap-tap, ticky-tacky-too,
This is the way to make a shoe.
Rap-a-tap-tai)-tap, ticky-tacky-too,
This is the way to make a shoe.'
'50
SCOTLA N U'S B URN 1 NG
An old English round rarely reported as folk song, probably be-
cause evervbodv knows it. It is reported from Massachusetts
(FSONE 283).'
'Scotland's Burning.' Reported by K. P. Lewis of Durham as set down
in 1910 from the singing of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
Scotland's burning, Scotland's burning,
Look out, look out.
Fire ! Fire ! Fire ! h^ire !
Pour on water, ]X)ur on water !
Steam Ship
This is in form a riddle, but the editor is in the position of tlie
child in the last line. I have not found it elsewhere.
'Steam Ship.' Contributed in 1923 or thereal)uuts by Miss Kate .S. Rus-
sell of Roxboro, Person county. With the music.
1 If a steam ship weighed ten thousand tons
And sailed five thousand miles
Loaded down with boots and shoes
And lots of other things ;
2 If the mate was each six feet tall
And the captain just the same ;
Would you nudtiply or suljtract
To find the captain's name?
H-mm-m-mn-m-nm
3 You can think and think, and think
Till your brain is nundj ;
I don't care what the teacher says,
I can't do this sum.
VI
JINGLES ABOUT ANIMALS
FOLKLORE in North Carolina (in other regions too, of course,
Ijut especially, 1 believe, in the Southern states) abounds in
rhymes and jingles about birds, beasts, and other animate creatures.
Among the birds the jay — noisy, impudent, and sly — is the favorite,
but the buzzard, the owl, the raven, the crow, the blackbird, the wood-
pecker, the whippoorwill, the sapsucker, the robin, the sparrow, the
tomtit, the cuckoo, the partridge, and in love songs the mourning
dove also appear, and of domestic fowl the turkey, the goose, the
duck, chickens, and even the clamorous guinea fowl. Of four-
footed creatures those that are hunted for food are remembered
most often, the rabbit, the opossum, the raccoon, the groundhog,
the squirrel ; "varmints" too — the wildcat, the rat, the mouse, the
weasel, even the lowly mole — are not forgotten. Domestic animals
are there, of course, the horse, the mule — with which the Negro
seems to have established special relations — the cow, the sheep, the
goat, the hog, and the cat. Exotic creatures of the circus, the
elephant, the monkey, the kangaroo, claim a place. In the zoolog-
ically lower orders we find the frog, the tadpole, the lizard, the
terrapin, and snakes. Of fish only the catfish, delight of fish fries,
and the shad are included — unless we count Jonah's whale a fish.
Of the insects flies (including bluebottles), bees, hornets, junebugs,
grasshoppers, fleas, mosquitoes.
Not all of these appear in this section of Songs. Often the
jingles form parts of the longer medleys, like 'Old Dan Tucker,'
'Uncle Joe Cut Ofif His Toe,' 'Old Joe Clark,' which will be found
among the Play-Party Songs ; or they are themselves such songs,
as is the case with 'Pop Goes the Weasel,' 'Turkey in the Straw,'
'Shoot the Buffalo,' 'Pig in the Parlor,' 'Poor Little Kitty Puss.'
Very many of them are nursery songs or rhymes: 'The Barnyard
Song,' 'McDonald's Farm,' 'The Frog's Courtship,' 'Kitty Alone,'
'Poor Little Lamb Cries "Mammy," ' and others. Some we have
classed as Work Songs : 'Old Blue,' 'The Ground Hog,' 'Old Bob
Ridley.' .So that the items assembled in this section are those that
do not fit readily into any of the other classes of songs.
How many of these are of Negro origin it is hard to say. Very
few of our texts are described by the contributors as sung by
Negroes. But many of them are reported by other collectors as
J I N (i L K S A I! OUT ANIMALS 199
Negro songs. Some of them are old Englisli rhymes: '1 Had a
Little Horse Whose Name Was Jack' and probably 'Said the Black-
bird to the Crow' and 'My Old Sow's Nose'; 'Row the Boat Ashore'
derives from a chanty; 'What Makes the Wildcat Wild' looks like
a nonsense song of college boys. Some seem pretty certainly to
have achieved currency as minstrel stage products : 'The Billy Goat,'
'lohnson's Mule,' 'The Kicking Mule,' 'The Preacher Song,' 'The
Animal Fair.' But one can seldom be sure that the songs of the
burnt-cork boys have not been caught up from the Negro in the
cotton patch or the construction gang; certainly many of them are
now traditional songs of the blacks. And there is often in these
i ingles, especially those about the rabbit, the coon, the possum, and
the terrapin, a sly humor that seems native to Uncle Remus.
152
Birds Courting
As Barry pointed out in his notes on the New England versions
(BFSSNE' XII 19), this goes back to a seventeenth-century English
ballad 'The Woodv Queristers,' found in the Roxburghe. Pepys,
and Douce collections {Roxburghe Ballads vi 301-3)- Some twenty
birds speak in the English ballad; only the owl, turtledove, redbird.
jaybird, sparrow, and raven appear in our North Carolina texts.
The song — songs, perhaps one should sav — is known in Maine
(BFSSNE XII 19). Vermont (BFSSNE xii 20), Virginia
(SharpK 11 304), and North Carolina (SharpK 11 304), and some-
thing resembling it has been reported from Florida (SFLQ viii
181). Our texts are less elegiac than the English song; they are
suggestive of the social satire in such songs as 'When Young Men
Go A-Courting' (p. 394). See also 'Said the Blackbird to the
Crow,' below.
A
'The White Owl with the White Head.' Obtained from J. R. Midgett
of Wanchese, Roanoke Island, probably in 1922. With tlie tune, as sung
by Mr. or Mrs. C. K. Tillett in December 1922.
1 In came the owl with his head rig:ht white :
'Lonesome day and a lonesome night.
I thought I heard some pretty girl say,
"Court all night and sleep next day." '
2 Tn come the lonely turtle dove :
'That is not the way to keep her love.
If you want to gain her heart's delight
Keep her up hoth day and night.'
3 Up stepped the sparrow as he flew :
'If I was a young man I'd have two;
If one forsake me and from me go
I'd still have a string to my how, how, how.'
200 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
No title. From Miss Gertrude Allen (later Mrs. \"aught), Taylorsville,
Alexander county. Not dated. The first stanza almost identical with
the first of A ; the second runs :
'Oh,' said the raven as he flew.
If I'd been a young man I'd have two;
One might forsake me and the other might go.
Still I'd have a string to my bow, bow, bow.'
c
No title. Reported by \'. C. Royster from Wake county with the nota-
tion : "Before the Civil War — personal recollections refreshed by talking
with other old people."
1 Said the sparrow in the grass,
'I wish I had my bottle and glass
And my true love to drink with me ;
Then oh, how happy I would be !'
Refrain :
To my rye fol dol de diddle dol day
To my rye fol dol de diddle dol day
2 Said the lonesome, lonesome dove,
T'll tell you a better way for to gain her love:
Keep her up all night and all the next day
And never give her time to say "Go 'way !" '
D
'Bird Song.' Reported in 1923 by Mrs. Nilla Lancaster from Wayne
county. This has no element in common with A, but its chorus and its
first stanza link it with C, as C is linked by its second stanza with A.
1 'Long came a jay bird, hopping in the grass.
With his bottle and his glass.
'Say, fine lady, won't you drink with me?
Oh, how happy we will be !'
Chorus:
Rye fol dol dol dil dol da
Rye fol dol dol dil dol da
2 'Whoop-dy doopty' went the old owl. sitting on a limb.
Learning how to tailor so as to cut him out a coat ;
Every fine lady he saw pass by
Nod his head and wink one eye.
3 Says the redbird to himself.
'Meat and bread upon the shelf;
Wouldn't be afraid, bet my life.
Fetch her home to be my wife.'
J I N c; L E S A B O IT T ANIMAL S 201
The Jaybird
The jay, with his confidence and his impudence, appears to have
struck the folk fancy, especially of the Negroes. His death by
whooping-cough is sung in South Carolina (JAFL xmv 425), Ala-
bama (ANFS 243), and Mississippi (JAFL xxvi 133-4), and is
reported without specific location by Mrs. Richardson (AMS 99)
and Talley {Negro Folk Rhymes 36). Snatches more or less like
the second stanza of A are known in Virginia (FSV 201), Ten-
nessee (BTFLS II 30), North Carolina (JAFL xxvi 131), Georgia
(SharpK 11 305), and Iowa (JAFL xliv 170), as a square-dance
song in the Midwest (Ford, Traditional Music of America 96),
and as sung by Negroes in the South (Talley 14-15, TNFS 191 ).
'Jay Bird Died with the Whoopingcough.' Obtained in 1927 by JuHan
P. Boyd from Minnie Lee, pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico
county.
1 Jay bird died with the whoopingcough.
Black bird died with the colic ;
'Long came a toad-frog with his tail bobbed off
And that broke up the frolic.
2 He winked at me and I winked at him.
I picked up a piece o' l)rickbat and hit him on the chin.
He says, '(3h, little man, don't do that again !'
And that broke up the frolic.
'Jaybird Died with the Whoopingcough.' Communicated hy Thomas
Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, probably in 1913 or thereabouts,
as a "dance song — fiddle and banjo," known to have been sung and
played there "nearly eighty years ago."
Jaybird died with tlie whoopingcough.
Sparrow died with the colic.
On came a frog with a fiddle cm his back
Inquiring the way to the frolic.
'Way Down Yonder a Long Way Off.' Reported in 1914 by Charles R.
Bagley of Moyock, Currituck county, as learned from his grandparents
there.
Way down yonder, a long way oiT.
.\ jay bird died with the whooping cough.
StilT shirt collar, three rows of stitches.
Square-toed boots and short-legged breeches.
NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
No title. Reported by V. C. Royster of Wake county as having come
down from before the Civil War — "personal recollections refreshed by
talking with other old people."
A jay bird sal on a hickory limb.
He winked at ine, I winked at him.
I picked up a rock and hit him on the shin ;
Says he, 'Okl fellow, don't you do that again.'
154
Redbird and Jaybird
For other jingles about the jay, see pp. 201-2. A number of
rhymes about him are reported by Perrow from Mississippi, gath-
ered from both blacks and whites (JAFL xxvi 133), and by Miss
Scarborough (TNFS no, in) and Talley (Negro Folk Rhymes
14-15) from the blacks, but none of them is just the same as our
texts.
A
'When I Went Down to Sycamore Town.' Found, without indication
of its source, written down on the back of a Folk-Lore Society card and
dated October 30, 1920. Probably Dr. Brown got his informant to write
it down but omitted to add the informant's name. The jaybird and the
redbird appear only in the last stanza.
1 When I went down to Sycamore town
The water was wide and deep.
I hopped upon an old gray goose
And galloped across the creek.
2 When I first got on the other side
The first thing met my mind
I saw twelve partridges pulling a plow,
With the foremost one behind.
3 The jaybird sat on the redbird's nest.
The redbird sat and mourned.
The blind man sat and shopped his shoe,
And the boatman blowed his horn.
B
'Red Bird Sitting in a Jay Bird's Nest.' Contributed by Charles F. Bag-
ley in 1914, as learned from his grandparents in Moyock, Currituck
county. Olxservc that tlic position of the two birds is here reversed from
what it is in A.
Redbird sitting in jaybird's nest.
Jaybird sitting in de morn.
Oh, look at the blind man sewing up tlie shoe
And tlie dead man just comin": to.
JIN C, L K S A n 0 LI T A N I M A I, S 203
JAYHiRi) I'l' IN Till': 'Simmon Tri<:I':
See the headnotes to 'The jayhird,' ahoxc, and 'Possum Up a
"Sininion Tree,' below.
'Jaybird Up in the 'Simmon Tree' From Thomas J. Gill, Jr., a Trinity
College student (A.B. 1914), witli later address Laurinburg, North
Carolina.
Jaybird up in the 'siiiiinon tree.
Sparrows on the ground ;
Jaybird knocks the 'sininions down,
Sparrows hand them round.
Another copy, slightly different, from the same informant. This has
"sparrow" instead of "sparrows" and "shake" instead of "knocks."
156
Said the Blackbird to the Crow
Here to the basic stanza — A, the first stanza of B and C, and
the last stanza of D and E — have been added divers stanzas deal-
ing with the love affairs of birds, very much in the fashion of the
songs given above under the title 'Birds Courting.' Davis (FSV
202-3) reports it from Virginia and Randolph (OPS ii 355-7)
has versions from Arkansas and Missouri.
'Said the Blackbird to the Crow.' Reported in 191 5 by K. P. Lewis as
obtained from Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
Said the blackl)ird to the crow,
'What makes white folks hate us so?'
*Oh, ever since okl Adam was born
It's been our trade to pull up corn.
And that's why white folks hate us.'
'Said the P.Iackl)ird to the Crow.' From Mrs. Laura M. Cromartie,
Garland, Sampson county. Not dated. One su])poscs that tiie first per-
son pronoun at the beginning of each stanza has crept in from the
answers in the familiar nursery rhyme 'Who Killed Cock Robin?'
I I, said the blackbird to the crow,
'What makes white folks hate us so?'
"Cause pull up corn has been our trade
Eber since old Adam was made.'
204 X () K T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 I, said the tomtit as he run,
'Oh, if I had a bottle of rum
An' two pretty girls to drink with me.
Oh, how happy I would be !'
3 I, said the wood peck in the tree,
'I once courted a fair laidee.
She grew fickle and from me fled ;
Eber since my head's been red."
c
'The Blackbird and the Crow.' From Obadiah Johnson of Crossnore,
Avery county, in 1920.
1 Blackbird says unto the crow,
'The reason why we're hated so,
Ever since old Adam's been born
It's been our trait to pull up corn.'
2 'Hi,' says the blackbird, sittin' on a chair,
'Once I courted a lady fair ;
She proved fickle and turned her back.
And ever since then I've dressed in black.'
3 'Hi,' says the woodpecker, sittin' on a fence,
'Once I courted a handsome wench ;
She proved fickle and from me fled.
And ever since my head's been red.'
4 'Hi,' says the robin as away he flew,
'When I was a young man 1 chose two.
If one didn't love me, the other one would.
And don't you think my notion's good?'
D
'Sapsuck A-Sucking Up a Hollow Gum Tree.' Reported by Charles R.
Hagley in 1913 from Moyock, Currituck county, as learned from his
grandparents there.
1 .Sapsuck a-sucking up a hollow gum tree :
'Once I comled a fair ladie ;
She proved false and from me fled ;
Ever since my head's been red.'
2 Up stepped the blackbird, said to the crow,
'What makes the farmer hate us so?'
'It's been the case ever since I've been born,
'Cause we jnill up the farmer's corn.'
'Too Hoo, Says de Owl.' I-"r(jm Miss Jean Holeman of Durham in 1922.
With the music. Perhaps a chance putting together of two familiar
JINGLE S A B 0 IT T A N I M A L S 205
stanzas. The first is similar to the final stanza of 'Hidi (Jiiili Lodi
Quili," which will be found in the section on Work Songs.
1 'Too-hoo !' .says de owl a-settin' in de tree,
'What's to come o' yoti an' me?
De creek's all mnckly an' de pon's all dry.
If 'twan't fer de tadpoles we'd all die.'
2 Says de blackbird to de crow,
'What makes white folks hate lis so?
Ever since I been born
Been my trade to pull up corn.'
157
The Crow and thk Weasel
Of the many jingles about birds, beasts, and fishes current among
both whites and blacks in the Southern states, this one seems to
have escaped the eyes of collectors.
'The Crow He Peeped at the Weasel.' Reported by K. P. Lewis from
the singing in 1910 of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
The crow he peeped at the weasel.
The crow he peeped at the weasel.
The crow he peeped at the weasel,
AND
The weasel he peeped at the crow.
158
Chicken in the Bread Tray
Tliis might as well, perhaps, be captioned 'Granny, will your dog
bite?" for the two pairs of lines commonly go together. Miss Scar-
borough (TNFS 194) calls it something that "every Southerner
knows." It has been reported from Virginia (FSV 232). Kentucky
(Shearin 38). Tennessee (JAFL xxvi 130), South Carolina (JAFL
.x.xvi 127, .XLiv 431, in both cases from Negroes). Alabama (ANFS
241, Negroes), and Talley gives it in his Negro Folk Rhymes 7.
Ford, Traditional Music of America 36. gives it as a square-dance
song. It appears seven times in our collection, with little variation
in form. The following, reported by Antoinette Beasley of Monroe,
Union county, seems to be the standard text :
Chicken in the bread tray
Scratching out dough.
Granny, will your dog bite ?
No, chile, no.
Of the other texts one, from Louise Bennett of Middleburg, Vance
county, has "plate" for "tray" and "pickin' up" for "scratching
2o6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
out"; another, from Win. C. Daulken, who was a student at the
University of North CaroHna in 1915, has "pickin' up" for "scratch-
ing out" and "mammy" for "granny"; another, from V. C. Royster,
Wake county, adds a hne :
Get out er the corner, do, gals, do ;
and another, from Caroline Biggers of Union county, has only the
last two lines of the (luatrain.
159
The Old Black Hen
A scrap somewhat resembling this has been reported as sung by
Negroes (Talley 37-8). Otherwise I have not found it.
'Master Had an Old Black Hen.' Contributed by Mamie Mansfield
from the Fowler School District, Durham county, in July 1922.
Master had an old black hen.
Black as any bear.
Laid and set in an acorn shell
Eighteen inches square.
160
Get Along, John, the Day's Work's Done
This caption is not significant, but one does not know how else
to title the jingle. The second and third lines of it appear with
various minor changes as folk song in divers regions : in Ontario
(JAFL XXXI 115, 148), Tennessee (JAFL xxvi 130), South Caro-
lina (JAFL XXII 376, XLiv 435) ; in the Bahamas it is used as a
prelude or motto at the beginning of folk tales (JAFL xli 486-
500) ; what seems to be a trace of it is found in an Indiana play-
party song (Wolford 100).
'Get Along, John, the Day's Work's Done.' Reported by J. G. Mc-
Adams apparently from .Alamance county as a "song jingle" "hoard
sung during my childhood."
Get along, lohn, the day's work's done.
The goose chewed the 'bacco and the cat drank the wine,
The kitten played the fiddle on the strawberry vine.
161
Possum Up a 'Simmon Tree
Variants of this rhyme are numerous. For further examples,
from all parts of the South, see Perrow (JAFL xxvi 131 ff.),
Scarborough (TNFS 173), White (ANFS 236-8). It has been
mixed in with the 'Old Bob Ridley' corn-husking song, too; see pp.
J I N C. I. K .S A B O If T ANIMAL S 207
229-32. below. Kaiulolph (Ol-'S 11 361 ) reports a stanza from Mis-
souri using the first two lines of our version D. Mrs. Steely found
it in the Ebenezer coninuniity in Wake county.
A
No title. From Miss Louise Bennett, .Mi(kllel)urg, \anoe county. No
date given.
Posstim up a '.sininion tree,
Rabbit on de ground.
Rabbit said to de possum dar,
'Shake deni 'sinmions down.'
B
'Possum Up de 'Simmon Tree.' From Miss Eura Mangum, Durham,
1922.
Possum up the 'simmon tree,
Rabbit on the ground.
Rabbit said to possum.
Rabbit said to possum,
'Throw some 'simmons down.'
c
'Possum Up the 'Simmon Tree.' From J. Ben Harris, Warren county.
No date given.
Possum up the 'simmon tree,
Raccoon in the hollow.
Wake up. Black Snake,
June-bug stole a half a dolla' !
D
'Possum Up a Gum Tree.' From Mrs. C. C. Thomas, place and date
not given.
Possum up a gum tree,
Cooney in a hollow ;
Dinah's in the mudhole ;
Don't vou hear her holler?
'Raccoon Up de Tree.' Reported by Jesse L. Peterson, Durliam, as
heard in Sampson county in 191 1. The last line seems to he misreported.
Raccoon up de tree,
Possum on de ground.
Raccoon spit in de possum's face
'N de possum slop de possum down.
F
There is in the Collection also a text from Afartinsville, Virginia, con-
tributed probably in 1920 by Miss Julia E. Self (later Mrs. L. E.
Blackwell ) :
208 N (J R T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Possum up the 'sinimon tree,
Raccoon on the ground.
Raccoon says to the possum,
'Shake me some 'simmons down.'
162
De Possum Am a Cunning Thing
Similar stanzas appear in 'Lynchburg Town,' but not the chorus.
See also the Negro songs reported by White, ANFS 237-8. The
"Sandy" chorus is known also in Missouri (OFS 11 334).
A
'De Possum Am a Cunning Thing.' From Aliss E. A. Pool, Raleigh
(not dated) .
1 De possum am a cunning thing,
He trabbles in de dark.
Nuthin' 't all disturbs his mind
Twel he hear ole Ranger hark.
CJwnis:
Do come along. Sandy boy.
Do come along, oh, do.
Don't you hear de jaybird sing?
O Sandy, won't you come along too?
2 De squirrel am a pretty thing.
He's got a bushy tail ;
He eat up all ole Masser's corn
Er-settin' on a rail.
B
'De Possum Am a Cunning Thing.' From George Lawrence Andrews,
Raleigh, about 1927-29. Almost identical with A.
'The Raccoon Is a Cunning Thing.' From J. D. Johnson, Jr., Garland,
Sampson county, in 1919, "sung to the banjo by an old Negro in Eastern
N. C."
The raccoon is a cunning thing. •
He walketh in the dark,
And never thinks to curl his tail
Till he hears old Ranger hark.
163
The Raccoon Has a Bushy Tail
This stanza appeared early in blackface minstrel songs (of.
'Lynchburg 'IVnvn'). Davis reports it from Virginia (FSV 319)
and Ran<l()l])b from Missouri (OFS 11 334).
J I N ti L !•: S A li O f T A N 1 M A L S 209
A
'De Raccoon Has a Bushy Tail.' From James E. Lyon, Jr., Trinity Col-
lege student, December 5, lyiy; "heard at High Point, N. C, in 1911."
With the music. White (A NFS 234) gives the same text from Ala-
bama Negroes, and adds tiiat he has it also from South Carolina as
well as from Lyon.
De raccoon has a bushy tail,
De possum tail am bare,
De rabbit has no tail at all.
Ah little bunch ub hair.
B
'Raccoon Wears a Bushy Tail.' From Miss Jewell RoI)bins, Pekin,
Montgomery county, in July 1922.
Raccoon wears a bushy tail.
Possum's tail is bare ;
Rabbit he comes skipping along,
Got no tail to spare.
No title. From an informant identified only as Hodgin, southeastern
N. C. The chorus is from 'Cindy' (given among Blackface Minstrel
songs in this collection). With stanza 2 compare 'Jaybird Up in the
'Simmon Tree' above. Stanza 3 suggests a square dance song.
1 Raccoon got a bushy tail,
The possum's tail is bare ;
The rabbit got no tail at all,
just a little bunch of hair.
Chorus:
(jit along home, Cindy,
Git along home, Cindy,
Git along home, Cindy,
Ise bound to join the band.
2 Possum uj) the 'simmon tree.
Raccoon (jn the ground.
Possum shake the 'simmons down.
Raccoon pass 'em around.
3 Swing and change and don't get lost ;
Tomorrow may be Sunday.
164
De PossiM Sits on 'Simmon Tree
The allusions seem to be to Charles Manly, of Wake county, who
was governor of North Carolina January i. 1849 — January i, 1851,
N.C.F., Vol. III. (16)
210 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
and to D. S. Reid, of Rockingham county, wlio was governor Jan-
uary I, 1851 — December 6, 1854.
From a clipping from the Weekly Register or A^ortli Carolina Gazette,
August 31, 1850, contributed by Miss Belair.
1 De possim sits on 'simmon tree
And feeds himself quite fat.
Put Manly on de stump for me,
I'm dog he'll soon leave dat.
2 So down along- de railroad
De cars go puff along.
An' ebbery nigger dat she meets
Dey shouts and sings dis song.
3 I now miLst go an' pick my toof,
It akes so very bad.
But since Reid's our Governor forsooth,
I feels my pain so glad.
165
Over the Hills So Far Away
Here the refrain holds together — more or less — two fragmentary
jingles about animals. The line about the old cow dying at the
fork of the branch has been reported from Virginia (TNFS 107),
South Carolina (JAFL xliv 425), Alabama (ANFS 230, 243),
and even Patagonia (FB 163, with a quite different refrain).
Among the many jingles about the rabbit, the raccoon, and the
opossum I have not found just what is here said about the possum
elsewhere.
'Possum Ran from Under the Barn.' Reported in 1913 by William B.
Covington as among his "reminiscences of my early youth spent in the
country on the border of the sand hills of Scotland county." He calls
it a "hunting song."
Possum ran from under the barn.
Fiddle l)ow imder his arm.
The only tune that he could play
Was over the hills so far away.
Over the hills so far away.
Over tile hills so far away.
The old cow died in the fork of the branch,
Over the hills so far away ;
Possum had a regular dance,
Over the hills so far away.
Over the hills so far away,
Over the hills so far awav.
J I N C. L K S A I! 0 U T A N I M A L S 211
1 66
Rahhit in the Log
Reported as Negro song known in Tennessee (ANFS 283), Ala-
bama (ANFS 233, 2St,), and Mississippi (JAFL xxvi 127).
■Rahhit Song.' Reported in 1913 by William B. Covington as another of
bis "reminiscences of my early youth spent in the country on the border
of the sand bills of Scotland (.dunty."
Rabbit in tbe log-
An' I ain't got no dog.
Sbotitin' an' singin",
Gwine home.
167
Old Molly Hare (Mr. Rabbit)
Tlie rhymes about 'Old Molly Hare' and 'Mr. Rabbit' seem to
run together, at least in North Carolina tradition — see texts A and
G below. An api)arently early printing of the song appears in The
Xcgro Singer's Own Song Book: Containing Every Negro Song
Tlictt Has Ever Been Snng or Printed (New York: Turner and
Fisher, n.d.), p. 32. It begins:
Oh hare, what you doing dar ?
Sitting in de corner smoking pipe,
Full cut dried tobacco.
For texts of the "old Molly Hare" type from outside the state, see
Perrow (JAFL xxvi 132, from Mississippi Negroes), Talley
{Negro Folk Rhymes 22), Ford (Traditional Music of America 37
and 40, a square-dance song), Randolph (OF.S 11 359, Missouri),
and Joel Chandler Harris (Uncle Remus. His Songs and Sayings
[1928 ed.] 24); Davis lists it from Virginia (FSV 250). For
"Mr. Rabbit' texts see Mary W. F. Spears (JAFL xxiii 435-6,
from the singing of Negroes in Virginia and Maryland), Perrow
again (JAFL xxvi 132), Odum (JAFL xxiv 356, NS 215), Mrs.
Ames (JAFL xxiv 317, Missouri play-party song), Dorothy Scar-
borough (TNF.S 173-5. Negroes in South Carolina and Mississippi),
and Holzknecht (JAFL xli ^jt,, Negroes in Louisville).
A
'Ole Molly Hare, What You Doiii' There?' Reported in igi3 by Wil-
liam B. Covington as part of his "reminiscences of my early youth spent
in the country on the border of the sand hills of Scotland county."
1 *01e Molly Hare, what you doin' there?'
'Riinnin' through the cotton patch hard as I can tear.'
2 'Bru'r Rabbit, Bru'r Rabbit, what makes your ears so
long?'
' 'Cause, by God, they're put on wrong.'
212 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 'Bru'r l\abl)it, IJru'r Rabbit, what makes you look so
shy?'
"Cause, my Lord, I don't want to die.'
4 'Bru'r Rabbit, Bru'r Rabbit, what makes you look so thin?'
"Cause, by God, I'm burning the wind.'
5 "Bru'r Rabbit, Bru'r Rabbit, what makes your tail so
white ?'
"Cause, by God, I'm going out of sight.'
And the contributor notes : "Couplets unlimited."
B
'Ole Molly Hare.' From Miss Jewell Robhins, Pekin, Montgomery
county, in 1921. With the tune. The first couplet of A, with the fol-
lowing refrain — which seems to be a memory of 'Shule Aroon,' for
which see Volume II.
Shrum shrew shack a lack, shack a lack a shay.
Shrum shrew, shrum shrew, shack a lack a shay.
c
'Ole Molly Hare.' From Miss Louise Lucas of White Oak, Bladen
county, in 1922. With the tune. It looks as though it were intended
to be question and answer, in which case the "you" of the second and
last lines should be "I."
Ole AloUy Hare, where you going there ?
Going to the cotton patch as hard as you can tear.
Been to my house eating my grub.
Going to the cotton patch as hard as you can tear.
D
No title. Reported by Dorothy McDowell Vann of Raleigh. Not dated.
'Ole Molly Hare, what you doing there?"
'Trotting through the cotton patch as hard as I can tear.
Little piece of meat, big piece of bread.
I'm getting hungry and want to go to bed.'
E
'Old Molly Hare." Reported by J. C. McAdams (no date or place
given). Merely the first couplet of A with "going" for "running" in
the second line.
'Ole Molly Har'.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as set down from the sing-
ing (or recitation) of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Ciiapel Hill in lyio. Only
two lines remembered :
'Ole Molly Har', watcher doin' dar?'
'Settin' in de corner, smokin' a cigar.'
T I N r. T. F. S A H () r T A X 1 M A L S 213
•Old Molly Hare.' Kepdrtcd by Miss Clara Ik-arnc nf Pittslioro, Chat-
ham county, in 1923 or thereabouts.
1 -Old Molly Hare, what you doing there,
Running through the cotton patch as hard as you can
tear ?
2 "Old Mt)lly Hare, your tail's mighty white.'
'Yes. my lawdy. I'm takin' it out of sight.'
H
•Old Molly Hare.' From McKinnon, eastern North Carolina. No
date recorded. Merely the initial couplet of A.
I
'Mr Rabbit' From the Misses Holeman, of Durham, in 1921 or there-
abouts Richard T. Wyche had already contributed the same text (from
which it will be observed, "old Molly Hare" has entirely disappeared)
as obtained from a Negro near Greensboro. Gudford county. Dr \\ hite
notes on the Holeman manuscript that in 1911-13. and possibly later, a
baseball rooting song sung at Trinity College was based on this. It ran
Wake Forest, Wake Forest, your face mighty long this morning.
Oh, your face mighty long.
Yes, by God, it was put on wrong
This morning, this evening, so soon.
1 'Mr. Rabbit. Mr. Rabbit, your ears are mighty thin.'
'Yes. bless God. they're splittin' the win'.'
2 'Mr. Rabbit. Mr. Rabbit, your head's mighty long.'
'Yes. my Lord, 'twas put on wrong."
3 'Mr. Rabbit. Mr. Rabbit, your feet's mighty round."
'Yes, my Lord, they're hittin' the ground."
4 'Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Rabbit, your tail's mighty white.'
'Yes. bless God. Lm kyarin' it out o' sight.'
168
The Rabbit Skipped, the Rabbit Hopped
Rhymes and jingles about the ral)l)it are ahuost as many, especially
in the South, as those about the possum and the coon. This par-
ticular bit has already been reported from North Carolina (bSSH
437) and something like it from Texas (TNFS 108) ; Shearin ( 3« >
mentions what may be the same thing as known in Kentucky.
'The Rabbit Skipped. Nursery Rhyme.' Reported l)y Mrs. Doris Over-
ton r^)rim of Durham in 1922.
The rabbit skipped, the rabbit hopped,
The rabbit bit olif the turnip top.
214 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
169
Rabbit Stole de Greens
From C. R. Bagley of Moyuck, Currituck county, Trinity college stu-
dent in 1914, with note that it was from eastern North Carolina and
belonged to a class of songs "known among the Negroes as breakdowns."
1 Rabbit stole de greens,
Rabbit stole de greens,
Rabbit stole de greens.
Break down, Molly, boo. boo,
Break down, Molly, boo, boo.
2 Big pot o' punkins,
Little pot o' peas ;
De ole bar smile
To see de pot bile.
Break down, Molly, boo, boo,
Break down, Molly, boo, boo.
170
It's All Night Long
From Miss Kate S. Russell, Roxboro, Person county, about 1923.
Of all tbe animals in tbis world
rd ratber be a squirrel.
I'd climb upon a telepbone pole
And peep all over tbis world.
It's all nigbt long.
It's all night long.
171
Mr. Squirrel
Althoug:h the squirrel figures often (but not as often as the
rabbit, the coon, and the possum ) in Southern folk song, this par-
ticular bit has not been found elsewhere.
'.\Ir. Squirrel." Obtained from Miss Valeria Johnson Howard, Rose-
boro, Sampson county.
One day Mr. Scjuirrel went up a tree to bed.
A great big bickory nut fell upon bis bead.
'Altbougb 1 am fond of nuts.' Mr. Squirrel tben did say,
'I'd very mucb ratber tbat tbey wouldn't come tbis way.'
J I N c; L K S A I! () V T A N 1 M A L S 215
172
The Weasel and the Rat
Very likely (if music-hall origin, hut I have not found it in print.
'Weasel and the Rat.' Obtained from Mr.s. W. L. Pridgen of Durham
in 1023.
Weasel and the rat.
Mosqtiito and the cat.
Chicken and the bunihle-hee ;
The old baboon,
The fuzzy little coon ;
They all went wild but me.
173
Mole in the Ground
The Loniaxes print this (ABFS 152-3) from a Brunswick record
made by B. L. Lunsford. A variant of the last stanza appears m
a river roustabout's song in Mary Wheeler's Stcamboatin' Days,
pp. 86-7. The song is a medley possibly from the minstrel stage,
possibly originating among the roustabouts themselves.
'Mole in the Ground.' Sung in 1921 by Fred Moody, Jonathan's Creek,
Haywood county. With the tune.
1 I wish I was a mole in the ground ;
I wish I was a mole in the ground ;
If I's a mole in the ground I'd root that mountain down;
I wish I was a mole in the ground.
2 I don't like a railroad man ;
I don't like a railroad man ;
A railroad man will kill you when he can
And drink up your blood like wine.
3 Oh. Tempy wants a nine-dollar shawl ;
Oh, Tempy wants a nine-dollar shawl ;
When I come o'er the hill with a forty-dollar bill
Oh, it's 'Baby, where you been so long?'
4 And it's 'Where have you been so long?'
And it's 'Where have you been so long?'
'I've been in the bend with rough and rowdy men.'
'Tis 'Where have you been so long?'
5 I wisli 1 was a lizard in the sjjring;
I wish I was a lizard in the spring ;
If I's a lizard in the spring I'd hear my darlin' sing;
I wish I was a lizard in the spring.
2 16 NORTH CAROLINA F O L K L O R K
6 Oh. Tenipy, let your hair roll down;
Oh, Tenipy, let your hair roll down ;
Let your hair roll down and your bangs curl around ;
Oh, Tempy, let your hair roll down.
1/4
The Old Grey Horse Came Tearing Through
THE Wilderness
Sandburg (ASb 102) calls this a Negro spiritual. The contributor
of A calls it a lullaby song. For its occurrence elsewhere see Bot-
kin's The American Play-Party Song 268 and add to the references
there given Virginia (FSV 260-1, listed as a Civil War song), the
Ozarks (OPS 11 349-50), and Iowa (JAFL lvi 102). It is quite
distinct from the immediately following item of 'The Old Grey
Mare.'
A
'Roll, Riley, Roll.' Contributed by Miss Mamie E. Cheek of Durbani
in 1923.
The old grey horse came trotting down the wilderness.
Trotting down the wilderness, trotting down the wilder-
ness.
The old grey horse came trotting down the wilderness.
Down in Alabam.
Chorus:
Roll, Riley, roll,
Roll. Riley, roll.
Roll. Riley, roll.
Oh, Lord, I'm bound to go.^
B
No title. Reported by Sarab K. Watkins from Anson and Stanly
covinties.
Old grey horse come trottin' out'n the wil'erness. trottin'
out'n the wil'erness,
Old grey horse come trottin' out'n the wil'erness. down in
Alabam.
c
'Oh, tbe Old Grey Mare She Ain't What She Used to Be.' Communi-
cated in December 1919, by K. W. Litaker of Durham as beard in tlie
cotton fields of Cabarrus county "within tbe last two years." With t'le
tune as sung by Eula Mangum. This stanza is found along witli tbe
"wilderness" stanza in Botkin's te.xts and elsewhere.
' The word "Riley" is not capitalized in the manuscript, but one sup-
poses that it is a man's name.
J I N C. I. K S A R () r T A N I M A L S 217
Oh, the old i^rcy mare she ain't what she used to be.
She ain't what she used to be. she ain't what she used to
be.
( )h. the old grey marc she ain't what she used to be
Ten or twenty years ago.
175
The Old Grey Mare
Rhythm as well as content distinf::uish this from the preceding
sons^.
'Tlic Old (irey Mare.' Contrilnitcd by Mildred Peterson from Bladen
county. The first line of each stanza is sung three times.
1 Once I had an old grey mare.
Once I had an old grey mare.
Once I had an old grey mare,
Saddled her and rode her there.
2 When I got there she got tired.
She laid down in an old courtyard.
3 Then they begin to sing and pray ;
She jumped up and ran away.
4 Then I went down the road on her track ;
Found her in a mud hole flat on her back.
176
I Had a Little Horse Whose Name Was Jack
This jingle, descended probably from the old English nursery
rhyme (Halliwell 139) beginning
I had a little pony.
His name was Dapple-gray,
has been several times reported as folk song — the animal is more
often a mule than a horse and sometimes is a dog, and once the
name is Dap, not Jack. See TNFS 184. 185. JAFL xxvi 125,
x.xxii 376, XXXIV 2,7- XLi 574. 'dl from the Southern states.
No title. F'rom Flossie Marshbanks, Mars Hill. Madison county. No
date given.
I had a little horse whose name was Jack,
Put him in the stable and he jumped through the crack.
2l8 north carolina folklore
My Old Sow's Nose
See the headnote to Randolph's Missouri text, OFS iii 149-50;
known also in Virginia (FSV 147) and Kentucky (BKH 185).
One suspects that it is an old English country song, hut I have
failed to find it so recorded.
'What Shall I Do with My Old Sow's Nose?' From the manuscript
songbook of Mrs. Harold Glasscock of Raleigh, lent to Dr. White in
1943. Most of the songs in the book Mrs. Glasscock learned from her
parents.
1 'What shall I do with my old sow's nose?'
' 'Twill make as good plow. sir. as ever plowed rows.
Plow, sir, shovel, sir, any stich thing.'
Sow took the measles and she died in the spring.
2 "What shall I do with my old sow's head?'
' 'Twill make as good cheese
3 'What shall 1 do with my old sow's sides?'
' 'Twill make as good bacon, sir, as ever was fried.
Bacon, sir, lard, sir, any such a thing.'
Sow took the measles and she died in the spring.
4 'W^hat will I do with my old sow's hide?'
"Twill make as good saddle, sir, as ever yot: did ride.
Saddle, sir, blanket, sir, and any such a thing.'
Sow took the measles and she died in the spring.
5 'What shall I do with my old sow's feet?'
"Twill make as good souse, sir, as ever you did eat.
Souse, sir, soap, sir, any such a thing.'
Sow took the measles and she died in the spring.
6 'What shall 1 do with my old sow's tail?'
"Twill make as good whip, sir, as ever you did flail.
Whip, sir, stick, sir, any such a thing.'
Sow took the measles and she died in the spring.
178
The Old Sow
This nonsensical and fragmentary hit T have not found elsewhere.
'The Old Sow.' Contrilnited, apparently in 1922, by H. C. Martin of
Blowing Rock, Watauga county. With the tune. The first eight
syllables of the second line, and perhaps the last six of line 4. represent
a "whistled" refrain. "Several lines missing," says tlio manuscript.
J I N C. I. !•: S A 1! () U T A \ I M A I, S 2I9
And till' old sow went to the barn to pig,
Hi hee hi hee hi hee hi hee barn to pig.
And the old sow went to the barn to pig,
But never cry di cr\- do cry da
For old Susainia is a pretty woman. . . .
179
TllK KlTTKX Is UNDKK THK Sol)
'i'his hit of Jini;lc has not been found elsewhere. Is it a nursery
rhviue? Or iust a college nonsense chant, like 'Turn the I)anii)er
Up'?
"The Kitten is under tlie Sod.' Reported by K. P. Lewis of Durham a.s
sung by Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill. The direction is "repeat
in varied manner until singers are weary."
The kitten is under the sod, the sod.
The kitten is under the sod.
180
The Animal Fair
Spaeth (Krad 'lim and Weep ~g) gives this as a popular song
of "reconstruction days" but says nothing of its authorship. It is
reported as folk song from Virginia (FSV 204). Tennessee
(BTFLS V 45-6), Georgia (SSSA 241), and Missouri (OFS iii
207) ; also by Sandburg (ASb 348-9), by Miss Pound in her sylla-
bus, and by Talley for the Negroes {Negro Folk Rhymes 159-60).
Doubtless it is much more widely known than this list would indi-
cate. It appears only once in our collection.
'The Animal Fair.' Reported by Miss Foy in 1920; but the
manuscript does not mention the region.
1 I went to the animal fair ;
The birds and the beasts were there.
The big raccoon by the light of the moon
Was combing his auburn hair.
2 The monkey he got drunk
And fell on the elephant's trunk.
The ele])hant sneezed and fell on liis knees
And thai was the end of the monk, the monk, the monk.
181
The Monkey Marrhcu the Baboon's Sister
Spaeth, Read 'Em and Weep 18-19, -"^'^ys this comic song was sung
by Charles Taussig in "reconstruction days." Auner of Phila-
delphia printed it as a penny song. It is known probably all over
220 N' 0 R T H CAROLINA F O L K 1. U R F.
the country: reported as traditional song from Maine ( FSONE
241-3), from Virginia (FSV 204), from the Southern mountains
(AMS 86-7), from Texas (TNFS i8o. Negroes), from Michigan
(BSSM 471), and without location by Sandburg ( ASb 143).
A
'Monkey Married the Baboon's Sister.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as
set down from the singing of Dr. Kemp P. P.attle of Chapel Hill in
1910.
1 The monkey married the baboon's sister.
Smacked his mouth and then he kissed her,
Kissed her so hard he raised a blister,
.And she set up a yell.
2 What do vou think the bride was dressed in?
A blue gauze veil and a green glass breastpin,
White kid gloves ; she was interestin' ;
Oh, she cut a swell.
B
'The Monkey Married the Baboon's Sister.' From Miss Amy Hender-
.son of Worry, Burke county, in 1914. The same as .\ e.xcept in the
second stanza, which runs :
What do you suppose the bride was dressed in ?
White gauze veil and a green glass breastpin.
Red kid gloves ; looked quite interesting ;
She was quite a belle.
c
'Monkey Married a Baboon's Sister.' Obtained by Julian P. Boyd in
1927 from Minnie Lee, pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
The first four lines oidv, the fourth of wliicli varies from those of A
and B:
Ha ! ha ! ha ! And goodbye, John !
182
The Catfish
The A text, the only one that has more than one stanza, is to
be found in Mountain Songs of North Carol ina (New York: G.
Schirmer, n.d. ) by .Susannah Wetmore and Marshall Bartholomew,
pp. 25-7. The cattish stanza is known in Kentucky (JAFL xli.x
235, as a stanza of 'Turkey in the Straw'), South Carolina (JAFL
XLiv 436), and Texas (TNF.S 199), and has become a "jackfish"
in Virginia (SharpK 11 316, where it is called a jig and has a
chorus ) ; the snake and the hornet's nest found their wav to the
minstrel stage more than a hundred years ago (Damon's Scries of
Old American Songs No. 28 ) and have been reported more recently
from South Carolina (JAFL xi.iv 425 i and .Alabama (ANFS 203,
J I N G h K S A H O r T A N 1 M A L S 221
J46, TNFS 197), and Talley {Xcgro l-'olk Rhymes 103) reports the
Iiornet's nest; the terrapin and tlie toad are hnked together in un-
numbered Negro songs.
A
'Banjo Sam." Obtained from Obadiab Johnson of Crossnorc, Avery
county, probably in 1940.
1 Cattish, cattish, goin' up stream,
Cattish, cattish, wliere you been?
1 grabbed that cattish by the snout,
I pulled that cattish wrong side out.
Yo-ho ! Banjo Sam.
2 As I was goin' thro' the field
A blacksnake bit me on the heel.
I grabbed me a stick and I done my best,
And I ran my head in a hornet's nest.
Yo-ho ! Banjo Sam.
3 And^ I was goin' down the road,
I met a terrapin and a toad.
The terrapin he began to sing.
The toad he cut the pigeon wing.
Yo-ho ! Banjo Sam.
B-D
All of these consists only of tbe catfish stanza. B. contributed by Wil-
liam B. Covington as part of his "reminiscences of my early youtb in
the country on the border of tbe sand hills of Scotland county," runs
I saw that cattish going up stream,
I asked that cattish what did he mean ;
I caught that catfish by the snout,
I jerked that catfish wrong side out.
C, reported by McKinnon from eastern North Carolina, differs
from the first stanza of A but slightly :
Catfish, cattish, swimming up stream.
Ask that cattish what he means ;
Ketch that catfish by his snout.
Turn that cattish round side out.
D. from W. B. Leake of Rich S(iuarc. Northampton county, and called
"Negro fragment," differs altogether in its outcome :
Catfish swimming down the river,
Nigger threw out his line.
Catfish said to the nigger,
'Aha, you didn't ketch me that time.'
^ Miswritten, one supposes, for "As."
222 north carolina folklore
Lulu
A medlev. as are so many of the traditional songs of the Southern
mountains. Since our text was published in 1909 Henry has re-
ported a briefer version from Avery county (JAFL xlv 167-8,
FSSH 436-7). Perrow (JAFL xxvi 127) prints a song from Ken-
tucky containing our first stanza with "Dad's old lip" for "my old
ad" and suggests that our "ad" should be "dad" — the granddaddy of
all fish.
"Lulu.' Rejxjrted in JAFL xxii (1909) 248 by Louise Rand Bascom
from the mountain country of North Carolina, without more definite
location. Miss Bascom notes that the last two lines are "like the popular
song which used to be sung everywhere,
Johnnie get your hair cut,
Johnnie get your hair cut,
Johnnie get your hair cut
Just like mine."
1 I went a-fishin' an' fished for shad ;
First I catight was my old ad.
Jerked him tip an' he fell back,
Next one bit was a great big cat.
2 r 11 give yoti a nickel
An' I'll give you a dime
To see little Lulu
Cut her shine.
3 My old missus promised me
That when she died she'd set me free.
An' now she's dead an' gone to hell ;
Hope the devil will chtmk her well.
4 Shout, little Lulu,
Shout your best,'
Fur your ole grandniaw's
Gone to rest.
5 The hull frog's up
In the bottom of the well ;
He swore by God
He'd gone to hell.
6 He jumped in the fire
An' scorched his hand ;
If he ain't in a hot place
I'll be damned,
J I X C. I, F. S A H O r T ANIMALS 223
7 Love you fur a nickel,
Love you fur a dime ;
Lulu, get your hair cut
just like mine.
184
Jonah I'^ishing for a Whale
This appears to be a secularizing of a Bible theme. It has not
been found elsewhere. For Negro songs about Jonah, see pp. 405-8.
"Jonah Fishing for a Whale.' Reported by Judge R. W. Winston of
Chapel Hill.
1 Cheer up, cheer up, my lively lads,
Uon't let your spirits fail ;
h^or Jonah's down in Sampson pond
A-hshin' for a whale.
2 And when he ain't a-whaling
He's at some other fun —
Down in the swamp a-cutting reeds
To string his whales upon.
185
Sn.\ke Baked .\ Hoecake
White ANFS 158-9 and 246-7 presents evidence that this song
has been known in America since about 1810-12 and quotes from
a letter remarking upon its occurrence in Washington Irving's note-
book for 1817. Sharp found it as a nursery song in Virginia in
1918 ( SharpK 11 346), and Davis so reports it ( FSV 206). Not
improbably 'I Went Down to the Low Ground,' No. 187 of the
present collection, is derived from it. It appears also as the tinal
stanza of one of the lullabies, 116 B.
A
'Snake Baked A Hoecake.' Reported by K. P. Lewis, Durham, as set
down from the singing or recitation of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel
Hill in September lyio.
Snake haked a hoecake, set the frog to mind it.
Frog he went a-nodding, lizard came and stole it.
'Bring hack my hoecake, you long-tailed ninny !'
B
'The Snake Baked a Hoecake.' From .Miss Mamie Mansfield, I-^owler
School District, Durliam, in 1922.
The snake haked a hoecake,
Left the lizard to mind it.
224 NORTH CAROLINA F 0 L K L 0 R F.
The lizard came and stole it.
"You bring back my hoecake,
You long-tailed Nannie!'
'Snake Baked a Hoecake.' From Aliss Amy Henderson, Worry. Burke
county, about 191 5-
Snake baked a hoecake and set a frog to mind it.
Frog went to sleep and lizard come and find it.
186
Row THE Boat Ashore
Originally a capstan chanty and so reported from Lancashire
(JFSS II 248, where the refrain is "Roll the boat ashore") and
from Newcastle (JFSS v 43, where the refrain is "And you rowed
about the shore"). Divers American texts lack the refrain wliich
gives the title to our North Carolina text but yet are held together
by the mention of "the hog-eye" or "the hog-eyed man."^ So
texts from Kentucky (SharpK 11 360), Alabama (ANFS 246,
Negroes), and Wisconsin (JAFL lii 49-50). Sandburg reports
it from South Carolina Negroes (ASb 380) and from an old sailor
apparently at San Francisco (ASb 410-11), both times with a re-
frain which evidently represents our "Row the Boat Ashore." Our
North Carolina text has lost all consciousness of the sea.
■Rodybodysho." Reported by Evelyn Moody from Stanly county.
1 .As I went through my harvest field
A black snake caught me by the heel.
I wheeled around to run my best
And I ran my head in a hornets' nest.
Chorus:
Rodybodysho and a hog eye.
Rodybodysho and a hog eye.
All I eat is hog eye meat.
2 As I went down the Cheraw hill
There I met my brother Hill
Sitting on a potato hill
Cracking the hones of a whippoorwill.
'Written 'hawk's-eye man' in JFSS n 248, where it is noted that a
te.xt in Tozer's Sailor So>ujs writes it "ox-eyed man." The meaning of
the phrase is not clear. Sharp. JFSS v 43, quotes Whall's Ships. Sea
Sotujs, and Shanties: "the barges in which gold-diggers were conveyed
to California in 1849 were known as 'hog-eyes.' " Odum, JAFL xxiv
270, says that among the Negroes "on a hog" means "broke." But in
the songs listed above it seems to have an erotic implication.
J 1 N (I I. K S A H () r T A N 1 M A I. S 225
3 I went down to ni\- pea patch
To see if luy ole hen had hatched.
The eggs was pipped, the chickens all gone,
Down in the low-grounds scratching up corn.
187
1 Wknt Down to tuk Low Ground
The first line of this occurs in a stanza (|U()tetl by Cox (SFLQ vi
249) from a version of 'Shoot the BulYalo' given in MWS. Other-
wise 1 have not found it recorded by collectors. But see 'Snake
Baked a Hoecake,' above.
No title. Contril)utecl, in 1923 or therealxuits, liy R. S. Russell of Rox-
boro, Person county.
1 went down to the low ground
To see about my farm ;
I ran upon a black snake
With an ash cake under his arm.
How come that snake don't die?
How come that snake don't die?
188
As I Went Up the Silver L.\ke
This 1 have not found reported elsewliere.
'.As I Went up the Silver Lake. Nursery Rbyme.' Reported, i)rol)ably
in 1922, I)y Airs. Doris Overton Brim of Durbam.
As I went up the silver lake
There I met a rattlesnake.
He did eat so much cake
That he had the tunniiy ache.
189
Way Down Yonder in Pasquotank;
For divers rhymes about die bullfrog, see White's note, ANFS
244. Our particular rhyme he says be has known from boyhood.
Forms of it showing the rhyme with "bank" (though not the proper
noun Pascjuotank ) have been reported from Virginia (FSV 151 ),
Tennessee (JAFL .xxvi 135), Soudi Carolina (JAFL xliv 425.
Negroes), Alabama (ANFS 244), and Mississippi (JAFL xxvi
135)-
'Pasquotank.' Contributed, probably in 191 3, by the Reverend L. D.
Haynian of Elizabeth City, Pasquotank county. Witli the tune.
X.C.E.. V(.]. Ill, (17)
226 N t) R T H C A R O L I N A FOLKLORE
Way down ycmder in Pasquotank.
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank,
They jump so high they break their shank.
The old grey goose went "yankety yank.'
190
Ninety-Nine Blue Bottles
This sounds like a college song, though it may of course be a
music-hall product. It is listed in Miss Pound's Midwestern sylla-
bus, with "forty-nine" instead of "ninety-nine." Randolph (OPS
III 210) reports" it from Missouri. Presumably the blue bottles are
bluebottle flies, though the term is not hyphenated in the manuscript.
'Ninety-Nine Blue Bottles.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as obtained in
1910 from Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
T Ninety-nine blue bottles were hanging on the wall ;
Take one blue bottle away from them all
And ninety-eight blue bottles will be hanging on the wall.
2 Ninety-eight blue bottles were hanging on the wall ;
Take one blue bottle away from them all
And ninety-seven blue bottles will he hanging on the wall.
"Etc., etc., until tj-.c last blue bottle is removed or until the singer faints
from exhaustion."
191
A Picnic
This the editor heard recited by an old carpenter and boatman in
Michigan some thirty years ago, l)ut he has not succeeded in finding
it in print. Presumably it is a product of the vaudeville stage.
'A Picnic' Contributed in 1923 by Clara Hearne of Pittsboro, Chatham
county.
What's any better than a picnic ?
The victuals all on the ground.
Flies in the buttermilk, bugs in the butter,
/\nd the skeeters hunmiing around.
Chorus:
Gain' down, children,
Goin' down, 1 .say ;
Goin' down, children.
To have a holiday.
J 1 N t; L E S A H 0 U T ANIMALS 227
192
Two Ijttlk r^LEAS
This l)it of folk Iiunior. a ])art of the miscellaneous folk song
dealing with birds, beasts, tishes. and insects in which this ])art of
the country abounds, I have not found elsewhere.
'Two Fleas.' Communicated by Mrs. W. L. Pridgen of Durham, prol)-
ably in 1923.
Two little fleas sat on u rock.
One to the other said :
'I've had no place to hang my hat
Since niy poor dog's been dead.
I've searched this whole world over ;
No longer shall I roam.
The first dog that shall show himself
Shall be my Home, Sweet Home.'
193
Went to the River .\xd I Couldn't Get Across
This jingle is ubicjuitous in the .South — see White's note, ANFS
194-5: Randolph (OFS 11 330-1 ) reports it also from Missouri —
but the traveler usually has recourse to an old grey, or blind, horse
(in New Orleans [TNFS 185] to an alligator, in Kentucky [JAFL
XXVI 197] to a possum). The Negro as a means of transportation
appears, however, in versions from South Carolina (TNFS 184)
and (apparently) from Texas (TNFS 184). See also No. 462,
below.
"Went to tlie River and I Couldn't Get Across.' From Dr. E. V. Howell
of Chapel Hill. Not dated. One couplet only.
Went to the river and I couldn't get across.
Jumped on a nigger's hack and thought he was a horse.
VII
\V () R K SONGS
RH\'THA11CAL chants of labor — spinning songs, sailors' chant-
ies, the songs of workers in construction gangs of various sorts
— are an important part of folk song, even in America, as appears in
tlie collections of Negro songs of this character made by Odum
(jAF"L XXIV 378-93) and by Odum and Johnson (Negro ITorkaday
Soiu/s, 1926). With one exception there is little of this sort of song
in our collection. That exception is the cornhusking songs. There
are a dozen of them, some with numerous variants. They are,
however, not work songs in the sense of marking and regulating
the muscular rhythm of the work involved but are simply enter-
tainment to lighten it — tliough sometimes a "leader" walks up and
down before the pile of unliusked corn singing the stanzas and
directing the buskers to come in on the chorus. One of the songs
with the greatest variety of versions. 'Old Bob Ridley.' has even
got over to England; Williams (FSUT 224-5) says that, though
of American origin, it is very popular throughout the Thames val-
ley. Several of these husking songs — 'The Old Turkey Hen,' 'Run,
Sally. My Gal,' 'Up Roanoke and Down the River.' 'Hidi Quili
Lodi Quili' — make no mention of corn or of husking. One. 'Here,
Jola, Here,' is evidently a hunting song. Two or three bits are
reported as hog-calling chants.
There are several songs that are not strictly speaking work songs
but that have to do with farm life and work, especially the raising
of cotton. 'Down on the Farm' is sentimental, the parody of it is
sarcastic; 'Picking out Cotton.' 'The Cotton Picker,' and 'The
Humble Farmer' are bitter; but 'The Boll W'eevil.' though its sub-
ject is the worst enemy of the cotton farmer, bubbles with irresistible
Negro humor. The weevil is "lookin' for a home" and despite all
the farmer's efforts he always finds one. 'The Young Man Who
Wouldn't Hoe His Corn' is not peculiar to North Carolina but is
known all over the country.
Hunting is rather a sport than a labor, even on the frontier, but
it is traditionally accompanied by or celebrated in song. In 'The
Duke of Buckingham' North Carolina has preserved an English
hunting song of the seventeenth century. 'The W'ild Ashe Deer'
professedly records the chase of a fleer from Ashe into Watauga
W O K K SO N (i S 22g
count\, hut I liavr not Icanit'd wlicu. "Old Blue' records toucliiuKly
a hunter's love of his doi; :
When 1 get to heaven T know what I'll do;
I'll gral) my iiorn and I'll hlow for Blue.
lUit among hunting songs none can vie in the southern Ai)i)alaehians
with "Tlie (Iround Hog.'
Whet up your knife anti whi>tle uj) your dog,
We're going to the hill^ to hunt a ground iiog.
The whole family takes ]iart in the expedition and in the sul)se(|uent
feasting :
Up stepped Susie with a snigger and a grin,
(irouiul hog grease all over her chin.
The rude hut happy life of the frontier is adniirahly pictured.
There are a few songs of river hoatnien, and one, 'Haul. Haul,
Haul. Boys,' that is called by the contributor a tishing song, which
may mean that it was sung by fishermen as they hauled their nets.
Of clianteys of deep-sea sailors there are surprisingly few\ con-
sidering how important sea life has been to the people on the
islands and the banks. 'Old Horse' voices the seaman's resentment
at his diet of salt horse; in 'For Six Days Do All That Thou Art
Able' he grouses about having to work on Sundays ; the 'Alphabet
of the Ship' is the sailor's counterpart to the woodsman's alphabet
often reported from the lumbering regions; but none of these is
properly speaking a chantey. 'Whip Jamboree,' on the other hand,
and possibly 'Sal's in the Garden Sifting Sand' are chanteys, and
'[ Have a F"ather in My Native Land' is reported as such, though
it hardly sounds like one.
Finally we have 'Working on the Railroad.' 'Reuben's Train.'
'The Little Red Caboose behind the Train,' and a few fragments
that have to do with railroads or railroad workers. There are in
the collection several songs about holioes. whose life is more or
less tied up with railroads. Some of these will be found among
the American ballads. Surely it would never do to ])nt hobo songs
among work songs !
194
Old ]*)()b RiDi.EV
Presumably a song from the minstrel stage that has jjassed into
the repertory of folk singers, though perhaps it represents the
reverse of that process. Professor Hudson tells me that 'Young
Bob Ridlev' was printed in Hob Hart's Plantation Songster ( New
York: Fitzgerald, about 1863) and in The Slii'linc/ Song Book
Xo. 3 (New York: Oliver Ditson. about 1864). Williams ( FSUT
230 XORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
224-5) says that though of American origin it is "very popular
throughout the Thames valley." It is popular also in North Caro-
lina, as our numerous texts show. Only one of them, C, is de-
scribed by the contributor as a cornhusking song, but it may safely
be assumed that all are so used. They combine some form of the
name Ridley with the story of the catching and cooking of a super-
latively fine possum. Davis (FSV 320) reports it from Virginia.
Perrow (JAFL xxvi 131) reports from the singing of North Caro-
lina Negroes a cornshucking song about the possum and Miss Polly
Bell much like our texts C D E, but it knows nothing of Bol) Rid-
ley. These elements appear also in Uncle Remus's 'De Old Sheep
Sharp' (Uncle Renins and His Friends [1920 ed.] 207-9) but
again without Ridley. On the other hand, his name has crept into
a quite different song, a form of 'Lynchburg Town,' reported from
the singing of X'irginia Negroes (JAFL xxviii 139). There is
perhaps some thread of connection between this and the two next
following items, 'Jimmy My Riley' and 'Sheep Shell Corn by the
Rattle of His Horn.'
'Robert Ridley. Hoc' Communicated in 191 3 by Charles R. Bagley as
learned from his grandparents in Moyock, Currituck county.
1 Robert Ridley hoo, hot
Robert Ridley boo
Robert Ridley boo, what
Makes you treat dat nigger so?
2 Possum up de simmon tree
Looking cunning down at me.
Up wid a brick and all on the sly
Fetch him zip ! right in de eye.
3 I took him down to Polly Bell,
For I knew she'd cook him well.
Some to bake, some to chew.
Some to bile for the barbecue.
B
'Possum up a 'Simmon Tree.' From Miss Lois Johnson, Thomasville,
Davidson county. Not dated. Not described by the informant as a corn-
husking song, but evidently a fragment of the same song as .A. The
second stanza here, like the first stanza of A, is clearly a chorus.
1 i'ossum tip a 'simmon tree
Looking cunning down at me.
I'icked up a rock all on the sly
And hit him zip! right in the eye.
2 Old l>ob Hridelv, ho ho ho
Old Bob Bridely, ho ho ho
Old P.ob P.ridely, ho ho ho
\\ bat made you fool that posstnn so ?
W () R K SONGS 231
C
'Corn Shucking Son.t;.' From Miss Minnie lirvan Farrii>r, Duplin county.
With the tune.
1 ( )1(1 J^xil) Ixidlfv. coiiK' blow vimr horn,
Sheep in tlie pasture, cow in the barn.
Old Boh Ridley, come hlow your horn.
Sheep in the pasture, hogs in the corn.
Chorus:
Boys, conie along and shuck that corn.
Boys, come along to the rattle of the horn ;
We shuck and sing till the coming of the morn,
Then we'll have a holiday.
2 ( )ld I'.oh Ridley, o-oh ! o-oh !
How could you fool that possum so?
I picked up a rock all on the sly
And hit him zip right in the eye.
3 I took him down to Polly Bell.
Because I knowed she'd cook him well.
She made a frye. she made a stew,
A roast, a brile, and a barbecue.
D
'Old Bob Ridley.' From H. C. Martin of Blowing Rock, Watauga
county. Three stanzas and chorus. The first stanza corresponds with
negligible differences to the second of A, the second to the last stanza
of C ; tlie chorus runs :
Old Bob Ridley, oh, oh,
Old Bob Ridley, oh, oh.
What made you treat dat possum so ?
The third stanza is new :
3 Ole massa say he never see
A possum half as fat as he.
We eat and we danced and we eat all night.
And we never eat him up till de morning light.
'Possum Tree.' From the manuscripts of Obadiab Johnson of Cross-
nore. Avery county, copied out in 1940. With the tune. Sung by Clarice
Burleson and Joe Powles, August 8, 1940. There is here no mention
of Ridley or of cornhusking, yet it is clearly a form of the song we
have already seen in C and D.
I IVIy dog did bark and 1 went to see
A possum up a persimmon tree.
I picked up a rock all on a sly
And tuk that possum ker-zi[) in the eye.
232 NORTH CAROLINA F O L K L 0 R K
CJionis:
Although you know it is nothing to me,
I'll talk about things I don't like to see;
Although you know that I don't like to see
A possum a-climbing right down at me.
2 1 tuk it down to 1 Jolly ^ Bell
Because 1 knew she'd cook it well.
We had a roast, a boil, a stew,
A bake, a fry, and a barbecue.
'Ground Hog.' Under this title Alex. Tugman of Todd, Ashe county,
sent in. probably in 1922, the first stanza and the chorus of the C ver-
sion of 'Old Bob Ridley."
Jimmy My Riley
This cornhusking song I have not found elsewhere. The refrain
line, however, sounds as if it might be a memory of the refrain
line of 'Old Bob Ridley,' and stanzas 2 and 3 are strongly reminis-
cent of stanza 2 of 'Sheep .Shell Corn by the Ratde of His Horn,'
below.
'Jimmie-My-Riley.' From G. S. Black, Cabarrus county, in 1920.
1 jimmie-my-Riley was a grand old rascal
jimmie-my-Riley ho
jimmie-my-Riley was a grand old rascal
jimmie-my-Riley ho
Chorus:
Pick it up and shuck it u\) and throw it over yonder
Jimmie-my-Riley ho
Pick it up and shuck it up and throw it over yonder
Jimmie-mv-Riley ho
2 The cows in the old field hornin' jimmie Riley
Jimmie-my-Riley ho
The cows in the old field hornin' jinnnie Riley
Jimmie-my-Riley ho
3 The mules in tho old beld kickin' jimmie Riley
jimmie-my-Riley ho
The mules in the old field kickin' jimmie Kiley
jimmie-my-Riley ho
' So the manuscript; i)robably just a slip of the ikmi for "Polly."
WORK S O N C S 233
196
SiiKKi- SiiKij, Corn by thk Rattlk of 11 is Horn
This C()rnliuskin.u: sonij is probably connected frenetically with
'Jimmy My Riley,' thouf^h which is source and which is product 1
see nothing to indicate. The curious notion that a sheep shells
corn by the rattle of his horn appears also in South Carolina
(JAFL XLiv 426) and what seem like confused memories of it in
North Carolina (JAFL xxvi 131) and Arkansas (TNFS 215, in
the middle of a "spinning song"!).
A
'Corn-Shucking Song: Blow, Horn, Blow.' This song appears three
times in the Collection, with only the slightest variations — which arc
here recorded in the footnotes. AH the copies come, through different
hands, from Miss Elizabeth Janet I'.lack of Ivanhoe, Sampson county, in
1920. The first line of stanza 2 seems to be an echo of the correspond-
ing line in 'Jimmy My Riley.' The stanzas are sung by a 'leader' and
the whole company of buskers come in on the chorus. The commas in
tbf "blow born blow" line are editorial and may be wrong.
1 Sheep shell corn hy the rattle of his horn.
Blow, horn, blow-
Send to the mill hy the whippoorwiil.
Blow, horn, blow^
Chorus:
O! blow vour horn, blow horn, blow!
(J! blow vom- horn, blow horn, blow!
2 Cows- in the old field, don't yon hear the bell?
Blow, horn, blow-
Gals up stairs kicking tip hell ;
Blow% horn, blow.
3 Shuck this corn, boys, let's go home,
Blow, horn, blow-
Shuck this corn, boys, let's go home.
Blow, horn, blow-.
Refrain:'^
Hunt for the nubbins, bang a rang!
Hunt for the nubbins, bang a rang!
B
'Sheep Shell Corn.' Contributed liy Kvt-lyii Moody of Stanly county.
Only two lines remembered :
' This fourth line missing in one of the copies, dout)tless by oversight.
- One of the copies has here "Come."
■'' Called in one of the copies "Grand Chorus, to he sung at the end."
234 NORTH C A R 0 L I N A F 0 L K L () K K
Sheep shell corn hy the rattle of tlie horn,
I never saw the like since I been born.
c
'Sheep Slicll Corn." An anunymuus sheet in the Collection, with tune.
A reduced form of A.
197
Bugle, Oh !
A cornhusking chant that makes no mention of cornhusking. I
have not found it elsewhere.
'Corn Shucking Song.' Communicated in 1920 by S. M. Holton, Jr., as
learned in Yadkin county. Each stanza is made up like the first ; that
is, the leader sings the first line, repeats it as the third line, introduces
added matter in the fifth line, repeats this as the seventh line; and the
even-numbered lines are entirely refrain, "Bugle oh" up to the last line,
where it becomes "Bugle, oh ! Oh, Bugle, oh !" Only the first stanza
is here given in full.
1 Goin' down the country,
Bugle, oh !
Goin' down the country,
Bugle, oh !
Red breast horses,
Bugle, oh !
Red breast horses,
Bugle, oh ! r)h, bugle, oh !
2 Comin' in a canter,
Met my darlin'.
3 Took her in the buggy.
Courtin' in the kitchen.
4 Then got married ;
Dancin' at the weddin'.
5 We had a little baby,
Named him Jimmy.
198
Come to Shuck Dat Corn Tonight
A cornhusking song that I have not found elsewhere.
'Corn Shucking Song.' Reported by Mrs. C. C. Thomas as learned
from her mother; but there is no indication of when or where.
Come to shuck dat corn tonight.
Come to shuck with all your might ;
WORK S () N (I S 235
Come fur to shuck all in sij^lit,
Couie to shuck (1;U corn tonight.
Couie to shuck dat i^oldcn ^rain ;
W'har dar's 'nuff dar ai' no pain.
Ef you shuck 'tis all yo gain ;
Come to shuck dat golden grain.
199
Df. SiiucKixn OR nr. Corn
This appears in the Collection without name of informant, hut
there is no douht of its authenticity. Dr. Brown had included it
in some sheets that he prepared for puhlication ahout 1916-17. Not
improbahly it is from his own early recollection. For the occur-
rence elsewhere of the opening line, in Alabama and Mississippi,
see ANFS 381. Only the chorus connects it with cornhusking. The
rest of it may go back to some Negro minstrel piece. I have not
found it recorded. The chorus is repeated after each stanza. 'Tlie
Sweet Bye and Bye' is, of course, a familiar popular song.
1 White folks send their chillun to .school
To learn to read and write.
But niggers send their chilluns to school
To larn to fuss and fight.
You'll never learn a nigger nuffin.
So ain't no use to try.
For the Dehil's guin to get 'em all
In the sweet bye and bye.
Chorus:
Ain't you gooin'. ain't you gooin.
Ain't you gooin to de shuckin ob de corn ?
Yes, Ise gooin, oh yes Ise gooin,
Ise gooin to de shuckin ob de corn.
2 As I was walking down the street
Tother Wednesday night.
I saw two little nigger boys
Get into a fight.
Policeman said, 'I'll get you.
But it's no use to try ;
For de Debil get you for me
In the sweet bye and bye.'
3 'Dere's gold in de mountain
And silver in de mine ;
All this I'll give you
If you only will be mine.'
236 N 0 k 1' H C A R 0 L I N A F O L K L 0 R IC
"Go away. Old Satan,
You can fool who you will.
You can fool all the poor white trash.
But you can't fool Uncle Bill.'
4 'Tvvas only tother Sunday night.
As I lay half awake.
Old Satan came to my bedside
And he began to shake.
He shook me hard, he shouk me long,
He shook me out of bed,
He caught me by my necktie,
And this is what he said :
The chorus of tliis song, in a somewhat different form, was contributed
( without indication of time or place ) by C. L. Walker. Since, in the
absence of the tune, 1 am not sure of its metrical construction, it is
here given as in the manuscript :
You gwine, aint you gwine. aint you gwine to the shuckin
of the corn.
O yes I gwine to stay to morning when (jable blows his
horn,
Am gwine to stay till the coming of the dawn.
200
Shuck Corn, Shell Corn
This cornhuskin^^ song has already been reported by Perrow
(JAFL xxviii 139) from the singing of North Carolina Negroes:
I have not found it elsewhere.
'Shuck Corn.' Communicated, probably in 1922 or thereabouts, by Mrs.
Nilla Lancaster from Wayne county, and also, with almost identical
text, by Miss Clara Hearne of Pittsboro, Chatham county, in 1923. The
last four lines appear to be a chorus.
Shuck corn, shell corn.
Carry corn to mill.
Cirind de meal, gimme de luisk.
l)ake' de bread, gimme de crust.
b"ry de meat, gimme de skin —
And dat's de way to bring 'em in.
\\'(jn't y(ni git up, old hor.se?
I'm on de road to Brighton.
Won't you git up, old horse?
I'm on de road to I Brighton.
'So Mrs. Lancaster's text; .Miss Hearne's lias here "break."
W () K K SONGS 237
201
Round It Lr a IIkat It Up
ihis Ini^kin^ sont; is a composite. Tlie opening stanza is a mem-
ory of the cliorus of "Jimmy My Riley.' Mrs. Steely found it in
the Ebenezer community in Wake county. The central stanza is
a part of the sontj "My Honey, My Love' in Harris's Uticlc Ronns
and His hricinis. ihe Juha lines, which the informant does not
j)rescnt as really a part of the song, are a dance song. See ANFS
163 and the references there given.
'Corn Shucking Song.' Contributed by Miss Amy Henderson of Worry,
Burke county. ])robably in IQ14.
Round it up a heap it tip a
Round it up a corn
A-jooi^-a-loa
De big owl hoot and cry for his mate
My honey, my love!
Oh. don't stay long, oh. don't stay late
My honey, my love !
It ain't so ftir to de goodby gate
Oh, my honey, my love !
"And when they wouUl finisli slnicking," says the informant, "sometimes
they would pat this :
julja (lis and juha dat
And juha killed de yaller cat.
Juha ! juha !
and several would jump up auti take stei)s in time to it."
202
0)RN-Shucking Song
This is written in Dr. Brown's hand at the foot of the typescript
of 'De Shucking oh de Corn' (see above), among sheets that he
was preparing for publication in 1916-17. It is fairly close to one
of Uncle Remus's songs as given in Bright's edition of Uncle
RcDiiis. His So)tgs and Sayings, pp. 184-7. ^'"" "the lost ell and
yard,'' which means the constellation Orion with its belt and sword
or club, see Annie Weston Whitney's article in JAFL x 293-8.
Oh, de fus news ye know de day'll be a-breakin',
Heyho ! Hi O! Up '11 down de banjo
An' de fire be a-btirnin' an de ash cake a bakin',
Heyho! (etc., as above)
An' de hen'll be a-hollerin' an' de boss'll be a-wakin',
Heyho ! (etc., as above)
238 NORTH CAROLINA FOLK L OR K
Better git up, nigger, an give yoself a shakin'.
Hi O ! Miss Cindy Ann !
Fo' de los' ell an' yard is a-huntin' fer de mornin".
Hi O ! git along, go 'way
En' she'll ketch up wid us fo' we ever git dis corn in ;
O go 'way, Cindy Ann.
203
The Old Turkey Hex
This I have not found recorded elsewhere. Dr. Brown notes on
the manuscript that the informant learned it on her father's farm
in Montgomery county.
'The Old Turkey Hen.' Reported by Miss Jewell Robbins (afterwards
Mrs. C. P. Perdue), Pekin, Montgomery county, some time between
1921 and 1924, with the notation that it is a "corn-shucking hollow" in
which the leader sings the odd-numbered lines as he walks the corn pile
and the shuckers sing the refrain, the even-numbered lines.
1 Seven years a-boiling
Ho-ma-hala-way
Seven years a-baking
Ho-ma-hala-way.
2 They blowed the horn for dinner
Ho-ma-hala-way
The people could not eat her
Ho-ma-hala-way.
3 They carried her to the old field
Ho-ma-hala-way
The buzzards could not eat her
Ho-ma-hala-way.
204
Rux, Sallie, My Gal
Submitted as a "corn-sliuckins' hollow" in which the leader walks
the corn pile and sings the first line each time and those who are
shucking answer with "bu-ga-lo." I have not found it in print.
It should perhaps have been entered as a form of 'Bugle. Oh!'
above.
'Run, Sallie, My Gal.' Communicated in 1921 by Miss Jewell Robbins
(later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), Pekin, Montgomery county. With the music.
I Run, Sallie, my gal
Bu-ga-lo
Run, Sallie, my gal
Bu-ga-lo.
w () K K SO i\ (; s 239
J Tlic bull in the iiK-adcw
Bu-ga-lo
As fat as he can wallow '
r.u--a-lo.
205
Up Roanoke and Down tiik Rivkr
Another c()rnliuskin,t!: song. I have not found it elsewhere. It
consists of single lines, followed always by the refrain line, which
is the same throughout. Each of the single lines is repeated once,
making, with the refrain line, a four-line stanza. A leader sings
the single lines, the whole company of buskers comes in on the
refrain. Only the first such stanza is here given in full; after that,
the single lines.
'The Old Corn Song of Long Ago.' Reported by S. M. Holton, Jr.. as
sung in Davidson county. The refrain line in the manuscript is headed
throughout by the word "Drines," the meaning of wliicli the editor does
not know ; the other lines are headed "Leader."
1 Up Roanoke and down the river.
Oho, we are 'most done.
Up Roanoke and down the river.
Oho. we are 'most done.
2 Two canoes, and nary paddle.
3 There is where we run the devils.
4 Away over in reedy bottom.
5 There is where we trick the devils.
6 jack de Gillam shot the devils.
7 Blue hall and a jxjund of powder.
8 Shot him in the rim of the belly.
9 That's the way we killed the devils.
206
HiDI Qui LI LODI QUILI
The final stanza of this cornhusking song appears in version E
of 'Said the Blackbird to the Crow'; also (with "crane" for "crow,"
which betters the rhyme) in Talley's Negro Folk Rhymes 59 and
Randolph's OFS 11 356, from Missouri. Stanzas i and 2 I have not
found elsewhere.
' This is more often found as the description of some swain's "girl in
the hollow."
240 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Hidi, Quili, Lodi, Quili (Corn Shucking Song).' Reported in 1913 by
Charles R. Bagley as heard from his grandparents in Moyock, Currituck
county.
1 Hidi, quili, lodi, quili,
Hidi, quili, quackeo,
If you'd uh been as I'd uh been
You would uh been so pretty O !
2 yuinckuni quanckum made a song
And he sang it all along,
Heels in the path and toes in the grass.
Don't take nothing but dollar and half.
3 The ole fish hawk said to the crow,
T hope to the Lord tonight it'll rain;
The creeks am muddy and millpond dry ;
'Twasn't for tadpoles minnows all die.'
207
Here, Jola, Here
This seems to be a hunting song (cf. 'Old Blue') used to accom-
pany the work of cornhusking. I have not found it elsewhere.
'Corn Husking Song.' Communicated by CaroHne Biggers of Monroe,
Union county, with the explanation that the leading part, i.e., the odd-
numbered lines, is taken by one male voice and the even-numbered lines,
i.e., the chorus, are sung in unison.
Jola was a coon dog.
Here, Jola, here.
Jola was a possum dog.
Here, Jola, here.
Jola was a rabbit dog.
Here, Jola, here.
Jola was a bird dog.
Here, Jola, here.
208
Come away from Tii.\t ( )lu Max
Reported as "a call for hogs — tune quite musical" (but the music
is not scored on the manuscript), this looks like a fragment of a
ballad. I have not found it elsewhere.
'Come away from That Old Man.' Submitted by Frederica Jenkins of
Wilmington, New Hanover county. Not dated.
Come away from that old man !
He will kill you if he can.
Come awav, o-oh !
WORK S C) N G S 241
209
Sally, Molln, I'olly
A hojj-calliiig chant from Wake county, rcporti-d in k^j^ by
Beulah Walton of Morrisville.
Sallv. Alollv. Pullv. O •
Come on git cawn !
Little in the basket, more in the crib,
Come on git cawn !
210
Down on the Farm
This song about tlie good old days of childhood is not properly
speaking folk song, though it has approached that status in North
Carolina : it appears four times in our collection as traditional
song. A more compelling evidence of its popularity is the fact that
it has prompted a parody. The four regular texts are :
A From W. Amos Abranis of Boone, Watauga county.
B From O. L. Coffey, ShuH's Mills, Watauga county.
C From Mrs. Mary Martin Copley, Durham.
D From Miss Clara Hearne, Pittsboro, Chatham county.
Since these texts do not differ significantly (except that D is incom-
plete) it will be sufficient to give one of them. Professor Abrams's.
1 While a boy I used to dwell in a home I loved so well,
Far away among the clover and the bees ;
Where the morning-glory vine round the cabin porch did
twine,
\\ here the robin-redbreast sang among the trees.
Chorus:
Oh, many weary years have i)assed since T saw the liome
place last,
And a memory dear steals o'er me like a charm ;
Every old familiar place, every kind and loving face,
In my boyhood's happy day down on the farm.
2 Oh, there's a father old and grey, there's a sister \()iuig
and gay,
.\ mother dear to shield us from all harm ;
There 1 spent life's happy hours running wild among the
flowers.
In mv boyhood's happy days down on the farm.
3 -And today, as I draw near the old home 1 love so dear,
A stranger comes to meet me at the door;
X.C.F., Vol. TTI. ri8)
242 NORTH CAROLINA F 0 L K L 0 R K
'Round the place there's many a change, and the faces all
seem strange.
Not a loved one comes to meet me as of yore.
4 And my mother dear is laid 'neath the old elm tree's quiet
shade,
Where the morning's golden sun shines hright and warm ;
And it's near the old fireplace there I see a stranger's face
In mv father's old arm-chair down on the farm.
And now for the realist's report of life down on tlie farm.
'Down on the Farm.' Contributed l)y Macie Morgan of Stanly connty.
1 Down on the farm 'bout half past four
I slip on my pants and sneak out the door.
Out in the yard I run like the dickens
To milk all the cows and feed all the chickens.
Clean out the barnyard, curry Rhoda and Jiggs,
Separate the cream and slop all the pigs.
Hustle two hours, then eat like a Turk.
By heck ! I am ready for a full day's work.
2 Then I grease the wagon and put on the rack.
Throw a jtig of water in the old grain sack,
Hitch uj) the mules, slip down the lane —
Must get the hay in, looks like rain.
Look over yonder ! Sure's I am born.
Cows on the rampage, hogs in the corn.
Start across the meadow, run a mile or two
Heaving like I am wind-broken, get wet clean through.
3 Back with the mules ; then, for recompense,
Rhoda gets a-straddle the barb-wire fence.
Joints are aching, muscles in a jerk.
"Whoop ! fit as a fiddle for a full day's work.
Work all the summer till winter is^ nigh.
Then figure at the bank and heave a big sigh.
Worked all the year, didn't make a thing ;
Less cash now than I had last spring.
4 Some folks say there ain't no hell.
.Shucks! They never farmed; how can they tell?
When spring rolls round and I take another chance.
As fuzz grows longer on my old gray pants.
(Hve my galluses a hitch, belt another jerk,
(iosh! I'm ready for a full year's work.
* The manuscript has instead "tlie," doubtless by a mere slip of the pen.
W () U K SONGS 243
211
Negro Cotton-Pic ker
Brief as this is, it is a coniijosite. Soniethins' like the tirst line
is reported from Alahaiiia (ANFS 285) ; the last two lines are
something- of a commonplace in Negro song, reported from Vir-
ginia (JAFL xxviii 140) and South Carolina (JAFL xliv 432)
and without definite location by Odum (JAFL xxiv 267) and the
Loniaxes (ABFS 234).
No title. Communicated in UJ23 by Mrs. Xilla Lancaster from Wayne
county.
Way down in de bottom, when the cotton's all rotten,
Can't pick a hundred a day.
Aui^ht tor auti^ht, and Hijger for tigger.
All for de white man an' none for de nigger.
212
Pickin' Out Cotton
This looks like an authentic work-song, but I have not found it
elsewhere. The longer text appears in the Collection in Dr. Brown's
hand but without indication of source; probably he took it down
from someone's singing but neglected to note wdio sang it, and
where, and when. The shorter version does not dit¥er from the
longer except by lacking the second half.
A
'Pickin' out Cotton.' Manuscript in Dr. P>rown's hand without notation
of date or source.
'1 fello. my little girl, which away, which away.
Which away, which away, which away, which away ?'
'Mammy sent me to pickin' out cotton ;
Daddy said the seed's all rotten.'
'How can you tell that the seed's all rotten.
How can you tell that the seed's all rotten ?'
'Can't I tell by looking at the cotton.
Can't I tell by looking at the cotton?
( )h, won't yoti gimme chow terbocker, tih ?
( )h, I w ant a chow terbocker, uh.
( )h, won't you gimme chow terbocker?
( )h. can't \-ou gimme chow terbocker?'
'llello. my little girl, which away, which away,
W Inch away, which away, which away, which away ?'
'All the way to July Ann Clebber,
All the way to July Ann Clebber.
That's the death my heart can sever,
244 ^' O R T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
That's the death niv heart can sever.
Oh, won't you gimme chow terhocker,
Oh, won't you gimme chow terbocker?
Mammy's sent me to pickin' cotton,
Daddy swore the seed's all rotten.'
'How can you tell that the seed's all rotten?'
'Can't 1 tell by looking at the cotton?
Oh. gimme chow terbocker, uh.'
B
'Pickin' out Cotton.' Obtained from A. J. (or from J. H.) Burrus,
Weaverville, Buncombe county, in August 1922. With the tune. The
first eight lines are the same as in A ; and then it runs : "Then the per-
former gets in a big way and goes off on
Ho — won't you give me chaw o' tobacco.
Ho — won't you give me chaw o' tobacco,
ad infinitum."
213
The Humble Farmer
The Loinaxes (OSC 280-1 ) report this, with the variations to be
expected in anything that passes by oral tradition, as sung by a
Negro share-cropper in Texas in 1934. It presents a fairly vivid
picture of the plight of the share-croppers in the cotton country.
'The Humble Farmer.' Obtained, sometime in the period 1921-24, from
Miss Jewell Robbins (later .Mrs. C. P. Perdue), Pekin, .Montgomery
county. The last two lines of the first stanza should probably read
'Twas caused by picking cotton
From out the cotton bolls.
What is here marked "chorus" is merely another stanza in the Te.xas
version, where the chorus is only two lines.
I 1 saw an humble farmer ;
1 lis back was bending low,
A-picking out the cotton
Along the cotton row.
His shirt was old and ragged.
His pants were full of holes;
'Twas caused bv picking oiU the cotton bolls,
Tlie cottfin from the bolls.
Chorus:
'Now pay me,' says the merchant,
'Pay me all you owe.
Unless you pay me up, sir,
COTTON P I C K P: R S
U (IRK S U N (1 S 245
I'll sell to you no more.'
'1 cannot pay,' says farmer.
'1 cannot pay at^ all.
You sold your goods so high, sir
I'll finish \t next fall'
2 Up steps a fair-skinned merchant
With a high-top derhy on.
Says 'F^ay nie, Mr. Farmer,
Or you to me belong.'
'I cannot pay,' says farmer,
I cannot pay at^ all ;
I'll pay you some today, boss,
And finish it next fall.'
214
Boll Weevil Blues
The boll weevil invaded Texas from Mexico about the end of
the nineteenth century; now he is known and dreaded wherever
cotton is grown in the United States. And the song about him is
perhaps equally ubiquitous. Its origin is as obscure as that of 'Joe
Bowers' or 'Jesse James.' Texts vary somewhat, but are pretty
sure to emphasize "the weevil's relentless determination to find a
home. For other texts see AMS 90-1, ANFS 351-3, ASb 8-10,
FSAI 199-200, TNF.S 77-9, ABFS 112.
A
'Boll Weevil Blues.' Obtained from Olxicliah Johnson, Crossnore, Avery
county, in 1940.
1 Farmer said to the boll weevil,
'I see you're on the square.'
Boll weevil said to the farmer,
'And my whole family's there ;
I have a home, I have a home.
2 'Look up your bar'l o' pizen,
And scatter it on the row,'
Boll weevil said to the farmer ;
'You scatter pizen, though
I have a home, I have a home.'
3 Boll weevil said to the lightning bug
'Kin I get up a trade with you?
Ef I wuz a lightning hug
Fd work the whole night through.
All night long, all night long.'
^ So the manuscript ; the context indicates tliat "at" shonld be "it."
246 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 'Don't you see how them creeturs
Now have done me wrong?
Boll weevil's got my cotton
And the merchant's got my corn.
What shall I do ? What shall I do ?'
5 Boll weevil said to the merchant,
'Better drink you^ cold lemonade;
When I git thru with you
Gwine drag you out o' the shade —
I have a home ! I have a home !'
6 Boll weevil said to the doctor,
'Better po' out all them pills ;
When I get through with the farmer
He can't pay no doctor's bills —
I have a home ! I have a home !'
7 iioU weevil said to the preacher,
'Better shet your church house door;
When I get thru with the farmer
He can't pay the preacher no more —
1 have a home ! 1 have a home !'
8 Boll weevil said to the farmer,
'Better sell yo' old machine;
\Mien I get thru with you
You can't buy no gasoline —
I have a home ! I have a home !'
9 Boll weevil said to his wife,
'Better stan' up on yo' feet
'N look way down here in Georgy
At all the cotton we got to eat —
All night long, and all day too !'
10 I^oll weevil said to the farmer,
'1 wisht that you wuz well.'
{•"arnier said to the boll wee\il,
'I wisht you wuz in hell!'
l')oll weevil blues! I'oll wee\il blues!
B
'Roll Weevil Bines.' I^'roiii the John lUirch lUaylock Collection.
I I'.oll Weevil said to the doctor,
'You can roll out your little pills;
When I get through with the cotton
^'ou can't i)ay no doctor's bills.
i want your home. I want your home.'
' So tlu' inannscript ; prfihahiy slionld lie "yo."
W () K K SON C. S 247
2 lioll Weevil said to the store-keeper,
'You can . . . out your uieat ;
W'heu I get through with tlie cottou
You wout' have nothing to eat.
1 want your home, I want your home.'
3 r.oll Weevil said to the farmer.
'1 wish you mighty well.'
The farmer said to the Boll Weevil.
'1 wish you were in — Hope Dale.'
'I want your home, I want your home.
4 The farmer said to the Boll Weevil,
'I thought you were on the square.'
The Boll Weevil said to the farmer,
'My whole dang family's there.
1 vvant vour home. T want your home.'
215
Ole Massa's Going Away
This might be accounted a work song in reverse. 1 have not
found it elsewhere.
'Ole Massa's Coin' Away.' From C. M. Hutchings, Durham, c. 1913-
Ole Massa's goin' away, boys.
He's goin' to see his brother.
We'll wait till he gets out of sight,
Then we'll throw down the hoe and the shovel.
216
The Man Who Wouldn't Hoe His Corn
For reports of this purely indigenous American song from other
regions, see BSM 440 and' add to the references there given Vir-
ginia (FSV 172-3), South Carolina (OSC 286-7). Arkansas (OFS
III 196), Indiana (BSI 307), and Ohio (BSO 243-4).
"The Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn.' Obtained in the summer of 1945
by Professors W. Amos Abrams and Gratis D. Williams of the Appa-
lachian State Teachers College from Pat Frye of East Bend. Yadkin
county, concerning whom see the headnote to version G of 'Lady Isabel
and tile Elf-Knight' in Volume II.
I There was a young man lived on Beaver's Creek,
He didn't make corn for to .sell nor keep;
And for the reason T can't tell.
For this young man was always well.
248 NORTH C A R 0 L I N A K O I. K L O R E
2 He went to his corn field and looked in.
Shallot weeds was to his chin ;
The weeds and grass so thick did grow
That he was afraid to venture with his hoe.
3 The nearest house that he went to,
The girl he courted, I suppose,
She says to this young man in a great scorn.
'Oh,' she says, 'young man. have you wed out your corn?"
4 He answered her with this reply :
'No, kind miss, I've laid it by.
There is no use to strive in vain
When I know I shan't make nor a grain.'
5 'What is the use for us to wed.
When you can't make your own l)read ?'
Saying 'All I am I expect to remain.
For a lazy man I shan't maintain.'
217
The Old Chisholm Trail
The cowboy classic, sung probably wherever cattle are driven
over the plains to market. See CS 28-37. Randolph (OFS 11
174-5) has found it in Arkansas. Neely and Spargo (TSSI 184-5)
report a song with the same refrain but a widely different text from
Illinois.
The Old Chisholm Trail." From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 Come along, boys, and listen to my tale.
I'll tell you of my troubles on the old Chisholm trail.
Refrain:
Come ti yi youpy youpy ya youpy ya,
Come ti yi youpy youpy ya.
2 I started up the trail October twenty-third.
I started up the trail with the 2-U herd.
3 ( Jh, a ten dollar boss and a forty dollar saddle.
And I'm goin' to punchin' Texas cattle.
4 I wake u]) in the morning on the old Chisholm trail,
Rope in niv hand and a cow by the tail.
5 I'm uj) in the mornin' afore daylight.
And afore I slecj) the moon shines bright.
6 ( )ld P>en l')<)lt was a tine old man.
And you'd know there was whiskey wherever he'd land.
WORK SONGS 249
7 Mv lins.s ihrowi'd UK' oft" ;it tlic creek called Mud;
My lu)ss throwed uic olt 'it >uud the J-V herd.
8 Last time he was i^oiui,^ 'cross the level,
A-kickin<;- up his heels and a-running; like the devil.
9 It's cloudy in the west, a-looking like rain.
And mv damned old slicker's in the wat^on aj^ain.
10 Crippled my hoss, 1 don't know Ikjw,
Ropin' at the horns of a 2-U cow.
1 1 We hit C aldwell and we hit her on the fly.
We hedded down the cattle on the hill close hy.
12 No chaps, no slicker, and it's pourini;- down rain;
And 1 swear, liy all, I'll never night-herd again.
13 Feet in the stirruj^s and a seat in the saddle,
I hung and rattled with them long-horned cattle.
14 Last night 1 was on guard and the leader hroke ranks;
I hit my horse on the shoulders and 1 spurred him in the
flanks.
15 The wind commenced to hlow, and the rain hegan to fall;
It looked, hy gral), like we was goin' to lose 'em all.
16 I jumped in the saddle and grabhed holt the horn,
Best blamed cowpuncher ever was born.
17 I popped my foot in the stirrup and gave a little yell;
The tail cattle broke and the leaders went to hell.
18 I don't give a damn if they never do stop,
ril ride as long as an eight-day clock.
19 Foot in the stirrup and hand on the horn,
Fm the best damned cowboy that ever was l)orn.
20 I herded and I hollered, and I done very well.
Till the boss said, 'Boys, just let 'em go to hell.'
21 There's a stray in the herd and the boss said kill it,
.So I shot him in the rump with the handle of the skillet.
22 We rounded 'em u]), and we put 'em on the cars.
And that was the last of the old Two-Bars.
23 Oh. it's bacon and beans most every day ;
Ld as soon be eatin' prairie hay.
24 I'm on mv best horse and Fm going at a run,
Fm the tjuickest shooting cowboy that ever pulled a gun.
250 N 0 R T H C A K O I. I X A F 0 L K L 0 R E
-'5
1 wt-'iit t(i the boss to draw my roll,
To come back to Texas, dad-burn mv soul.
26 I went to the boss to draw my roll ;
He had it tiggered out I was nine dollars in the hole.
27 I'll sell my outfit just as soon as I can;
I won't punch cattle for no damned man.
j8 (ioin' back to town to draw my money,
Goin' back Ikjuic to see my honey.
jg With my knees in the saddle and my seat in the sky,
I'll (|uit punching cows in the sweet bye and bye.
218
The Uuke of Buckingham
This song of the fox liunt is quite certainly descended from a
broadside preserved in the Roxburghe collection, 'The Fox-Chace ;
Or, The Huntsman's Harmony, by the Noble Duke of Bucking-
ham's Hounds' (R. B. i. 360-4). The names of the hounds are not
the same, but the structure is. By what stages the song has come
'lown from seventeenth-century England to twentieth-century North
Carolina has not been discovered. Our text is only a two-stanza
fragment. Chappell ( FSRA 176-8) reports a much fuller version,
'»-ith the music.
'The Duke of Buckingham.' An "ohl hunting song" collected I)y Julian
P. Boyd of Alliance, Pamlico county, in \^)2/, irom James Tingle, one
of his pupils in the school there.
1 The Duke of Buckingham,
One morning in May,
Went out to take a fair trial.
He had dogs of his own.
Just as good as ever known ;
Nary one in the pack did tire.
2 There wa.^ i'aylor and jowler,
Lesbe and Knowler,
Ringwood, Rtishwood, and Crowner,
Mary, Lester, Seamster,
Julie, i'dower, and (lamester,
( )verwf)od, Rookwood, and lierrin. . . .
219
Thk Wh.o .Asii!'. 1)ki:k
Hardly folk song, perhaps, this i)iece has none the less an interest
for studeiUs tO folklore. According to the contributor, "A real
W () R K SON (". S 251
(Iccr chase from Ashe county into Watauga inspired one of the
pursuers to write this poem. The scene of tliis chase started not
far from Jefferson in Ashe county." That is the local legend. But
1 have found no one who can confirm it as to person and date.
On the other hand, there is plenty of evidence that the song was
current as a printed hallad ahout a hundred years ago. The Los
.Angeles I'uhlic Library has a broadside of it, the text identical
with Mrs. Hyers's, which was published by John IL Johnson, "Song
Publisher,'" at 7 North Tenth .Street, Philadelphia; and Mrs. Clark
Larrabee of the Free Library of Philadelphia tells me that Johnson
did business as a stationer at that address from 1858 to 1865, hav-
ing been in business in Philadelphia, though not at that address, as
early as 1849. The Free Library, Mrs. Larrabee further informs
me, has in its files of unbound sheet music a copy of 'The Wild
Ashe Deer,' music by Mrs. V. Pendleton, published in Philadelphia
by Lee & Walker in 1854. This edition is not illustrated; but she
is advised by an expert on early American sheet music that there
is an earlier edition which is illustrated. Johnson's print, "revised
and printed expressly for the Public Schools," has a spirited wood-
cut of the chase — perhaps inherited or bought up from the earlier
illustrated edition.
The text of the song is decidedly 'literary,' modeled on one or
another of a number of English hunting songs. Shall we accept
the local legend and believe that someone in Watauga county did
take part in, or perhaps only hear about, such a hunt, wrote the
poem, set it to music, and afterwards sent it to Philadelphia and
had it published ? Or shall we think that the printed song, coming
to be known in Ashe and Watagua counties, suggested — from the
cue of the name of the former of these counties — the local legend?
The editor does not know. There are precedents for both procedures.
'The Wild Ashe Deer.' Communicated in 1922 by Mrs. N. T. Byers of
Zionville, Watauga county. With the music.
1 Away and away we're bound o'er the moimtain, over the
mountain, over the mountain.
Over the valley, the hill, and the fountain, away to the
chase, away, away !
We heed not the tempest, the wild winds of dans^^er, hut
joyously shouting away goes the ranger.
Joyously shouting away goes the ranger, awav to the
chase, away, away !
2 Away and away our wild steeds are bounding, oiu- wild
steeds are bounding, our wild steeds are hounding,
Throttgh brake and through valley our shouts are resound-
ing, away to the chase, away, away !
Listen to the hound bells sweetly ringing,^ over the hill
^ So the manuscript, implying that the hounds wore bells ; but the
meaning clearly is that the baying of the hounds makes music, as
Theseus's did for Hippolyta. Johnson's text has a better reading :
List to the hounds, bells sweetly ringing.
252 X fi K T II C A K 0 L I X A FOLKLORE
the wild deer is springing.
Over the hill the wild deer is springing; away to the
chase, away, away !
3 See there the wild deer, trenihling. panting, trembling.
panting, trembling, panting,
l-'earfully poising, one nn)ment standing: oti then he
speeds, away, awaw
He's gone. boys, he's gone ! Pursue him. pursue him !
Hurrah, boys, hurrah ! I see him ! I see him !
Hurrah, boys, hurrah! I see him! I see him! Away to
the death of the Wild Ashe Deer !
220
Old Blue
For the affiliations of this song, see White's headnote to his
Alabama text (ANFS 207) and add to the references there given
Mississippi (JAFL xxxix 177, FSM 201-2), Arkansas (OFS 11
382-3). and Texas (OSC 111-12). The Alabama text lacks the
homely particularity of our stanzas 3 and 6. For the chain used
in the burial, commonly a silver spade and a golden chain and asso-
ciated with the burial of persons, not dogs, see JAFL xi 22. NWS
129 and 198, and 'Down by die Weeping Willow Tree' in this
volume. Our text is not strictly speaking from North Carolina,
being described by the contributor as "heard in the Mississippi
valley in West Tennessee." but is included here for good measure.
'I Had a Dog and His Name Was Blue.' Contributed by M. R. Cham-
bers as heard in West Tennessee. Not dated.
1 I had a dog and his name was Blue.
Just listen and I'll tell you what that dog would do.
Chorus:
Here. Blue, you rounder you!
Here. Blue, you rounder you!
2 One morning, whilst he was out with me.
He treed a possum up a white oak tree.
3 1 took niv ax and 1 cut him down
.\nd put sweet taters all around his ham.
4 (i«jt up next morning; lUue was sick.
I sent for the doctor to come here c|uick.
5 Tlu' doctor come, he come in a run,
And he says, '( )ld lUue. yom- hunting is done.'
6 ( )ld lUue died; and he (\\v(\ so hard
Jle dug little holes all around in the vard.
w (> K K s () N i; s 253
7 I dug his grave in a shady place.
I ki\ered it over with a possum face.
S 1 let him down with a golden chain;
\\ ilh every link I caUed his name.
9 ( )kl Ijkie's dead, and he's gone to rest.
He was jus" a dog. l)ut he done his hest.
10 When 1 gets to heaven, I know what I'U (h) ;
I'll gral) mv horn, and I'll hk)w for lUue.
221
The Ground Hog
This is peculiarly a song of the southern Appalachians. Although
the habitat of the creature (known also as whistlei)ig, and in the
Northern states as woodchuck ) reaches from Canada well towards
the Gulf of Mexico, he is the subject of popular song only in the
southern Appalachians; the song is known in Virginia (FSV^ 246),
West Virginia (FSS 498), Kentucky (Shearin 38, LT 30-3), North
Carolina '(SSSA 5-6, FSSH 388,1 3^0.2, JAFL xlv iS4-5,^ i^v6.
BMFSB 38-9), Georgia (FSSH 389), and less definitely the Soudi-
ern mountains (AMS 92-3). Its appearance in the Ozarks (OFS
III 150-3) is doubtless due to immigration from Kentucky. It has
not been found in the Northern states, nor is it a Negro song —
White reports only a two-line fragment from Tennessee Negroes
(ANFS 160). Apparently it originated in the frontier life of the
South, probably in the early nineteenth or possibly in the later
eighteenth century. Besides the texts here given the Collection has
two recordings of it: one from Obadiah Johnson. Crossnore, Avery
county, in 1940. and one from Bonnie Wiseman, Hinson's Creek.
Avery county, in 1939.
A
'Ground Hog.' Contributed by Miss Clara Hearne from Pittsboro, Cbat-
bam county, some time in 1922-23. The first line of eacb stanza is sung
twice, making witli tbe refrain a stanza of four lines, as printed bere
for stanza i.
1 Whet up your knife and whistle up your dog.
Whet up your knife and whistle up your dog.
We're going to the hills to hunt a ground hog.
Whack fal doodle all day.
2 Too many rocks, too many logs.
Too manv rocks to hunt ground hogs.
3 Over the hills and through the hrush.
There we struck that hog's sign fre.sh.
* This text Henry obtained in New Jersey, but it was learned in North
Carolina.
254 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 Up came Berry with a ten toot pole
And roused it in that ground hog's hole.
5 Up came Kate and stood right there
Till Berry twisted out some ground hog's hair.
6 Kate and Berry kept prizing ahout ;
At last they got that ground hog out.
7 Took him to' the tail and wagged him to a log
And swore, hy grah, it's a pretty fine hog.
8 Meat in the cupboard, hide on the churn;
That was a ground hog, I'll be durn !
9 Work. boys. work, as h.ard as you can tear.
The meat '11 do to eat and the hide'll do to wear.
10 \\ ork. boys, work for all you'll earn.
Skin him after night and tan him in a churn.
1 1 They put him in a pot and the children began to smile ;
They ate that ground hog before it struck a boil.
12 Up stepped Susie with a snigger and a grin.
Ground hog grease all over her chin.
'Ground Hog.' Received from J. T. C. Wright of the .\ppalachiaii
Teachers College, Boone, Watauga county, in 1922. Four-Hne stanzas
as in A.
1 I shouldered up my gun and I wiiistled to my dog.
I shouldered up my gun and I whistled to my dog ;
Ise gwine up the mountain for to catch a groundhog.
Law, man, law !
2 I treed him in the mountain and I treed him in a log,
I treed him in a holler and 1 treed him with my dog.
3 I cut a long pole for to twist him out.
Great God a'mighty, what a groundhog stout !
4 God a'mighty, man, just look at Jim!
Groundhog gravy all over his chin.
5 Run here, mama, and run here quick.
This old groundhog has made me sick.
6 Run here, doctor, run here quick.
This old groundhog has made me sick.
' So in the manuscript ; a slip of the pen, apparently, for "by."
w () K K s () N c; s 255
7 Ise iiebber j^wiiK' to cut groundhog ii<» more,
For it 1 do Isf ;i dead man shore.
'The Gruuii' Hog." Reported liy Mrs. Sutton, prol)al)ly in i<>2(), witli
the comment: "'I'lie song is a sort of hunting tune, and the loud
'whoopees' in it are most effective when it's sung as a ehorus. ... It
is very popular, especially with the kiddies."
1 Whet up yer knife and whistle up yer dog.
We're ofi to the woods fur to ketch a groun' hcjg.
Chorus:
Whoopee, whoopee, doodle dal day,
Whoopy doo doodle doo dal day.
2 Cut and trim a long slim pole.
Twis' ole groun' hog out'n his hole.
3 I'ut that hog in a big tow sack.
Bring him home swung down my back.
4 Skin that groun' hog and tan his hide,
Put my baby gal safe inside.
Mrs. Sutton also reports the following stanza as a "hanjo tune," ob-
tained from Reems Creek, Buncoinbe county. The tune was taken down
by Miss \'ivian Blackstock.
Whet u\) your knives, call up your dogs,
Go to the woods, catch a ground hog.
Meat's good to eat, hide's good to wear.
Rang tang a f odalink a day !
222
I'll Fire Dis Trip
Though not strictly from North Carolina, this item is so inter-
esting as a relic of steamboating on Southern (it seems to be in
Negro speech ) rivers that it is here included.
'Boating Song.' Reported by Mrs. C. C. Murphy of Ivanhoe, Sampson
county, as obtained from Mrs. J. N. Corbett, who knew it as sung on
Flint River, Georgia.
1 I'll hre dis trip an' I'll tire no mo'
Fire down below !
I'll fire dis trip an' I'll fire no mo'
Fire down below !
2 Miss Nancy Belle, 1 wi^ll you well
Fire down below !
X.C.F.. Vol. Ill, (f))
256 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
!Miss Xancy Belle, I wish you well
l-'ire down below !
3 De bullies' boy is Uncle Gable
Vive down below !
Bring on dat wood while you he's able !
Fire down below !
223
Hi Yo Boat Row
This is a broken memory of one of Dan Emmett's early (copy-
right 1843) successes on the minstrel stage, 'De Boatmen's Dance'
(No. 32 in S. Foster Damon's Series of Old American Songs).
Davis lists it from Virginia (FSV 249) and Perrow reports a form
of it as sung by Negroes in Kentucky (JAFL xxviii 143).
'Hi Yo Boat Row.' Reported in 1913 by Charles R. Bagley of Moyock,
Currituck county, as learned from his grandfather there.
1 Hi yo, boat row.
Hoy, down river on old Ohio.
Boatman dance and boatman sing.
Boatman do most anything.
2 Hi yo, boatman cow,^
Stole my pit^ and stole your shoat,
Run down the river and jnit him in the boat.
224
We Live on the Banks of the Ohio
Although this has not been found elsewhere, it may be assumed
to come from the age of plantation melodies, in which, as Dr. White
has pointed out, "the masters are kindly to an almost suspicious
degree. . . . Beyond doubt, the Negro minstrel song . . . was com-
monly used as an instrument of propaganda against the interests of
the Negro himself" (ANFS 10).
No title. Set down by K. P. Lewis frcnii the singing in iqio of Dr.
Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
I We live on the banks of the ( )-hi-o
O-hi-o, Odii-o,
Where the mighty waters rapidly flow
And the steamboat sweeps along.
' One supposes that "cow" is niiswritten for "row" and "pit" for "pig,"
and that tlie omission of the second line of the refrain in this stanza is
morclv actidcntal.
W O K K SONGS 257
Clioriis:
We live on tlic banks of the O-hi-o,
O-hi-o, O-hi-o,
We live on the banks of the ( )-hi-o,
( )n the banks of the ( )-hi-o.
2 ( )k' niassa to liis darkies is good,
Tra-H-la-la. tra-li-la-la.
He gives us our clothes, he gives us our food.
And we merrily work all day.
3 Droop not, darkies, as you go,
Tra-li-la-la. tra-li-la-la,
Back to the banks of the O-hi-o,
The river we love so well.
225
A Boat, a Boat, Across the Ferry
This round is s^iven, with no indication of source, in F.SSC viii
141.
'A Boat, a Boat, Across the Ferry.' Reported by K. P. Lewis of Dur-
ham as obtained {probably in lyio) from Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Cliapel
Hill.
A boat, a boat across the ferry,
For we are going to be merry.
To laugh and quaff and drink old sherry.
226
Haul, Haul, Haul, Boys
This is listed in the manuscript as a "fishing song," that is,
presumably, a song sung as fishermen pulled in their nets. In word-
ing it is close to the bowline chanty 'Haul away. Jo' (Whall, Sea
Songs and Shanties, p. 85; Shay, Iron Men and Wooden Ships, p.
92), and probably it is merely an adaptation of that chantey to the
fisherman's trade.
'Fishing Song.' Contributed by Miss Emma Bobbitt, Bayboro, Pamlico
county.
Haul, haul, haul, boys, haul and be lively.
Haul, oh haul. boys. haul.
She will come, she must come ; haul, boys, haul.
She will come, she must come ; haul, boys, haul.
Well, it seems to me like the time ain't long;
Haul and be lively, haul, boys, haul.
258 NORTH CAROLINA I" O L K L O R P:
227
Old Horse. Old Horse
The sailor's protest against his rations of salt horse is known
in Maine (MAI 223-6, SBML 104-5), Massachusetts (FSONE
142-4). and "by men aboard American sailing ships, also ... by
white men along the Gulf" ( P^B 62-3); very likely it was known
to all sailor men in the old windjammer days. It is quite distinct
from the homiletic 'Poor Old Horse,' which is a landsman's song.
'Old Horse, Old Horse.' Reported, probably in 1927. by Julian P. l')oyd
as obtained from Duval Scott, a pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico
county.
'Old horse, old horse, how come you here?'
'From southern shores to Portland's piers
I've carted stone for piles of years,
Till, killed by work and sore abuse,
They salted me down for sailors' use.
The sailors they did me despise.
They knocked me down, and damned my eyes.
Pulled off my meat and picked my bones
And threw the rest to Davy Jones.'
228
b^oR .Six Days Do All That Thou Art .Able
Grousing of sailors at having to work on Sunday. A Negro
spiritual of like content — though it has nothing to do with sailors —
'That Ain't Right.' is reported from Tennessee (JAFL xxvii 262),
Alabama (JAFL xliii 323). and as sung at a Negro meeting in
St. Louis by Jubilee singers (JAFL xxxv 331).
'For Six Days." Rep<jrted by Julian P. Boyd in 1927 as known by
Duval Scott, a pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
For six days do all that thou art able ;
The seventh, wash the decks and scrape the cable.
Never let the .Sabbath interfere ;
We would lose fifty-two days in a year.
If we were to take .Sundav as a Holy day^
We could never do what we may.
Never let the Sabbath interfere ;
We would lose fifty-two days in the year.
' So in the manuscript — perhaps in consciousness of tlie origin of tlie
word "holiday."
W <) R K SON C. S 259
229
Ali'habet of Till'; Siiir
Followers of certain calliiitis have worked out alphabet songs
based on their occupations. Best known probably is the woodman's
alphabet, reported from Nova Scotia (.SBNS 212-13), Maine (MM
30-2. .SHMi. 10-14. MWS 50-1 ), New Hampshire (VSONE 235-7).
Vermont (NClMS 169), and Michigan (JAFL xxxv 413-14). The
sailor's ali)habet is known in Nova Scotia (SBNS 210-12), Maine
(MiM 233-4), and the Bahamas (JAFL xxxviii 298), as well as in
North Carolina. The Conchs of Florida (SFLQ iv 150) have a
bil)]ical al])lial)et — Adam. "Bay-lim." Cain. etc.
'Alphabet (jf the Ship." From J. 1!. Midgett uf Wanchese. Roanoke
Island, in iij20.
A is the anchor, and that we all know,
B i.s the bowsprit luiiig over the bow,
C is the capsin we often rowiiy,^
D is the deck where the sailors are found,
E is the ensign of otir niisin peak flue,
l*" is the forecastle — now where is the crew ?
Cj is the gun by which we all stand.
H is the hauser which never will strand,
i is the iron on our stintion boom ship,
J is the job which makes a good fit,
K is the kilson all down in the hole,'
L is the lanyard that has a strong hold.
M is the mizmast big stout and strong.
N is the needle that never goes wrong,
O is the oar that lies in our boat,
P is the pennant wherever she floats,
Q is the (piarterdeck on which our captain stood.
R is the rigging which served so good,
.S is the stiltarts^ which weighed out the beef,
T is the topsail so (jften we reef.
I' is the union by which we adore.
\ is the Virgin we fly to our our,'
\\ is the wheel wdiich we will all take otn- time.
And the other letters will soon come in rhvme.
X is our ship, it has no place,
Y is the yardarm which are very well placed,
Z is the zinc on our bottom we know ;
When the captain calls 'Cirog, boys,' we will all go below.
'"Capsin" is for "capstan." of course, and "stiltarts (S) for "steel-
yards." The rhyme suggests that "rowny" should be "round," and "hole"
(K) should prohaI)ly be "hold." The editor has no interpretation to
offer for the I and \' lines.
260 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Chorus (siDig after C7'cry four letters):
So merry, so merry, so merry are we,
No mortal on earth like a sailor at sea.
I dearie 1 dearie I dearie I down.
Give a sailor his grog and then nothing goes wrong.
230
Whip Jamboree
Sharp (JFSS v 297-8) reports two texts and tunes of this chanty,
one of them from an Irish- American sailor. Miss Broadwood in
an appended note thinks that it may he of Negro origin.
'Whip Jambree.' Communicated, apparently at some time in the years
1913-19, by the Rev. L. D. Hayman of Elizabeth City, Pasquotank county,
whose father and grandfatlier were sea captains. He says the song
"was popular among the drinking class of men. Great crowds of men
uouki gather at some favorite place on Sunday and spend the day in
chinking, and this song was one of their selections. Sometimes they
would ride up and down the roads and sing to the amusement of the
cabin-dwellers and others."
1 Oh, the captain came on deck
A-scratching of his head,
Says, 'Hello, my jolly boys,
The valler hoat's ahead.'
Chorus:
W'hij) jambree, whip jambree,
Get ui), old boss.
2 Ca])tain's in the pilot-botise
A-drinking of his gin ;
And he's just as near to heaven
As he'll ever be agin.
There is in the Collection a fragment of this .song in Dr. Brown's hand,
labeled "Chantey." No source indicated. It is the second stanza of Hay-
man's version except that the first line is the first line of Hayman's fir.st
stanza.
231
I Have a 1'^ather in My Native Land
Til is has not been reported as folk song or as chanty elsewhere.
'A Sailor's Chanty.' From Miss Jewell Robbins of Pekin, Montgomery
county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), about 1921-24. It is hardly a chanty;
at least it is n^t in the spirit of chanty-singing.
I 1 have a father in my native land,
( )h, he's looking for me tonight, night, night,
( )h, he's looking for me tonight.
WORK SONGS
261
2 He may look, he may Idok with liis withering watery eyes,
And it's oh. he may look to tlie Ixittom of the sea, sea, sea,
Oh, he may look to the hottom of the sea.
232
Sal's in the CiArden Sifting Sand
This is perhaps only a form of the chanty "Row the Boat Ashore.'
At least it has the "hog-eyed man" in common with that song. It
is known also in Kentucky ( Shearin 38, SharpK 11 360) and Wis-
consin (JAFL Lii 49-50, from Kentucky), and Sandhurg reports
it from an old sailor (ASb 410-11). For the meaning, or mean-
ings, of "hog-eye" see the headnote to "Row the Boat Ashore.'
'Sal's ill the Garden Sifting Sand.' Reported by Charles R. Bagley as
"heard from his grandparents, Air. and Mrs. W. R. Dudley, in Moyock."
Moyock is in Currituck county. The same two lines are rept^rted also
by Miss Minnie Bryan Farrior from Duplin county.
Sal's in the garden sifting sand.
All she wanted was a hog-eyed man.
233
The Heathen Chinese
This suggests Bret Harte's famous song, but is instead an echo
of the resentment of the wdiites at the encroachment of Chinese
cheap labor which led to the passage of the Chinese exclusion act.
The only mention of it that I have found elsewhere is that there is
a record of it in the Archive of American Folk Song: and this
record is from the singing of tlie same man who furnished the text
in our collection.
'Heathen Chinese.' Obtained in 1936 from (). L. Coffey of Shull's Mills,
Watauga county.
I I've a very sad pitiful story to tell you,
Although it's a common one too ;
A story of sorrow, a story of hunger,
Because w^e've no work to do.
In the country as well as the city
There are thousands who would like a sijuare meal.
But alas ! there is no work for a white man to do ;
They're hiring the Heathen Chinese.
Chorus:
Oh, a thing that you'll find in the kitchen.
In the laundry a singing Hoh Lee;
On the railroads, the roundhouse, the ranches.
They're hiring the Heathen Chinese.
262 N 0 R T 11 C A K 0 L I N A F 0 L K L 0 R E
2 I've four little sisters at home to provide for.
They are hungry now. crying for bread ;
Poor mother is sick and the rents are now due,
No money to buy coal or wood.
As I walk round the streets of your city
In searching for employment and bread ;
But alas ! there's no work for a white man to do,
They're hiring the Chinese instead.
3 Come join hands with the bold Knights of Labor ;
We will battle through fire and blood
To get rid of this leper, the curse of our country.
The vampires that are sucking our blood.
Then a white man we'll put in the kitchen.
In the laundry poor widows there'll be ;
On the railroads, the roundhouse, the ranches,
W'e'll fire out the Heathen Chinese.
4 I will swear b}' my wife and my children.
From the mountains all down to the sea ;
I'll join hands with the bold Knights of Labor
To help fire out the Heathen Chinese.
234
\\'ORKING OX THE RaILROAD
The first stanza of A is very widely known but not often reported
as folk song. Its origin I have not discovered. Apart from this
stanza, texts are generally fragmentary and inconsequent — though
not often so mere a medley as our A. It has been reported from
Georgia (SSSA 8ij, Mississippi (TNFS 248), and Alabama
(ANFS 274, but coming from Louisiana). Dr. White notes that
it was "popular as a college quartet in the early 1900s."
A
'I've Been Working on the Railroad.' Contrilnited by Miss Doris Over-
ton. Durham (later Mrs. Brim), in 1922. Made up, after the first
stanza, of fragments of popular songs. For the stanza division — often
uncertain — tlie editor is responsible.
1 I've been workin' on de railroad
All de livelong day,
I've been workin' on de railroad
Jus' to pass de time away.
2 Don't vou hear de whi.stU- blowin'?
Rise up so early in de morn.
Don't you hear de Ca])tain shoutin'?
Dina. blow vour horn !
\V () K K SON C. S 263
3 Dina. won't vou go, Dina, won't you go
Down on the banks of the ( )hio?
Dina, won't you go, Dina, won't you go
Down on the Ohio?
4 SHde. Kelly, slide !
Casey's at the bat.
5 Down went Maginty.
6 Oh. where'd you get that hat?
7 In the evening by the moonlight
You can hear those darkies singing
Little Annie Rooney is my sweetheart.
8 Don't you hear dem bells, ding, ding.
Don't you hear dem bells?
Dey are ringin' out de glory of de land.
B
'Workin' on the Railroad Forty Cents a Day.' Reported, apparently
some time in 1921-22, by Miss Eura Mangum of Durham. The manu-
script bears the notation : "I can get the rest of this song and tlie air in
a few days" — but she seems not to have done so.
Workin' on the railroad
Forty cents a day.
johnny come pickin' on the banjo !
Oh ! Me ! Oh ! My !
Don't you hear the baby cry ?
"Working on the Railroad.' Contributed by Walter J. Miller, student
at Trinity College in 1919, as a fragment of a Negro work song. With
the tune.
Working on the railroad at forty cents a day.
If you don't work your time out, you don't get your pay.
Working on the railroad at forty cents a day ;
You can make more money a-working in the hay.
235
The Little Red Caboose Behind the Tr.aix
The only other report that T have found of this railroad man's
song is in the checklist of the Archive of .American \'\>\k ."^ong-,
which reports a record of it made in California.
'Little Red Caboose Behind the Train.' From the John Burcli Blaylock
Collection.
264 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 Now I am a jolly railroad man and braking is my trade;
I work upon the road both day and night,
Turning switches, and making flies, as along the road we
And see thai all the train is made up right.
^Ve are always ready when we are called to go.
It's whether in the sunshine or the rain.
And a jolly crew you'll always find if you will go and see
In the little red caboose behind the train.
Chorus:
Then here's luck to all the boys that will ride upon the
cars,
May happiness to them always remain ;
The angels, they will watch o'er them when they lie
down to sleep
In that little red caboose behind the train.
2 We hang a red light on each side, another on behind,
As the day goes by and night comes stealing on.
And the boy that rides ahead, you bet, he keeps it in his
mind
That all the train is coming along.
And when we're near the station, we're startled from our
thoughts
By the sound of the whistle's piercing scream ;
We skin out on the hurricane deck while the curve winds
up the wheel
Of the little red caboose behind the train.
236
Reuben's Train
R. W. Gordon, Nczv York Times Magazine, January i, 1928,
prints a mountain banjo song, 'Old Reuben,' with stanzas cor-
responding to stanzas i and 2 of B and agreeing on Reuben's fond-
ness for licjuor and his consequent difticulties as a railroad man.
And R. D. Bass, JAFL xliv 431, prints a stanza as sung by Negroes
in South Carolina in 1905.
'Reuben's Train.' Coninninicatcd I)y Arthur Moore, Lenoir, Caldwell
county. With the tune. Tliere is also a recording of it from the sing-
ing of Mrs. Manassa Wiseman of Avery county, but I have not seen
her text.
I ^'ou (JUght to be in town
W hen Reuben's train went down ;
\i)\\ could hear the whistle blow a hundred miles.
\V () K K SONGS 265
Chorus:
A luiiidrt'd miles, a luuulrcd miles.
A hundred miles from my home.
\\)u could hear the whistle hlow a hundred miles.
2 Old Keuhen made a train
And he ])ut it on the track.
For 1 heard the whistle hlow a hundred mile.s.
3 The train is off the track
And 1 can't "et it hack.
And I'll sidetrack mv train and yo home.
B
'Old Rcul)en.' Obtained from Cousor, Bishopvillo, South Carolina.
1 Ole Reuhen. he got drunk
An' he pawned his watch and trunk.
O Reuh. Reu-eu-euhen,
Dat you. Reuhen ? I doan know.
2 When you hear dat whistle hlow, l)low'.
( )ne hundred miles helow,
O Reuh, Reu-eu-euhen.
Dat you, Reuhen? 1 doan know.
3 Ole Reuhen went to town
An' he drank that licker down.
O Reuh. Reu-eu-euben,
Dat you, Reuben? I dt)an know.
4 Den for she you'll know-
Old Reuben's gone to Mexico.
O Reub, Reu-eu-euben,
Dat you, Reuben? I doan know.
5 Ole Reuben made a train
An' he put it on de track.
O you Reuben-eu-Reuben.
Dat you. Reuben ? I doan know.
6 Oh, Reuben had a train.
It run from Boston to Maine.
Hear dat whistle blow one hundred miles below,
O Reub-Reu-eu-euhen.
7 An' ole Reuben wrecked dc train.
An" he never did get back.
( ) Reub. Reu-eu-euben,
Dat you, Reuben? I doan know.
266 north carolina folklore
If the Seaboard Train Wrecks 1 Got a Mule to Ride
This fragment is a rather incongruous combination of a vivid
bit of a spiritual and a couplet from a railroad song. For the for-
mer see ANFS "j}, and the references there given and add Tennessee
(JAFL XXVII 261), South Carolina (JAFL xxvii 251), and Work's
American Xcgro Songs (1940 edition) iii antl 133. For the latter
see ANFS 306-7 and 354.
'If the Seaboard Train Wrecks I Got a Mule to Ride.' Obtained from
a Duke University student, Fairley. No date on the manuscript.
1 Yoii better mind, sister, how yuii step on the cross.
Your right toot will slip and your soul will be lost.
2 If that Seaboard train don't wreck on the road,
I'm Alabama bound, Alabama bound.
238
Seaboard Air Line
A fragment of railroad song. Not found elsewhere.
'Seaboard Air Line.' Contributed by Lucille Cheek of Chatham county
in 1923 as "sung by W. F. C. boys to the tune of 'Sweet Adeline.' "
Seaboard Air Line
Never on time ;
At half-past nine
Your headlight shines ;
In all my dreams
Your whistle screams ;
You are the idol of my heart,
Seaboard Air Line.
239
A Southern Jack
A work song of firemen on a locomotive; the "iack" is the engine
See ANFS 280.
'A Soutliern Jack." ContrilnUed in 1919 by W. T. Huckal)ee, jr., with
the notation that lie licard it in All)emarle, Stanly county.
I got a southern jack,
1 got a southern jack.
b'irst thing yi^ do shovel in the coal.
Next thing yi^ do watcli the drivers roll.
I got a southern jack.
1 got a southern jack ;
All aboard on the southern jack!
' So tlR- mamiscrii)!. Is it intended to represent the Negro's pronunci-
atii)ii of "I" nr is it for "ye," i.e., "you"?
W O K K S O N G S 267
240
1 I'kKN" a M INKR
From Miss Jewell Robhins, Pckiii, Montgomery county (later Mrs
C. P. Perdue), witii iihonograpli recordinjj; ; c. 1921-24; described as ;i
"Negro halloa." Cf. "John Henry.' \'ol. II. No. 270.
1 I been a miner all n' my life.
Never lost uothin' ])ut a l)arl(i\\t' knife'
2 \V\f^ John llemy, lii*^ John lienrv.
Hig John Hemy. po(jr hoy hlind.
241
Some of These D.ws .\nd It Won't Be Lo.ng
A
From Mrs. [O. L.?] Coffey. ShuII's \Iills. Watauga county; undated.
Dr. White comments : "This is a gang work-song, probably Negro. A
little unusual from Mrs. Coffey of Shull's Mills." Cf. NWS 139.
1 O some of the.se days and it won't be long
You'll call my name and I'll he gone.
Chorus:
On. boys, don't roll so slow.
When the sun goes down you'll roll no more.
2 I wish to the Lord the train would come
For to carry me hack where I came from.
3 I wish I was a rich man son.
I'd stand on the hanks and see the work [done?]
4 But as it is I am a poor man son ;
I'll wait in the cut till the pay train comes.
5 Oh. the pay train time come and time gone.
Poor me here for to weep and to moan.
6 0 when I was sick and in my bed
I had my diney fDinali?] for to hold my head.
7 Roll on, boys, and make yom- time.
For the day will come and I'll make mine.
Roll, roll, boys.
B
From Howell J. Hatcher. Trinity College student. December 5. 1919,
with music and note : "Sung by Negro worker on farm." As in Wliite
ANFS 258 (without music).
Some of these days and it won't be long
You're gona call me and I'll be gone.
^ "Barlowe knife" — a cheap pocket knife, of a sort once conimoii in the
South.
268 N O R T II C A R 0 L 1 N A FOLKLORE
242
I Aix't A-Gonxa Work a No j\1o' !
I->oni J. I). Johnson, Jr., of Garland, Sampson county, December 1919;
witli note: "Sung to banjo by old Negro in eastern North Carolina."
As in White ANFS 294 (without music).
I aint a gonna work a no mo' !
I aint a gonna work a no mo' !
Done an' work-ed 'till my hands got sore.
1 aint a gonna work a no mo' !
243
Roll Down Dem Bales o' Cotton
From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P.
Perdue), with recording, c. 1925.
Roll down dem bales o' cotton.
Roll down dem bales o' cotton,
Roll down dem bales o' cotton ;
I ain't sfot lonc" to stay here now.
244
I Wish My Captain Would Go Blind
From Thomas Litaker, Trinity College student (in 1922 and 1926) from
Concord, Cabarrus county, with music and note: "Heard in Cabarrus
County, N. C." As in White ANFS 258 (without music).
1 wish my captain would go blind.
Wouldn't go to work till half past nine.
245
Lavender Girl
This is the first stanza of the once-popular sonj^ 'Lavender Girl.'
to be found in a well-known songliook of a hundred years ago,
The I'orgct-Mc-Xot Songster, and doubtless elsewhere. Our text
differs .scarcely at all from that of the songbook.
No title. Contributed by Mrs. R. D. Blacknall of Durham as one of
several "old songs of my mother's. . . . She sang them, to my knowl-
edge, since 1862."
When the sun climbs over the hills
And the skylark sings so merrily,
Tlien I my^httle basket till
And trudge away to the village cheerily.
Light my burden, light my heart ;
W OK K S () N C S 269
Nought care 1 for Cupid's darl.
I kee]) uiy mother, uiyself, aucl my brother
P)y trudgiug away to sell uiy lavender.
Ladies, try it ! Come and l)u\' it !
Never saw ye nicer lavender.
Ladies, buy it. try it. buy it!
Come. come, and bu\' mv lavender.
246
Run Here, Doctor. Run Here Quick
Reported as Negro song from North Carolina (ANFS 279),
South Carolina (JAFL xliv 426). and with some alteration as a
rope-skipping rhyme from Massachusetts (JAFL lii 305) and a
Negro song from Virginia (TNFS 151). In the form given below
it is a work song; the "huh" is a grunt of physical effort.
'Run Here. Doctor.' Contributed I)y Dr. N. I. White in 1922 vvitli the
notation: "First heard about 1908."
Run here, doctor (hub)
Run here quick; (huh)
Little Mary (huh)
Swallowed a stick, (bub)
247
The Washtub Bfates
This simple but poignant little song is the humble lyrical ecjuiva-
lent of Pearl Buck's story The frill.
'The Washtub Blues.' Obtained by Julian P. Boyd from one of his
pupils in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county, in 1927.
1 I washed dat woman's clo'es
And I hung 'em on de line.
My back most a-breakin',
I's a-burtin' all de time.
2 And when I got 'em finished
I tuck 'em to her do'.
She fussed and she raved
And .she flinig 'em on de flo'.
3 Ob, Lordy, lissen heab,
Lm mighty weak !
You'll have to come right near,
'Cause I ffot de washtub blues!
VIII
FOLK LYRIC
BESIDES BALLADS, which tell a story, and the several sorts
of songs dealt with in sections LVIL there is in our collection,
as in folk songs generally, a large body of songs that may con-
veniently be called folk lyric. They deal most often — not always —
with some aspect of love between the sexes. But they tell no story.
Indeed, they often have no definite theme; they are medleys, incon-
sequent, and their component stanzas interchange freely from song
to song. They are made up of images, figures, fancies strung to-
gether on a tune or a mood, and even the mood is likely to change
within the limits of a single text. Certain images are especially
beloved: the call of the cuckoo, the castle (or cabin) on the moun-
tain top, the whistle of a distant train, the turtle dove flitting from
pine to pine mourning for its true love, chickens crowing on Sour-
wood Mountain, the willow tree, the leaves that wither, flowers
that fade, the love letter, the "who will shoe your little foot, and
who will glove your hand" of 'The Lass of Roch Royal,' and others.
Some of the songs seem to be as completely stream-of -consciousness
stuff as Tristram Shandy or Ulysses. Of these it might be said with
more plausibility than of any other form of folk song that das Volk
dichtct. The images sometimes go far back in English folk song,
sometimes, as in ".Sourwood ^Mountain,' seem to be original in the
.Southern mountains.
Along with the older and more authentic folk lyric exist many
songs and bits of song that were originally popular sentimental
ditties but have been passed from mouth to mouth so long that
they have become folk song of a sort. Some of them are by known
authors, some are relics of the minstrel stage. An attempt has
been made here to pick out those that have acquired something like
folk currency, relegating the others to a list in the appendix.
The humorous songs included in this division are generally of
less interest than the love songs. Some are from the minstrel or
vaudeville stage, some arc familiar as college songs, some are rig-
mar(jles or nonsense songs. But even in the field of humor the
best pieces, and proi)ably the oldest, deal with the j)erennial prob-
lems of the relations between the sexes: 'The Lords of Creation'
tells how and wliy the women will always control the men, in 'I
Love Little Willie' a girl demurely relates the stages of her sue-
F () 1. K 1. V K 1 C 271
ces^ful intrii,nie, and ''VUv I'oor Manifd Man" (k->cril)e> liis miser-
able plij^lit. But none of tlieni is comparable in worth as folk
sonjj with such songs as "'riie Inconstant Lover' or 'The Wagoner's
Lad' or "Little Sparrow' or "Sourwood Mountain.'
248
TiiK Inconstant Loner
Of the many folk lyrics, or fragments of folk lyric, on this
theme, it is convenient to assemble some under this title. They are
linked together by the recurrence of certain images, motives — which,
however, may also appear in fairly fixed connection with other
motives and images and are accordingly, in that case, presented m
this volume under other titles. See BS.M 473-4. and add to the
references there given X'irginia (FSV 82-3), Arkansas (OLS i
270-1), Missouri (OFS i 271-2). Indiana (BSI 346-7, SFLQ iii
204-5), and Wisconsin (JAFL lii io-i, from Kentucky). It per-
haps goes back to the Scottish 'The Poor Stranger' (Christie 11
220-1), of which according to Kittredge (JAFL xxx 346) Pitts
printed a London broadside in the last century. In this country
it frequently blends with or takes up stanzas from 'The Cuckoo' (as
in stanza 4 of A and stanza i of E in our texts). Our E is very
close to Cox's 'A Warning to Girls' ( FSmW\' 37-8)- See also
'Prettv Saro' and 'Old Smoky,' below.
'Forsaken Lover.' Reported liy Mrs. Sutton, who does not give the
name of her informant or the date and place, but notes : "I was so thank-
ful for this show of spirit in one of the mournful ballads that 1 told the
old lady I liked it best of all her songs. I asked her what 'unconscious
lover" meant. She said, "A man that don't have no conscience, and
the most of 'em don't.' "
1 ril take off this black dress. I'll ptit on the green;
For I am for.saken. and I'm only nineteen.
2 Oh. meeting is a pleasure, and parting is grief.
An unconscious lover is worse than a thief.
3 He'll court vou. and kiss you, and get your heart warm;
As .soon as your back's turned he'll laugh you to scorn.
. 4 A sparrow's a pretty bird, she sings as she flies.
She brings vou good tidings and tells you no lies.
5 I^'orsaken. forsaken, forsaken am I,
lUit he's shore mistaken if he thinks I will cry.
'Going to Georgia.' From tlie manuscript book of songs of Miss Edith
Walker of Boone, Watauga county. Xot dated.
N.C.F.. Vnl. TIT. (20)
■2~2 NORTH C A R (J L 1 \ A F (J I. K L 0 R K
1 I'm going to Georgia. I'm going to roam,
I'm going to Georgia to make it my home.
2 Young ladies, take warning, take warning by me,
]3un't never put dependence in a green growing tree.
3 The k-aves they will wither, the flowers they will die ;
A voung man will f(jol you, like one has fooled I.
4 They'll hug you and kiss you and tell you more lies
Than the leaves on the timber and the stars in the skies.
5 My father is a drunkard, my mother is dead,
l\lv husband's off gambling; Lord, I wish I was dead.
6 Your grave it will moulder and turn into dust.
There's not one in twenty a poor girl can trust.
c
*
'YouiiK Girls, Take Warning.' Secured from Mrs. Loraine Iseley
Pridgen of Durham in 1923.
1 Young girls, take warning, take warning from me ;
Don't put your dependence in a green growing tree.
2 For the leaves they will wither, the roots they will die ;
The young boys will leave you, 'cause one has left 1.
3 They will hug you, they will kiss you, they will tell you
more lies
Than cross ties on railroads and stars in the skies.
4 I once had a lover as dear as my life.
And oft did he promise for to make me his wife.
5 I left my poor daddy against his commands,
I left my poor mother a-wringing her hands.
6 And now I'm unhappy, I am sick on my bed;
My husband's off' gambling ; Lord, 1 wish 1 was dead.
7 I'm going away to Georgia. I am going away to roam,
Lm going away to Georgia for to make it my home.
'We Loved, but We Parted.' Reported by A. C. Jordan of Durham as
received from his brother, who said that "as a small hoy out in Orange
county, Nortli Carolina, he lieard the song sung i)y an old Negri), June
Vaniiook, and later by neiglil)orh(K)d iioys who played the banjo." The
first three stanzas lielong ratlier with 'We Have Met and We Have
Parted,' and tlie fiftii to another folk lyric, 'Poor Stranger a Thousand
Miles from Home' (HSM 487); hut the fourtli stanza is a persistent
fe;itin'e of "Tiie Inconstant Lover.'
Folk i. n k i f 273
1 We l(i\(.'(l, hut \\c ])arU'(l ; wIkmi sIk' said iijoodhyc
She swore that she h)\v(\ me until she would die.
2 Then you came aloiiii", while 1 was away.
She went and f(jroot me. just like folks all say.
3 Now you think she lo\-es you. Dut just wait and see;
I'^or she will forget you like she forgot me.
4 She'll hug you. she'll kiss \-ou. she'll tell you more lies
'idian the cross-ties on the railroad or the stars in the skies.
5 ( io huild nie a log cabin on the motnitain so high.
\\ here the wikl goose can't hnd me nor hear mv ]M)or cry.
'Cuckoo Is a Pretty Little Bird.' From the Joliii Ikirch Blaylock Col-
lection, made in Caswell and adjoining counties in the years 1927-32.
Here, for tlie first time in our collection, the cuckoo stanza appears in its
normal form. For stanza 6 see BSM 487 and 488. and compare stanza
5 of version D above. With stanza 5 compare 'Seven Long Years Lve
Been Married,' p. 56, and with stanza 4 'Troubled in Mind,' ji. 344.
1 Cuckoo is a i)retty bird.
She sings as she flies.
She'll bring you good tidings.
She'll tell you no lies.
2 I once loved a fond young man
As dear as my life,
And ofttimes he'd promise
To make me his wife.
3 He fulfilled his promise ;
He made me his wife.
Now see what I've come to
By changing my life.
4 It's trouble, it's trouble.
It's trouble on my mind ;
If trouble don't kill me
I'll sure live a long time.
5 My children are crying.
They're crying for bread.
My husband's off gambling —
Lord. I wish I was dead.
6 ril build me a castle
Un the mountain so high
Where the dear Lord can see me
And hear my poor cry.
274 N' () R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
7 Vount;- ladies, young ladies,
Take warning from me;
Never put your dependence
In a green growing tree.
8 h'or the leaves they will wither,
The roots they will die.
A young man will fool you.
For one has fooled I.
I'm going to (leorgia,
I'm going to Rome,
I'm going to Georgia
And call it my home.
'Little Sparrow.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton as a fragment of the song
so called, but it belongs rather to The Inconstant Lover.'
1 Young woman, young woman, take warning from me.
Don't put your affections on no green growing tree.
2 He'll swear that he loves you, he'll tell you more lies
Than there's ties on the railroad and stars in the skies.
249
The Turtle-Dove
The turtle-dove is a recurrent figure in the folk lyric of love
and has been for a long time. In England it appears in a ballad of
the seventeenth century {Roxhurghc Ballads vii ^22) and in our
own time in Sussex (JFSS iv 286-90) and in Dorset (JFSS iii
86-8) ; Scotland has a song (Christie 11 164-5) containing not only
this but many of the other elements of traditional love lyric cur-
rent in the United States; in this country it appears in songs from
Virginia (SharpK 11 T16, SCSM 316), North Carolina (SharpK
II 113-14), and Missouri (BSM 479, 481. 482, 486), and doubtless
elsewhere. Mrs. Steely reports it from the Ebenezer connnunity
in Wake county. Our text contains another element of folk lyric,
that of going up on a mountain; see 'Old .Smoky' and 'The Incon-
stant Lover' in this volume and B.SM 487.
'Little Turtle Dove.' As sung by Letch Reynolds, in Sandy Mush
township. Buncombe county ; not dated.
I poor little turtle dove
A-sitting in the i)inc'
]\Iotu"ning for its own true love;
And whv not me for nune-oh-mine,
And \\\\\ not nic for mine?
V () 1. K I. V K I C 275
I'm nut t;ninj4 to mai"r\- in the spring ol the year,
I'll marry in the fall.
I'm going to marry a i)rctty little girl
Who wears a dollar shaw l-a-shawl.
\\ ho wears a dollar shawl.
I'm not going to marry in the tall ol the year,
I'll marry in the spring.
I'm going to marry a pretty little girl
Who wears a silver ring-a-ring,
Who wears a silver ring.
1 went up on the mountain
To get a turn of corn;
The squirrel curled his tail around
And the possum hroke his horn-a-horn.
And the possum hroke his horn.
I went up on the mountain
To give my horn a l)low ;
Away down in the valley
1 heard a chicken crow-a-crow,
1 heard a chicken crow.
Hogs in the pen
And corn to feed them on ;
And all I want is a pretty little girl
To feed 'em when I'm gone-a-gone,
To feed 'em when I'm gone.
250
Thk Wagoner's L.\d
Tliis is one of those folk lyrics of unliappy love that are of
uncertain content, taking: up or slou.trhing: ott plu'ases and inia.s:es
as thev pass through the minds and feelings of singers. The core
of it. 'in so far as it has one, is the lovelorn girl trying to prevent
the wagoner lad from leaving lier. It slips almost unnoticed into
another (if it really is another) often called 'Old Smoky.' .\nd
like "Old Smoky' it' belongs to tlie soutliern Appalacliians and to
the days of what Winston Churchill called "The Crossing," the
time of freighting over the mountain passes to the newer country in
the West. It is known in Virginia ( SharpK 11 127. SCSM 2-y;,
FSV 83-5), Kentuckv (JAFL xx 268-9, LT 64, SharpK 11 124-5,
BKH i\g-20, Shearin's svllabus), Tennessee (ETWVMB 37,
SharpK 11 125-6. 127. and' a trace of it in JAFL xlii 292-3).
Nordi Carolina (JAFL xxviii 159. xi.v 108-10, SharpK 11 123-4.
126-7, SCSM 277-9. FSSH 279-80. SSS.\ 2-3. 18-9), Georgia
(FSSH 280-1. IA1'"L XI. V iio-TT). and Indiana (SMAJ iii 212-13.
276 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
215-16). There is a trace of it reported from Mississippi (JAFL
XXIX 148), another from Arkansas (OFS iv 216), another from
Iowa (jMAFLS XXIX 49), and another from Nova Scotia (BSSNS
138). ]Mrs. Steely found it in the Ehenezer community in Wake
county. I have found no trace of it in the New En.^^land states;
its appearance in Indiana tradition is intelli.c^ihle enough if we
rememher that that state was in great part settled from the South.
There are three texts of it and three fragments that may be
assigned to it in the Brown Collection, besides an Ediphone record.
A
'W'agoner's Lad.' Contributed Iw I. G. Greer of Boone, Watauga
county, about 1916.
1 I'm but a poor ori)han, my fortune's been bad;
I've a long time been courted by a wagoner's lad.
He courted me truly by night and by day ;
But now he is loaded and going away.
2 'Your horses are hungry, go give them some bay ;
Come sit down beside me, darling, as long as you stay."
'My horses aren't htmgry, nor they won't eat your hay.
So fare you well, darling, I've no time to stay.'
3 He mounted his horses and away he did ride
And left the girl weeping on New River side.
But when he returned, she crowned him with joy
And kissed the sweet lips of the wagoner boy.
4 'I can love yott right lightly, or I can love long;
I can love an old sweetheart till a new one comes on,
I can hug him and kiss him and keep him with ease,
Then turn my back on him and court who I please.
5 'So hard is the fortune of poor woman-kind!
They're always controlled and they're always confined.
Controlled by their parents until they're made wives.
Then slaves for their husbands the rest of their lives.
6 'Young ladies, young ladies, take warning from me,
Never cast your affection on a young man so free.
He will hug you and kiss you and tell you more lies
Than the leaves on the green trees or stars in the skies.'
B
'Tile Wagoner Lad." Reported by Mrs. Sutton from tbe singing of
Myra Barnc-tt (.Miller), who lived as a nurse with the Minish family
in Mrs. Sutton's cbildhood and from wboni Mrs. Sutton (then Maude
Minish) first beard many of tlie ballads wbicb slie was afterwards to
report for tbe Brown Collection. \h\t she heard it also from many others.
"1 have variants <if 'The Wagoner's Lad.'" she writes, "from Cald-
well, Mitclirll, ^';uK•ev. and Ibnu-ouibe countit-s. I collected it once on
FOLK L V K 1 C 2/7
Toe River." Of Myra Barnett she writes: "Myra, like every ballad
singer I've seen, was convinced of the perfidy of men. Trnth and de-
votion were not to be found in the masculine gender, according to
Myra's attitude and songs." But this is of course merely the traditional
tone of the folk lyric. Mrs. Sutton's report of Myra's version exists
in the manuscripts of the Collection in two forms, which differ slightly
but significantly: botli arc therefore given. The last two lines of stanza
I are no doubt a refrain, to be repeated after each stanza.
1 'Go away from me, Willie, and leave me alone ;
For I am a poor girl and a long way from home.
Oh yes, I'm a poor girl, my fortune'.s been bad;
I've a long time been courted by a wagoner lad.
He courted me duly, by night and by day.
And now he is loaded and a-going away.
2 'Your horses are hungry, go feed them some hay.
Come sit you down by rne as long as you stay.'
'yiy horses ain't hungry; they won't eat your hay,
So fare you well, darling. I'm a-going away.'
3 'Your horse is to saddle, your wagon's to grease.
Come sit you down by me as long as you please.'
'My horse it is saddled, my whip's in my hand ;
So fare you well, darling, I've no time to stand.
4 'Your parents don't like me because I am poor;
They say I'm not worthy to enter your door.
Some day they will rue it, and rue it in vain.
For love is a killing and tormenting pain.
5 'I can love little, or I can love long.
I can love my old sweetheart till a new comes along.
I can hug her and kiss her and prove to her kind ;
I can turn my back on her and also my mind.'
(1))
1 'Go away from me. Willy, and let me alone.
For I am a poor girl and a long way from home.
Oh yes, I'm a poor girl, my fortune's l)een bad.
I have a long time been courted by a wagoner lad.
He courted me duly, by night and by day,
And now he's a-loadin' and a-goin" away !
2 'Your horses is hungry, go feed them some hay.
Come set you down by me as long as you sta}.'
'My horses ain't hungry, they won't eat your hay.
So fare you well, darlin'. I'm goin' away.
I courted you duly, by night and by day.
But now I am loaded and a-goin' away.'
278 N O R T H C A K 0 L I N A FOLKLORE
3 His wagon is loaded and stands in the road.
He leaves poor Nelly a-totin' a load.
So come, all young ladies, if you wouldn't be sad,
Avoid the attentions of a wagoner's lad.
They'll court you all duly by night and by day.
And then the\- will leave you and go far away.
c
'My Horses Ain't Hungry.' Secured in 1939 from the manuscripts of
G. S. Robinson of Asheville. Not strictly a North Carolina version,
since it was taken down in Pulaski county, Kentucky ; but it represents
a southern Appalachian tradition.
1 'Oh. my horses ain't hungry, they won't eat your hay.
I'll hitch up my horses and drive right away.
Your mama and papa they think I'm too poor.
So I'll hitch up my horses and drive from your door.'
2 'Oh, Johnnie, sweet Johnnie, ye know that I care;
I'd drive right away with ye now if I'd dare.
My mama and pai)a thev want me to home.
But I love ye, sweet Johnnie, and with ye I'll roam.'
3 'Your mama and papa and family. I'm told.
Say all I be wantin' is part of your gold.
But Polly, sweet Polly, oh. how can ye stay
With my horses hitched uj^ and I'm a-going away?'
4 'Oh, I hate to leave mama, she treats me so kind.
But I do love ye so. darling Johnnie of mine !
Ye must tell me, my darling, if with ye I roam.
That deep in your heart I'll always be home.
5 So goodbye, dear mama, we're leavin' today.
We'll drive along southward, and feed on the way :
'Cause young love is hap])ier far than old.
And that's all our story we care to be told.'
n
'Pretty Mary.' From Mamie Mansfield of tiie I'^owler Scliool District,
in Durham county, in 1922. Like so many folk love lyrics it is a com-
posite of divers simples, but may he reckoned with 'The Wagoner's Lad'
in- virtue nf its last stanza. See 'Trouliled Mind,' \). 344 below.
1 'Ih-etty Alary, pretty Mary, do yoti think it's luikind
l'"or me to come to see you and tell you niv mind?
My mind is for to marry and never UKjre part,
For the first time 1 saw you you broken my heart.
I'll go 'way to the mountain, to the mountain so high;
I'll send \-ou a letter as the wild geese go bv.'
r () I. K I, V R 1 c 279
Chorus:
1 am trouljk'd. 1 am troubled. J am troubled in mind.
And if trouble don't kill me I'll live a long time.
"Take out your horses and ivv<\ them some haw
And sit down beside me as long as vou mav.'
'My horses are not hungry, and they won't eat your hay.
I'll drive on a little further and feed on the wav."
'Poor Johnny.' Tliis and the following fragment clearly belong with the
first stanza of D, though they lack any direct connection with 'The
Wagoner's Lad.' The present fragment was reported by Mrs. Sutton,
without date, as a "dance song, with banjo," from the performance of
Silas Ruchanan of Horse Creek, Ashe ct)unty. She conmients : "This
tune is marvelously infectious. We 'ran a reel' to it tonight, at Silas
Buchanan's. One call was particularly funny. "Ca-se the bird,' called
out the leader. Three of us caught hands, leaving the fourth member
in the center. 'Red bird out and buzzard in' was the next command,
and the lady came out of the ring while her partner took her place.
Silas doesn't want the school authorities to know that he sanctions
dancing. 'I let the young folks play a little when the boys come down
the creek,' he said, 'but they don't do no round dancin'.' "
Poor Johnny, poor johnny, would you think it unkind
Fur me to sit down beside you and tell you m\- mind?
My mind is to marry and never to part :
Fur the first time I saw you, you wounded m\- heart.
F
'Lovely Emma.' Contributed by Elsie Doxey of Currituck county, but
with the notation that it came from western North Carolina. Its rela-
tion to 1) and E is obvious. It might perhaps as well be thought of as
part of 'Pretty Polly' (i.e., 'The Gosport Tragedy'), for a Tennessee
text of that ballad (ETWV.MB 74) begins with the same stanza except
that the name there is Polly instead of Emma.
Lovely Fmma. sweet Fmma, would you think it unkind
If I were to sit by yf)U and tell you my mind?
My mind is to marry and never to part ;
The first time I saw you you wounded mv heart.
Clwnts:
Oh, her breath smells as sweet as the dew on the vine.
God bless vou, lo\elv ICmma, I wish vou were mine.
251
Soi^RWOOI) MoU.XT.MN
A great favorite in the Southern mountains, 'i'exts have been
reported from Virj,nnia (AMS 89, FSSH 400. FSV 246). Ken-
tucky (Shcarin 38, LT ot-.^, RKH 170-1. SharpK 11 ,^0. .ASh 125,
28o NORTH CAROLINA F O L K L 0 R p:
320-1. DD 1 14-15). Tennessee (FSSH 401, ETWVMB n). North
Carolina (JAFL xxii 249, xliv 85, FSSH 399), Georgia (SharpK
II 305), and Missouri (OFS iii 155-/). Commonly it is a dance
or play-party song (Thomas Smith calls his version a jig), but
it may be just a song. Texts vary considerably, and so does the
refrain; Miss Bascom (version C) remarks that the variation in
the refrain lines is due to the individual singer's attempt to imitate
his banjo. Mrs. Richardson (AMS 117) says that Sourwood
Mountain is a spur of Sandy Ridge in Russell county. Virginia,
but there are other mountains of the same name, taken from the
sourwood brush (the sourwood is the sorrel tree, Oxydcndroti
(trborciiiii, common in the Alleghanies ).
A
'Sourwood Mountain." From I. G. Greer, Boone. Watauga county, in
1922. With the tune. Greer's text exists in the Collection in two
forms, the first of which, a manuscript in Dr. Brown's hand, runs as
follows :
1 I've got a girl in the Sourwood nu)untains ;
She's gone cripple an' blin'.
She's broke the heart of many a pore feller
But she ain't broken this'n o" mine.
2 I've got a girl in the bend o' the river,
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
A hop and a jump and I'll be with her,
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
3 I've got a love in tiie Buffalo holler.
Tink-tank-toodle all the da}-.
She wouldn't come an' it's I won't call her.
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
4 Now my love w-ent a-floatin' down the river,
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
If I had my boat I'd 'a' went with her,
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
5 An old grey goose went a-swimmin' down the river,
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
If I was a gander I'd a went with her.
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
6 l')ig dog bark, little dog bile you.
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
P>ig girl court and little girl slight you,
Tink-tank-tondU- all the dav.
7 1 got a girl in the head of the holler.
Tink-tank-toodle all the dav.
FOLK LYRIC 281
SIh' Wdii'l come and 1 won't foller,
'l"ink-tank-t(i(i(llr all llic day.
8 She sits up with old Si 1 lall.
Tink-tank-toodlc all the da\-.
Me and Jeff can't go there at all.
'J'ink-tank-toodle all the day.
9 Some of these days he fore verv lon^
'I'ink-tank-toodle all the day.
I'll i^et that girl and a-honie I'll run
Tink-tank-toodle all the day.
Greer'.s other text differs sliglitly in the refrain hne. which liere rnns :
'He-tink-toodle all the day," by having a stanza marked "chorus" :
I've got a gal in the Sourwood Motintain
He-tink-toodle all the day
I've got a gal in the Sourwood Mountain
He-tink-toodle all the day,
and hy tlie introduction of a stanza (the tliird) not in tlie other version:
Get your dog and your old gun,
He-tink-toodle all the day
Let's go a-huntin' and have a little fun.
He-tink-toodle all the day,
and by having as its seventh stanza the first stanza of Smith's version ( B.
l)elo\v). (Otherwise its stanzas correspond ( witli the difference in the
refrain line noted above and with "Buffalo Holler" in place of "the
head of tlie holler") with those of the first version, but in a different
order; using the order of the first version, this version consists of
stanzas i, 7 (its third stanza is given above), 5, 4, 9, 7 (stanza 8 of the
first version does not appear ) .
B
'Sourwood Mountain.' Contributed, probalily in 191 5, by Thomas Smitli
of ZionviJie, Watauga county, with the notation that "the above jig has
been sung and played as far back as tiie oldest person of this place can
rememl)er." W'itii tiie tune, as sung by Mrs. Joseph Miller.
1 Chickens are crowing in the Sourwood Mountains.
Chickens are crowing for day.
Chickens are crowing in the Sourwood Mountains,
( )h fod da link a day.
2 I have a love in the Sourwood Mountain,
Oh fod da link a day.
I have a love in the Sourwood Mountain,
r)h fod da link a day.
282 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 She won't come and 1 won't call her.
Oh fod da link a day.
She won't come and 1 won't call her,
Oh fod da link a day.
4 Wake up. Sam. and let's go a-hunting.
Oh fod da link a day.
Wake up, Sam. and let's go a-hunting,
Oh fod da link a day.
5 Way o\er in the Ikickeye hollow.
Oh fod da link a day.
Way over in the P)Uckeye hollow,
Oh fod da link a day.
'Sourvvood Mountain.' The Collection has two texts contributed by
Louise Rand Bascom. In her 1909 paper on North Carolina balbds
(J.'\FL x.xii 238-50) she speaks of 'Sourwood Mountain' as a ballad
she would like to get but of which she knows only one stanza ( which
is the first stanza of A). Later, evidently, she secured the two texts
in our collection. The first of these corresponds to the first five stanzas
of -A except for a somewhat different refrain line: 'Taddle-tink-tank-
toodle all the day.' The other is also of five stanzas, the first three of
which correspond to stanzas i, 5, 7 of .\ (with a slightly different
refrain line) and tlie other two are
4 A i)retty little girl went a-floating down the river.
Fol-tom-tollie-tum all the day,
Ef I could a swum I'd a went with her,
Fol-tom-tollie-tum all the day.
5 The chickens is a-crowin' in the sourwood holler,
Fol-tom-tollie-tum all the day,
Ef ye don't helieve it, Fll het yon ri dollar,
Fol-tom-tollie-tum all the da v.
'Sourwood Mountain.' Contributed by J. E. Massey of Klon College,
Caswell county, apparently in 191 7.
1 Chicken crowing on .Sourwood Mounlaiii,
Hey ho diddle dum day
(jet your dogs and we'll go a-luuuing,
lley ho diddle dum di-ay.
2 My true lo\e she lives in Letcher,
Hey ho diddle dum dav
She won't come and 1 won't fetch her.
Hev ho diddle dum di-ay.
r () I. K I, ^■ R 1 c 283
3 Big doi^- bark and little one bite you,
Hey ho diddle duni day
llii^ girl'll court and little one slight you,
1 ley ho diddle duni di-ay.
4 My true love lives up the river.
Hev ho diddle duni day
A few more jum])s and I'll be with her,
Hey ho diddle duni di-ay.
E
'Sour wood Mountain.' Reported hy Mrs. Sutton, apparently in 191 6 or
1917. She says: "Its rhythm is irresistible. The words cannot be
applied to the tune by anybody but a mountaineer. I heard it first at
a dance given for the drafted men who were leaving Xewland [Avery
county] for Camp Jackson." She gives only three stanzas.
1 Chicken crowin' on Sourwood Mountain,
Yoy ho diddle dum day
Git your dogs and we'll go a-huntin',
Yuly ho diddle dum day.
2 .Mv little gal's a blue-eyed daisy,
Yoy ho diddle dum day
If I don't git her I'll go crazy,
Yoy ho diddle dum day.
3 Big dog bark and little dog bite ye,
Yov ho diddle dum day
Big girl coiu-t and little girl slight ye,
Yoy ho diddle dum day.
F
'Sourwood Mountain.' Contrilnited by Otis Kuykendall of Aslievillc
in 1939. The refrain line here is entirely different.
1 I've got a girl in Sourwood Mountain,
She's both crippled and blind.
She's broke the heart of many a poor boy.
But she can't break the heart of mine.
Chorus:
Chickens a-crowing in the Sourwood Mountain,
Tell my honey she had better get away.
Chickens a-crowing in the Sourwood Mountain.
Tell my honey it's not long till day.
2 Jav bird a-sitting on a hickory limb.
Tell my honey she had better get away,
Mv big rifle will sure get him.
Tell mv honey she had better get away.
284 N <» K T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 The big clog bark and the little dog bite you.
Tell my honey she had better get away.
Big girls court you and the little girls slight you,
Tell my honey she had better get away.
G
'Sourwood Mountain.' Contributed by Miss Kate S. Russell of Rox-
boro, Person county, in 1923 or thereabouts. Here again the refrain
line is slightly different from those given before. It runs the same
throughout the song.
1 Chickens crowing on Sourwood Mountain,
Hay ho didyum day.
Get my dog. and I'll go hunting.
Hay ho didyum day.
2 My true love lives up the hollow,
She won't come and I won't follow.
3 My true love is a blue (or black or brown) -eyed daisy;
If she don't come, I'll go crazy.
4 Old man. old man, I want your daughter
To bake my bread, and carry me water.
H
'Chickens A-Cro\ving in the Sourwood Mountains.'^ Reported by Ger-
trude Allen (later Mrs. Vaught) from Oakboro, Stanly county. The
manuscript is in six-line stanzas, pretty certainly wrongly, but the editor
will not undertake to correct the error.
1 Chickens a-crowing in the Sourwood mr)untains.^
Hay oh doodle may day
So many pretty girls I can't count them.
Hay oh doodle may day
They won't come and I won't call them.
Hay oh doodle may day.
2 Old man. old man. I want your daughter,
Hay oh doodle may day
Bake my bread and carry my water.
Hay oh doodle may day
Get your gun and we'll go hunting,
Hay oh doodle may da\-.
I
'Sourwood Mountain.' .X fragment reported by Dr. Brown as follows :
"Tiie lines of Sourwood Mountains arc frc(|uently affected 1)\' local cur-
rent events. For instance, I heard a man witli newly acciuired religion
singing—
^ "Mountains" is written "mounts" in Ijoth i)laccs, doubtless merely a
slip of the pencil.
F 0 I. K 1. N K 1 C 285
The chickc'ncy crow 011 I he Sourwdod .Mountains
You better be gittin' away.
Or the (le\il is sure a-goin' to git you
Long 'tore the Judgement Day."
Not perhaps assignable witli certainty to 'Sourwood ^b)untain'
yet clearly akin to versions G and H above are the following
fragments.
J
'Old .Man, Old Man.' Reixirtcd in July \')22. by Miss Jennie IV-ivin
of Durham.
'Old man, old man, what'll you take for your daughter?'
'Fifteen cents, a dollar an' a cjuarter.
Take her an' go,
And I don't want to catch her in town no more.'
K
'Song.' From Miss Mamie E. Cheek of Durham. No date given.
'( )ld man, old man, I want your daughter.'
'Well, you can have her for a dollar and a (|uarter.'
252
Pretty Saro
A favorite song in the South, and carried thence to the Midwest.
It is reported as traditional song from Virginia (SbarpK 11 12,
SCSM 327-8, FSV 89-90), Kentucky (Shearin 22), North Carolina
(SharpK 11 10, 11, SCSM 327, JAFL xlv i 12-13, FSSH 283),
Georgia (SharpK 11 11-12), Mississippi (FSM 164-5), the Ozarks
(OFS IV 222-4), Indiana (BSI 362), and Iowa (MAFLS .x.xix
106-7). Mrs. Steely found it in the Ebenezer community in Wake
county. The author — if it had one — has not been discovered.
A
'Pretty Saro.' From Miss Pearle Webb, Pineda, Avery county. Not
dated.
I When first to this country a stranger I came,
I placed my affections on a handsome vonng dame.
I looked all around me, and I was alone
And a i)oor stranger and a long way from home.
Chorus:
Oh, Saro, i)retty Saro, I love you, I know,
I love you, pretty Saro, wherever 1 go ;
No tongue can express it, no poet can tell
How trtdy T love you, oh. I love you so well.
286 X 0 K T H C A R 0 L I N A FOLK I, O R E
2 Down in some lonely valley, in some lonely place.
Where the small birds are singing and the notes to
increase
The thoughts of pretty Saro so neat and complete.
I want no h^etter pastime than to be with my sweet.
3 (^h, 1 wish 1 was a poet and could write some tine hand;
I would write my love a letter that she might understand
And send it by the waters where the island overflows.
And think of pretty Saro wherever I go.
4 Mv love she don't love me. as I understand,
She wants some freeholder, and 1 have no land.
Ikit 1 can maintain her with the silver and gold
And all the pretty tine things that mv love's house can
hold.
3
Oh. Saro. pretty Saro. 1 must let you know
How truly I love you — 1 never can. though ;
No tongue can express it. no poet can tell
How truly I love you. I love you so well.
6 It's not the long journey I'm dreading to go
Nor leaving of this country for the debts that I owe;
There is but one thing that troubles my mind.
That's a-leaving jiretty Saro. my true love, behind.
7 Farewell, my dear father, likewise my mother too,
I'm a-going to ramble this country all through.
And when I get tired. I'll sit down and weep
And think of pretty Saro wherever she be.
8 ( )h. 1 wish I was a little dcjve. had wings and could fly.
Straight to my love's bosom this night I'd draw nigh
And in her little small arms all night I would lay
And think of pretty Saro till the dawning of day.
9 I love you, pretty Saro, I lo\e you, I know,
I love you, pretty Saro, wherever I go.
On the banks of the ocean and the mountain's sad brow
I loved you then dearly, and I love you still now.
'Pretty Saro.' KeixDrted by Thomas Sniitli of Zionvillc as sung, in
January 1915, by Mrs. Polly kayfield of Silvt-rstoiK', Watauga county,
who liad heard it sung over fifty years earlier. W'itli tiie tune.
1 I'retty Saro, i)relty .Saro, 1 love you, I know.
1 love vou so dearly 1 never can show.
K () L K I. N' K 1 C 287
J On the banks of dd Cow if. on the hanks nf said hrow,^
1 k)ved yon dearly, and 1 l(i\e Non still now.
j^ Down in some lonely valley, in some lonely place,
1 hear small hirds singing their notes to increase.
4 It makes me think of ]M-etty .Saro, her ways were so
complete.
5 It's iK)t this long jonrney that tronhles my mind.
Nor the country I'm leaving hehin<l.
6 JMy true love won't have me, so 1 understand ;
She wants a freeholder, and 1 have no land.
7 Whenever I get tired 1 set down and weep
And think of pretty Saro wherever 1 he.
253
Old Smoky
In content this Is a combination of 'The Inconstant Lover' and
'The Wagoner's Lad,' with an echo of "Courting Too Slow" in the
opening stanza of A and the eleventh stanza of C. But tlie per-
sistence of the name of the mountain seems to justify treating it
as a distinct song. Like 'Pretty Saro' it belongs to the Southern
mountains but has moved, in one case at least, out to the Midwest.
It is reported as traditional song from Virginia (SCSM 276-7).
Kentuckv (BKH 1 19-20), North Carolina (JAFL xxviii 159. xlv
105-7, SCSM 278-9, SSSA 2-3. FSSH 273-4. BMFSB 28-9).
Georgia (JAFL xlv 105-7, FSSH 275), and Illinois (TSSI 236-8).
A
'Old Smokey.' Obtained from Frank Proftitt of Sugar Grove, Watauga
county, in August 1937.
1 On the top of Old Smokey,
All covered in snow,
I lost my true lover
By courting too slow.
2 Courting was pleasure.
But parting was grief.
A false-hearted lover
Is worse than a thief.
3 A thief he will rob you
And take what you save.
But a false-hearted lover
IMace you in the grave.
^ The final stanza of text A sliows, perliaps, lunv this should read.
N.C.I'., \'.>1. II L (Jl)
288 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 The <^rave will decay you
And turn you to dtist.
Not a boy in ten thousand
That a jioor girl can trust.
5 They will tell you they love you
To give }'our heart ease.
And when your back's turned upon them
They'll court whom they please.
6 It's raining, it's hailing.
The moon gives no light.
Your horses can't travel
This dark stormy night.
7 So put up your horses
And feed them some hay.
Come and sit here beside me
As long as you stay.
8 'My horses ain't hungry.
They won't eat your hay.
I'll drive on, my true love,
And feed on my way.'
9 As sure as the dew drops
Fall on the green corn
]\Iy lover was with me ;
But now he is gone.
lo So back to Old Smokey,
Old Smokey so high,
\\'here the wild birds and tiu-tlc doves
Can hear my sad cry.
'On Top of Old Smokie." Sent to Miss Constance Patten, Duke Uni-
versity, by Lillie Rhinehart in 1936. The first six stanzas are the same
as in A except for negligible verbal variations. In the remaining six
stanzas the order is difi^erent and two new stanzas are introduced :
7 I am back to old .Smokie,
( )1(1 .Smokie so high.
Where the wild birds and turtle doves
Can hear my sad cry.
S .\s sure as the dew drops
Falls on the green corn
Last night he was with me;
But tonight he is gone.
I" () I. K I. \ K I C 289
9 'C\)nu\ put up your horses
And feed them some hay
And sit down beside me
As long- as you stay.'
10 'My horses is not hungry
And they won't eat ycjur hay.
So farewell, my true love,
I'll s})eed on my way.
11 A\'hen I get to Old Smokie
I'll write you my mind.
My mind is to marry
And leave you behind.
12 'Your parents are against me
And mine are the same ;
So farewell, my true love,
I'll be on my way.'
'Old Smoky.' Copied from a manuscript in the po.ssession of 01)adiah
Johnson which bore tliis note : "Words by Phebe P)enfield. Crossnore ;
sung by Anne Johnson to the tune of 'Little Mohee.' " But Johnson also
sang it himself, July 14, 1940. The te.xt is the same as A so far as A
goes, with negligible verbal variations ; then the following lines are
added :
1 1 A\'ay down on old Smoky, all covered with snow,
I lost my blue-eyed boy by courting too slow.
12 I wrote him a letter of roses and lines;
He sent it back to me, all twisted and twine.
13 He says keep your love letters, and I'll keep mine.
You write to your true love and I'll write to mine.
14 I'll go to old (Georgia, I'll write you my mind;
Mv mind is to marry you and leave you behind.
D
'Old Smoky.' Obtained from Zilpah Frisbie of McDowell county in
1923. A somewhat reduced form corresponding to stanzas 1-4 and 7-8
of A and ending thus :
Your parents are against me, mine are the same ;
So down on your book, love, please mark off my name.
On top of old Smoky on a mountain so high.
Where the wild birds and turtle doves may hear my sad
crv.
290 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
E
'Old Smoky." From Mrs. Sutton, without notation of where or from
whom she got it. The same, with slight verbal variations, as stanzas i,
2, 3, 7, 8 of A.
'Old Smoky.' From the manuscript book of songs of Miss Edith Walker
of Boone, Watauga county. The text is the same as E.
'On Top of the Smokies All Covered with Snow.' From the John Burch
Blaylock Collection, made in Caswell and adjoining counties in 1927-32.
Nine stanzas, of which the first eight correspond, with slight variations,
to stanzas 1-8 of A and the ninth is stanza 12 of B.
254
Little Sparrow
This lyric of the lovelorn is a favorite in the Southern moun-
tains. See BSM 477 and add to the references there given Vir-
ginia (FSV 80-1). Florida (SFLQ viii 172-3), Missouri (OFS i
315-17), and Indiana (SFLQ in 205, BSI 328). It is often called
'Come all you fair and tender ladies,' from its opening line. It is
distinguished from other songs of a like spirit, such as 'The Incon-
stant Lover,' by the image of the bird and, generally, by the likening
of love to a fair dawn that turns into bad weather. One of the
following texts is marked by a trace — rare in American tradition —
of the old English 'Seeds of Love' sons:.
'The Little Sparrow.' Contributed by J. W. Miller of Lincoln county
as "sung by a woman in 1907."
T Come all ye fairer tender ladies.
Take warning how you love young men ;
For they're like a star in the summer morning.
They are here but soon are gone again.
2 For once I had an untrue lover
Which I claimed to be my own.
He went right away and loved another,
Leaving me to weep alone.
3 If I had known before I loxed him
That his Ujve was false to me
T would have locked my heart with a key of golden
And ])inne(l it there with a silver pin.
4 Oh, if I were a little sparrow
And I had wings to fly,
I'd f\y right away to my true love's window,
I'd listen what he told.
K O L K I. N U 1 C 291
5 I hit then as it is I'm no little sparrow.
Neither have 1 wings to Hy.
So I'll sit right down in ni\- griel and sorrow,
ril sit here till 1 die.
H
'Little Sparrow.' Repurti'd l)y .Mrs. Sutton from tlie sint;iiiK of Myra
Barnett, and therefore prol)al)iy to he dated in the first deeade of the
present century, it is suhstantialiy liki- ,\, yet (Hfifcrs in details inter-
estingly.
1 Come all ye fair and tender ladies,
Be careful how you court young luen.
They're like bright stars in a summer morning,
Thev tirst are here and then they're gone.
2 They'll tell to yon some tender story,
Declare to you that they are true.
Then straightaway go and court some other.
And that's the love they have for you.
3 Oh. love is sweet and love is charming
And love is plea.sant when it's new.
But love grows cold as love grows older,
And fades away like the mountain dew.
4 I wish that I'd a never seen him.
Or that I'd died when I was young.
To think a fair and handsome lady
Was stricken by his lying tongue !
5 I wish 1 was a little sparrow,
Had wings, and oh ! could fly so high.
I'd fly away to my false lover
And when he'd ask, I would deny.
6 Alas, I am no little sparrow.
No wings, and cannot fly so high.
I'll sit me down in grief and sorrow
And try to pass my trouble by.
c
'Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies.' Another text contriljuted by
Mrs. Sutton, obtained probably several years later than B. It seems to
be incomplete, but is interesting by reason of its variations from B.
especially its last two lines, whicli hark back to the old English love
song 'Seeds of Love.'
1 Come all you fair and tender ladies.
Be careful how you court young men.
They are like bright stars of a summer's morning;
Thev first are here and then they're gone.
292 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 They'll tell to you some lovin' story,
Declare to you that they are true,
And then they'll go and court another
And that's the love they have for you.
3 I wish I was a little sparrow,
Had wings and could fly oh, so high.
I'd fly into my true love's dwellin'
And as he called I'd he close hy.
4 But as it is I am no sparrow.
Neither have wings can fly so high,
I'll sit me down in grief and sorrow
And try to pass my trouhle hy.
5 If I had a known before I courted
That love would a been so hard to gain
I'd a put my heart in golden boxes
And a locked it with a silver chain.
6 Of all the herbs that grow in the garden
Be sure to get the rue and thyme. . . .
D
'Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies.' As sung by Obadiah Johnson
of Crossnore, Avery county, in July 1940. With the tune. There arc
two copies of his text, the longer of which, six stanzas, ends somewhat
truculently :
I hope there is a day a-coming
When my lover I shall see.
I hope there is a place of torment
To punish my love for denying me.
E
'Come All Ye Extanded Fair Ladies.' From Macie Morgan, Stanly
county. A very much confused text, metrically and otherwise, but it does
not contain anv elements not found in A or B.
'A Wish.' From W. Amos Abrams of Boone; not dated, but prob-
ably some time in the iy30s. One of the comiK)sites so often found in
folk lyric. The second, third, and fifth stanzas lielong to "Tiie Butcher
Boy,' the first stanza is from 'Little Sparrow.'
1 I wish I was a little sparrow ;
I'd fly away from sin and sorrow,
I'd fly away like a turtle dove,
I'd fly in the arms of my true love.
2 In yonder lands there is a home.
They say that's where my true love's gone.
r o L K I. \- i< 1 c 293
lUit there's a t^irl sits on his knee.
( )h, don't \'on know that's ^rief to nie ?
3 It's grief to me, U! tell my why,'
Because she has more gold than 1.
But her gold will melt, her silver fly ;
She'll see the day she's poor as I.
4 Oh. 1 wish. I wish, hnt 1 wish in vain.
That he'd C(.)me hack to me again.
But now he['s| gone, left me alone.
Poor orphan girl without a home.
5 Go dig my grave hoth wide and deep.
Place a marhle stone at my head and feet
And on my hreast place a turtle dove
To testify that I died of love.
255
Kitty Kline
(3f this sonj? Louise Rand Bascom remarks that it is "the ballad
which is most universally known" in western North Carolina; that
it "might be called the national song of the highlanders." She also
notes, what is evident in our texts, that it has "as many ver-
sions as there are singers" (JAFL xxii 240). It is in fact an
outstanding example of that type of folk lyric which picks up
motives, recombines them, drops them, takes up others, until it is
hardly possible to say whether a given text is to be reckoned a
form of a particular song or not. Thus the first of the two texts
given by Miss Bascom (JAFL xxii 240-1) does not contain the
name 'Kitty Kline' at all. Two themes are fairly constant: the
"take me home" theme (sometimes combined with elements from
'The Lass of Roch Royal') and the "free little bird" theme. Miss
Bascom thought that the song belonged peculiarly to the Tennessee-
North Carolina mountain region. Besides her texts (reproduced
here for the sake of completeness) it has been reported from east
Tennessee by Perrow (JAFL xxvi 134) and by Isabel Gordon
Carter (JAFL xlvi 49). and Mrs. Steely found it in the Ebenezer
communitv in Wake countv. But Randolph reports clear traces of
it from the Ozarks (OFS iv 156-8. 188).
A
'Kitty Kline' Louise Rand Bascom in JAFL xxii (1909) 240-1.
I Take me home, take me home, take me home,
Take me home, take me home, take me home.
When the moon shines bright, and the stars give light.
Take me home, take me home, take me home.
^ Texts of 'The Butcher Boy' show tliat this line should run 'It's grief
to me. I'll ttil you why.'
294 \ () R T H CAROLINA F O L K L 0 R K
2 'Oh. who will shoe your little feet.
Oh, who will glove your little hand.
Oh, who will kiss your sweet rosy cheek
W lien I'm gone to that far-distant land?'
3 'Oh, Pop])er'll shoe my little feet.
And Mommer'll glove my little hand.
And you shall kiss my sweet, rosy cheek,
When you come from that far-distant land.
4 'Oh. I can't stay hyar hy myself.
Oh, I can't stay hyar by myself.
I'll weep like a wilier, an' I'll mourn like a dove.
Oh, I can't stay hyar by myself.
5 'If I was a little fish
1 would swim to the bottom of the sea,
And thar I'd sing my sad little song.
Oh. I can't stay hyar by myself.
'Oh. I can't stay hyar by myself, etc.
6 "If I was a sparrer bird,
I would fly to the top of a tree.
And thar I'd sing my sad little song,
Oh, I can't stay hyar by myself.
"Oh. 1 can't stay hyar by myself, etc.
7 'Yonder sets a turtle-dove.
A-hoppin' from vine to vine.
He's a-mournin' fur his own true love,
An' why not me fur mine ?
S 'I'm a-goin' ter the top of that nigh pine,
I'm a-going' ter the top of that nigh pine,
An' ef I fall 'thout breakin' my neck.
You'll know who I love the best.'
B
'Kitty KliiK-.' Miss I'ascom's second text. JAFL xxu 241.
I Take me home to my Mommer. Kitty Kline,
Take me home to my Mommer, Kitty Kline,
When the stars shine bright, and the moon gives light.
Take me home to my Mommer. Kittv Kline.
2 Take me home to my Mommer, Kittv Kline,
Take me home to my Mommer. Kitty Kline.
With my head ui)on your breast like a birdie in its nest,
Take me home to mv Mommer, Kittv Kline.
r o L K I. V R I c 295
3 I'm as tree a little bird as 1 can be,
I'm as free a little bird as 1 can be,
I'll build my nest on sweet Kitty's breast,
W'liar tbe bad boys can't tear it down.
Take me liome to my Mommer, etc.
The ballad then proceeds as in versinn A until after the stanza about
the "sparrer" bird, when tlicse stanzas are added :
7 If 1 was a honey-bee,
I'd dip the honey from the flowers.
An' I'd fly an" sing my sad little song,
I can't stay hyar by myself.
8 So fare ye well, Kitty Kline,
So fare ye well, Kitty Kline,
You shall wear my gold-diamont ring.
When I'm in a far-distant land.
c
'Katy Cline." From Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga countj\ in
1915, with the note that these "are all the words I have been able to
obtain of this song. It has been played on the fiddle and picked on the
banjo here for probably 90 years."
1 Oh, say that you love me, Katy Cline,
Oh, say that you love me, Katy Cline,
Oh, say that you love, you sweet turtle dove,
Oh, say that you love me, Katy Cline.
2 If I was a little bird, little bird.
If I was a little bird
I'd build my nest in sweet Katy's breast
Where the bad boys wottld never bother me.
D
'Katy Kline.' Obtained from Miss Florence Shuman, Black Mountain,
Buncombe county, in 1920.
1 Oh, say, don't you love me. Katy Kline ?
Oh, say, don't you love me. Katy Kline?
If you love me. Katy Cline. ])ut your little hand in mine.
Oh. say, don't you love me. Katy Kline?
2 Say vou call me a dog when I'm gone.
Say you call me a dog when I'm gone ;
But when I return with a ten dollar l)ill.
It's 'llonev. where you been so long?'
E
'Katy Kline.' From (iertrude Allen (later Mrs. \aught). Taylorsville.
.\lexander county.
296 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Oh, say that you love me. Katy Khne, Katy KHne,
Oh, say that you love me, Katy Kline.
Oh, say that you love me, that you will he mine.
Oh, say that you love me, Katy Kline.
F
'I'm as Free a Little Bird as I Can Be.' From .Miss Maude Minnish ;
not dated, but before she became ]\Irs. Sutton and therefore before June
1923. She does not say from whom she got it, but notes that it goes to
"a banjo tune, the lightest and tunefullest imaginable."
1 I'm as free a little hird as I can he.
I'm as free a little bird as I can he ;
I'll hang my harp on a weeping willow tree ;
I'm as free a little bird as I can be.
2 Take me home, sweet Kitty, take me home.
Take me home, sweet Kitty, take me home.
I'll build my nest in the sweet Kitty's breast
Where the bad boys cannot trouble me.
'I'm as Free a Little Bird as I Can Be.' Lines to accompany the tune
as set down by Miss Vivian Blackstock. Not dated.
I'm as free a little bird as I can be.
I'll hang my harp on a weeping willow tree,
I'm as free a little bird as I can be.
H
'Free a Little Bird." Sung by Tom Boyd on Rabbit Ham. Buncombe
county. Not dated.
1 Take me home, birdie, take me home ;
Take me home by the light of the moon.
When the moon is shining bright and the stars are giving
light.
Take me home to my mamma, take me home.
Clionis:
I'm as free a little bird as I can be ;
I'm as free a little bird as I can be ;
I'll build my nest in the weeping willow tree
Where the bad boys will never bother me.
2 Oh. I wi.sh I was a little bird,
I'd build my nest in the air;
1 would fiv side by side of my sweet Kitty Clyde
And build in her soft silken hair.
FOLK L Y K I C 297
3 I'm as free a little bird as 1 can l)c ;
I'm as free a little bird as 1 can be;
I'll build my nest in my sweet Kitty's breast
W'licre the bad boys will never bother me.
256
Ai.i, Aroi'nd TiiK Mountain, riiARMixr, I'ktsn'
The two texts j^iven below differ ratlier widely, hut both are no
doubt forms of one son.n'. Louise Rand Bascoiu jjrinted two stanzas
of it from this state in JAFL xxii 246. Randolph found it in
Missouri (OFS iii 185-6). Davis (FSV 243) lists what are prob-
ably (I have not seen the texts) forms of it from Virj^inia. The
Archive of American Folk Song has recordings under the title
'Charming Betsy' from New York, Virginia, and Kentucky.
A
'Charming Betty.' Reported by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga
county, in 191 5, with the notation that it "was popular in this vicinity
20 or more years ago. Fiddlers played and sang it a great deal. A good
fiddler, Henry Brinkley of Brushy Fork, used to be especially compli-
mented for his skill in playing this tune."
1 The first time I saw you, charming Betty,
You was riding on the train ;
The next time I saw you, charming Betty,
You was wearing my gold watch and chain.
2 Throw your arms around me, charming Betty,
Throw your arms around me, Cora Lee ;
Throw your arms around me, charming Betty,
And give this poor heart ease.
3 I wrote you a letter, charming Betty,
I sent it safe by hand.
And when I got the answer
You were courting some other man.
'Charming Betsy.' As sung by Andy McGee of the Forks of Sandy
Mush. Not dated.
1 It's all arotmd the UKjuntain, charming lletsy,
It's all around the mountain, Cora Lee,
And if nevermore I see you,
Dear love, remember me.
2 I hate to have to leave you, charming Betsy,
I hate to have to leave you, Cora Lee ;
If I nevermore see you.
Dear love, remember me.
298 NORTH CAROLINA F O L K L O K K
3 It's all around the mountain, charming Bets\.
It's all around the mountain. Cora Lee ;
I'm going away, charming Betsy,
And you'll nevermore see me.
257
The Blue-Eyed Boy
One of tliose Protean folk-lyrics whose identity is hard to lix
because they shift from text to text, taking on new elements and
dropping old ones from the general reservoir of the folk fancy.
What may however fairly be called forms of this song have been
found in North Carolina '( BMFSB 50-1 ), Arkansas (OFS iv 262),
Missouri (BSM 478-80. OFS iv 261), Indiana (BSI 339), and
Nebraska (ABS 212-13). The two texts in our collection illustrate
its instability.
A
'Blue-Eyed Boy.' Comnninicated by \V. Amos Abrams of Boone,
Watauga county. Not dated. The second quatrain is in Iiis copy
marked "chorus," but one suspects that it is really the first quatrain
that serves that function.
1 Oh, bring me back my blue eyed boy.
Oh, bring my true love back to me.
Oh, bring me back my blue eyed boy
And forever happy will I be.
2 Must I go bound while he goes free?
Or must I act the childish part ?
Must I love a man that don't love me
And marry the man that broke my heart ?
3 There is a ring that has no end.
It is hard to find a faithful friend.
But when you find one good and true
Change not the old one for the new.
4 There is a tree I love to pass
That sheds its leaves as green as grass ;
But none so green as love is true.
Change not the old love for the new.
5 Some say that courting is pleasure ;
But oh, what pleasure do I see?
For the boy I love most dearly
Has now forsaken me.
B
'HIue-Eyed Boy.' This second text is also from Professor Abrams, but
bears no date nor any indicatii n of source. Here the right quatrain is
marked as chorus.
K O L K I. Y R 1 C 299
1 Some say that low is pleasure.
But no pleasiu'e do I see ;
I^'or the only hoy I ever loved
Has gone s(|uare haek on nie.
Chorus:
( )h. hrins,^ me hack my darling. *
( )h, hring him hack to nie.
Uh. hring me hack my darling;
He's all the world to me.
2 There's many a change in seasons,
Uh. there's many a change in sea ;
And there's many a change in a young man's heart ;
But there's no change in me.
3 Last night he came to see me ;
Last night he smiled on me.
But tonight he's with another girl —
He cares no more tor me.
4 ( )h, don't you rememher
That night long, long ago
\\ hen he asked me to be his hride
Of course I answered No.
5 He's gone, though, now. God bless him,
He's mine where'er he he.
He may roam this wide world o'er and o'er
But he'll find no girl like me.
^50
The False True-Lover
Among the song- fragments that float in the consciousness of folk
singers ready to be incorporated into the song of the moment a
favorite is that dialogue of lovers' parting from 'The Lass of Roch
Royal '^ beginning "Oh, who will shoe your pretty foot, and who
will glove your hand?" This has already appeared as part of one
of the texts of 'Kitty Kline.' above. It is part of at least four
other- songs in North Carolina, of which the present item is one:
^ At least it is incorporated in that ballad. Perhaps even there it has
merely been taken up from the store of lyric motives in the folk memory.
" It is often hard to say whether two texts are versions of one song
or are two separate songs that use in part the same material. The five
texts here assembled under the title 'The False True-Lover' — the title,
borrowed from the Missouri collection, is not used in any of the North
Carolina texts — are held together not only by the shoe-and-glove motive
but also by the phrase "drinking of sweet wine" in four of them, "ten
thousand miles" in three, the "stormy rolls the ocean" stanza in two, the
300 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
the other three are 'I'll Hang My Harp on a Willow Tree,' 'By By,
My Honey,' and 'Those High-Topped Shoes,' given later in this
section. For its appearance elsewhere in American folk song, in
various combinations, see BSM 480 and Kittredge's bibliographical
note in JAFL xxx 304-5.
A
'You Have Forsaken Me.' Reported by Thomas Smith of Zionville,
Watauga county, as sung by Clyde Corum in March 1915. Corum, a
young banjo-picker of Zionville, got the song from W. E. Snyder of
Boone, a neighboring town. "This song is well known in this section
and is sung to two different tunes."
1 It was on a cold and v\^indy night
\\ hen I was drinking of sweet wine
And thinking of my old true love
\\'ho stoled this heart of mine.
2 'Oh, fare you well, my pretty little miss.
Oh, fare yoti well for a while ;
I'm going away, hut I'm coming hack again
If I go ten thousand miles.'
3 'Ten thousand miles away,' said she, 'my love,
For I know that never can be.
For the parting of old true love
Would be the death of me.'
4 'Oh, who will shoe your feet, my love.
And who will glove your hands,
And it's who will kiss your sweet rosy cheeks
When I'm in a foreign land?'
5 'My papa will shoe my feet,
Aly mama will glove my hands.
And you may kiss my sweet rosy cheeks
W^hen you return again.
6 'Go dig up the red rosebush.
Plant otit the weeping-willow tree ;
For it's to be seen by the wide world
That you have forsaken me.'
7 'When I forsaken you. my love.
The rocks by the sea shall meet^
turtle-dove or its equivaknt in three, and the assertion that rocks will
meh and the sea will burn and firo turn to ice before be will forsake
his love which appears with variations in three of them. Two of them,
A and D, have the stanza about pulling up the rose bush and planting
the willow tree, and two others. I' and C. the simile of the instrument
"just newly put in tune."
^ Texts B and E have "melt," wbicli is surely right.
FOLK I. V K 1 C 301
And the fire shall trceze to a solid cake of ice
And the raging sea shall hum.'
8 "1 wish to the land' 1 never had heen horn
Or 'a' died when 1 was young.
I'd never saw your sweet ro.sy cheeks
Or 'a' heard your flattering tongue.
9 '( )h. don't \'ou see that i)rett\ little hird
I'dving from vine to vine
And chirping there for its old true love
Who stoled this heart of mine?
10 "Oh. who will make your l)e(l. my love,
And who will dress it neat ?
And it's who will lie all in your arms
If you no more I see?'
11 'I'll take no stranger hy my side,
I'll keep no company,
I'll never enjoy the love of no hride
If you no more I see.'
B
'As I Walked Out Last Christmas Day." From J. P.. Midgett of Wan-
chese, Roanoke Island. Secured probal)ly in 1920. With tlie tune as
sung by Mr. (or Mrs.) C. K. Tillett in 1922.
1 As I walked out last Christmas day.
A-drinking of sweet wine.
It was there I spied that pretty little girl
That stold this heart of mine.
She looks just like some instrument
That's just been put in tune;
She looks just like some, pink or a rose
That blooms in the month of June.
2 'Oh, who will shoe your feet, my love.
And who will glove your hand,
And will kiss your rtihy lips
While I'm in a foreign land?'
'jVIy mother she will shoe my feet.
My father will glove my hand ;
No man shall kiss my ruby lips
While you ['re I in a foreign land."
3 'The blackest crow that ever flew
Shall in those days turn white
If ever I prove false to you
^ Miswritten surely for "Lord."
302 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORK
Broad day shall turn to night ;
If ever I prove false to you
The rock shall melt in the sun,
The fire shall freeze tell ever more be/
And the raging seas shall burn.'
4 'Oh, don't you see that turtle dove
As she flies from pine to pine ?
She's mourning of the loss of her own true love
Just like I mourn for mine.
I wish to Ciod that I was dead
Or had died when I was young.
I never should have grieve [d] or shed a tear
Over no poor woman ['s] son.'
'Song.' Communicated by Elsie Doxey of Currituck county. Not dateil.
but probably sent in some time in the 1920s. It belongs to the same
tradition as B, but has interesting variations.
1 A-sitting one cold winter night
A-drinking of sweet wine,
A-courting of that pretty miss
That stole that heart of mine.
2 She is like some pink or rose
That blooms in the month of June,
Or like some musical instrument
That is newly put in tune.
3 'Oh, fare you well, my dearest dear.
Oh, fare yoti well for a while ;
I'll go away, but I'll come back again.
If I go ten thousand miles.'
4 'Oh, who will shoe my feet, my dear.
And who will glove my hands?
Or who will kiss my ruby lips
\\ hen you're in a foreign land ?'
5 'Your brother will shoe your feet, my dear,
Your mother will glove your hands ;
And 1 will kiss your ruby lips
When I return again.'
6 'Oh. don't you see that turtle dove
A-flying from vine to vine ?
A-mourning for the loss of its own true love
As 1 shall mourn for mine.'
^ So run the last four words of this line in the manuscript. I do
not know how to correct them.
K 0 I, K LYRIC 303
1)
'Should 1 I'rcive False to Thfc' Another text reported l)y Tiioinas
Smith of Zionville in 11)15. The stanza marked "chorus," which it
shares with version E, is found also in quite different contexts in this
collection and elsewhere; see 'Storms Are on tlie Ocean' and luadiiote
thereto, pp. 311-313 of the present volume.
1 I roved. I roved all winter night
A-drinking of .sweet wine,
A-courting a pretty little nii.s.s
W ho broke this heart of mine.
Chorus:
Thotigh storms may roll the ocean,
The heavens may close^ to be,
This earth would lose its motion, my love,
Should I i)rove false to thee.
2 'Oh, who will pull up the rosy bush
And plant the weeping willow tree ?
For it's plain to be seen by the wide world around
That you've forsaken me.'-
3 "(Jh, who will shoe your pretty little feet.
And who will glove your hands.
And who will kiss your rose-red cheeks
When I'm in a far-ofif land?'
4 'My papa will shoe my pretty little feet.
My mama will glove my hands.
And you may kiss my rose-red cheeks
\Mien vou return again.'
'Who Will Shoe My Pretty Little Feet?' Sung by Mrs. N. T. Byers
of Zionville, Watauga county, July 24, 1922. With the tune.
I 'I'm going to leave you now.
I'm going to stay for a while ;
But I'll return to you. my love.
If I go ten thousand miles.
Chorus:
'Oh. stormy rolls the ocean.
The heavens may cease to be.
This earth would lose its motion, my love.
Should I prove false to thee.
^ Mis written, no doubt, for "cease." the reading of E in this place.
- This stanza, which appears also in A, carries a faint echo of a song
beloved in England but seldom found in America. 'Seeds of Love.'
N C.F., Vol. HI. (22)
304 NM) R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 'Oh. who will shoe your pretty little feet,
And who will glove your hands.
And who will kiss your red rosy cheeks
When I'm in the foreign land?'
3 'My papa will shoe my pretty little feet.
My mama will glove my hands,
And you may kiss my red rosy cheeks
When you return again.'
4 'Should I prove false to thee, my love,
The rocks would melt by the sun
And the fire would freeze in a hard cake of ice
And the raging sea would burn.'
259
I'll Hang My Harp on a Willow Tree
Here the shoe-and-glove stanzas from 'The Lass of Roch Royal'
are combined with the refrain of a very familiar song. There is a
quite unauthenticated legend that this song, a very popular parlor
song of the last century, was the work of a young British officer
who fell in love with the Princess Victoria before she came to the
throne. Its actual authorship seems not to be known. It is re-
ported as traditional song in Scotland (Ord 56-7), is listed in the
Sliearin and Pound syllabuses, and is to be found in several books
of popular songs — without, of course, the shoe-and-glove stanzas.
A
'I'll Hang My Harp on a Willow Tree.' Contributed by Miss Amy
Henderson of Worry, Burke county; not dated, but at some time before
igi6. Note tbat the rhythm of lines i and 5 has been cbanged from
that found in these stanzas elsewhere.
1 'Oh ! who's going to shoe my pretty little foot, foot, foot,
And who's going to glove my lily-white hand,
And who's going to kiss my ruby lips
When you're in a far distant land ?'
Cliorus:
Adieu, kind friends, adieu, adieu.
I stay no longer here with you.
I'll hang my harp on a willow tree
And go for the fellow that goes for me.
2 'My Pa's going to shoe my pretty little foot, fool, foot.
My Ma's going to glove my lily-white hand;
I know who'll kiss my ruby lips
When I'm in a far distant land.'
!•• 0 L K I. ^• K I C 305
'I'll Hang My Harp uii a Willow Tri'i.'.' Cnntriliutod by I. (]. (irccr of
I'xidiK-, Watauga county. The chorus onl.\. \\ ith tlir music.
I'll lians^" my harp t)n a willow tree.
.Vdic'u, kind friends, adieu, adieu.
I'll liaui; ni\- harp on a weeping willow tree
And n)a\' llie world ^o well witli thee.
260
Red Rtnkr Valley
This is (|uite distinct from 'Tlie Red River Sliore,' for which see
the headnote to 'New River Shore.' That is a hallad, tells a story;
this is simply a girl's grief at her lover's departure. It is known
in Virginia (FSV 96), Kentucky (BTFLS iii 93, ASb 130-1),
Tennessee (ETWVMB 82-3). the Ozarks (OFS iv 201-4), Michi-
gan (BSSV 482), and Iowa (MAFLS xxix 74-5). Mrs. .Steely
found it in the Ebenezer community in Wake county. The North
Carolina texts differ chiefly by omitting or including certain stanzas.
A
'Sherman X'alley." From the manuscript hook of songs of Miss Edith
Walker, Boone, Watauga county. Secured in 1936.
1 From this valley they tell me you are going.
How I'll miss your blue eyes and bright smiles !
For you carry with you all the sunshine
That has brightened my path for a while.
Clionts:
Let's consider a while ere you leave me.
Do not hasten to bid me adieu.
But remeiuber the bright Sherman X'alley
And the girl who has loved you so true.
2 When you are far from this scene of the valley
And they tell me your journey is through.
Will you think of the home you are leaving
And the girl who has loved you so true?
3 I have waited a long time, m\- darling.
For the word you never would say.
But alas, my poor heart it is breaking.
For they tell me you are going away.
4 Do vou think of the home you are leaving,
How lonely and dreary it will be ?
Do you think of the fond heart you are breaking
And the girl who has loved vou so true?
306 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
B
'Sherman Valley.' Contributed by Miss Addie Hardin of Rutherwood,
Watauga county, in July 1922. \\'ith the tune. The chorus as in A ;
stanzas i and 2 correspond to stanzas i and 3 of A ; stanzas 3 and 4
are as follows :
3 Oh. think of the home you are leaving
And the friends who have loved }ou so true ;
Oh. think of the heart you are breaking
And the shades you are casting over me.
4 You may go, you may go, God bless you,
You may roam over land and o'er sea,
You may roam this wide world over.
But you'll find no other friend like me.
c
'The Red River Valley.' Obtained from Mrs. Minnie Church, Heaton,
Avery county, in 1930. Four stanzas, corresponding to stanzas i, 4, 3,
and chorus of A but with "Red River" in place of "bright Sherman."
D
'Little Lonely \'alley.' Obtained from O. L. Coffey of Shull's Mills,
Watauga county, in 1939. Chorus as in A but with "little lonely" in
place of "bright Sherman"; stanzas i, 2, 3, and 5 correspond to stanzas
I, 4, 3, and 2 of A ; stanza 4 corresponds to stanza 4 of B.
E
'Red River Valley.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection, made in
Caswell and adjoining counties in the years 1927-32. Five stanzas, the
first four of which correspond, with minor variations, to stanza i, chorus
(with "Red River" in place of "bright Sherman"), stanza 4. and stanza
3 of A. The fifth stanza is not in A :
5 When I'm dead and gone from you, my darling,
Never more on this earth to be seen.
There is just one little favor I ask you;
It's to see that my grave is kept green.
'Bright Sherman Valley.' Another text from the Blaylock Collection.
Four stanzas, of which the fourth repeats the second. The stanzas
correspond, with minor variations, to stanza i, chorus, stanza 3, and
chorus of A.
261
The Slighted Sweetheart
One more song of broken love — with a curious break in tone in
the last line of the tliird stanza. It is known also in Kentuckv
(BKH75-6).
'The Slighted Sweetheart.' From the manuscript songbook of Miss
Lura Wagoner of \'o.\, Alleghany county, where it is dated April 6,
K () 1, K 1. V K I C 307
If,i3_the date oi its entry in the Imuk. 'I'lie last stanza is one likely
to be attached to any ballad ending in a deatii ; it is the regular ending
of 'Tlie Butcher Boy.' The whole tiling is probably conceived as a
monologue, though some lines may be meant as spoken by the second
party to the (|uarrel.
1 My dear sweetheart, so fare yoti well.
You slighted me, hut I wish yott well.
.\nd it on earth we no more see,
1 wouldn't serve you like you did me.
2 We'll go to Christ to mottrn and weep,
h'or fm satisfied 1 never can sleep.
You've turned me away and hroke my heart.
Uh. how can 1 from >()tt depart?
3 My dear sweetheart, my harmless dove,
Hope we will meet in a world ahove
And there in peace we'll live forever —
My dear sweetheart, you are so clever!
4 A many an hour I've spent with you ;
1 never knew you were not true.
I've found it out ; I cried aloud
And die I must in all this crowd.
5 You are all for this to blame
That I must die in grief and pain.
But after death 1 will go home;
Then think of me you have served so wrong.
6 The pain of love, I know full well.
No heart can think, no tongue can tell ;
But I'll tell you now in a few short lines
Love is worse than sickness ten thousand times.
7 Come all sweethearts from east to west.
Come view my grave while I'm at rest ;
Come, all sweethearts from far and near.
Don't lose your lives, for they are dear.
8 My dear relations all around,
I'ni going to heaven to wear a crown,
I'm going there forever to dwell.
My pain is delight, so fare you well.
9 Go dig my grave both wide and deep.
Place a marble stone at my head and feet,
And on my breast a little (k)ve
To show to the world that I died for love.
308 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
262
The Slighted Girl
Despite the similarity in title and situation, tliis is a quite dif-
ferent affair from 'The Slighted Sweetheart' (p. 306). It consists
mostly of floating stanzas of love lyric that reappear in other con-
nections. A song reported from Tennessee (SSSA 170) has a
chorus like the first stanza of this song with the sexes reversed:
"There are more pretty girls than one," etc. Otherwise the present
song has not been found elsewhere.
'The Slighted Girl.' From the manuscript Ijook of songs of Miss Lura
Wagoner of Vox, Alleghany county, lent to Dr. Brown in the summer
of 1936. The song was entered in the book some twenty years earlier.
1 You need not flirt nor flounce around.
There's more pretty boys than one. my love,
There's more pretty boys than one.
2 Don't you remember the very time
That you bowed to me and said
If ever you married that I might be the one, my love,
That I might be the one?
3 But now you've broken all promises,
Just marry who you please.
While my poor heart is breaking d(nvn
You're living at your ease, my love,
Yoti're living at your ease.
4 The blackest crow that ever flew
Will surely turn to white
If ever I prove false to yott,
Bright days shall turn to night, my love.
Bright days shall turn to night.
5 Bright days shall turn to night, my love.
The elements shall mourn.
If ever I prove false to you
The roaring sea shall burn, my love.
The roaring sea shall burn.
6 Oh, don't you see that little dove?
It's flying from tree to tree.
It's mourning for its own true love;
And why not mine for me, my love.
And why not mine for me?
"J You think, 1 know you tliink, 1 should.
You're blind and cannot see.
V (I I. K I. V R I c 3oy
The reason why I do not niovun.
He does not mourn for u\v. my love.
He does not mourn for mc.
8 You've trami)U'(l the i^recn i;'"'-'^'^ under your feet.
It's risen and or(j\vin<;- aj^ain.
I loved you as 1 loved my life
And yet it caused me pain, m\- love.
And yet it caused me ])ain.
9 Vou slighted me once and also twice.
You slighted me three or four ;
You slighted me for that pale-faced girl
And now you can take her and go, my love,
And now you can take her and go.
10 Oh, yes. I see that little dove,
It's flying from vine to vine ;
It's mourning for its old true love.
And why not me for mine, my love.
And why not me for mine ?
1 1 The time has come, my dearest dear.
When you and 1 must part.
And no one know[s] the grief and woe
Of this poor aching heart.
12 Darling, darling, do hush up!
I hate to hear you cry.
As other friends are having to part.
And why not you and I, my love,
And why not you and I ?
263
The Pale Wildwood Flower
This is the same as 'The Pale Aniaranthus' reported as known in
Kentucky (Shearin 24-5), Virginia (FSV 86), and the Ozarks
(OFS IV 315-17) ; both Davis's and Randolph's texts and those from
North Carolina (one from Avery county, fairly close to our A. is
given by Henry in BMFSB 49) show curious corruptions of the
word amaranthiis. Undoubtedly the song circulated at some time
as a sheet music or perhaps songbook piece of parlor sentiment, but
I have not succeeded in finding it in print of that sort. That the
text has been passed on by word of mouth is evident in the vari-
ations shown in the North Carolina versions. It even has two
titles, as will be seen below. P.esides the texts here given the Col-
lection has two recordings of it: one from the singing of Mrs.
W. \V. Hughes, Jonas Ridge, in 1940, the other from Miss Beulah
Walton, Durham.
310 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Raven Black Hair.' Secured in 1915 or thereabouts from I. G. Greer
of Boone, Watauga county. With the tune. The "Armeta" of line 4
is what is left of "Amaranthus."
1 I will twine with these locks of raven black hair
The roses so red and the lilies so fair.
The myrtle so bright with its emerald hue.
And the pale Armeta with eyes of dark bine.
2 He taught me to love and he promised to love.
To cherish me always all others above.
I woke from m\- dreaming ; my idol was clay,
The passion of loving had faded away.
3 He taught me to love and he called me his flower
That blossomed to cheer him through life's lonely hour.
But another has won him. I'm sorry to tell ;
He left me no warning, no words of farewell.
4 I'll dance and I'll sing and my life shall be gay.
I'll charm every heart in each crowd I array ;
Though my heart now is breaking, he never shall know
That his name makes me tremble, my pale cheeks to glow.
5 I'll dance and I'll sing and my life shall be gay,
I'll stop this wild weeping, drive sorrow away.
I'll live yet to see him regret the dark hour
That he won and neglected this frail wikhvo<id flower.
B
'The Pale Wildwood Flower.' Secured by W. Amos Abrams from
Margaret Barlowe, one of his students at the Appalachian Teachers
Training College in Boone, Watauga county. She had it from a friend —
says it was written down by Myrtle Greer, Dante, Virginia, February 4.
1919. The "amaranthus" has passed quite out of recognition into a
"pale fairen maiden" in line 4. One suspects that it is so understood in
line 4 of A.
1 I'll twine mid the ringlets, the raving dark hair.
The rose is so red and the lily so fair.
And the myrtle so green mid the emerald hue.
This pale fairen maiden with eyes of light blue.
2 I'll laugh and I'll sing and my songs shall be gay;
I'll quit this wild weeping, drive sorrow away.
Though my heart is now breaking, he never shall know
That his nanu- makes me tremble, mv ])ak' cheeks to glow.
3 He promised to love me; he called me his flower
That bloomed for to cheer him through life's weary hour.
K 0 L K L Y R 1 C 3^'
Though another far dearer I'm sorry to tell'
He has left me no \varnin_t(, no word of farewell.
4 I'll laugh and I'll sing and my life shall he gay.
I'll cease this wild weejjing, drive sorrow away.
Though I will live yet to see him regret the dark hour
That he's won and neglected this i)ale wildwood flower.
5 1 promised to love him ; he told me that he would love,
He woidd sing and he would cheer me. like others al)Ove.
But when I awoke, my idol was clay ;
The pale passionate loving had faded away.
c
'The Frail Wildwuod Flower." OI)tained from Bell Brandon of Dur-
liam. Four lines only, the last stanza of A.
I'll think of him never. I'll he wild and gay ;
I'll cease this wild weeping. I'll drive sorrow away.
I'll live yet to see him regret the dark hour
When he won and neglected this frail waldwood flower.
D
No title. From Mrs. Minnie Church. Heaton, Avery county. A pecu-
liarly corrupt and confused text, printed here as it stands in the manu-
script except for the pointing and line division. The meaning — sometimes,
at least — can be made out by referring to texts A and B.
1 Oh I whine with my mongles and waving hlack hair
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
And moon shines so hright with the emblem of you.
2 I will dance and I'll sing and my lass shall be gay,
I will charm every heart in his crown I wnll play,
W hen I wake from my dreaming . . . does play.
And all portions of love had all blown away. •
3 Oh. he taught me to love him and promised to love.
And cherished me over all others above.
Now my heart is wondering no difference he can tell.
He left me no warning, no words of farewell.
4 Oh, he caused me to love him. and called me his flower
That's blooming to cheer him through life's weary hour.
264
Storms Are on the Ocean
This is the title f^iven in the manuscript of the first of the two
texts here presented. This text is a curious compound. There seems
' This line is unconstruablo, Init the general intention is clear.
312 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
to be some story back of it, but it is not easy to see wbat the
story is. The first stanza is from the very famihar 'My Bonny
Lies Over the Ocean' ; the second stanza serves in the other text as
chorus ; then conies the "chorus" which supphes the title ; and the
remaining two stanzas carry the hint of a story of a despondent
lover. The other text carries in its two stanzas the repeated idea
of suicide. This idea appears in Negro song (JAFL xxviii 141.
NWS 130, 137, 148) with the same rhyme of "town" and "drown,"
and Miss Scarborough reports it (SCSM 350) in a song obtained
from a schoolteacher near Asheville. A song reported from Mis-
sissippi (JAFL XXXIX 153-5) has the "storms are on the ocean"
stanza and so has one from Tennessee (JAFL xlv 82). This stanza
also appears as the chorus in our North Carolina versions of 'The
Lass of Roch Royal,' Vol. H, No. 22. p. 88. The Archive of
American Folk Song has a record of this chorus from California.
A
'Storms Are on the Ocean.' Contributed by Otis Kuykendall of Ashe-
ville in 1939.
1 Last night when I lay on my pillow,
Last night when I lay on my bed,
Last night when I lay on my pillow
I dreamed that my darling was dead.
2 Oh. blow, gentle winds, from the ocean.
Oh, blow% gentle winds, from the sea,
Oh, blow, gentle winds, from the ocean,
Blow home my darling to me.
Chorus:
The storms are on the ocean.
The seas begin to roar.
This earth will lose its motion
If I prove false to thee.
3 Sometimes I have a great notion,
Sometimes I have a great mind.
Sometimes I have a great notion
To go to the river and drown.
4 Isn't it hard to leave you, dear.
Isn't it hard to part.
Isn't it hard to leave you, dear?
It almost breaks my heart.
B
No title. Contributed by Mrs. Nilla l.aucaster of Goldsboro, Wayne
county, in 1922-23.
I Sometimes 1 live in tlu' coimtry.
Sometimes 1 live in town,
F () 1. K I. V K I C 313
And sdUK'tinu's I am alinn>t ]KTMUi<k'<l
To i^o to sonic river and drown.
Chorus:
So blow, gentle wind, from tlir oecan.
So blow, gentle wind, from the sea.
So blow, gentle wind, from tlie ocean.
And bring back my darling to me.
2 I have no love for the country,
I have no love for the town.
And' sometimes 1 am alnK)st jjcrsnaded
To go to some river and drown.
265
There Comes a Fellow with a Derby Hat
This appears to be a patcliing together of nuisic-hall matter — the
opening stanza— and stanzas from 'The Blue-Eyed Boy,' p. 298.
'There Comes a Fellow with a Derby Hat.' From the manuscript song-
book of -Miss Edith Walker of Boone, Watagua county.
1 There comes a fellow with a derby hat.
They say he's jealous, but what of that?
If he is jealous, I am gay ;
I can get a sweetheart any day.
Chorus:
Go bring me back the one I love,
Go bring my darling back to me.
They say that he loves another girl;
If true, he's proven false to me.
2 There sits a bird on yonder tree.
They say he's blind and cannot see.
If I had only been like he
Before I'd a-kept your company!
266
P.URY Me in the Garden
This has nt)t been found reported elsewhere- as folk soiii;, l)ut
Professor White notes that it is "a somewhat garbled version of a
song I learned in childhood from my mother and can still sing,
'Bury me in the cornfield, nigger.' "
^ The manuscript has "En," presumably for "An'."
- Except that an identical text appears in Miss Lucy Cobb's M.A.
thesis (MS, Duke University Library )— secured presumably in Ken-
tucky or Tennessee.
314 NORTH CAROLINA F O L K I. 0 R K
'Bury Me in the Garden, Mother." Contributed liy Miss Mary Morrow
of Greensboro, Guilford county, in 1928. Tlic part that 1 have marked
"Chorus" is not so marked in the manuscript.
1 Bury me in the garden, mother, mother.
Bury me in the garden, mother, mother, mother dear.
Bury me in the garden.
Chorus:
O, the moonhght. the moonhght. the moonlight shines
so bright,
C), the sunliglit. the sunhglit, the sunhght shines so
bright,
O, the starlight, the starlight, the starlight shines so
bright
Way down in the garden 'neath the sycamore tree.
2 Bury me in the garden, mother, mother.
Bury me in the garden, mother, mother, mother dear,
Bury me in the garden.
267
The Weeping Willow
For the range and affiliations of this song (not to be confounded
with Foster's 'Under the Willow,' which was perhaps inspired by
it) see BSM 482, and add to the references there given Virginia
(FSV 78-9) and the Ozarks (OFS iv 228-30). It is well known
in North Carolina, appearing eleven times in our collection. Mrs.
Steely fotind it also in the Ebenezer community in Wake county.
The texts ditYer chiefly by the omission or inclusion or by a re-
arrangement of stanzas.
'The Weeping Willow.' Reported by Thomas Smith as set down for
him by Mrs. Frank Horton of Vilas, Watauga county, in 1915.
I My heart is broken. I'm in sorrow.
Weeping for the one I love ;
For I never more shall see him
Till we meet in heaven above.
Chorus:
Then btiry me 'neath the willow,
Beneath the weeping willow tree.
And when he knows where I am sleeping.
Then, perhaps, he'll weep for me.
I- () L K I. V R I C 3^5
2 Tomorrow was our weddinj^ day ;
But Ciod knows where is he.
For he's jj^one to see another
And lias left nic alone to weep.
3 lie' told UK' that he did not love me;
r.ut how eould 1 believe them true?
Until an angel softly whispered,
'Me will he untrue to you.'
4 Put on my brow a wreath of violets
To prove that I've been true to him.
Tell him that I died to save him.
But his love I could not win.
5 I'lant on my grave a snow-white lily,
( )ne that blooms in purest love ;
For I never more shall see him
Till we meet in heaven above.
B
'The Weeping Willow Tree.' From Miss Pearl Webb of Pineola, Avery
county, some time in 1921-22. Three stanzas and chorus, of which
stanzas i and 2 and the chorus correspond (with slight variations) to
stanzas i and 2 of the chorus of A ; stanza 3 runs :
Tomorrow was our wedding day.
I pray the Lord, where is my love?
He's gone, he's gone, I never more see him
Till we meet in Heaven above.
c
'Weeping Willow." Contributed liy .\ustin L. Elliott of Farmer, Randolph
county.
1 My heart is sad, and I am lonely
For the only one I love.
When shall I see him? No, no, never,
Till in heaven we meet above.
Chorus:
Then bury we under the weeping willow.
Under the weeping [willow] tree.
Where he may know where I am sleeping
And perhaps he will weep for me.
2 Tomorrow is our wedding day.
Oh, where, oh, where is he?
He has gone to seek another;
He no longer cares for me.
^ The sense and other texts, show that this is miswrittcn for 'They."
3l6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 They told me that he did not love me.
How could I believe them true?
Until an angel softly whispered,
'He will prove untrue to you.'
4 Then bury me under the weeping willow,
Under the weeping willow tree,
And tell him that 1 died to save him,
For his wife I could not be.
D
'The Weeping-Willow Tree.' Obtained by W. L. Anderson from Max-
ine Tillett, pupil in the school at Nag's Head on the Banks. Stanza i
and chorus of A, with some slight verbal variations.
E
'The Weeping Willow Tree.' Taken down as sung near Balantyne,
Transylvania county, but the singer's name not noted. Chorus and first
three stanzas as in A except that stanzas 2 and 3 have changed places ;
stanza 4 combines stanzas 4 and 5 of A :
Place on my grave a snow-white lily
For to prove my love was true ;
And when he knows I died to save him
Then perhaps he'll weep for me.
'Weeping Willow Tree.' Reported by Macie Morgan of Stanly county.
The first two stanzas and the chorus as in E. with a few slight verbal
differences ; the third stanza runs :
Go bury me beneath the willow
Just to prove my love for him ;
And tell him that I died to save him.
For his love I could not win.
G
'Weeping Willow Tree.' Secured from Otis Kuykendall of Ashevillc
in 1939- Substantially the same matter as in A, but rearranged and with
divers verbal variations.
I They told me tliat he would deceive me.
Oh, how could I believe it was true.
Until an angel whispered softly,
'He will prove untrue to you.'
Chorus:
Go bury me beneath the wilUnv,
Beneath the weeping willow tree.
For there he'll know that I am sleeping;
Then perhaps he'll weep for me.
V () I. K I. V K 1 C 317
2 I'latX' on niv ,<;rav(.' a siiow-whiU' lily ;
'iliat will jji-ove my love is true.
And tfll him that 1 died to save him.
And his lo\e 1 did not own.
3 Tomorrow was my wedding day.
Ikit Clod only knows where he is;
He's gone away to love another
And he has left me here to weep.
H
'The Willow Tree.' From Miss Hattie McNeill of Ferguson, Wilkes
county, sometime in 1921-2J. With the music. The text is only a
fragment, imperfect copy of the opening stanza.
I
'The Weeping Willow.' From Miss Florence Holton of Durluim. Only
the first stanza and three lines of the chorus. The stanza runs :
Aly heart is sad and I am in sorrow
For the only one 1 k)ve.
He's gone, he's gone to seek another ;
But I hope we'll meet ahove.
J
'Down hy the Weeping Willow.' Reported hy M. K. Carmichael as
sung in Dillon county. South Carolina. Only the chorus and two stanzas
remembered, the two stanzas being stanzas 2 and 3 of A with some
verbal alterations.
K
'Under the Weeping Willow Tree.' From the John Burcli Blaylock
Collection. Stanza 3, chorus, and stanza 2 of A.
268
Down by the W'liEPiNG Willow Tree
N.ot Foster's 'Under the Willow' nor any of the other willow
songs listed in BSM 482-3; in fact the editor has found this par-
ticular song nowhere else. For the golden (more often silver)
spade and the golden chain as implements in a burial, see 'Old
Blue," p. 252, and the references there given.
'Down by the Weeping Willow Tree.' Reported hy S. M. Holton,
Principal'of Bain Academy, .Matthews, Mecklenburg county. Fach stanza
is made up of a line sung three times and a refrain line; as shown in
the first stanza here given.
I Dig my grave and let me lie, love ;
Dig my grave and let me lie, love ;
Dig my grave and let me lie, love,
Down hy the weeping willow tree.
3l8 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLOKI'
2 Make it lung and deep and wide, love ;
3 Dig my grave with a golden spade, love ;
4 Let me down with a golden chain, love ;
5 Cover me over with the sod. love;
269
The Gumtree Canoe
This song by S. S. Steele, to be found in songbooks, in Miss
Pound's syllabus of Midwestern song, and in Ford's Traditional
Music of America, and reported by Randolpli as traditional song in
Missouri (OFS iv 302), appears in our collection in two frag-
ments, one of the tirst two stanzas and the other of the final stanza.
'On the Tombigbee River.' Contributed in 1916 by Camden Blades, at
that time a student at Trinity College.
1 On the Tombigbee River, 'twas there I was born,
In a hilt built of logs in the tall yellow corn ;
'Twas there that I tirst met my Julia so true
And sailed her about in my gumtree canoe.
CliOKKs:
Sing row away o'er the waters so blue.
Like a feather we float in our gumtree canoe.
Sing row away o'er the waters so blue.
Like a feather we float in our gumtree canoe.
2 All day in the tield the soft cotton Ld hoe ;
And think of my Julia, and sing as Ld go ;
Ld catch her a bird with a wing of true blue
And sail her about in mv gumtree canoe.
'One Day We Went Rowing.' Contributed by Elsie Doxey of Currituck
county. No date given.
One day we went rowing, and rowed so far away
We could not get back ; so we thought we would stay.
We spied a tall ship with its flag of true blue.
Which took us all in with our gumtree canoe.
Chorus:
Row, row, o'er waters so blue.
We'll float like a feather in our gumtree canoe.
FOLK LYRIC 3^9
270
The Indian Hunter
Tolman found this renK-nibered in Ohio (JAFL xxv 375) and
Brewster in Indiana ( SFI.Q iv 175). Kittred^e appended to Tol-
nian's text a bil)hoi;rapliical note showins^ that it was printed in a
great many songlKJoks dating from 1835 to iHgi. its subject is of
course the white man's romantic Indian.
'Indian Song: Let Me Go.' Contril)uted liy tlio Misses Hdlenian (if Dur-
ham in 1922.
1 Let me go to my home that is far distant west.
To the scenes of my youth that 1 like the best.
Where the tall cedars are and the bright waters flow,
Where my parents will greet me, white man, let me go!
2 Let me go to the spot where the cataract plays,
Where oft I have sported in my boyish days ;
There is my poor mother whose heart will o'erflow
At the sight of her child; oh, there let me go!
3 Let me go to the hills and the valleys so fair
Where oft I have breathed my own mountain air.
And there through the forest with quiver and bow
I have c[h]ased the wild deer; oh, there let me go!
4 Let me go to my father, whose galliant side
1 have sported so oft in the height of my pride
And exultive to concjuer the insolent foe ;
To my father, that chieftain, oh, there let me go !^
5 And oh, let me go to my dark-eyed maid
Who taught me to love beneath the willow shade.
Whose heart is like the fawn's and pure as the snow.
And she loves her dear Indian. To her let me go !
6 And oh, let me go to my far forest home.
And never again will I wish to roam ;
And there let my body in ashes lie low ;
To that scene in the forest, white man, let me go !
271
Goodbye. Little Girl, Goodbye
Dr. Wliite notes tliat he knew tliis song as an undergraduate,
1909-13, "but the version I knew had in the chorus "uniform of
^ How this stanza should read may be seen in Brewster's Indiana text:
Let me go to my sire, by whose battle-scarred side
I have sported so oft in the morn of my pride
And exulted to conquer the insolent foe ;
To my father the chief let me go, let me go.
X.C.F,. Vol. TTI, (23)
320 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
blue' for 'Virginia uniform,' relating it probably to the Spanish-
American rather than the Civil War." 1 have not found it else-
where.
'Goodbye, Little Girl, Goodbye.' From the manuscript book of songs
of Miss Edith Walker of Boone, Watagua county, obtained in 1936.
1 The sound of the bugle is calling ;
Fare thee well, fare thee well.
The soldiers in line are falling ;
Fare thee well, fare thee well.
There's a rose in your hair, sweet maiden,
And the fragrance floats in the air.
But the rose on your cheek is fading.
Hark ! I hear the trumpet sounding.
Chorus:
Goodbye, little girl, goodbye,
Goodbye, little girl, don't cry.
In my Virginia tmiform
I'll come marching back to yoti ;
Goodbye, little girl, don't cry.
2 From afar comes the sound of the battle.
Bugle call, soldiers fall.
On the ground mid the roar and the rattle
Lies a brave soldier boy.
'There's a rose in your breast [, sweet maiden,']
I could hear him say, mid the battle fray,
'If you spare me to see my darling.
Will you take it back to her and say :'
272
I'm Tired of Living Alone
This scrap of folk song — which may have come originally from
some parlor song — the editor has not found recorded elsewhere.
'I'm Tired of Living Alone.' Contributed by Jennie Belvin of Durham
in 1922. With the tune.
I'm tired of living alone.
I went to the river, and I saw a pretty rose,
I plucked it and called it my own.
A rose will fade, and so will a maid ;
I'm tired of living alone.
Chorus:
I'm tired of living alone,
I'm tired of living alone ;
A rose will fade and so will a maid ;
I'm tired of living alone.
folk lyric 321
Will You Love Me When I'm Old?
Miss Pound in her syllabus of Midwestern popular song says
this is the work of J. Ford. Shearin's syllabus reports it as known
in Kentucky; Randolph found it in Missouri (OFS iv 344-5);
Neely and Spargo (TSSl 241-2) record it for Illinois; and Henry
(SSSA 30) reports a parody of it from Tennessee, 'Will you love
nie when I'm bald?' Parody is unfailing evidence of popularity.
It appears six times in our collection :
A From I. G. Greer, Boone, Watauga county. A clipping from an un-
named newspaper, without date. With the tune as (]reer heard it sung.
B From the manuscripts of Mrs. Mary Martin Copley, Route 8, Dur-
ham, obtained by Jesse T. Carpenter.
C From J. B. Midgett, Wanchese, Roanoke Island. With the tune as
sung by Mrs. (or Mr.) C. K. Tillett, in 1922.
D From L. V. Harris, apparently from Montgomery county.
E From S. M. Holton, Durham ; known in Davidson county. With the
music as set down by Miss Hattie McNeill.
F From Jesse T. Carpenter, Durham. A single stanza only, compounded
of parts of stanzas i and 2 of A. He had heard it sung about fifty
jears before.
These texts do not differ significantly. It will be sufficient to give
the first of them.
1 I would ask of you, my darling,
A question soft and low-
That gives me many a heartache
As the moments come and go.
Your love, I know, is truthful.
Yet the truest love grows cold.
It is this that I would ask you :
Will you love me when I'm old?
Clionis:
Life's morn will soon be waning
And its evening bells be tolled,
And my heart will know no sadness
If you'll love me when I'm old.
2 Down the stream of life together
We are sailing side by side.
Hoping some bright day to anchor
Safe beyond the surging tide.
Today our skies are cloudless,
322 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
But the night may clouds unfold
And its storms may gather round us ;
Will you love me when I'm old?
3 When my hair shall shame the snowdrift
And mine eyes shall dimmer grow,
I would lean upon some loved one
In the valley as I go.
I would claim of you a promise
Worth to me a world of gold ;
It is only this, my darling.
That vou'll love me when I'm old.
274
Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye
This song, credited in Sears's Index to T. H. Allen, is a uni-
versal college favorite. It has been reported as folk song, so far
as I can find, only from Virginia (FSV 197), Tennessee (SSSA
169, BTFLS V 33-4, in the latter case as a play-party song), and
North Carolina (]\Irs. Steely found it in the Ebenezer community),
but it is known and sung all over the country. Its catchy refrain,
chorus, and tune lend themselves readily to improvisation. .So in
one of the uses of it in our collection "ship" is turned into "train"
and "railroad men" becomes "Chapel Hill men," making it a local
college song. Our other text departs even further from the orig-
inal song, introducing two elements of what was originally Negro
song, the "new-cut road" and the terrapin and the toad. Just
why the new-cut road should appeal to singers is not apparent :
perhaps chiefly because it rhymes with toad. Both these elements
appear also in 'Clare de Kitchen," No. 413 of this collection. They
are reported also, separately or together but generally together and
not in association with 'Goodbve Mv Lover, Goodbve,' from Vir-
ginia (TNFS 163-164), Kentucky (BKH 172), Alabama (ANFS
247, 248), Texas (Owens 70-1, as a play-partv song), and Iowa
(MAFLS XXIX 87).
'See the Train Go round the Bend.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as set
down in 1910 from the singing of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill.
See the train go 'roun' the bend.
Goodbye, my lover, goodby.
Loaded down with Chapel Hill men.
Goodby, my lover, goodby.
By-o my baby baby by
By-o my baby baby by ^
By-o my baby baby by
Goodby, my lover, goodby.
V 0 L K I. V R 1 C 323
B
'Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye.' Contril)uted in 1914 ijy Miss Amy
Henderson of Worry, Hiirkf county. The intercalated refrain and chorus
are repeated in eacli stanza.
1 As 1 went down the new-cut road,
Goodbye, my lover, goodbye,
I met a terrai)in and a toad,
Goodbye, my lover, goodbye.
Bye, baby, bye-o,
Bye, baby, bye-o,
Bye, baby, bye-o,
Goodbye, my lover, goodbye.
2 Every time tbe toad would sing
The terrapin cut the pigeon-wing.
3 See the train come round the curve
Loaded down with pretty young girls.
4 See the train go round the bend
Loaded down with railroad men.
275
Somebody
This was perhaps originally a parlor song. It has been reported
as traditional song from Virginia (ASb 464-5. I'^SV loi), Ken-
tucky (BKH loi), North Carolina (BMFSB 46-7, but without
the chorus), the Ozarks (OFS in 94-5), and Nebraska (ASb
464-5) ; what is perhaps a form of it or a derivative from it by
Perrow from Tennessee (JAFL xxvi 185) and by Talley as Negro
song (Negro Folk Rhymes 51). Mrs. Steely found it in the Eben-
ezer community in Wake county. It may have been suggested by
a song printed by Herd in his Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs
(11 41-2 of the 1869 reprint) or another given by Christie {Tradi-
tional Ballad Airs 11 74-5). Our North Carolina texts vary in a
way that shows the singers improvising.
A
'Somebody's Tall and Handsome.' Obtained l)y Jesse T. Carpenter from
Mrs. Mary Martin Copley, Route 8, Durham. Not dated.
I Somebody's tall and handsome.
Somebody's eyes are blue,
Somebody's sweet and loving.
Somebody's kind and true.
Chorus:
I love somebody dearly,
I love somebody well.
324 NORTH C A K 0 L I X A FOLKLORE
I love somebody with all my heart ;
'Tis more than tongue can tell.
2 Somebody's tall and handscnne,
Somebody's fair to see,
Somebody's kind and loving,
Somebody smiles on me.
3 Somebody's tall and handsome.
Somebody's brave and true.
Somebody's hair is very bright
And somebody's eyes are blue.
4 Somebody lives in the country,
Somebody boards in town.
Somebody's hair is very dark.
And somebody's eyes are brown.
5 Somebody's heart is faithful.
Somebody's heart is true.
Somebody waits for somebody ;
Somebody knows ; do you ?
6 Somebody's coming to see me,
Somebody came tonight.
Somebody asked me to be his bride
And I answered him, 'All right.'
B
'Somebody.' Reported in 1923 by Miss Gertrude Allen (later Mrs.
R. C. Vaught), Taylorsville, Alexander county. Stanzas 3-5 of tbis are
not in A.
1 Somebody is tall and handsome.
Somebody is fond and true,
Somebody's hair is rather dark,
And somebody's eyes are too.
2 Somebody loves me dearly.
Somebody loves me well.
Somebody loves me with all his heart ;
It is more than tongue can tell.
3 There's something on my finger,
I know you never could guess.
He gave it to me in the moonlight
Last night when I told him 'Yes.'
4 When I go to promenade the streets
T look so neat and gay
I take my little dog along
To keep the boys away.
FOLK LYRIC 32$
Somebody asked nie to kiss him,
Somebody thought it was nice ;
Somebody called me his darling girl,
Somebody asked me to kiss him twice.
Somebody's tall and handsome,
Somebody's fond and true,
Somebody's hair is rather light
z\nd somebody's eyes are blue.
'Somebody's Tall and Handsome.' Contributed by Miss Jewell Robbins
(later Mrs. C. P. Perdue) of Pekin, Montgomery county, some time
between 1921 and 1923. With the tune. Four stanzas, of which the
first corresponds to stanza 3 of A (except that his hair is here "very
dark"), the second and third to stanza 6 of A and stanza 3 of P>, and
the fourth to stanza 2 of B.
'Somebody Is Tall and Handsome.' This is anonymous but is probably
from Mrs. Coffey of Shull's Mills, Watagua county. It is not just the
same as any of the preceding texts but introduces nothing that is not
found in one or another of them.
276
You, You, You
This fragment is in a different rhythm from 'Somebody.' It has
not been found elsewhere.
'You, You, You.' Contributed by Mrs. W. L. Pridgen of Durliam.
Somewhere somebody's waiting for you.
Somewhere somebody's heart is true,
Sometime you'll love somebody who'll love you true.
Somewhere somebody's waiting for you, you, you.
277
Cold Mountains
I have found this reported as folk song elsewhere only by Davis
from Virginia (FSV 93).
'Cold Mountains.' Obtained from Mrs. Minnie Church, Heaton, Avery
county, in 1930. The text seems corrupt in places but is here given as
in the manuscript. With the tune, as sung by Mrs. Alice Cook and by
Miss Hattie McNeill.
I Cold mountains here are all around me.
Cold waters gliding down the stream ;
Oft in my sleep I think I find her
But when I wake it's all a dream.
326 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 When I awoke and did not tind her
All on my bed I wept and mourned ;
Tears from my eyes fell without number
All because I'm left alone.
3 Hills and mountains all dressed a-mourning,
The lofty trees bown down to me.
Birds of the air are well adourning.
Come help me mourn, she's fled from me.
4 The wild beast hear my limintation,
The lonesome desert hear my mourn,
Yes, heathen nations without number.
Oh, weep ! My bosom friend is gone.
5 When will my mourning days be over?
Yes, all my mourning days be gone?
I can't stay here, I'm not befriended ;
I to some foreign land must roam.
6 Farewell, my dear ; I hate to leave you.
I hate the time that we must part.
Altho I love you without measure,
Here is my hand ; you've got my heart.
278
My Home's across the Smoky Mountains
One of the numerous bits of love lyric current among ballad-
singing folk. This particular bit I have not found reported from
outside the state.
A
'My Home's across the Smoky Mountains.' Reported in June 1948, by
Professor Hudson, from the singing (at Chapel Hill) of Bascom Lamar
Lunsford of South Turkey Creek, Buncombe county. Mr. Lunsfonl
described it as a popular banjo song.
1 My home's across the Smoky Mountains.
My home's across the Smoky Mountains,
My home's across the Smoky Mountains,
And you'll never get to see me any more.
2 Goodbye, little sugar darling.
Goodbye, little sugar darling.
Goodbye, little sugar darling.
You'll never get to see me any more.
3 Rock my baby, feed it candy.
Rock my baby, feed it candy.
Rock my baby, feed it candy.
You'll never get to sec me any more.
FOLK LYRIC 327
4 J\I\- home's across the Smoky Mountains.
My home's across the Smoky Moimtains.
My home's across the Smoky Mountains,
And you'll never get to see me an\' more .
R
Tni (k)ing over Rocky Mountain.' Altliough the sheet on whicli it is
written hears no contrihutor's name, there is no reason to question its
genuineness. It was doubtless noted down by Dr. Brown from some
one of his contributors and lie neglected to record the name of his
informant.
1 I'm going over Rocky Mountain,
I'm going over Rocky Mountain.
I'm going over Rocky IMountain, my love,
And I will never see my darling any more.
2 Where is the finger ring I gave you,
Where is the finger ring I gave you,
Where is the finger ring I gave you. my love?
For I'll never see you, darling, any more.
279
Must I Go to Old Virginia?
The only trace of this the editor has found elsewhere is a line
from 'Must I Go to Mississippi ?' reported by Henry from North
Carolina ( SSSA 24), and here the resemblance does not e.xtend
beyond the single line (see stanza 4). But our song bears the
marks of authentic folk song. The last stanza is from The Drowsy
Sleeper.'
'Must I Go to Old Virginia?' From the manuscript songbook of Miss
Lura Wagoner of V^ox, Alleghany county, which was lent to Dr. Brown
in 1936.
1 Must I go to old Virginia?
North Carolina is my home.
I used to court a pretty fair gentleman.
And his name it was unknown.
2 His hair was hlack and his eyes did sparkle,
And his cheeks were diamond red.
On his hreast he wore white linen.
Oh, the tears that I have shed !
3 When I am asleep I am dreaming ahout voil
W hen I am awake I take no rest.
Every moment seems like an hour,
Everv moment seems like death.
328 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 Must 1 go to Mississippi?
For your sake must I die ?
Must I leave you broken-hearted?
Oh law. darling, don't you cry.
5 Papa says I must not marry,
Mama says it will not do ;
But, dear darling, if you are willing
I will run away with you.
6 Wake up, wake up. you drowsy sleepers,
Wake up. it is almost day.
How can you sleep, oh, how can you slumber
When your true love is going away ?
280
Red, White, and Blue
This is the old English song of a lovelorn girl more often called
'Green Grows the Laurel,' concerning which see BSM 480 — and
add to the references there given Virginia (FSV 86), Kentucky
(Shearin 37), North Carolina (FSRA 136), Mississippi (JAFL
XXXIX 147), Missouri (OFS i 273-5), and Michigan (BSSM 102) :
it is also listed for the Midwest (Pound 74). Mrs. Steely found it
in the Ebenezer community in Wake county. Our three texts are
fairly close together, yet their differences interestingly illustrate the
way of the folk with a song.
'Red, White, and Blue.' From the manuscripts of G. S. Robinson of
Asheville, obtained in 1939.
1 Ah, once I had a sweetheart but now I have none.
He's gone and left me ; I live all alone.
I live all alone, and contented will be.
For he loves another one better than me.
CJwnis:
Green grow the laurels all wet with the dew.
Sorrow of the time that I i)arted from you.
The next time I see you I hope you'll prove true
And change the green laurels to red, white and blue.
2 I passed my lover's window both morning and night,
I passed my lover's window both early and late.
To see my love sit there it makes my heart ache ;
He's a lad of the laurels, a lad of the lakes.
3 T wrote mv l<)\e a letter all red rosy lines.
She wrote me another all twisted in twine
K () L K r, V K I C 329
Saying, 'Keep your loxx'-letters and 1 will keep mine.
You write to your sweetheart and I'll write to mine."'
B
'1 Oiicc Had a Swocthoart.' Repdrtcd by W. Amos Ahrams as ohtaiiiod
from Margaret Barlowe, a stiuk-nt at tiu- Appalacliiaii 'I'rainiiig Collej^c
at Boone. Not dated.
I 1 once had a .sweetheart, but now I have none,
He's gone and left me and left me alone.
But since he has left me contented I'll be.
He is loving another girl better than me.
Chorus:
Green grows the wild lilies and so does the rose.
It's sad to your heart when parting with yours.
I hope the next meeting we will also prove true
And change the green laurels to the red, white, and
blue.
2 He wrote nie a letter all twinkling and twine;
I wrote him an answer on red roses line.
Saying, 'Keep your love-letters and I will keep mine ;
You write to your sweetheart and I'll write to mine.'
3 He passed by my window both early and late.
The looks that he gave me would make my heart ache.
The looks that he gave me ten thousand would kill ;
He is loving another that makes him quite ill.
4 I of ttimes have wondered how women love men ;
And yet I do wonder how they can love them.
I've had some experience, I want you to know;
Young men are deceitful wherever they go.
'Green Grows the Wild Olive.' Reported in 1922 by Miss Mamie Alans-
field of Durham as sung by Miss Madge Nichols.
I once had a sweetheart, but now I have none.
He has gone and left me, and left me alone.
He has gone and left me; but contented I'll be.
He is loving anotl|pr girl better than me.
Chorus:
( jreen grows the wild olive, and so does the rose.
It's sad since I parted my heart from yours.
I hope the next meeting will prove to be true
And change the green olive to the red. white, and blue.
^ Observe that in this stanza it is the man that is speaking. For the
right form of this part see B.
330 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
281
Down in the Valley (Birmingham Jail)
This is a favorite song in the Southern highlands, known in
Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, and also in Louisiana, Texas, Arkan-
sas, and Missouri. See BSM 488, and add to the references there
given Kentucky (ABFS 147-8), Georgia (SSSA 179), Arkansas
(OFS IV 284-5), Oliio (ASb 148), and tlie Archive of American
Folk Song, which has recordings of it from Virginia, Kentucky,
and Texas. Mrs. Steely found two forms of it in the Ebenezer
community in Wake county. In it the theme of far-off valley
sounds heard from a hill top is commonly combined with a con-
vict's love message.
A
'Down in the Valley.' Contributed by Mildred Peterson of Bladen county
in 1923.
1 Down in the valley, valley so low,
Late in the evening, hear the train blow ;
The train, love, hear the train blow ;
Late in the evening" hear the train blow.
2 To build me a mansion, btiild it so high.
So I can see my true love go by,
Love, see her go by,
So I can see my true love go by.
3 Go write me a letter, send it by mail.
Back it and stamp it to the Birmingham jail.
Birmingham jail, love, Birmingham jail.
Back it and stamp it to the Birmingham jail.
4 Roses are red, love, violets are blue.
God and his angels know I love you,
Know I love you, know I love you,
God and his angels know I love you.
B
'Birmingham Jail.' Contributed by Otis Kuykendall of Asheville in
August 1939. Here the valley is replaced by the levee — perhaps a more
familiar scene of activity for a convict.
1 Down on the levee, levee so low.
Late in the evening hear the train blow.
Hear the train blow, love, hear the train i)low,
Late in the evening hear the train blow.
2 Roses love sunshine, violets, and you.
Angels in heaven know I love you.
Write nu' a letter, send it by mail ;
Send it in care of the P.irmingham jail.
FOLK LYRIC 331
282
I Sent My Love a Letter
The 'bird in a cage' refrain and the notion of writing a letter
to one's love are recurring elements of folk lyric. Something like
the combinations of our texts is reported from Kentucky (BKH
141, AS!) 213 — the latter sung by Negroes). Compare also 'Red,
White, and Blue' and 'Down in the \'alle\-.' aliove.
Xo title. Obtained from William C. Daulken, student at the University
of North Carolina, in 1915. The manuscript has "him (or her)" in lines
I and 3, to show that it may l)c sung by a woman or a man ; but the
second stanza implies that it should read simply "her."
1 I sent her a letter,
'Twas only one line,
'Twas only to ask her
Would she be mine.
Refrain:
Bird in a cage, love, singing to me,
Bird in a cage, love, singing to me.
2 She sent me a letter,
'Twas only one line,
'Twas only to promise
She would be mine.
B
'I Wrote My Love a Letter.' Reported by W. Amos Abrams as obtained
(probably in 1935-36) from Mary Best of Statesville, Iredell county.
1 I wrote my love a letter.
It was wrote in rosy red lines ;
He wrote me another.
It was all twisted in twines.
2 He said, 'You can keep your love-letters
And I'll keep mine.
For I love another girl
And I'm going to leave you behind.'
c
'Birds in the Cage.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
I I wonder where my Lulu is.
Can anyone tell?
She's up on the mountain ;
I hope she's doing well.
332 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Chorus:
Birds in the cage, love,
Birds in the cage.
Birds in the cage, love,
Birds in the cage.
2 I wrote her a letter,
It was only one line.
All I wanted was Lulu
To be mine.
3 Go build me a house, love.
Upon the mountain so high,
So I can see Lulu
As she passes by.
4 Go dig my grave, love,
Both deep and wide,
And bury Lulu
Close by my side.
5 Way years ago, love.
You promised to marry me ;
But now you say, love,
That never can be.
283
In the Pines, Where the Sun Never Shines
Two songs of a similar temper and containing a few other ele-
ments in common, but not really the same song, are held together
by the use of a very effective refrain or chorus. This refrain is
found also elsewhere in songs that correspond to neither of the two
here given. In Kentucky it appears in a song called 'Black Girl'
(SharpK 11 278) and as a stanza in a version of 'The Maid Freed
from the Gallows' (BKH 113). Gordon (FSA 83-4) has a text
that combines elements that appear in both of our two texts; he
describes it as a banjo picker's song. Our texts are composites,
as American folk songs so often are. The longer of the two con-
tains elements from 'The Lonesome Road,' 'Darling Little Pink.'
and 'The Turtle Dove.' C is merely a fragment.
'There's More Than One.' Contributed by Miss Pearl Webb of Pineda,
Avery county, some time in 1921-22. The mani:script is confused; the
line and stanza division is the editor's, and he confesses that it is un-
certain, as in places the text is obviously defective.
I 'Little darling, little darling, don't tell me no lie.
Where did you stay last night?'
FOLK LYRIC 333
'I stayed in the pines where the sun never shines.
1 shivered when the culd wind hlow[edJ.'
Chorus:
To the pines, to the pines, where the sun ne\er shines.
Oh. 1 shivered when the cold wind ])h)wed.
2 Look down, look d(jwn this lonesome road;
Hang down your head and cr}-.
The hest of friends must part some time.
Then why not you and 1 ?
3 You've slighted me once, you've slighted me twice.
You'll never slight me any more.
You've caused me to weep, you've caused me to mourn,
You've caused me to leave my home.
4 The long steel rail and short cross ties
Going to carry me away from home.
5 My love she stands on yonder shore
And waves her hand at me, my love.
And waves her hand at me.
6 Come back, come back, my own true love,
I'll stay with you till I die.
7 The prettiest girl I ever saw
Was sitting with her head bowed down ;
Her hair was as curly as the waves at the sea.
Her eyes a Spanish brown.
8 The longest train I ever saw-
Was on the Georgia line.
The engine passed at five o'clock.
The cab never passed till nine.
9 The longest day I ever saw
Was the day I left my home.
The day I left my daddy's house
Was the day I left my home.
10 Free transportation brought me here.
Take money to carry me away.
11 Oh. don't you see that little dove
Flying from vine to vine?
Tt makes me mourn for my own true love
Just like you mourn for yours.
334 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
B
'Mobiline.' Obtained irum Mamie Mansfield of the Fowler School Dis-
trict, Durham county, in July 1922. Was a Mobiline some make ol
automobile ?
1 The prettiest girl 1 ever saw
Was riding a Mobiline.
Her head was crushed in the driving wheel,
Her body was lost but found.
CJionts:
Now darling, now darling, don't tell me no lies ;
Where did you stay last night ?
I stayed in the pines, where the sun never shines.
And shivered when the cold wind blowed.
2 If I had listened to what dad said
1 wouldn't been here tonight,
1 wouldn't been here in this rowdy crowd
A-having this rowdy time.
3 Now don't you hear those mourning doves
belying from pine to pine,
Mourning for their own true love
Just like I mourn for mine?
c
'The Lonesome Pine.' A record made in 1922 by Miss Hattie McNeill
of Ferguson, Wilkes county, from which the following fragmentary lines
have been transferred.
For the longest train I ever saw
Was on my Georgy line.
O darling. O darling, don't tell me no lie.
284
Bonnie Blue Eyes
"A purely North Carolina product," Dr. Brown noted on his
version of this song. Its appearance outside the state lends some
support to this judgment; Davis (FSV 99) reports it from Carroll
and Dickenson counties, Virginia, and the Archive of American
Folk Song has a recording of it from Blount county. Tennessee,
all of which places are on or close to the North Carolina border.
Gordon (F'SA 81) has a nine-stanza version which he describes
as a banjo picker's song but does not say where lie found it.
Randolph COFS iv 209-10) has a four-stanza version from Mis-
FOLK L V R I C 335
souri. Of our texts the tirst two were ])ul)lislK'(l by Louise Kaiul
Bascoin in the Journal of American I'olk-Lorc in 1909. She noted
tlien that the sonj; was "said to have l)een written July 5, 1907,"
hut further invcstis^ation convinced her tliat it was "ten years old
at least" at the time she wrote. The versions vary widely. Dr.
Brown remarks that it is a "sort of communal composition, 'i'here
are four or live different versions or fragments."
'Bonnie Blue Kyes.' Puhiislied l)y Louise Raiul Bascom in JAFL xxii
243-4. She does not state where in tlie inciuntains she found tliis version.
1 I'm gom otit West next fall.
I'm goin' otit West next fall,
I'm goin' out W^est whar times is the best,
I'm goin' ottt West next fall.
2 Don't cry. little Bonnie, don't cry,
Don't cry. little Bonnie, don't cry,
For if you cry you'll spile your eye.
Don't cry. little Bonnie, don't cry.
3 When you tole me you loved me, you lied,
When you tole me you loved me, you lied.
When you tole me you loved me you lied, my dear.
When you tole me you loved me, you lied.
4 I asked your Mommer for you,
1 asked your Popper for you,
I asked your Popper an' Mommer both for you ;
They both said 'No-oh-no.'
5 I'm forty-one miles from home,
I'm forty-one miles from home,
I'm forty-one miles from home, Bonnie Blue Eyes,
I'm forty-one miles from home.
6 I hyar the train comm'. I do.
I hyar the train comin', I do.
I hyar the train comin' to carry me through
To see my little Bonnie Blue l\ves.
7 I'm goin" to see Bonnie Blue Eyes.
I'm goin' to see Bonnie Blue Eyes.
The only girl I ever loved
Was my Bonnie Blue Eyes.
8 But now she's married an' gone,
But now she's married an' gone.
But now she's married. I've waited too long
To get my P)onnie Blue Eyes.
X.C.F., Vol. TTT. (24)
336 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
B
'Bonnie Blue Eyes.' This version also Miss Bascoin published in JAFL
XXII 242-3.
1 Don't cry, little Bonnie, don't cry,
Don't cry, little Bonnie, don't cry.
Don't cry, little Bonnie, don't cry.
Don't cry. little Bonnie, don't cry.
2 I hyar the train coniin', I do,
I hyar the train coniin', I do.
I hyar the train comin' to carry me through,
I hyar the train comin', 1 do-o-o.
3 Don't cry, little Bonnie, don't cry.
Don't cry, little Bonnie, don't cry,
Ef ye cry, little Bonnie, you'll spile your eye.
Don't cry, little Bonnie, don't cry-i-i.
5 I asked your Popper for you,
I asked your Mommer for you,
I asked your Popper an' Mommer for you.
They both said 'No-o-o.'
5 She tole me she loved me, she did.
She tole me she loved me, she did.
She tole me she loved me, she never did lie,
Good-by, little Bonnie, good-by-i-i.
6 Fm forty-one miles from home,
I'm forty-one miles from home,
Pm forty-one miles from home.
Good-bye, little Bonnie Blue Eyes.
7 And now she's married an' gone.
An' now she's married an' gone.
Pve waited around for her too long,
An' now she's married an' gone.
c
'Bonnie Blue Eyes.' A third, much abl)r(.-viatcd, text from Miss Bas-
com's papers; from Highlands, Macon county. W'itli tlic tune.
1 Good-bye, little Bonnie, good-bye,
Good-bye, little Bonnie, good-bye,
You've told me more lies than the stars in the skies.
You ain't my Bonnie Blue Eyes.
2 You tole me you loved me, you always did lie.
Good-bve, little lionnie. good-bye.
I' () L K I. V K I c 337
3 The Danville train's in town.
1 know hv the way little P)()nnie does' nnui'
That the train is dne in town.
4 I'm goin' to the West some day,
I'm goin' to the West, but not to stay,
I'm comin' back some day.
D
'Bonnie Blue Eyes.' Manuscript in Dr. Brown's hand, with the nota-
tion : "These two stanzas are selected from at least a dozen and a
half. . . . Collected near Highlands, N. C." With the tunc.
1 Good-bye, little Bonnie, good-bye,
Good-bye, little Bonnie, good-bye ;
You've told me more lies than the stars in the skies,
You ain't my Bonnie Blue Eyes.
2 And now I'm far from home,
And now I'm far from home ;
But I love little Bonnie in spite of her lies.
My own, my l->onnie Blue Eyes.
There are also in the Collection two anonymous sheets with the
music for this song.
285
The Midnight Dew
This composite folk lyric has already been published by Louise
Rand Bascom, Highlands, Macon county, in 1909 (JAFL xxii
244-5). It seems desirable, however, to repeat it here; the more so
because the text which she contributed to the present collection
differs slightly from that printed in JAFL. The song seems not to
have been reported elsewhere.
'Midnight Dew.' Contributed by Louise Rand Bascom, Highlands,
Macon county. Printed in JAFL xxii (1909) 244-5. With the tune,
as sung by Airs. N. T. Byers of Silverstone, Watauga county.
1 In the midnight dew, love,
I often think of you.
When I'm rambling in the midnight dew, love,
I often think of you.
2 You can hyar the whistle blow.
You can tell the train I'm on,
You can hyar the whistle blow
A hundred miles from home.
^ Miswritten for "goes" ?
338 NORTH CAROLINA F 0 L K I, O R !•.
3 I'm a fool about you.
An' you're the only darlin' too,
Lord, but I'm a fool
About you, hoo-hoo.
4 If the train runs right
I'll go home tomorrer night.
You can hyar the wliistle blow
A hundred miles from home.
5 If the train runs a wreck
I'm sure to break my neck ;
I'll never see my honey
Any more, hoo-hoo.
6 My old shoes is worn
An' my ole close is torn.
An' I can't go to meetin'
This way. hoo-hoo.
7 Oh, Lordy me.
For ther's trouble I do see,
Fur nobody cyars
Fur me. hoo-hoo.
8 Oh. it's Lordy me
An' it's oh, Lordy my.
An' I want to go to Heaven
^\'hen I die. hoo-hoo.
9 I'll pawn you my watch
An" my wagon an' my team.
An' if that don't pay my darlin's bill
I'll pawn my gold-diamont ring, hoo-hoo.
10 You've caused me to weep
An' you've caused me to mourn
An' you've caused me to leave
Mv home, hoo-hoo.
11 An' wear this ring I give to you.
An' wear it on your right ban'.
An' when I'm dead an' forgotten.
Don't give it to no other man.^
^ This final stanza appears in the JAFL print as the second of two
stanzas given under the title 'Charming Betsy,' and Miss Rascom com-
ments : "Why the maiden is admonished to wear the love token on her
right hand is a matter for conjecture, unless tlie fond lover is willing
to leave her for another. As a matter of fact, the mountain women
K () I. K 1. V k 1 c 339
286
Via' Around, My Blue-Eyed (Iiri,
Here are asseniblcd a number of songs of rather widely different
character but held toj^ether by a common plirase (sometimes with
"blue-eyed miss" or "pretty little miss" instead of "blue-eyed girl")
in the chorus stanza. They are not always easily to be kept apart
from songs with the "pretty little pink" phrase. Where these latter
are definitely play-party or dance songs they are considered under
the caption 'Coffee Grows on White Oak Trees.' The songs brought
together here are not described by the contributors as play-party
songs — though some of them may have been so used. A song
using the phrase reported by Sharp from North Carolina, "Betty
Anne' (SharpK ii ;^/), is not considered by him a play-party song.
There is in our collection a record of the song as sung by Miss
Hattie McNeill of Ferguson, Wilkes county, in 1922.
'That Blue-Eyed Girl.' Sung by Rynic-r, a banju-pickcr, in "The
Beats" near the mouth of Newfound Creek in Buncombe county. This
is reminiscent of the English milkmaid song 'Where Are You Going,
My Pretty Maid?"
1 How old are you, my pretty little miss?
How old are you, my honey ?
She looked at me with a smiling look :
'I'll be sixteen next Sunday.'
C horns:
It's fly around, my bl'te-eyed girl,
It's fly around, my daisy ;
It's fly around, my pretty little miss —
You've done run me crazy.
2 Will you marry me, my pretty little miss?
Will you marry me, my honey?
She looked at me with a smiling look :
'I'll marry you some Sunday.'
3 It's every day and Sunday too,
It seems so dark and hazy,
I'm thinking about my blue-eyed girl —
She's done run me crazy.
practically never wear rings." In place of our final stanza the JAl'I.
print closes with one about the "lonesome road" :
You've caused me to walk
That long lonesome road
Which has never been
Travelled afore, hoo-hoo.
340 X () R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 It's every day and Sunday too
I liang my head and cry ;
I'm thinking about my blue-eyed girl —
Oh, surely 1 will die !
5 If I had no horse at all,
I'd be found a-cra\vlin'
Up and down the rocky branch
Looking for my darlin'.
B
No title. Collected from James York, Olin, Iredell county, in August
1939. The final stanza is from 'Bonnie Blue Eyes' ; stanza 3 seems to
belong to some convict's song. The first stanza may be assumed to be
a chorus.
1 Fly around, my blue-eyed girl,
Fly around, my daisy ;
Fly around, my blue-eyed girl.
You almost run me crazy.
2 Hard to love when you can't be loved.
It's hard to change your mind.
You've broke my heart, you've killed me dead.
You left me far behind.
3 They bound my hands with iron bands,
They bound my feet with chains ;
And before I leave my sweet daisy
I'd wear the old shackles again.
4 Don't cry. my bonnie bltte eyes,
Don't cry. my bonnie, don't cry ;
For if you cry you'll spoil your eyes ;
Don't cry. my bonnie blue eyes.
'Fly Around, My Pretty Little Miss.' Contrilnitod in 1939 by Otis
Kuykendall of Asheville. The penultimate stanza appears in various
songs of the mountain folk.
I The stormy clotids are rising.
It sure looks like rain.
Hitch uj) Mike and Charlie, boys.
And drive little Liza Jane.
Chants:
Fly around, my i)retty littk" miss,
l'"ly around, my dai.sy.
l"ly around, my pretty little miss,
\'()U almost run me crazv.
!• () L K LYRIC 341
2 Went up on the mountain top.
Gave my horn a blow.
Thought 1 heard somebody say,
'Yonder comes my beau.'
3 You may ride the grey horse
.And I will ride the roan ;
^'ou may court the other girl.
But leave mine alone.
D
'The Blue-Eyed Girl.' Reported by I. G. Greer from the singing of
Mrs. N. J. Herring of Tomaliawk, Sampson county. Highly composite.
For what is here marked "chorus" see 'Shady Grove' ; the needle and
thread stanza belongs to a play-party song, 'Wish I Had a Needle and
Thread"; and the joke about the yellow girl's kinky hair is one of the
floating items of Negro (or pseudo-Negro) song.
1 Fly around, my blue-eyed miss,
Fly around, my daisy ;
Fly around, my blue-eyed miss,
You're about to run me crazy.
Chorus:
Shady grove, my little love.
Shady grove, I say ;
Shady grove, my little love,
Going far away.
2 Massy had a yellow girl.
Brought her from the South ;
Her hair way^ kinked upon her head
She couldn't shut her mouth.
3 I wish I had a needle and thread
As fine as I could sew ;
I'd sew my sweetheart to my side
And down the river I'd go.
4 Wish I had a banjo string
Made of golden twine ;
Evry tune I could pick on it
'I wish that gal was mine.'
5 \\ ish I was a mocking-l)ird
In yonders mountain high ;
I'd take wings and fly
To mv true love's side.-
^ Should this be "was" ?
- This stanza is marked "Cho. 5." meaning perha])s tliat it takes the
place, at the end of the song, of the lines marked "chorus" above.
342 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
287
Darling Little Pink
Stanzas addressed to "pretty little pink" occur frequently in play-
party songs, especially in 'Coffee Grows on White Oak Trees,' under
which title they are dealt with in the present volume. Another
movable phrase, "Fly around, my pretty little miss," not, apparently,
associated with play-party songs, is considered under "Fly Around,
My Blue-Eyed Girl.' Tlie song here presented 1 have not found
elsewhere — though its temper is common enough in love songs of
the folk.
'My Darling Little Pink.' From the collection of Louise Rand Bas-
com, Highlands, Macon county, 1914.
1 My darling little pink, won't you tell nie what you think?
You're a long time a-makin' up your min'.
You've tole me more lies than the stars in the skies,
An' your heart is no more of mine.
2 If your heart was mine, my dear little pet,
You would lean it across my breast.
3 I've been to the east and I've been to the west
An' I've been most everywhere.
An' the only girl I ever loved
W'as the one with the bright yellow hair.
4 Lord, I've seen more trouble than any pore boy
Than^ the sun has ever shined on.
Hand me down a bottle of that old morphine
An' I'll try for to ease my pain.
5 If it hadn't been for my babe and my blue-eyed girl
I would have slept in my lonesome grave.
The longest train that I ever seen was leavin' the micer's-
mine.
The engine was a-pullin' on a nine mile grade
An' the cabins- had never left the town.
288
Billy My Darling
A fragment of folk lyric. It has no connection with 'Billy Boy,'
but the last two lines of A suggest the second stanza of 'Down in
the Valley' A (p. 330).
A
'Billy." Kcpnrti-d l>y .Mrs. .Sutton in 1922, l)ut slie does not say whore
she heard it. With tlic tunc
' Probably niiswritten for "That."
" iMir "iniccr's" read "luica," and for "cabins" read "caboose."
r () L K 1. V R 1 I' 343
Billy. Ill}' darling', Hilly, my dear,
W hen you think 1 don't love you it's a foolish idea^
Up in a tree-top high as the sky,
1 can see Billy, Billy pass by.
B
'Hilly.' An earlier reporting by Mrs. Sutton of the same song, lacking
the last two lines.
289
Seeing Nelly Home
Few songs are more widely known in American colleges, or in-
deed among American singing folk generally, than 'Aunt Dinah's
Quilting Party' (credited in the Sears Supplement to "J. Fletcher,
words by F. Kyle"). Our collection has a text of this obtained
by L. \V. Anderson from Maxine Tillett, pupil in the school at
Nag's Head ; it does not differ from the form found in college
songbooks and is therefore not presented here. But there is also
a quite ditTerent text — perhaps the original, perhaps an elaboration,
of the familiar song — which it seems worth while to give.
'When I Saw Sweet Nellie Home.' From Miss Duo K. Smith, Houston
ville, Iredell county. No date given.
1 In the sky the bright stars glittered.
On the grass the moonlight fell.
Hushed the sound of daylight's Inistle,
Closed the pink-eyed pimpernell.
As down the moss-covered wood-path,
\\ here the cattle loved to roam.
From Aunt Dinah's quilting partv
I was seeing Nellie home.
Chorus:
W hen I saw sweet Nellie home,
When I saw sweet Nellie home ;
How I bless the August evening
When I saw sweet Nellie home !
2 Pretty ringlets softly fluttered
O'er a brow as white as snow%
And her cheek — the crimson sttnset
Scarcely had a warmer glow.
'Mid her parted lips' vermilion
\\'hite teeth flashed like the ocean foam ;
All I marked with pulses throbbing
As I saw sweet Nellie home.
344 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 When autumn tinged the greenwood,
Turning all the leaves to gold,
In the lawns by alders shaded
I my love to Nellie told.
As we stood together, gazing
On the star-bespangled dome.
How I blessed the autumn evening
When I saw sweet Xellie home !
4 White hairs mingle with my tresses.
Furrows steal upon ni}- brow.
But a love-smile cheers and blesses
Life's declining moments now.
Matron in a snowy kerchief.
Closer to my bosom come ;
Tell me, dost thou still remember
When I saw sweet Nellie home?
290
Troubled in Mind
Two songs are here brought together because they have in com-
mon the phrase and the thought wliich I have chosen for title.
Otherwise they are quite unlike. Both are composites — as folk
lyrics so often are — of divers elements. Stanza 2 of A is from
'The Cuckoo' ; stanzas 3, 4, and 6 belong to "The Wagoner's Lad.'
Stanza 3 of B is a stock piece, separately treated in the present
volume; stanza 4 is another, likely to turn up anywhere but espe-
cially in Negro jingles about animals. For the "I'll eat when Lm
hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry" stanza, which goes far back in
English balladry, see 'Cornbread When I'm Hungry,' below, and
'Cindy,' No. 404, in this volume.
A
No title. Collected from James York, Olin, Iredell county, in 1939.
1 I'm troubled. I'm troubled,
Lm troubled in mind.
And if trouble don't kill me
I'll live a long time.
2 The lark is a pretty bird
.\nd she sings as she flies
And she brings tLs glad tidings
That summer is nigh.
3 ( )h. Polly, ])retty Folly,
W <ndd you think it tuikind
If I shoidd sit by \du
And tell von mv mind ?
1" () L K 1. Y K I C 345
4 My iiiiiid is to mai"r\-
And never to part ;
Tlie tirst time 1 saw \(iu
^'(•11 wdunck'd nn- heart.
5 P^irewell. pretty I'olly,
I'll hid you adieu.
I'm ruined forever
Uy loving of you.
6 Your i)arents ddu't like me
They say I'm not worthy
( )f knocking their door.
7 Your lii)s are enticing.
Your tongue bids me come.
If angels don't like me
Oh surely I'm done !
8 I've strove on the mountains,
I've strove on the plains.
I've strove to forget you,
But all is in vain.
9 I'll eat when I'm hungry,
I'll drink when I'm dry;
I'll think of you, Molly.
And sit down and cry.
10 I've rambled this country
Both early and late.
So hard is my fortune.
My troubles was great.
1 1 And since it's no better
I'm glad it's no worse;
There's whiskey in bottles
And gold in mv i)urse.
'I'm Troubled.' Collected by Julian P. Royd in 1027 from Catherine
Bennett, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
I Beefsteak for my breakfast.
Whiskey when I'm dry;
Pretty gals when I'm funny,
And 1 leben when I die.
,_,() NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Clionis:
I'm troubled, I'm troubled,
I'm troubled in my mind,
Troubled 'bout de pretty little gal,
De gal I left behind.
2 You may ride de borrowed horse,
I will ride my own.
If you won't bother my sweetheart
I won't bother yourn.
3 If I had a scolding wife
I'd whip her sho's she bo'n ;
I'd take her down to New Cleans
And trade her ofif for co'n.
4 Possum up de 'simmon tree,
Raccoon on de ground ;
De raccoon says to de possum.
'Won't you hand me a 'simmon down?'
291
CORNBREAD WhEN I'm HuNGRY
Til eat when I'tii hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry' is old in
English balladry; it appears in an eighteenth-century print {Rox-
biirglic Ballads viii 613). And with cornbread and whiskey (some-
times beefsteak and corn li(iuor ) as the preferred diet, it is very
widespread in the Southern states: sung in Kentucky (Shearin 38,
SharpK 11 355), Tennessee (JAFL xxviii 129), Mississippi (JAFL
xxviii 181, 182), and the Ozarks (JAFL xxviii 182, OFS in
135-9). 'ind also by the Negroes (Talley 114). Stout reports it
from Iowa (MAFLS xxix 140). The second stanza of A is re-
ported as Negro song by Odum (JAFL xxiv 278) and the first
stanza of B by Perrow (JAFL xxviii 141) and by White (ANFS
381). See also 'Troubled in Mind' and 'Cindy' in the present
collection.
A
'Cdrnbreaci When I'm Hungry.' Reported by William B. Covington as
among his "reminiscences of my early youtli spent in the country on
tlie l)orcler of the sand hills of Scotland county." He calls it "the sun-
down song of the plowboy."
1 Cornbread when I'm hungry.
Corn liquin- when I'm dry.
Pretty girl when I'm hard up,
In heaven when 1 die.
I don't want to go.
I ddu't want to go.
> 0 L K LYRIC 347
2 Make mv down a pallet
And lie down on the floor,
Lie down on the floor.
Lie down on the floor,
Make me down a pallet
And lie down on the floor.
B
'Olc Massa in de Parlor." Prom Miss Clara Hearne of Pittsboro, Cliat-
ham county, in 1923.
1 Ole massa in de parlor,
Ole missus in de hall,
Nigger in de dinin' room
Farin' de bes' of all.
2 It's beefsteak when I'm hungry.
An' whiskey when Lm dry.
It's greenback when I'm busted,
An' heaven when I die.
292
Lonesome Road
Whether or not this image of the lonely road conies from the
spirituals — Negroes are especially fond of it — it seems to belong
to the folk song of the South. It is recorded from the singing of
Negroes in Virginia (TNFS -t,), North Carolina (ANFS 300-1),
South Carolina (OSC 404), Georgia (JAFL x 116), and without
specific location by Oduni in JAFL xxiv 272 and NWS 46; and
as sung apparently bv whites in Virginia (SCSM 326, O.SC 146-7),
Kentucky (FSKH 28-9, SFLQ in 115). and Florida (SFLQ viii
188). In many of these instances it is just an element in a song;
the texts vary widely. For the spirit displayed in stanzas 2 and 3
of A and 4 of B compare 'A False-Hearted Lover' in Volume II
of this collection and BSM 476, 492.
A
'Lonesome Road.' Contributed by Miss Gertrude Allen (afterwards Mrs.
R. C. Vaught) from Taylorsville, Alexander county. No date given.
1 Look up, look down that lonesome road
\\ here you and I have been, my love.
Where you and I have been.
2 You've slighted me once, you've slighted me twice,
You'll never slight me any more, my love.
You'll never slight me any more.
3 There's more than one, there's more than two.
There's more pretty girls than you, my love.
There's more pretty girls than you.
348 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 I loved you once, 1 loved you twice,
1 loved you more than cats love mice,
Yes, more than cats love mice.
5 If you loved me like I loved you
No knife could cut our love in two.
Could cut our love in two.
B
'Look Up, Look Down That Lonesome Road.' From Miss Jane Christen-
bury. a student at Trinity College. Not dated, Init proliably in 1923.
With the music.
1 Look u)), look down that lonesome road.
Hang down your head and cry, my love.
Hang down your head and cry.
2 You slighted me once, you slighted me twice ;
You'll never slight me any more, my love,
You'll never slight me any more.
3 You slighted me for that other girl ;
So now you may take her and go, my love,
So now you may take her and go.
4 There's more than one, there's more than two.
There's more pretty hoys than you, my love,
There's more pretty hoys than you.
5 To the pines, to the pines, where the sim never shines
And it shivers when the cold wind hlows, my love.
And it shivers when the cold wind hlows. ^
6 The hlackest crow that ever was seen
\\ as flying from pine to pine, my love,
Was flying from pine to pine.
7 The longest train that ever had run
Was going down old Georgia line, my love,
Was going down old Georgia line.-
293
You Lovers All, to You I Call
'I'his I have not found elscwliere, hut it lias a definite folk (|uality.
'^'()U Lovers .Ml, to You I Call.' Contril)uted by L. W. .Anderson of
Nag's Head as "sung to me by Mrs. J. A. Best, wlio said she learned
it from her father, whose father, Francis Asbury Meekins (1818-81),
also knew it."
' This stanza has crept in from another song, 'hi the P'nes, in the
Pines. Where the Sun Never Shines.'
" The last two stanzas are bits of the floating lyric of the folk, likely
to appear in almost any love song.
K 0 1, K I. V K I c 349
1 You lovers all, to you 1 call.
A story T will tell ;
J low 1, a swain, courted in vain
.\ maid none could excel.
2 I fell in love so hard to move,
To you I will express.
But to my grief found no relief.
For she was pitiless.
3 My love was tall, her waist was small.
She was in all complete.
Her hands was clean as ever was seen
More nicer was her feet.
4 Her lily breast, I do protest.
Was colored like the snow.
Oh. she is neat, speaks mild and sweet
Cood-natured. that's also.
294
W'liEx First I Seen This Lovely Queen
Although I have not found it elsewhere, this lively song bears its
own authentication as folk song. The interior rhyme in the first
and third lines of each stanza suggests an origin in eighteenth-
century stall print, which was much given to that form of verse.
'When First I Seen This Lovely Queen.' Reported by L. W. Anderson
of Nag's Head as "sung to me by Mrs. J. A. Best, who said she learned
it from her father, whose father, Francis Asbury Meekins (1818-81),
also knew it."
1 When first I seen this lovely queen
( )n her I fixed my eyes.
And thought in time, while in my prime.
To gain her I would try.
2 But all in vain; could not obtain
This virgin's love at all.
She'd not comply; and the reason why?
My portion was too small.
3 If she proves coy and won't comi)ly.
No grief it is to me.
My suit ni move, and hunt a love
Perhaps as good as she.
350 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Sweet Birds
This love song seems, from the number of copies in our collection,
to be something of a favorite in North Carolina. It has been
previously reported from the state (BMFSB 58-9), Davis reports it
from Virginia (FSV 103), and Shearin's syllabus shows that it is
or has been known in Kentucky. Its authorship has not been dis-
covered. The curious use of "ferns" for "birds" in texts C and G
is supported if not explained by the Beech Mountain text, which
makes the same substitution. Though all of our texts clearly de-
rive from a common original, no two of them are just alike: some-
times even new rhymes have been devised.
A
'Sweet Birds.' Contributed by Wagner .\. Reese in 1921 or 1922; locale
not noted. With the music.
1 The birds are returning their sweet notes of spring
O'er meadows and brooklets so near
'Way down by the dell where they joyttilly sing
A message of hope and good cheer,
As I sit in the dream of my slumber so deep
For my darling far over the sea.
Jtist ask the sweet birds as they drop off to sleep.
Oh, say. does he truly love me?
Chorus:
Sweet birds, sweet birds.
Oh. say that my lover is true.
Sweet birds, sweet birds.
And then I'll be as happy as you.
2 Oh, tell me. sweet birds, is he thinking of me
And the promise he made long ago ?
I would gladly give all this world if he'd come l)ack to me.
Oh, why do the years roll so slow ?
I'm weary and heart-sick of w^aiting so long
For my darling far over the sea.
Just go to him singing your beautiful song
And tell him to come back to me.
3 He said when we parted he loved no one but me.
He called me his darling, his ])ride ;
He said when he came from over the sea
YitW make me his own cherished bride.
l>ut I tear he has found iii some tar distaul land
Some face that is fairer than mine.
I would give all this world for one clasp of his hand
And know that his heart is still mine.
r () I. K 1. V K 1 c 351
J{
'Swcft Bird.' I-'roin tlic niaiuiscript soiighook of Jiiaiiita Tillitt, Wan-
chese, Roanoke Lslaiul, ohtainoci in March 1923. 'I'hc order of the staiiza>i
is changed liere, and there are many minor \ariations.
1 Tell nie. sweet bird, is he thiiikiiiL; ot me
And the promise he made loiii^- ai;u?
If he wotild return, how happy I'd be!
Oh. why does the years creep so slow ?
I'm tired and heart-sick of waiting so long
For my lover who's far o'er the sea.
Go to him and sing him yotir heatitiftil song
And tell him to come back to me.
Chants:
O bird, sweet l^ird,
Tell me my lover is true !
O bird, sweet bird,
I'll [be] as happy as you.
2 He told me when parting he loved only me.
He called me his joy and his pride;
Said when he returned from over the sea
He'd make me his own happy bride.
I fear he has found in some far distant land
A face that is fairer to view.
I'd give the whole world for a grasp of his hand
.\nd to know that my lover is true.
3 \\'hen the birds are a-tuning their sweet notes of spring
And the brooks and the meadows I see,
Now in the deep they joyously sing
And the silver brooks sparkles so clear,
I'll sit myself down in a shadow so deep
For my lover who's far o'er the sea,
I'll ask all the birds as they go off to sleep
Do they think that he truly loves me?
c
'Sweet Fern.'^ Obtained from Mrs. Minnie Church of Heaton, Avery
county, in 1930. One of the "fern" texts, and differing also in other
details from A and l'>. After the chorus following stanza 2 the manu-
script directs : "Yodel."
I Spring time is coming, sweet lonesome birds.
Yotir echo in the woodland 1 hear ;
Down in the meadow so lonesome you sing
While the moonlight is shining so clear.
But I know he's away in a far distant land.
^ Spelled "firn" througliout in the manuscript.
X.C.F., \u\. Ill, (25)
352 NORTH CAROLINA F O L K L 0 R E
A land that is over the sea.
(io fly to him singing your sweet Httle song
And tell him to come back to me.
Clionts:
Sweet fern, sweet fern.
Oh. tell me is my darling still true?
Sweet fern, sweet fern.
I'll be just as happy as you !
2 Oh, tell me. sweet fern, is he thinking of me?
In a promise he made long ago
He said he'd return from over the sea.
Oh, why does the years roll so slow?
I know he's away in a far distant land,
A land that is over the sea.
Go, fly to him singing your sweet little song
And tell him to come back to me.
3 Upon my finger he placed a gold ring
The day he was leaving his home.
I promised I'd be his own dear little girl
And love him wherever he'd go.
But I know he's away in a far distant land,
A land that is over the sea.
Go, fly to him singing your sweet little song
And tell him to come back to me.
D
'Sweet Birds.' From the manuscript soiigbuok of Miss Lura Wagoner
of Vox, Alleghany county, where it is dated October 30, 191 1. A some-
what reduced version, but it introduces no new elements.
'Sweet Birds.' An anonymous version, but no doubt authentic. Its last
stanza somewhat expands the latter part of stanza 2 of A :
Oh, why do the days glide by so slowly,
Oh, why do the days seem so long?
If he would only come back to me.
Oh, then how happy I would be !
I am weary, heart-sick of waiting so long
For my darling far over the sea.
Just fly to him singing some beautiful song
.And tell him to come back to me.
F
'Sweet Birds.' /\ fragmentary transcript of one stanza and the chorus
from a record ascribed to 1. G. Greer of iioone, Watauga county.
FOLK I, V K I C 353
'Sweet Finn.' The chorus only, with "firn" for "bird," reported by
Airs. \'aught, aijparently from Oakhoro. Stanly county.
296
Going B.ack West "fore Long
A Neg^ro work song (NWS 124-5) l)egins 'Tin goin' out West,"
and our A text of 'Bonnie Blue Eyes' begins "I'm going out west
next fall," but this fragment seems to belong to neither.
No title. From Lucille Cheek of Cliatham county, proliably in 1923.
Ciuing back West 'fore long,
Going back West 'fore long,
I got a little wife, she is the joy <>f my life,
And I'm going back West 'fore long.
297
You Caused Me to Lose Mv Mind
The second of these two stanzas is a commonplace of folk love
lyric and is found in many of the songs in this section. See also
BSM 484-5. The first stanza also is one of the floating elements
of folk song; see 'The Midnight Dew^' above. A song called 'Daisy'
from North Carolina (JAFL vi 134) and a text of 'Shady Grove'
from Tennessee (JAFL xxviii 183) have it, though with "nearly
drives me crazy" instead of "you caused me to lose my mind."
'You Caused Me to Lose My Mind.' Contri!)uted by Effie Tucker; no
date or place indicated.
1 Oh. Mary girl, oh. Mary girl,
What makes you treat me so?
Yoti caused me to weep, you caused mc to mourn,
You caused me to lose my mind.
2 (Jh, do you see that turkle dove
A-flying from pine to pine?
She mourns for her own true love ;
Why not 1 mourn for mine?
298
I Wish Th.\t Girl Was Mine
Shearin in his Syllabus, p. 38, lists as known in Kentucky a song
that may be the same as this. Otherwise it seems to have escaped
the collector's net. Is it a play-party song?
'I Wish That Girl Was Mine.' From the manuscripts of G. S. Robin-
son of Asheville, obtained in 1939.
354 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 When I was a little boy.
Just eighteen inches high,
How I'd hug and kiss those girls
To see their mammas cry !
Chorus:
(_)h. 1 wish that girl was mine.
Oh, 1 wish that girl was mine !
The only tune that I can play
Is T wish that girl was mine.'
2 I'll have my banjo painted red.
And e\ery
And the only tune 1 can play
Is T wish that girl was mine.'
3 ( )h, you better quit that stealin'
Kisses on the sly.
For the devil he's a-waitin'
For to get you when you die.
4 Well, I'm gonna die some of these days,
\\ hen it comes my time ;
And the last words I expect to say,
T wish that "irl was mine.'
299
Cripple Creek
The discovery of precious metals at Cripple Creek. Colorado,^
made a strong impression on the imagination of people in the East.
This song is or has been known in Virginia (FSV 247-8), Ken-
tucky (Shearin 39, SharpK 11 359), Tennessee (JAFL xxviii
180-1), South Carolina (JAFL xxviii 181), Wisconsin (JAFL iii
48), Nebraska (BTFLS vi 40-1), and doubtless elsewhere. Ford,
Traditional Music of America 94, reports it as a square dance song
in the Middle West.
A
No title. Contributed by Miss Gertrude Alien (afterwards Mrs. R. C.
Vaught) from Taylorsville, Alexander county. Not dated.
1 Going up Cripple Creek,
(joing up town,
(joing up Cripple Creek
To see Sally Brown.
^ Perrow, in a note to his text from Tennessee mountain whites (JAFL
XXVIII 180), says that Cripple Creek is "a well known mining district
in Virginia" (in Wythe county, in the western neck of the state). But
the Nebraska text says expressly "I come from Cripple Creek, Colorado."
FOLK L V K 1 C 355
2 L'p the rixtT
And across the creek.
Never get a letter
But twice a week.
3 Going up Cripple Creek,
Going on the run.
Going up Cripple Creek
To have a little fun.
B
'Cripple Creek.' From Mrs. Arthur Moore of Lenoir, Caldwell county.
in iy22. One stanza only — the last stanza of A. With the tune.
300
My Martha Ann
Better known as 'My Mary Ann' (Heart Songs 246; JAFL .\xxi
175-6, from the Province of Quebec), this is one of the many
detritus lyrics current in ore popnli. The text from Quebec and
that in Heart Songs are essentially the same as ours except for
the name. Less closely related are texts from West Virginia (FSS
433-4) and Tennessee (F'SSH 207).
'My Martha Ann.' Contributed by the Misses Holeman of Durham in
1922, with the notation: "Found in old desk purchased in Person county."
The first of these three stanzas is really the chorus.
1 Oh. fare ye well, my own Martha Ann.
Fare ye well for a while :
This ship is ready and the wind is fair
And I am hound to sea. Martha Ann.
2 Oh. don't you see a turtle dove
Sitting on yonder pile.^
Lamenting the loss of his own true love
As I do for my Martha Ann ?
3 A lobster in a lobster pot.
A blue-fish on a hook.
May sufifer some, but you know not
What I do feel for my Martha .\im.
301
High-Topped Shoks
Two songs in the collection are held together only by the (|uery
about the high-topped shoes, but it furnishes the title for l)oth. The
A text begins with the shoe-and-glove dialogue from "The Lass of
^ Other texts of this stanza — see for instance 'The Turtle Dove' in
the present collection — show that "pile" .should be "pine."
356 X O R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Roch Royal,' proceeds to a bitter denunciation of a false lover, and
closes with the stanza about the hig-h-topped shoes. The B text
starts with the his:h-topped shoes and passes on to a veritable med-
ley that includes reminiscences of 'The Lonesome Road,' 'The In-
constant Lover,' and other songs. There is also in the Collection
a record of this song as sung by Bonnie and Lola Wiseman at Hin-
son's Creek, Avery county, in 1939.
'Those High Topped Shoes." As sung by Herman Houck of Jefferson.
Ashe county. There is no indication of the date. A recording was made.
1 'Who's going to shoe those little feet.
Or glove those little hands?
And who's going to kiss those rosy cheeks
Way in some foreign land ?'
2 'Papa will shoe those little feet
And glove those little hands' ;
'And I will kiss those rosy cheeks
\\ ay in some foreign land.'
3 'Sometimes I wish I'd never been born
Or had died when I was yotmg.
And never had seen that smiling face
Or heard that lying tongtie.'
4 'Oh, where did you get those high topped shoes.
That dress that fits so fine ?'
T got those shoes from a railroad^ man
And my dress from a driver in the mines.'
B
'High Topped Shoes.' Obtained from Rosa Efird of Stanly county. Not
dated.
1 rj)h, where did you get your high topped shoes
And the dress you wear so fine, ni}- love,
And the dress you wear so fine ?
2 I got my shoes from a railroad man.
My dress from a driver in mind.
And my dress from a dri\er in mind.
3 The short cross ties and the long steel rails
Was the cause of me leaving my home, my love.
Was the cause of me leaving my home.
4 The longest train that I ever saw
Was around John Raleigh's grave, mv love.
Was around John Raleigh's grave.
' An alternative — or an explanation — of this word is given in the
manuscript : "gaml)ling."
K () I. K 1. V U 1 c 357
5 'l"he engine passed at halt past nine.
The cars were passing- at twelve, my l(>\e.
The cars were passinji; at twelve.
6 Look nj). look down that lonesome road;
llang down yonr head and cry. my love,
I lani^- down your head and cry.
7 There's more than one. there's more than two,
There's more pretty j;irls than you, my love,
There's more pretty girls than you.
8 You turned me down for the other fellow ;
So take him now and go. my love.
So take him now and go.
9 You fooled me once, you fooled me twice.
But you cannot fool me again, my love,
But you cannot fool me again.
302
Who's Gonna Love You, Honfa?
Tills fragment of folk lyric 1 have not found elsewhere.
'Who's Gonna Love You, Honey?" Reported in 1922 by Miss Doris
Overton (later Mrs. Kenneth M. Brim) from Greenville. Pitt county.
Who's gonna love you. honey, when I'm away?
Who's gonna stay and say sweet things every day?
Who's gonna look into your eyes divine?
Who's gonna kiss those lips that I call mine?
Who's gonna do those things Lve done for you?
Who's gonna love you when Lm gone?
303
Oh, Where Is My Sweetheart?
Although this has not been found elsewhere, it seems pretty clearly
to be a folk lyric of the same general temper as 'Adieu to Cold
Weather' in the Missouri collection (BSM 491--.) • There are three
texts in the North Carolina Collection.
A
'Oh, Where Is My Sweetheart?' From the inanuscri])! songbook of
Miss Lura Wagoner of Vox, Alleghany county.
I ( )h, where is my sweetheart? Can anyone tell?
Uh, where is my sweetheart? Can anyone tell?
Oh, where is my sweetheart? Can anyone tell?
Can anvone, anvone tell ?
358 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 He is flirting with another, I know very well.
He is flirting with another, I know very well.
He is flirting with another, I know very well,
1 know. I know \ery well.
3 Just tell him keep on his flirting. I'm sure I don't care,
Just tell him keep on his flirting, I'm sure I don't care,
Just tell him keep on his flirting, I'm sure I don't care,
I'm sure. I'm sure I don't care.
4 He told me he loved me ; he told me a lie.
He told me he loved me ; he told me a lie.
He told me he loved me ; he told me a lie,
He told me. he told me a lie.
5 Doggone him, I hate him ; I wish he would leave.
Doggone him, I hate him ; I wish he would leave.
Doggone him, I hate him ; I wish he would leave,
I wish. I wish he would leave.
6 I've found me another I love just as well.
I've found me another I love just as well,
I've found me another I love just as well,
I love, I love just as well.
7 God hless him. 1 love him, I wish he was mine.
God bless him, I love him, I wish he was mine.
God bless him, I love him, I wish he was mine,
I wish, I wish he was mine.
B
'Oil. Where Is My Sweetheart?' Contributed by Ella Smith; it is not
clear whether from Johnston, or Pitt, or Yadkin county. Four stanzas.
The first two correspond to the first two of A. except that in stanza 2
"I know very well" becomes "I know^ him too well." Stanza 3 cor-
responds to stanza 5 of A except that "I wish he would leave" becomes
"I wish he were dead." And it closes:
Ciod l:)less him, I love him; I'll take it all back.
( lod bless him, I love him ; I'll take it all back,
I'll take it, I'll take it all back.
c
'Oh. Where Is My Sweetheart?' Contributed by M. Masten of
Winston-Salem in 1914. This has so many minor variations from A
that it is given entire, except for the repetition of the lines. The first line
of each stanza is sung three times, as in A.
1 ( )h. where is m\- true love? Can anyone tell?
Can any. anyone tell ?
2 lie's courting another. I kncjw it too well,
1 l<now. I know it too well.
FOLK I. V K I C 359
3 Just k'l him keep courting:;. I'm sure 1 dou't care,
Tin sure. I'm sure 1 don't care.
4 lie's tall and he's handsome and he wears a l)hie tie,
lie wears, he wears a blue tie.
5 I told him that I loved him. I told him the truth,
I told him. 1 told him the truth.
6 lie told me he loved me. he t(jld me a lie.
He told, he told me a lie.
7 (k)d bless him, I love him. go briny him to me.
Go bring, go bring him to me.
8 Doggone him. I hate him. 1 wish he was dead,
I wish, I wish he was dead.
304
Like an Owl in the Desert
One of the fragments of folk lyric that float about in the mem-
ories and on the tongues of ballad-singing folk. Like it in temper is
a song from Mississippi (JAFL xxviii 169-70) and another from
Missouri (BSM 493) ; but neither has the image of the owl.
'The Owl in the Desert.' Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionville.
Watauga couuty. in March 1915. with the notation :' "Old love song
sung by Mrs. Peggy Perry, March 11. 1915. She heard this sung when
a girl over 60 years ago."
1 Like an owl in the desert
I weep, mourn, and cry ;
If love should overtake me
I surely would die.
2 I can love like a loveyer
A nd I can love long ;
I can love an old sweetheart
Till a new one comes along.
3 1 can love him and kiss him
And keep him confined.
And turn my back on him.
And also my mind.
305
The Lonesome Dove
This widower's lament has not been traced to its origin, but it may
afely be assumed to be an inheritance from the somewhat lach-
360 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
ryniose religious sentiment so pervasive in the early nineteenth cen-
tury. It has been reported as popular song from Pennsylvania,
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia.^ Missouri, and Wisconsin,
and is no doubt known elsewhere. Our North Carolina text is con-
siderably reduced from the full form reprinted by Jackson from
The Social Harp of 1855. The tune, as sung by Mrs. Joseph ^Miller
of Silverstone in 1922, is on Record 7-V. See BSM 486, and add
to the references there given Virginia (FSV 113), Missouri (OFS
IV 39-40), and Wisconsin (JAFL lii 13-4).
'The Lonesome Dove.' Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionville,
Watauga county, with the notation that he sends it "because it has been
sung for so many years (probably near 100) in this county. Mrs. Chane
Smith, Zionville, says she heard it when a child, which was near 80
years ago. Mrs. Julia Grogan, Silverstone, N. C. sang the song recently
for me. She says her father, John Yarber, used to sing 'The Lonesome
Dove.' " The stanza division is based on Jackson's Georgia text.
1 One day while in a lonesome grove
Sat o'er my head a little dove ;
For her lost mate began to coo.
It made me think of my love, too.
2 Oh, little dove, you are not alone,
For I, like you, am left to mourn.
3 Consumption seized my love so dear ;
She lingered there for one long year
Until death came at break of day
And stole my loving wife away.
4 But death, grim death, did not stop here.
I had one child, to me most dear.
Death, like a vtilture, came again
And took from me my little Jane.
5 But, bless the Lord, his w(jrds are given
Declaring babes are heirs of heaven.
306
By By, My Honey
A composite of familiar motives: the shoe-and-glove dialogue
from 'The Lass of Roch Royal,' the lonesome-road motive, and a
lover's mocking farewell. See 'The Lonesome Road.' 'The False
True-Lover,' 'Kitty Kline,' and 'High-Topped .Shoes,' in this
volume.
'By By, Aly Honey.' From the manuscript book of songs of Miss Lura
Wagoner of Vox, Allegiiany count.\, lint to Dr. Brown in 1936.
' Jackson (SFSEA 63-4) reprints a full text of nine stanzas from
The Sdcitil Har/^, which was compiled liy a Georgian and published in
Philadelphia in 1855. He notes tiiat in this volume the song is credited
to William C. Davis, l)ut lie discredits tbis attribution.
F O L K I- \ K 1 C 361
1 "Who will sh(i(.' your pretty littU' foot,
( )li, who will gU)\e ytmr hand.
Darling, who will kiss your sweet rosy cheek
While 1 am in a western land ?'
Chunts:
By hy, my honey, hy hy, I say,
By hy, my honey. 1 am gone.
I'll meet you at the station; I've done you no harm ;
I'll meet von at the station as the train rolls hy.
2 'Papa will shoe my pretty little feet,
Mama will glove my hands.
Darling sister will kiss my sweet rosy cheeks
When you are in a western land.'
3 'Look up and down that lonesome road,
Hang your head and cry.
You are the girl that slighted me ;
I will love you the day I die.'
4 'Had you not been going to marry me
You ought to have told me so.
For I would have been a married girl.
Yes. months and months ago.'
307
I Love Little \\'illie, I Do, AI.\mma
This little ditty is something- of a favorite in North Carolina, as
the number of texts in our collection shows. It is reported as folk
song also from Virginia ( F.SV 196-7). Tennessee (FSSH 282-3),
North Carolina (FS.SH 281-2. SHF 10- 1. lAFL xlv 43-4). Geor-
gia (SSSA 23). Texas (PFLST vi 227), and Arkansas (OFS iv
98-100), and is included in ABFS and in Miss Pound's syllabus.
Closely allied but not identical with it is T Love Somebody.' re-
ported' from Kentucky (ASb 140-4) and Tennessee (JAFL xxviii
183). The texts for the most part follow the same pattern, so tliat
it will not be necessary to give them all ;';; cxtoiso.
A
'Billy Boy.' Secured by Gertrude Allen (before she became Mrs.
Vaught) from a pupil of hers. Pansy Jordan, in the school at Oakboro.
Stanly county. The series in this is "I love little Willie." "He carried
my school books." "He gave me a ring," "VVc are going to git married,"
"He's gone for tlie license," and "We are already married."
B
I Love Little Willie.' This too is from Miss Allen, now from Alex-
ander county — sent in apparently about 1928-29.
362 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 I love little \\ illie, I do. dear ma,
I love little Willie, lia ha, ha ha,
I love little Willie but don't you tell papa.
For he won't like it. you know, dear ma.
2 He carried my school books, he did, dear ma,
He carried my school books, ha ha. ha ha.
He carried my school books but don't you tell papa.
For he won't like it. you know, dear ma.
3 He asked me to marry him. he did. dear ma.
He asked me to marry him, ha ha. ha ha.
He asked me to marry him but don't you tell papa,
For he won't like it. you know, dear ma.
4 He's gone for the license, he has, dear ma.
He's gone for the license, ha ha, ha ha,
He's gone for the license but don't you tell papa.
For he won't like it, you know, dear ma.
5 We're already married, we are, dear ma,
We're already married, ha ha, ha ha.
We're already married but don't you tell papa,
For he won't like it, you know, dear ma.
c
'Don't Tell Pa.' From the Misses Holeman. Durham. 1922. Four
stanzas. The series runs "I have a new sweetheart," "He told me he
loved me." "'I'm engaged to be married." "And now I am married" ;
and the refrain line at the end of tlie stanzas is "For you Know I can't
help it; now can I, Mamma?" up to the last stanza, which ends:
And now T am married, and you can tell Pa,
For you know lie can't help it, now can he, Mama?
D
'Don't Tell Pa.' From Miss Florence Ht)lton, Durliam, in 1922. The
series runs "I love little Willie." "He sent me a letter." 'And now we
are engaged," "At last we're married." and the final stanza runs :
You can come home to see us, ha. ha. ha, ha.
You can come to see us, you can, mama.
You can come to see us, but don't you bring pa.
'Cause he might grumble, you know. mama.
E
'Sweet Willie,' or 'Don't Tell Papa.' I'roni Carl C. Knox, Dnrliam,
student at Trinity College, 1922-24. The opening stanza only, with the
air.
V
'I Love Little Willie.' hroin Lucille Cheek, L'iiatham ctumty, in I9^3-
Opening stanza only.
!•■ () L K I, V K I C 363
G
No title. Contril)uted by Miss Annie Hanikn, but witboiit any indicati()i\
of time or place. Five stanzas, witli tlie series "I love little Willie,"
"He wrote me a letter," "He gave me an orange." and "We are going
to get married," and ending:
Voii must c(jnie to .see us, you must. mama.
Vou must come to see us, you must, mama,
You must come to see us, and you must bring pa,
Or he won't let }'oti. you know. mama.
H
"Don't Tell Pa.' I""roni the manuscript of Obadiah Johnson of Cross-
nore. Avery county. The series is "I love little Willie," "He gave me
a ring," "He ask me to marry." "He's gone for the license," "The
preacher is coming," "And now we are married" ; and it closes
and you can tell pa.
For he can't help it. you know, my ma.
'I've got a New Sweetheart.' Copied out l)y Dr. White from a manu-
script notebook lent to him in 1943 by Mrs. Harold (ilasscock of Durham,
who learned the songs in the book from her parents, and can sing most
of them. The text is fragmentary, and seems — in the first stanza at
least — to require a different rhythm from the others.
1 I've got a new sweetheart.
He told me he loved me.
He gave me a gold ring.
W e're going to be married.
2 I'm going to be married, ha ha, mama,
I'm going to be married, but don't you tell pa,
I'"or how can I help it. how can I. mama?
3 He gave me a gold ring, ho ho, mama.
He gave me a gold ring, ha ha, mama.
He gave me a gold ring, btit don't you tell i)a,
b^or how could I help it, how could I, mama?
308
Thk Lords of Crkation
This amusinf:: ([uij) about the female of the species is perhaps not
folk song strictly speaking, hut it has acquired something like
traditional status "in 'Virginia (FSV 333). Missouri ( BSM 432-3),
and North Carolina. For the complete text see the Missouri ver-
sion— where, however, the stanza form is slightly different.
'Obey.' From Miss Amy Henderson of Worry, Burke county, prob-
ably in 1914 or 1915, with the note: "Part of an old song."
364 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 Ye lords of creation, men ye are called,
You think you rule the whole ;
You're much mistaken, after all,
For you're under woman's control,
. As ever since the world began
'T 'as always been the way.
For did not Adam, the very first man,
The very first woman obey ?
Obey, obey, obey, obey.
The very first woman obey ?
"Don't know the next verse, but the last two lines are"
2 As long as a woman's possessed of a tear
She will certainly have her own way.
3 Should there be so strange a wight
As not to be ruled by a tear,
Tho' much astonished by the sight
There's still no cause for fear.
For as long as a woman's possessed of a smile
Your power will vanish away.
4 For ever since the world began
'T 'as always been the way.
And we'll manage it so that the very last man
Shall the very last woman obey,
Obey, obey, obey, obey.
Shall the verv last woman obey !
309
Poor Married Man
The hardships of the liusband are not as frequent topics of folk
song as the woes of the wife, but they receive some attention —
most often, as here, in music-hall songs. Shearin in liis Syllabus
of Kentucky folk song mentions one something like this, but witli a
different verse-scheme. Otherwise it has not been found in regional
collections.
A
'Poor Married Man.' Secured from Alexander Tugman of Todd, Ashe
county, in 1922. With the tune.
1 You may talk about the joys of the sweet honey-moon ;
They are nice, I'll agree, while they last ;
But almost every case they're done too soon
And numbered with the things of the past.
The trials and the troubles are soon to begin ;
r () L K L V u 1 c 365
Although you uiay do what you cau,
You'll wish you were out of ihc clatter and the din
That follow the poor married man.
Clionis:
With the racket and the nniss and the trouhle and the
fuss.
His face all haggard and wan.
You can tell hy his clothes wherever he goes
That he is a poor married man.
2 He works all day and tries to be gay
And forget all his worry and care.
He whistles it down as he goes through town
Though his heart is full of despair.
His very last cent has already been spent.
And at home tiiere's IMollie and Dan
Both crying for shoes ; and it gives him the blues
To think he's a poor married man.
3 When he goes to bed with his poor tired head
He lies on the edge of the rail.
And the colic and the croup make him jumi) up and
whoop
Like a dog with a can to his tail.
He must run and walk, he must sing and rock.
He must get up some water and a fan.
He must bounce and leap and do without sleep
If he is a poor married man.
4 From his mother-in-law he gets nothing but jaw,
No matter how hard he may try.
To keep her tune she will fly onto him
x^nd all of his wishes defy.
He's a fool, he's a brute, and he never can suit.
Though he does the very best that he can ;
He'd better be dead, for it then could be said
He's at rest — he's a poor married man.
'Poor Married Man.' From Beulah Walton of Durliam, in i()23.
single stanza, made up from tlie chorus and hits of other stanzas.
It gives him the blues when they're crying for shoes,
Tho' he does the very best that he can.
You can tell by his clothes everywhere that he goes
That he is a poor married man.
366 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
310
The Black-Eyed Daisy
The second of the two stanzas given below has been reported as
Negro song from South CaroHna (JAFL xliv 424) and from Ala-
bama (ANFS 68). Mrs. Steely found the song in the Ebenezer
community in Wake county.
'The Black-Eyed Daisy." Reported by Jennie Belvin uf Durham some
time in 1920-21. With the tune.
1 Send for the fiddle and send for the bow.
Send for the black-eyed Daisy.
Don't reach here by the middle of the week.
It's almost run me crazy,
Almost run me crazy.
2 Who's been here since I been gone?
Send for the black-eyed Daisy.
Pretty little girl with the red dress on.
Send for the black-eyed Daisy,
Send for the I)lack-eyed Daisy.
311
Black-Eyed Susie
Randolph (OFS in 380) reports this from Arkansas as a play-
party song and gives references for its appearance elsewhere.
'Black-Eyed Susie.' Contributed in 191 5 or thereabouts by Thomas
Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, with the notation that it was
"popular a good many years ago. I recall hearing it picked and sung
by a young banjo picker nearly thirty years ago. Jew's-harp players
of this place also used to be strong on this tune. There were other
verses but I don't recall them."
1 Sweeter'n sugar and ten times sweeter.
Bless her soul, I could almost eat her.
Chorus:
Oh. my purly little black eyed Stisie
Oh. my purty little black eyed Susie
2 Fry a little meat and make a little gravy.
Hug my wife and kiss my baby.
'Black-Eyed Susy.' From Lini Hawkins <>i Mick's ("reek, McDowel
county. One stanza only.
F () I. K 1. V K 1 C 367
Some conic drunk and sonic come boozy,
Some come a-huggin' that black-eyed Susy ;
Some come drunk and some come boozy,
Dog my buttons if I don't kjve Susy!
312
A Housekkei'er's Tragedy
Although the theme of this song, the drab life of the overworked
housewife, is familiar, especially in that favorite song of the South-
ern mountains, "How hard is the fortune of all womankind," this
particular development of the theme has not been found elsewhere.
The nearest to it that I have found is "A woman's work is never
done,' reported from Berkshire in Sharp's Folk-Songs of England
IV 30-3 ; but this is less bitter and does not end in the woman's
death. It is not improbable that our North Carolina song is orig-
inally new s])aper verse by some local poet.
A
'A Housekeeper's Tragedy.' Sung t)y OI)adiali Johnson of Crossnore,
Avery county, July 14, 1940.
1 One day as I wandered I heard a complaining
And saw a poor woman, the picture of gloom.
She glared at the mud on her doorstep — 'twas raining —
And this was her wail as she wielded her ])room :
Chorus:
'Oh, life is toil and love is a trouble
And beauty will fade and riches will flee ;
And pleasures they dwindle and prices they double.
And nothing is what I would wish it to be.
2 'There's too much of worrinient goes to a bonnet.
There's too much of ironing goes to a shirt.
There's nothing that pays for the time you waste on it,
There's nothing that lasts us but trouble and dirt.
3 'In March it is mud. it is slush in December,
The midsummer breezes are loaded with dust,
In fall the leaves litter, in muggy September
The wallpaper rots and the candlesticks rust.
4 'There's worms in the cherries and slugs in the roses
And ants in the sugar and mice in the pies.
The rubbish of spiders no mortal supposes.
And ravaging roaches and damaging flies.
5 'It's sweeping at six and it's dusting at seven,
It's vittles at eight and it's dishes at nine,
X.C.F., Vol. III. (26)
368 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
It's potting and panning from ten to eleven ;
We scarce break our fast ere we plan how to dine.
6 'W ith grease, grime, and cobwebs from corner to center
Forever at war and forever alert.
No rest for a day, lest the enemy enter,
I spend my whole life in a struggle with dirt.
7 'Last night in my dreams I was stationed forever
On a far little isle in the midst of the sea.
My one cliance for escape was a ceaseless endeavor
To sweej) off the waves as they swept over me.
8 'Alas, 'twas no dream ! For again I behold it ;
I yield, I am helpless my fate to avert !'
She rolled down her sleeves and her apron she folded.
Then laid down and died and was buried in dirt.
B
'Oh, Life is a Toil !' Secured by Julian P. Boyd of Alliance, Pamlico
county, from Graham Wayne, one of his pupils in the school there.
Only the first two stanzas and the chorus. The second stanza runs :
There's too much washing that goes to a garment.
There's too much ironing that goes to a shirt.
There's nothing to pay for the time you waste on it.
There's nothing that lasts but trouble and dirt.
313
Kissing Song
A sequence or number sons^'. Randolpli ( OFS iii 89-91 ) reports
it from Missouri and mentions a recording^ of it in tlie Arcliive of
American Folk Song.
'Kissing Song.' Contributed by Professor J. T. C. Wright of the
Appalachian Training School at Boone in 1922. Each stanza is made
up of repetitions in the manner illustrated here in the first stanza. With
the tune.
1 I gave her kisses one, kisses one,
I gave her kisses one, kisses one.
I gave her kisses one
And she said 'twas well begun ;
So we kept kissing on. kissing on.
2 I gave her kisses two.
And she said that wduld not do.
3 I gave her kisses three.
And she .said it did agree.
FOLK L V K I C 369
4 I ,na\e her kisses lour,
And slie said she wanted more.
5 1 i;a\ e her kisses live.
And she said slu- was yet ahve.
6 I gave her kisses six.
And she said that they (hd mix.
7 1 ga\e her kisses seven.
And she said she was in heaven.
8 1 gave her kisses eight.
And she said it was not late.
9 I gave her kisses nine.
And she said she woukl he mine.
10 I gave her kisses ten.
And she said. 'I*)egin again."
Another sheet in the collection, i)robably from the same contriiiutor,
has the first stanza only, with the sexes reversed :
She gave me kisses one. kisses one,
She gave me kisses one, kisses one,
She gave me kisses one — the gun —
And we kept kissing on, kissing on.
314
My Mammy Don't Love Me
Of this song, incomplete in our collection, Perrow (JAFL xxviii
187) reports a four-line fragment from Mississippi. The first four
lines in our text are from Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga
county, prohably in 1915; the rest, with the music, is from Miss
Pearle Webb of Pineola, Avery county, in 1921 or thereabouts.
Smith notes that it has been "used by banjo pickers here for 12 or
15 years."
1 Mv mammy don't love me, she won't hnv me no shoes,
W on't give me no corn-licker, won't tell me no news.
1 love-a nohody. nohody loves me.
Always to drink licker, always to he free.
2 Come here, honey, t("ll me what I've done.
Come here, honev, tell me what I've done.
I've killed nohody, I've done no hanging crime,
I've killed nohody. I've done no hanging crime.
3 If you mistreat me you'll mistreat another man's wife,
If von mistreat me you'll mistreat another man's wife.
(incomplete)
370 NORTH CAROLINA F 0 L K L 0 R K
I Wondered and I Wondered
This quip was noted by John A. Lomax and pubHshed by him in
the Sorth Carolina Booklet vol. xi, No. i, pp. 27-9. I have not
found it elsewhere.
1 wondered and I wondered
All the days of my life,
Where yoti're goin', Mr. Mooney,
To get yourself a wife,
Where you're goin", where you're goin'
To get yourself a wife.
316
My Mammy Told Me
Tliis homely warning may be a part of some longer song, but in
our collection it always consists of four lines, with but slight vari-
ations. I have found it only in North Carolina. All of our texts
are from singing.
'My Mammy Told Me.' From Miss Fronde Kennedy, Durham ; not
dated, but secured some time in the period 1920-22.
My mammy told me long years ago,
'My son, don't marry no girl you know.
She'll spend all your money and she'll wear out your
clothes.
And what will become of you the Lord only knows.'
B
'My Mammy Told Me.' From the Misses Holeman, Durham, in 1922.
My mammy told me long years ago,
'Son, don't you marry no girl you know.
Spen' all your money, sell all your clothes ;
So don't you marry no girl you know.'
'My Mammy Told Me.' Reported l\v Mrs. Sutton from Lenoir, Cald-
well county, in 1927. She does not name licr informant.
Aly mammy told me long time ago,
'Son, don't you marry no gal you know.
Spend all yo' uKjney, sell all yo' clothes ;
Then what'U come o' you God almighty knows.'
FOLK 1. V K I C 371
On, Honey. W'iikrk You Been So Long?
Another fragment of the Hoating lyric of the folk. Gordon (FSA
79-80) gives a ten-stanza text of it as a hanjo picker's song;, appar-
ently from the Soutliern mountains, calling it a well-known song;
but I have not found it reported elsewhere as folk song.
'Song.' Contributed in 1923 Ijy Lucille Ciieck of Chatham county.
1 'Oh, honey, where yoti been so long ?
( )h, honey, where yoti been so long ?'
'1 been round the bend and I come back again.'
'Oh, honey, where yon been so long?'
2 'Oh, honey, where you been so long?
Oh, honey, where you been so long?'
'And it's when I return with a ten dollar bill
It's "Oh, honey, where yoti been so hjng?" '
318
Away Out On the Mountain
I have found no trace of this song elsewhere, but it bears its own
evidence of being folk song. In spirit and in rhythm it is like "The
Big Rock Candy Mountain,' but it bears no verbal resemblance to
that favorite of the hoboes. Is it a relic of the days of Davy
Crockett? Two words in it, "bile" in stanza 4 and "spontain" in
stanza 5, are (luite beyond my ken.
'Away Out On the Mountain.' From the John Burch Blaylock Col-
lection, made in Caswell and adjoining counties in the years 1927-32.
1 I ])acke(l my grip for a farewell trip ;
1 kissed Stisan Jane goodbye at the fountain.
'I'm going.' says I. 'to the land of the sky,
-Vwav otit on the mountain.
2 "Where the wild seed grows and the buffalo lows
And the sqtiirrels are so many you can't count 'em ;
Then I'll make love to some turtle dove,
Away out on the mountain.
3 'When the north wind blows and we are gonna ha\e snow
And the rain and hail comes bouncin',
I'll wrap myself in a grizzly bear's coat.
Away out on the mountain.
4 'Where the snakes are bile and the beavers are wild
And the beavers paddle on walking canes ;
Then I'll wrap my booze in a buffalo hide,
Away out on the mountain.
372 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
5 'I'm going where the whippoorwill sings me to sleep at
night
And the eagle roosts on the rocks of spontain ;
I'll feast on the meat and the honey so sweet
Awav out on the mountain.'
319
The Garden Gate
Tolnian (JAFL xxix 177) gives a fragment of this found in
Indiana and notes that it is printed in English County Songs, p. J2.
Kittredge adds tliat it is by W. Upton and occurs in numerous song-
books and stall prints. I have not found it reported by any Ameri-
can collector except Tolman (and perliaps Shearin, whose Syllabus,
p. 29, lists a similar title I. Our text, like Tolman's. is a fragment.
'Just Down to the Gate.' From the singing of Miss Pearle Webb of
Pineola, Avery county, in 1922.
Just down to the gate, dear mamma,
Just down to the garden gate.
The moon shines hright and such a nice night.
I'll just go down to the gate.
320
Susy Gal
This sounds as thougli it might be a play-party song, but it is
not so labeled. I liavc not found it elsewliere.
'Susy Gal.' Contrilnited by Beulah Walton of Durham in July 1923.
Susy licked the ladle
An' 'er dolly rocked the cradle.
(ioodhye, Susie gal,
I'm gone again.
I fell into the gtitter
And my heart began to flutter.
Goodbye. Susie gal.
I'm jjone asfain.
321
Joseph us and PjOhunkus
This song, familiar to collegians a generation or two ago and
I)erbaps to their successors of the present day, is represented by
three texts in our collection. Its origin I have not discovered.
Spaeth gives it in Read 'lim and ll'ccp 91-4: Davis (FSV 145)
reports it from X'irginia; Pcrrow (JAFL xxvi 125-6) reports'it
F 0 I. K I, V R I c 373
as suns by Negroes in Mississippi with a stanza from 'Uncle Ned'
pretixecl to three stanzas of the sons proper. Similarly one of our
texts hesins with the opening stanza of Albert Gorton Green's
humorous poem 'Old Grimes is Dead." So does one from Missouri
(OFS 111 177-8) and one from Indiana (lll'd.P) 111 5).
A
'Old (h-inics Is Dead.' Ccnitrihutcd in lo-',^ liy Zilpali lM-isl)ic of Mc-
Ddwcll (.-miiity. With the tune.
1 ( )](1 Grimes is dead, that good old man;
We ne'er shall see him more.
He tised to wear a long-tailed coat
All buttoned down liefore.
2 And that old man he had two sons.
And these two sons were brothers.
Tobias was the name of one,
Josephtis was the other's.
3 And these two boys had a suit of clothes.
'Twas made one Easter Sunday.
Tobias wore it all the week,
Josephus all day Sunday.
4 And these two boys had an old grey mare,
And that grey mare was blind.
Tobias rode her on in front,
Josephus on behind.
5 And that old mare she threw them olT
And mashed them into jelly.
Tobias fell upon her back,
Josephus on her — back too.
B
No title. Secured by Julian P. Boyd at Alliance. Pamlico county, in
1927 from Duval Scott, one of the pupils in the school there.
1 There were two boys in our town,
The one was t'other's brother ;
Tobias was the name of one,
Ka junky was the other.
2 Now these two boys a-courting went
Whenever they thought right ;
Tobias in the daytime went.
Kajunky went at night.
3 Now these two boys both had a suit,
All made on Easter Monday ;
374 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Tobias wore it all the week,
Kajunky wore it Sunday.
4 Now these two boys both had a horse ;
.And that old horse was blind.
Tobias in the seat he set,
Kajunky rode behind.
5 Now these two boys both had a buggy.
And it didn't have any cushion ;
Tobias in the seat he set,
Kajunky went a-pushin'.
c
The tliird text is witliout indication of source or date and is therefore
not presented — though it is much fuller, running to nine stanzas and
describing the experiences of the two brothers (the second is called
Tychunker ) in drinking, courtship, and mountain climbing, ending :
Now these two boys are both dead and buried
(It is so sad to tell) ;
Tobias to the heavens went,
Tvchunker went down to hell.
322
Leather Breeches
The "leather breeches" appear in the words sung to a Kentucky
fiddler's dance tune (DD 134) and in a square-dance song in the
Middle West (Ford's Traditional Music of America 48).
'Leather Breeches.' From Miss Pearle Webb, Pineola, Avery county,
in 1922. With the tune.
1 I went down town
.\nd I wore my leather breeches.
1 couldn't see the people
For looking at the peaches.
2 I went down town
And I got a pound of butter ;
1 come home drunk
And I throwcd it in the gutter.
323
Old Aunt Katy
The refrain suggests that this is a play-party song, but I have
not found it recorded elsewhere. There are two copies in our col-
lection, one from Miss .\m\ Henderson of Worrv, Rin-ke county,
FOLK LYRIC 375
the other from Miss Carrie Stroupe of Lenoir. Caldwell county; but
the texts are identical.
1 ( )1(1 .\unl Kat}' was a good old sotil,
Patched my breeches right full of holes.
Refrain:
Up the ridge and down the ridge
And rtni old Katy home.
2 Old Aimt Katy was a good old soul,
Crossed the bridge and paid her toll.
3 ( )ld Aunt Katy dressed mighty fine,
Got a red dress just like mine.
324
Kindling Wood
A stanza about kindling wood is reported as part of a play-
party song in Michigan (JAFL xxxiii 127), but it bears little
resemblance to the North Carolina song. On one of our texts,
Ware's. Dr. White notes that it was popular as a college glee-club
song c' 1905-15. It has not been found in other collections of folk
song.
A
'My Name Is Dinah.' Contributed by Louise Lucas of White Oak,
Bladen county, in 1922.
My name is Dinah
From South Carolina,
And I'm selling kindling wood to get along.
Refrain :
Kindling wood, kindling wood,
I'm selling kindling wood to get along.
If you don't believe me come down to see me.
For I'm selling kindling wood to get along.
B
'My Name Is Dinah from South Carolina.' Reported in 1922 from
Albemarle. Stanly county, by R. D. Ware, student at Trinity College.
My name is Dinah,
From South Carolina,
And I'm selling kindling wood to get along.
And won't you buy some.
Oh won't you buy some,
For .
276 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
C
No title. Reported by Gertrude Allen (Mrs. \'auglit ) from Taylors-
ville, Alexander county.
Her name is Ina
And she's from South Ca'lina
And she's splitting kindling wood to get along,
To get along, to get along,
And she's splitting kindling wood to get along.
325
Mother, May I Go Out to Swim?
This jingle is probably known all over the country and for that
very reason has not been recorded by folklorists; at any rate, I
have found it reported only from Ontario (JAFL xxxi 55. 115).
'Mother, May I Go Out to Swim?' Reported by Louise Watkins from
Wayne county. ^Manuscript not dated.
'Mother, may I go out to swim?'
'Yes, my darling daughter.
Hang your clothes on a hickory limh,
And don't go near the water.'
326
River's Up and Still A-Rising
A medley of inconsequent couplets which I have not found else-
where.
'River's Up and Still A-Rising.' Contributed by Ella Smith of Yadkin
county. There is also in the Collection a recording of it from Mary
Barbour of Raeford, Holt county, but the editor has not seen her text.
1 River's up and still a-rising;
Just got hack from a negro hai)tizing.
Chorus:
Farewell, mourners, farewell, mdiu'iiers.
(joodhyc, i'se gwine to leave }'(»u hc'hind.
2 1 never seen the like since I've heen horn ;
Big cow jumped in the little cow's horn.
3 Had an old shirt, had no collar,
Looked like a hlack man sitting in de parlor.
4 Had an old shirt, had no sU'cve,
Looked like a whi])] rwill tr\ing U) sneeze.
::; 1 lad an old hal. had no hriuL
I ,ook(.'(l like a blue jav sitting' on a limb.
K 0 L K I. ^• K I c 377
3-V
Tjtti.k I)R()WN Hands
Concci'Tiiiii;- this soiii;' the contrihutor says that she can find no
trace of it heyond the family tracHtion from which slie secured it.
Neither can the editor. But whatever its origin it lias clearly been
traditional soni;- in the Maury family. Miss Barnwell writes: "It
was sunt^ by Lucinda Maury to her s^randchildren — whether it was
a well known song of the day or a hand-me-down folk son<^ of that
part of the country 1 don't know. This, however, 1 do know: that
it was handed down from j^eneration to generation in our family,
and lias been ]ireserved for us because ai)])arently each .t;eneration
l(i\ed it."
'Little Brown Hands.' Contributed in 1937 by Miss Mildred (J. Barn-
well of Gastonia, Gaston county, from family tradition.
1 They dri\e the cows home from the pasttire
Down through the long shady lane
Where the ((tiail whistles lottd in the wheattield
All covered with ripening grain.
They search in the tall, waving grasses
Where the scarlet-lipped strawberry grows ;
They find the earliest snowdrops
x\nd first crimson bud of the rose.
2 They know where apples are reddest
And sweeter than Italy's wine.
They know where the fruit hangs the fullest
On the long-thorny blackberry vine.
They toss in the tall rocking treetops
Where oriole hemlock nests swing.
And at night-time are hushed in slumber
By the song that a fond mother sings :
3 ■( )h they wdio are brave are the strongest,
The humble and poor become great.
And from little brown-handed children
Shall gi-ow mighty rulers of state.
The pen of the author and statesman.
The noble and wise of the land.
The chisel, the sword, and the pallet
Are held in the little brown hand.'
IX
SATIRICAL SONGS
CLASSIC folkloristic studies of life in primitive communities
indicate that satirical songs constitute an important aspect of
folk singing. Gummere and Kittredge cite instances of communal
improvisations by Faeroes fishermen in ridicule of some hapless
fellow who had made himself obnoxious or unfavorably con-
spicuous. They tell us also about mocking verse treatments of
incidents and characters in cigarette factories in the days before
girls with nimble fingers were supplanted by tlie marvelous
machines that visitors see today in the Chesterfield, the Lucky
Strike, and the Camel factories of North Carolina. In the closely
cultivated areas of literary history the casual student of Robert
Burns and his milieu cannot fail to note a widespread and deeply
rooted tradition of satirical song among the Scottish peasantry of
the eighteenth century, as evidenced by Burns's references to such
rhyming "neeburs" as Davie and J. Lapraik, his casual mention
of the old custom of "sang about," and the profusion of satirical
songs of local and topical nature that Burns himself turned out,
many of them reworkings of pieces floating about the countryside.
The four songs of the North Carolina Regulators, placed among
the North Carolina native ballads because they are primarily nar-
rative and historical, undoubtedly stem out of a tradition of
eighteenth-century English popular verse wliich was contempora-
neous with Burns's background and which left its mark on New
England colonial and Revolutionary literature in such pieces as
'Revolutionary Tea,' 'The Battle of the Kegs,' and "Yankee Doodle.'
Both the conservative and the reproductive functions of any social
tradition re(|uire settled ways of life, especially those employing
verbal media. Constant moving about was a disturbing feature of
frontier life. This not only banged up the furniture but also shat-
tered skills, as anyone brought up in the South or the West real-
izes while looking at tlie furnishings of period rooms in museums
like that of the Concord Antiquarian Society, unconsciously com-
paring them with the "anti(|ues" of a newer region. And thus it
was with folk songs of all kinds, but especially with those that
sprang out of an intimate and self-conscious communal lite. New
songs were slow to arise because people need to live together and
observe one another a relatively long time before comlitions are
ripe for social satire.
SATIRICAL S 0 N C. S 379
Other causes doubtless helped to break the tradition of satirical
song. One may have been the slow disintegration of the general
body of folklore in its broad sense of inherited knowledge, whether
from books or from oral sources, and of folk ways, that must
function in the creation of the most elementary satire. Still another
was the decided masculine preference for the anecdote or tall tale,
wliicii took a spontaneous prose form that made verse seem precious.
While women un(|ucstionabIy played the more important role in re-
membering the old songs and ballads, the men as un(|uestionably
made up most of the anecdotes and tall tales, and it seems probable
that men have been the most successful folk-tale tellers. Of the
many other possible causes of decline in satirical song, perhaps the
most important was the substitution of professional for homemade
entertainment. The minstrel and vaudeville songs, often based on
genuine folk originals, tended by their greater cleverness and
catchiness to crowd out the traditional pieces and abate the custom
of making up new pieces. Nowadays the process is being repeated
through the new media of the phonograph and the radio. Though
the situation is fluid and rapidly changing, it is nevertheless not
hopeless for true folk poetry. Songs introduced by the newfangled
publicity media sometimes go wild and flourish in the no man's
land of popular tradition. Up-to-date means of rapid communi-
cation simply accelerate the process by which a song of individual
authorship in the old days gradually became the possession of a
group, next a neighborhood, and finally a region or even a nation,
somewhere along the line becoming a genuine folk song.
The Collection has a group of satirical songs, but it is a rela-
tively small group, and the social features that the songs depict
have lost some of their early sharpness and color. The scarcity of
these songs is perhaps more apparent than real. Exigencies of
folk-song classification and arrangement have required the editors
to place in other sections of this book songs that are similar in
spirit but different in genre. Besides the ballad-like songs of the
Regulators, there are several satirical pieces among the native
North Carolina ballads, a few among the war songs, and scattered
examples among the courting, drinking, and homiletic songs, the
bird, beast, and fish jingles, and the secular Negro songs. The
following pieces have seemed to the editors to be more purely
satirical than anything else.
Apropos of the first group, regional and local satires, some read-
ers will recall William Byrd's caricatures of North Carolinians and
North Carolina manners in The Secret History of the Dk'iding
Line. Others will remember the gusty humors of Skitt's (H. E.
Taliaferro's) Fisher's River (North Carolina) Scenes and Char-
acters. A few will be reminded of the naivete of Shepherd M.
Bugger's The Balsam Groves of Grandfather Mountain. Such
380 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
readers will unanimously regret that the song examples of the species
are so few, so hrief, and on the whole so vague. After remarking
that the "Carolina crew" milked the cow in the gourd and "set
it in the corner and kivered it with a board" (as, doubtless, did the
Virginia crew), the Carolina Thalia takes a fling to hear banjo
music in Cumberland Gap and flies away to dance to the fiddle of
'The Arkansas Traveler' and listen to the life and hard times of
San ford Barnes.
Without specific local auspices. Thalia settles down to more sus-
tained efforts in poking fun at the various trades and callings, in
such pieces as 'Hard Times,' 'The Dodgers,' and 'Calomel.' In
'Twenty (Forty, Sixty) Years Ago' she describes social changes
in a manner that seems to have given the song an especial attraction
for North Carolinians. "If You Want to Go A-Courtin" takes the
conditional situation of its title as a starting point for extensive
satirical observations, including the handling of milk and proper
manners at Old Noah's house. "Johnson Boys' and 'When Young
JNIen Go Courting' stick more closely to the situation. The bucolic
muse may deny responsibility for 'The Wood Haulers,' but it seems
to the editors to belong more to her than to any of her sisters.
In ascribing to her such pieces as 'Preacher in the Pulpit,' 'Wait
on de Lord,' 'Walk in the Parlor.' and 'Jonah and the Whale,' the
editors are much surer of their ground. They are regretful, too,
that the vast and fertile field which such songs barely scratch was
not brought under the sharp plough of a native tradition such as
lies behind 'Holy Fair' and 'Holy Willie's Prayer,' and that it is to
the prose writers like the Reverend Lorenzo Dow rather than to
the songs of rustic bards that we must go for pictures of frontier
religious manners and the New W'orld analogues of the battles be-
tween the Auld Licht and the New Licht.
328
The Carolina Crew
This is a fragment of the song of regional satire best repre-
sented in our collection by 'If \'ou Want to Go A-Courtin'.'
p. 393. Reported heretofore from X'irginia ( SharpK 11 g ) and
North Carolina (SharpK 11 6-8 J. A variant stanza, with allusion
to "the Tuckahoe crew." is quoted in Margaret Prcscott Monta-
gue's Up Eel River (New York, 1928), p. 6. The author stated
in a letter to A. P. Hudson that the stanza "is an adaptation of
an old song I used to hear in the mountains of West Virginia. . . .
The last line I imagine is applied to any locality that the singer
holds in especial contempt. "'I'uckaliot.'' ]iai)])ens to be a hollow in
my neighborhood at White .Sulpjiur .Springs which is especially
looked down upon by its neighbors." (See A. P. Hudson. "The
Singing South," Scit.'anec Rc^'iira', July 1936. p. 20. )
S A T 1 K 1 C A L S O N c; S 38I
'Tlic Carolina Crew." Ropditctl by tlic Misses Ilolciiian of Durham in
1 had a little cow and 1 milked her in the gourd,
I set it in the corner and kivered it with a hoard.
That is the way we used ter do
\\ hen 1 lived 'lone with the Carolina C rew.
329
Cumberland Gap
This is known in Kentucky (BKH 176-8, JAFL xi.ix 241-2),
and Miss Scarborough (SCSM 65) describes it as a tiddler's piece
in North Carolina. It is included in Kand()l])h OFS in 264 and
listed by Davis FSV 247.
'Cumberland Gap.' From tlie manuscripts of G. S. Robinson of Aslie-
ville, in August 1939.
1 Lay down, hoys, and take a little nap ;
Forty-four miles to the Cumberland CJap.
2 Lay down, hoys, and take a little nap ;
Snow knee-deep in Cumberland [(JapJ.
3 Cuml)erland Gap's no gap at all.
Lve been shot with a cannon ball.
4 Cumberland Gap's a devil of a place,
Couldn't tind water to wash my face.
5 Pretty little girl, if you don't care
ril leave my demijohn a-setting right here.
6 If it ain't here when I get back
I'm going to raise trouble in Cumberland (Jap.
7 Me and my wife and my wife's pap
Walked all the way from Cumberland Gap.
330
Arkansas Traveler (I)
Not to be confused with the 'Bill Stafford' or 'San ford Barnes'
song, which sometimes goes by the same name. Both are satires
upon the state; but this appears to have originated (|uite definitely
in i)rint. See Cox's headnote, FSS 503. Only a fragment of it
has C(jme into the North Carolina Collection.
'Arkansas Traveller.' Reported by Thomas Smitii of Zionville, Watauga
county, as a dance song, fiddle and l)anjo, with the remark that while
not as old as some others it "has l)eeii popular for several years. Joe
382 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Thompson, one of our great fiddlers, has played this tune for many
years."
'Hello, stranger!' "Hello yourself.
If you want to go to h jist go by yourself."
331
Arkansas Traveler (H)
This has no connection with the humorous dialogue known as
"The Arkansas Traveler'; instead, it is a piece of local satire akin
to "If You Want to Go A-Courtin" and 'Johnson Boys.' It is also
known as "Sanford Barnes' and as "Bill Stafford.' For its occur-
rence elsewhere see BSM 424, and add to the references there given
Indiana (BSI 267) and Virginia (FSV 142, listed). Our two
texts, though evidently forms of one piece, sliow the variations to
be expected in a song that passes by oral tradition.
A
'Arkansaw Traveler.' Reported by I. G. Greer of Boone, Watauga
county, some time in 1915-16.
1 My name is Santford Barnes.
I came from Little Rock town.
I've traveled this wide world over,
I've traveled this wide world round ;
I've had many ups and downs,
Through life better days I've saw,
P>ut I never knew what misery was
Till I came to Arkansaw.
2 'Twas in the year of eighty-two.
The merry month of June,
I landed at Hot Springs
One sultry afternoon.
There came a walking skeleton
And gave to me his paw.
Invited me to his hotel ;
'Twas the best in Arkansaw.
3 I followed my conductor
Into his dwelling place.
It was starvation and poverty
Pictured on his face.
His bread it was corn dodgers.
His beef I could not chaw.
He charged me hfty cents a meal
In the state of Arkansaw.
S A T 1 R I f A I. SON G S 3^3
4 I Started back next morning
To catch the early train.
He said. 'Young man, you'd better work for me.
I have some land to drain ;
I'll give you fifty cents a day,
Your washing and old chaw ;
You'll feel (|uite like a different man
When YOU leave old Arkansaw.'
5 I worked for tlie gentleman three weeks,
less Hare was his name;
Six feet seven inches in stocking length
And slim as any crane ;
His hair hung down like ringlets
Beside his slackened jaw ;
He was the photograph of all the gents
That was raised in Arkansaw.
6 His bread it was corn dodgers
As hard as any rock ;
It made my teeth begin to loosen,
My knees begin to knock.
Got so thin on sage and sassafras tea
1 could hide Ixdiind a straw —
I'm sure I was quite like a different man
When I left old Arkansaw.
7 I started back to Texas
A quarter after five.
Nothing was left but skin and bone,
Half dead and half alive.
I got me a bottle of whiskey
^ly misery for to thaw.
Got drunk as old Abraham Lincoln
When I left old Arkansaw.
8 Farewell, farewell. Jess Hare,
And likewise darling wife.
I know she never will forget me
In the last days of her life.
She put her little hand in mine
And tried to bite my jaw
.And said. 'Mr. Barnes, remember me
When you leave old Arkansaw.'
9 l-'arewell. farewell, swamp angels
Who can't break in the chills ;
Farewell to sage and sassafras tea
X.C.F.. Vol. III. (27)
384 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And corn dodger jnlls.
If ever I see that land again
I'll give to you my paw,
It will be through a telescope
From here to Arkansaw.
B
'A Traveler in Arkansas.' From the manuscript of G. S. Robinson of
Asheville. Copy taken in August 1939.
1 My name is Elmer Page, boys, I came from Mil ford Cen-
ter, Ohio town.
For a long, long time I've roved this wide world around.
Of all the ups and downs of life, great many of them I've
saw,
But I never knew what misery was until I went to
Arkansaw.
2 It was in the year of 1889, in the merry month of June,
I landed in Helena one sultry afternoon.
Up came a walking skeleton with a lean and lantern jaw,
Invited me to his hotel, the best in Arkansaw.
3 I followed my conductor unto his very place.
While misery was depicted upon his peaked face.
Flis bread was corn dodger, his meat I couldn't chaw.
And fifteen cents he charged me in the state of Arkansaw.
4 He was to wake me in the morning to take an early train.
Says he. 'Young man, you better stay ; I have some land
to drain.
I'll give you twenty cents a rod. your washing, board,
and all.
And you will be a different man when you leave Arkansaw.'
5 Three long months I worked for this big swaiup angel,
with the ague and the chills.
They dosed me with sage and sassafras and corn dodger
pills.
As I lay upon my bed. was built of hay and straw ;
In faith I was a different man when I left old .Arkansaw.
6 The day I left that cussed place — I dread the memorv
still—
I nearly shook mv boots oft with a blasted ague and
chill.'
T straightaway went into a saloon my misery to thaw.
And 1 got drunk as blazes when I left Arkansaw.
S A T I R I C A I. S () \ r. S 385
Farewell to those swanip angels, the ague and the chills,
Likewise to sage and sassafras and corn dodger pills.
If ever I see that land again, 1 give to you luy paw,
It will be through a telescope from here to Arkansaw.
332
Hard Times
Moralizinj;- or satiric ballads upiin the vices and foibles of the
time were not infrequent in the heyday of printed balladry, the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and are not extinct yet. .See
B.SM 433, and compare the pieces of regional satire, 'If N'ou Want
to Go A-Courtin',' 'Johnson Boys,' 'Arkansas Traveler.'
A
'Hard Times.' From the manuscript songbook of Miss Liira Was.;nncr
of Vox, Alleghany county, lent to Ur. Brown in 1936.
1 Come listen a while, 1 will sing yuu a song
Concerning hard times, and it shall not be long.
Since everybody is trying to buy
And cheat each other and think it's right ;
And it's hard times.
2 From brother to brother, from sister to cousin.
They all have learned to cheat each other;
Since cheating has come so much in fashion
I fear it will spread quite over this nation ;
And it's hard times.
3 The blacksmith labors by the sweat of his brow,
And so does the farmer by following his plow ;
They're both a man on their own conceit
And will cheat each other in measure and weight ;
And it's hard times.
4 Here is the shoemaker ; he's worse than them all.
He bristles his end to follow his awl.
He'll sew a stitch an inch at a clip
And swear to the buyer the shoe will never r\\).
And it's hard times.
5 Here is the old doctor ; and, so they tell me.
He says he will cure y(ju for a very small fee.
He says he will cure you for half you i)ossess,
And when he don't kill you he takes the rest.
And it's hard times.
6 Here is the old preacher ; he rides in his stage.
He'll take out his Bible and read you a page,
386 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
He'll preach a sermon for you to go by,
And if you set him to trading he'll tell you a lie.
And it's hard times.
7 Young ladies will rise at the dawn of the day,
They'll rufifle and shuffle, they'll try to look gay,
They'll comb up their hair so nice and so neat
To make the young men think they look sweet ;
And it's hard times.
8 Young men will rise, to the church they will go,
They'll ruffle, they'll shuffle, they'll make a fine show ;
They'll stop at the tavern and there drink wine ;
And all such boys the gallows will find.
And it's hard times.
9 Here is the old nuTchant. I must have him in.
He's bound to extortion and thinks it's no sin.
He'll tip up his stillyards and make them weigh down,
And swear it's good weight if it likes^ ten pound.
And it's hard times.
10 Here is the old miller I'd like to have forgot.
He's always sitting a-pecking his rock.
He's always pleading his toll dish small ;
Sometimes he takes half and sometimes he takes all.
And it's hard times.
1 1 Here is the young men ; they're worse than all.
They tell you they love you to try their own soul.
They tell you they love you when they're sitting by
And when they get away they'll swear it's a lie.
And it's hard times.
12 And now I will make you an end of my song.
It was very well worded and not very long.
And if everybody don't come at this call.
If the Lord don't take them the devil gets all.
And it's hard times.
B
'Hard Times.' From Miss Jewell Rohhins (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue),
Pekiii, Montgomery county, some time between 1921 and 1924. With
the tune. Basically the same text as A hut reduced by omissions from
twelve stanzas to five and witli numerous minor alterations.
I Come all ye young ])c()])le, 1 sing you a song
Which is not very long,
^ This (for "lacks") is allowed to stand as lieing prol)ahly what the
singer really says.
SATIRICAL S 0 N r. S 387
How everybody is trying- to trade
And cheating- each otlier. 1 cannot tell why,
h>oni father to mother and sister and hrcjther
And cousin and kin folks are cheating each other.
And it's hard. hard. hard, liard times.
2 There is the old blacksmith I'd like to've forgot;
I believe in my soul he's the worst of the lot.
He'll shoe your horses and sharpen }'our plows
And at the end of the year he'll dri\e off vour cows.
And it's hard. Iiard times.
3 There is the old shoemaker I'd like to've forgot;
I believe in my soul he's the worst of the lot.
He'll go stitching along an inch at a clip
And he'll swear by Joe it never will ri]).
And it's hard, hard times.
4 There is the old preacher I'd like to've forgot;
I believe in my soul he's the worst of the lot.
He'll go to church twelve times in the year.
And if you die and go to the devil he really don't care.
And it's hard, hard times.
5 There is the young lady I'd like to've forgot;
I believe in my soul she's the worst of the lot.
She'll slick up her hair and to church she will go,
And what is it for but to catch her a beau ?
And it's hard, hard times.
c
'Hard Times.' Reported by Vernon Sechrist of Thomasville, Davidson
county, in 1928, "as remembered by Mrs. Augusta Fonts at the age of
"J"] years." The first stanza only.
D
'Hard Times." From Miss Pearle Webb of Pineola, Avery county. The
tune, and a fragmentary stanza not found in A or B :
I really do believe it's for the sake of old
They starve the women and the children out of bed.
And it's hard times, hard times.
333
The Dodgers
A satire upon callins^s. like 'Hard Times,' but not so well known;
in fact, I have found it reported elsewhere only from Arkansas
(OSC 289), thougli very likely it circulated as a stall ballad at
some time. B. A. Botkin prints a version of it in A Treasury of
388 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
American Folklore (New York, 1944), pp. 875-6. See Randolph
OFS III 218. Rhythmically it seems to liave been suggested by the
old Scotch song 'We're A' Noddin'.'
'The Dodgers.' From the manuscript notebook of Mrs. Harold Glass-
cock of Raleigh, lent to Dr. White in 1943. The songs in this book
-Mrs. Glasscock learned from her parents.
1 Oh. the doctor he's a dodger.
Yes. he's a curing dodger.
Oh. the doctor he's a dodger.
Yes, he's a dodger too.
He'll tell you he can cure you
And dose you on rum and honey ;
If you die the next day
He's a-dodging for your money.
Chorus:
And we're all a-dodging.
A-dodge dodge dodge dodging^
And we're all a-dodging
Our way through the world.
2 Oil, the lawyer he's a dodger.
Yes, he's a talking dodger.
Oh, the lawyer he's a dodger.
Yes, he's a dodger too ;
He'll tell you to sue your neighhor
And look on him with scorn ;
But look out. farmer.
He's a-dodging for your corn.
3 Oh. the merchant he's a dodger,
Yes, he's a selling dodger.
Oh. the merchant he's a dodger.
Yes. he's a dodger too.
He'll bow and scrape and flatter
And show you all his colors.
But look out. ladies.
He's dodging for your dollars.
4 Oh. the preacher he's a dodger.
Yes. he's a jireaching dodger.
Oh, the preacher he's a dodger.
Yes. he's a dodger too.
He'll ]jreach to you the scriptures
And tell you of your crimes ;
But look out. sinners.
He's a-dodging for your dimes.
^ So the line in the manuscript ; l)ut tlie rhythm suggests tliat there
should be one less repetition of tlio "dodge" syllaldc.
SATIRICAL SONGS 389
5 Oh, the ladies they are dodgers,
Yes. they are co(|uetting dodgers,
( )h, the ladies they are dodgers,
Yes. they are dodgers too.
They tell you they can sew
And cook and nurse ;
But look out, gentlemen,
Thev are dodging for your purse.
6 Oh, the lover he's a dodger.
Yes, he's a courting dodger.
Oh, the lover he's a dodger.
Yes, he's a dodger too.
He'll kiss you and caress you
And wish you were his bride ;
And when a prettier one comes along
Then he'll let you slide.
334
CaLOiMEL
For other occurrences of this gibe at the old-fasliioned doctor's
reliance on calomel, one of them reaching back to the beginning
of the nineteenth century, see BSM 441 and add Indiana (BSl
308-10). Jordan and Kessler's Songs of Yesterday has it as sung
by the Hutchinsons.
'Calomel.' From the manuscript notebook of Mrs. Harold Glasscock of
Raleigh, lent to Dr. White in 1943. These songs she k-arned from her
parents.
1 Let Tom or Dick or Harry get sick.
Send for the doctor and be quick.
The doctor comes with a free good will
And brings with him his calomel.
2 He takes the patient by the hand
And compliments him as his friend ;
He sits a while his pulse to feel,
And then takes out his calomel.
3 He turns unto the patient's wife:
'Have you clean paper and a knife?
I think your husl)and woidd do well
To take a dose of calomel."
4 He then deals out those fatal grains
In hopes that these will ease his pains ;
"And every three hours at the sound of the bell
Give him a dose of calomel.'
390 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
5 He leaves has patient in her care
And takes his leave with a graceful air.
In hopes bad humor to expel
She freely gives the calomel.
6 The man grows worse, grows worse indeed.
'Send for counsel, ride with speed.'
The counsel comes with a free good will
And doubles the dose of calomel.
7 The man in death begins to groan.
The fatal work for him is done.
His soul is rushed to heaven or hell,
The sacrifice to calomel.
8 The neighbors all come in to see.
The fatal effects of mercury.
(Be not offended, though, and tell
It is the effects of calomel.)
or
(\\'hat is it eft'ects the smell?
It is the stench of calomel.)
9 Come, all ye doctors : my first choice,
Listen to counsel, take advice ;
Be not offended though I tell
I'm not so fond of your calomel.^
335
Twenty (Forty, Sixty) Years Ago
Perhaps newspaper verse, perhaps a music-hall piece, this seems
to have had an especial appeal for North Carolinians. Henry re-
ports two stanzas of it (FSSH 23-4) as sung by Mrs. Ewart Wil-
son (who also contributed songs to the Brown Collection) in the
Cane River country, and there are four texts of it, coming from
three western counties, in our collection. Nowhere else do I find
it recorded as traditional song. It has no connection witli William
Willing's song of the same title (Heart Songs 280-1, Ford's Tradi-
tional Music of America 318-19). The versions using "forty" or
"sixty" instead of "twenty" have lost the homely touch about the
new-fangled stove.
^ Here the manuscript notes : "Mama didn't know this verse. Papa's
verse as he used to sing it :
Since calomel lias been your boast,
How many patients have you lost?
How many thousands have you killed
Or poisoned with your calomel?"
SATIRICAL SONGS 39I
'Twenty Years Ago.' Contributed in 1921 liy Miss Jewell Robhins
(afterwards Mrs. C. P. Perdue) of Pekin, Montgomery county.
1 How woiulrotis are the changes since twenty years ago,
When girls wore homespun (h"esses and hoys wore pants
of tow.
When shoes were made of cowhides and socks of home-
spun wool.
And children did a lialf day's work hefore they went to
school.
Chorus:
Just twenty years ago go go, just twenty years ago,
The men and the hoys, the girls and the toys.
The work and the l)lay, both night and day.
And the world and its way are all turned round
Since twenty years ago.
2 Ah. well do I remember the Wilson patent stove
That father bought and paid for with cloth the girls had
wove.
And how the neighbors wondered when we got the thing
to go ;
They said 'twould burst and kill us all. some twenty years
ago.
3 The girls took music lessons upon the spinning wheel
And practiced late and early with spindles, swift, and reel.
The boys would ride the horse to mill a dozen miles or so
And hurry off before 'twas day. some twenty years ago.
4 Yes. everything has altered. 1 cannot tell the cause.
For men are always tampering with Nature's wondrous
laws.
And what on earth are we coming to ? Does anybody
know ?
For peo])le lived not half so fast twenty years ago.
B
'Some Twenty Years Ago, or, The First Old Cooking Stove.' Sung
and written down by Frank Proffitt of Sugar Grove. Watauga county.
in August 1937. He could not remember all "of the words.
1 Well do I remember that first old cooking stove.
That father bought and ])aid for in cloth the girls had
wove.
And how the jieople wondered when they got that thing
^° S° ■ . ,
Thev saifl it'd bust and kill us all some twentv vcars ago.
392 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Some twenty years ago, some twenty years ago.
When the girls and the hoys, the men and the toys
They work and they play in the night and the day
And' the world and its ways is all turned round
Since twenty years ago.
2 The people rode to meeting on sleds instead of sleighs
And wagons run as easy as huggies do nowdays.
And oxens answered well for teams, luit now they air too
slow ;
The people did not drive so fast some twenty years ago.
3 And men wore woolen overcoats and boys pants of tow
And women linsey dresses, some twenty years ago. . . .
c
'Forty Years Ago.' Contributed by IMacie Morgan of Stanly county.
A considerably reduced form, which has lost the patent stove.
I How wondrous are the changes since forty years ago !
When girls wore woolen dresses and boys wore pants of
tow;
When shoes were made of cowhide and socks from home-
spun wool.
And the children did a half day's work before they went
to school.
Chorus:
Just forty years ago, just forty years ago.
The men and the boys, the girls and the toys,
The work and the play, the night and the day.
The world and its ways are all turned round
Since forty years ago.
D
'Sixty Years Ago.' Another text from Stanly county, this one from
Ruth Morgan. Like the preceding it lacks the patent stove, but it has
one more stanza.
1 How wondrous are the changes since sixty years ago!
When girls wore dresses of linsey and boys wore pants
of tow ;
Their shoes were n)a(le of cowsl<in, tlieir socks of home-
spun wool ;
The boys would do a half-day's work, yes, sixty years ago.
(7;r;r;(.s-.'
Yes, sixty years ago, some sixty years ago.
The world and its ways have changed around
Since sixty years ago.
s A T I K \ c A I. s () N <; s 393
2 W'c used to g(J to nieeting on sleds instead of sleiglis.
Wagons rode as easy as buggies^ nowadays.
Oxen answered well for teams; but now they're rather
slow.
LUit people didn't live so fast scjnie sixty years ago.
336
li-' You Want to (io A-Coukti.\'
This is a form of a rather widely known satire on frontier man-
ners and conditions, concerning;- which see BSM 426 and add to
the references there given Maine (MM 337-8), Florida (SFLQ
VIII 192-3), Texas (CS [iQio] 108-9), ^ow'a. (MAFLS xxix 96-7),
and for the Negroes JAFL xxiv 285 and NS 192. A reduced
treatment of the theme is 'Johnson Boys,' below.
'If You Want to Go A-Courtin.' Contributed by Miss Pearly W'cbl) of
Pineola, Avery county, in 1922, with the notation : "This is a ballad
made up on a mountain family in western North Carolina. 1 do not
know the name."
1 If yott want to go a-cotirtin' I'll tell yoti where to go,
Down to the ol' man's down below.
The children all a-s(|uallin' and the ol' folks gone.
The gals all married and their heads not condied.
The gals all married and their heads not eond)ed.
2 If you want to go to preachin" I'll tell you how to dress:
In ol' ragged breeches 1 think is the best.
Old ragged coat greased all around,
Old leather hat, no brim, no crown,
An old pair of cotton socks wore the winter roun'.
An ol' pair of cotton socks wore the winter roun'.
3 Wdien they go to milk I'll tell you how they do.
They milk the old cow and strain it in a gourd
And' set it in the corner and cover with a board.-
Some gets a little and some gets none.
Some gets a little and some gets none.
4 Babe bought a rooster and Joe bought a hen
And it was how ol' Noah and Delphy shouted hallelujah
then.
And it was how ol' Noah and Delphy shouted hallelujah
then.
5 Joe called me in to supper an' I thought it was to eat.
He set me down to carve up the meat.
^ The manuscript has a superfluous 'in" after "Iniggies."
-The manuscript has "gourd," evidently a slip. See tlie ^Hssouri text.
394 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
He had an ol' knife an' he had no fork.
I sawed about an hour an" I couldn't make a mark,
I sawed about an hour an' 1 couldn't make a mark.
6 I sawed an' I sawed an' I got it on the floor.
I gave a little kick and I got it out o' doors.
I gave a little kick and I got it out o' doors.
7 Up stepped ol' Noah with his double barrel gun.
I says. 'Mr. Noah, I guess you better run.'
Up stepped Noah, as brave as any bear.
I tangled my fingers in ol' Noah's hair,
I tangled my fingers in ol' Noah's hair.
337
When Young Men Go Courting
Compare tlie 'Courting Song.' p. 27. Texts of a like content,
though not perliaps to be identified with this, are known in Vir-
ginia (SfiarpK II 9), Kentucky (BKH 133), North Carolina
(SharpK 11 6-8, JAFL xlvi 36-7). and Iowa (MAFLS xxix
96-7). Sharp reports a single stanza of like content as a play-party
song in Virginia (SfiarpK 11 378).
'When Young Men Go Courting.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton, apparently
from Caldwell county, and introduced as follows : "She laughed as she
sang it and her 'old man' smoked his pipe complacently and asked the
teacher who was with us if he didn't think the men had to fool the
'womern' ? His wife replied with the broadest one in my collection."
But the two stanzas set down do not bear out this characterization.
1 When young men go courting
They dress up very fine.
For deceiving girls
Is their only design.
2 They'll tittle, they'll tattle,
They'll talk and they'll lie.
They'll keep the girls up
Till they're ready to die.
338
Johnson Boy.s
This is of the same temper as 'If You Want to Go A-Courtin"
but briefer. Sometimes it is described as a connnunity song, some-
times as a (lance song for fiddle and l)anjo.
A
'Johnson Boys.' Contributed by I. T. Poole of Burke county, with the
notation that it "used to be a popular coninumity song in Burke county."
The last two lines of eacii stanza are rei)eated by way of refrain.
SATIRICAL S 0 N C. S 395
T Johnson boys they went a-courtin',
Johnson boys they didn't stay;
Reason why they didn't stay longer,
Thev had no money to i)ay their way.
2 lolmson hoys were raised in ashes.
Didn't know how to court old maids ;
lluiii^ed and kissed and called them 'honey.'
Andit made those little gals all ashamed.
3 Wake. oh. wake, ye drowsy sleepers,
Wake, oh, wake, it's almost day ;
Raise up your head and look out the window
And see those pretty girls going away.
B
•Jolmson Boys.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton from Lenoir, Caldwell county.
With the tune.
1 Johnson boys they went a-courtin" ;
Johnson boys they didn't stay;
The reason why they went no further.
Had no money fur to pay their way.
Had no money fur to pay their way.
2 Johnson boys brave and jolly.
They know how to court old maids.
Kis.s and hug and call them 'honey' ;
Rush up. pretty girls, don't be afraid.
Rush up. pretty girls, don't be afraid.
c
'Johnson Bovs.' Contributed bv Thomas Smith, Zionville. Watauga
county. The first stanza only, as in A and B. with the note : Dance
song— fiddle and banjo. There is another verse or two of the old time
banjo and fiddle tune which 1 haven't been able to get. 'Johnson Boys
is said by our oldest people to be one of the oldest tunes. __ It was years
ago one of the chief tunes played at parties, shindigs, etc.
D
•The Johnston Boys They Went A-Courting.' C\)ntributcd in i<j22 by
'- Pickens. First stanza only.
339
Leave for Texas. Leave for Tennessee
A somewhat similar song, but not the same, is reported from
Tennessee (SSSA 71-2).
A
No title. Obtained from Mrs. Minnie Church, Heatnn. Avery county,
in 1930.
396 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 Leave for Texas, leave for Tennessee,
Leave for Texas, leave for Tennessee,
Leave for Thalnia.
That gal has made a wreck out of me.
(yodel)
2 If }'ou don't want me. mama, you don't have to scold,
If you don't want me, mama, you don't ha\'e to scold,
'Cause I can get more women there
Than a passenger train can hold.
( yodel )
3 Going to huy me a pistol just as long as a pole,
Going to buy me a pistol just as long as a pole,
Going to shoot poor Thalma
Just to sec her jump and fall.
4 Going where the water tastes like cherry wine.
Going where the water tastes like cherry wine ;
'Cause the Georgia water
Taste like turpentine.
B
'Blue Yodel.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection. Mr. Richard
Lewis of Chapel Hill knows the song by its opening line but is not
familiar with the last stanza.
1 T's for Texas, T's for Tennessee,
T's for Texas, T's for Tennessee,
T's for Thelma
That gal has made a wreck out of me.
2 If you don't v.-ant me, mama, you don't have to call.
If you don't want me, mama, you don't have to call.
For I got more women than a passenger can haul.
3 I'm gonna buy me a pistol just as long as I'm tall;
I'm gonna buy me a pistol just as long as I'm tall;
I'm gonna shoot poor Thelma, just to see her jump and
fail.
4 I'm gonna bux' nic a shotgun with a great Itmg sln"n\-
Ijarrel ;
I'm gonna buy mc a shotgun with a great long shiny
barrel ;
I'm gonna shoot that rounder that stole away mv gal.
5 I'm going wlierc tlie water di-inks like cherr\- wine;
I'm going where the water drinks like cherry wine;
For the Georgia water tastes like turpentine.
S A T I U 1 (,■ A I. S () X (". s 397
6 I'd rather drink muddy water and slcej) in a hollow log,
I'd rather drink nuuldy water and sleep in a hollow log
Than stav in ( ieorgia and he treated like a dirty dog.
340
TnK Wood I Iai'lf.r
Tliis song has traveled, if the account of its origin given to the
editors of I'crmont Folk-Songs and Ballads is to he trusted, con-
siderable distances in more than one direction; it is known in Ver-
mont (VFSB 43-5), Pennsylvania (NPM 51-2), West Virginia
(FSS 404), Kentucky (OSC 231-2), Michigan (BSSM 407-8),
and North Dakota (BSSB 132-3) as well as in North Carolina,
and the Lomaxes say (OSC 231) that they have found it in New
York State. It commonly carries a date in its first line: 1875 in
Vermont, 1855 in Pennsvlvania. 1865 in Kentucky, 1805 in Michi-
gan and North Dakota, 1845 i" North Carolina: in West Virginia
it is dated only by the hero's coming of age. In Kentucky he hauls
coal, not wood. ' His horse's name is Gray or Grayie in all the
texts except that from Pennsylvania, where it is Old Bill. His
father follows him to recall him from his spree in all the texts
except those from West Virginia and Michigan. All the texts
except that from Pennsylvania end with a reproof to talebearers.
Only in the second North Carolina text is the young man's drunken
frolic associated with election day.
'The Wood Hauler.' Obtained from Frank Proffitt, Sugar Grove,
Watauga county, in i937-
1 I came to this country in 1845,
I found it quite lucky to find myself alive.
I geared up my horses, my business to pursue.
Went out to hauling wood like I used for to do.
2 Instead of hauling five loads, I only hauled hut four;
I got so drunk in Curdell Town till 1 couldn't haul no
more.
1 picked up my saddle and I walked out to the harn
And saddled up old (iray. not thinking any harm.
3 I .saddled uj) old (iray, not thinking any harm.
I saddled up old Gray and I rcjde away so still
I scarcely drew hreath till 1 came to Laurel Hill.
4 My father followed after me, I heard them say;
He must have had a i)ilot or lie couldn't have fdund the
wav.
"(Frank couldn't recall two verses here.)
398 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
5 I peeped in at every tavern crack and ere I spied a light,
And the locks they got wet by the dew of the night. ^
Boys. I will tell you how the frolic did advance ;
They was four of us all out on the floor for to dance.
6 The fiddler being willing, his arms being strong.
He played 'The Groimds of (31d Ireland'- for four hours
long.
The morning stars are raining,'^ boys ; I think we've
danced enough ;
We'll spend one half a hour in collecting cash for cuff.^
7 I'll go home to my plow and I swizzle and I'll sing
(Two lines here that Profitt could not recall.)
And I never will be catched in such a scrap again.
8 Come all you old women that carries news about,
Pray never tell a lie. for it's bad enough without.
For them that tells lies and keeps up such a fuss
They're guilty of the same crime, perhaps a great deal
wuss.
'One 'Lection Morning.' Communicated by Ruth Morgan, Stanly county.
The manuscript is variously misspelled and sometimes hardly construable.
I have silently corrected it where the errors seem to be due merely to
careless writing, but in others, where the right reading is not apparent,
I have followed the manuscript.
I One Lection and morning, 1845,
I thought myself quite lucky to find myself alive.
I harnessed up my horse my business to ptirsue
As I went to hauling coal as I used for to do."'
^ The Vermont and North Dakota texts show how the first two lines
of this stanza should read ; the "he" is the young man's father :
He peeped through every keyhole where he could spy a light,
Till his locks were all wet with the dews of the night.
In the Michigan text, however, as in ours, it is the young man himself
who does the spying :
J peeked in every keyhole where I could spy a light
Till my locks were all wet with the dews of the night.
" The tune is called 'The Grounds of Ireland' in Vermont, 'The Bowls
of Ireland' in Pennsylvania, 'The Drowned Irish Boy' in West Virginia,
'The Bows of Ireland' in Michigan, 'The Crowns of C)ld Ireland' in North
Dakota, and 'The Ground of Louisville' in North Carolina B.
■' This should presumal)ly be "reigning" or "rising" ; North Dakota has
"the morning star has dawned."
^ This is "those old cuffs" in Vermont and "Cuff" in North Dakota:
in West Virginia it is "cash for snuff" and in Kentucky "Kasher-cuff,"
wiiicli is said to mean p^iying cash to cuff. None of these expressions
is quite intelligible to the editor.
'' This line reads in the manuscript :
As I went to haolding colds as I sue fur to do.
S A T I K I f A I. SONGS 399
\\ ith niv saddle on my l)ack a-goinj^- to the barn
1 saddle up my old gray, not thinking any harm.
I hopped upon his back and I rode away so still
That I scarcely drew a breath till I enterefl Louisville.
The barroom' l)eing opened, the licker goin* free.
As fast as 1 emptied one glass another was filled for me.
1 only haulded one load instead of haulding four.
Till 1 got so drunk in Louisville I could not haul no more.
My father followed me. he followed until day;
He nuist 'a' had a pilot or he couldn't found the way.
He peered in every corner wherever he saw light.
Till the old grey locks was wet with the dews of the night.
1 met an old acquaintance — his name 1 dare not tell —
He invited me where fiddle and dancing was to be.
There four young ladies walked out to take a dance ;
The four young gentlemen walked to take a vance.-
The fiddlers being willing, their arms being strong.
Till they played the ground of Louisville fulfilled four
hours long.
Come all ye young people who carries news about,
Don't tell no lies, for you're bad enough without.
You make a mighty racket and you carry news about.
And you guilty of the same thing, perhaps a great deal
worse.
341
Walk in the Parlor
The pieces here assembled under this title are all descendants of
a hig-hly popular song of the minstrel stage a hundred years ago.
concerning wliich see Cox's headnote to his West Virginia version,
FSS 503. In its fuller form it is a burlesque version of Bible
stories, as in A and B below. Texts from later tradition vary a
good deal. Cox's from West Virginia, Ford's from the Midwest
(Traditional Music of America 278-80), and our A and B, though
they all go back to the minstrel song of the 1840s, diiifer widely,
even in tbe chorus. Bits of it are reported as sung by Negroes in
Mississippi (JAFL xxvi 159) and Alabama (ANFS 136, 141, 144).
A song with a like theme but not, so far as I can make out, of the
same derivation, 'I Was Born about Ten Thousand Years Ago.' is
separately considered, as are also 'When .■Xdam Was Created' and
'Ye Lords of Creation,' which are (|uite dif^'creiit alTairs. The
' The manuscript has "barn room."
- West X'irginia has "advance" : the other texts throw no light on
the passage
N.C.F., \ol. III. (J8)
400 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
fragments E and F retain not much more tlian the cliorus of the
original song.
A
'Sunday School Song.' Contributed in 1923 by Miss Mary Scarborough
of Wanchese, Roanoke Island. What is here set down as the first stanza
is in B called the chorus.
1 Young folks, old folks, everybody come.
Come to our Stmday school and make yourselves at home.
Please check yotir chewing gum and razors at the door.
And you'll hear more Bible stories than you've ever heard
before.
2 Adam was the first man ; Eve was his spouse.
They never had a bit of trouble keeping house ;
Folks said their married life was happy in the main
Until they had a little kid and started raising Cain.
3 Noah was a sailor, he sailed upon the sea.
He took along a circus and a whole menagerie.
He spent his time a-fishing. so the Bible tale confirms,
But he couldn't do much fishing 'cause he only had two
worms.
4 David was a fighter, a plucky little cuss.
Saw Goliath coming, pining for a fuss.
He knew he'd have to fight him or else he'd have to dust ;
So he picked up a cobble stone and busted in his crust.
5 Salome was a dancer, she danced the hootchy kootch.
The people raised a racket 'cause she didn't wear so
mooch.
The King said, 'My dear, we cannot have that here.'
Saloiue said, 'The heck you can't,' and kicked him in the
ear.
6 Daniel was a naughty man, he wouldn't mind the King.
The King had never heard of such a funny thing.
So he put him a den with the lions underneath ;
P»ut Daniel was a dentist, so he pulled the lions' teeth.
7 I'haraoh kept the Israelites to make his cigarettes.
He wouldn't give them wages and he wouldn't ])ay their
debts.
So Moses, walking delegate, advised them all to strike;
So they ])icked up all the liay in sight and biat it down
the pike.
8 Jonah was a sailor, so runs the Uible tale.
lie tried to cross the ocean in the steerage of a whale.
s A r I K I r A I, s {) N c s 401
jdiiah in the whale teU a hit opprcsst'ch
So he merely i)ushe(l a Inittun and the whale did the rest.
B
'Yming Folks, Old I'dlks, Everybody Come.' Contributed by Mrs. W. L.
Pridgen of Durbani in 1923. Differs from A by omissions, contraction,
rearrangement, and tlie introduction of new matter. .\nd wliat is entered
in .A as stanza i is liere called, no doubt rigbtly, tlie cliorus.
1 Adam was the first man ever was invented.
Alonj^- eame hA'e and he was eontented.
.\l()n<,r came old Noali, fnmhlins^- in the dark.
(jrahhed n]) a hannner and lie hnilt himsell an ark.
Chorus:
(_)ld folks, vonng folks, everhody come.
Come join the Sunday School and make yourself at
home.
Please check your chewing gum and razors at the door.
And you'll hear more Bible stories than you ever heard
before.
2 David had a slingshot ; a funny little cuss.
Along came Goliath, just a-pining for a ftiss.
David saw he'd have to fight or else he'd have to dust,
So he grabbed him up a col)ble stone and Inisted in his
crust.
3 K\e had an ai)i)le. She cut it in two.
She gave Adam half, and that wouldn't do.
Cain fired up, got mad mighty c[uick.
So he slapped old Abel in the neck with a brick.
4 I thank you for your kindness and your \ery kind ajjplause.
I cannot sing for yott any more becatise — l)ecause —
because —
There's more upon the i)rogram. but I fear 1 am a bore.
The really truly reason is, I don't know any more.
'If Religion Was a Thing That Money Could Buy.' Contril)uted l)y
J. C. Paisley. Date and region not noted on tlie manuscript. This is
a Negro version, somewhat different in temper and with a quite different
chorus ; yet stanzas 2 and 5 are tlie same as stanziis i and 3 of B.
I If religion was a thing that money could buy •
The Jews would live and the Irish die.
Ain't I glad that this ain't so !
Dis ole nigger gunter stand a little show.
402 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
C liorus:
Live a humble, live a hunihle.
Live a humble till I die.
2 Adam was the first man that was ever invented.
Den come Eve and den he was contented.
'Long come Noah fumbling in the dark.
He grabbed up a hammer and built himself a ark.
3 Den come the animals two by two,
De hippopotumus, de kik kangaroo.
Den come de monkey, den come de bar.
Den come de elephant without any bar.
4 Next come de whale ; he was a snorter.
He grabbed old Jonah right under the water.
Three days and three nights he was a-getting mighty rank.
And he fired old Jonah right out on the bank.
5 Eve she had an api)le ; she cut it in two.
She gave Abel half. Well, that wouldn't do;
Cain fired up, he got mad mighty quick.
He soaked old Abel in the neck with a brick.
D
'Adam Wa.s the First Man." From Mr. Southgate Jones of Durham in
1920. He writes : "Some fifteen years ago I used to hear sung several
verses which began with
Adam was the first man ever was invented ;
Me lived in a mud house all contented.
"Long came brother Xoali stumbling in the dark.
lie got a hammer "n nails and built him an ark."
E
'Walk in the Parlor." Ccmtrihuted l)y Laura M. Cromartie of Garland.
Sampson county. Not dated.
The creeks all muddy, the ponds all dry,
'T wasn't for the tadpoles we'd all die.
J'irsf chorus:
Walk in, walk in. walk in, I say,
Walk in de ])arlor and hear de banjo play ;
Walk in de parlor and hear de banjo ring.
\\ atch a nigger finger while he pick upon a string.
Second chorus:
Walk in. walk in, walk in, 1 say.
Walk in de parlor and hear de banjo play.
Dere's a little ash cake an' not a bit of fat ;
The white folks '11 grumble if vou eat luuch of dat.
S A T I k I C A I. S () \ C. S 403
'Walk ill tlic Parlor." Contrilnitt-d by Jennie Belvin of Dnrliani in July
1922. Only fonr lines.
Walking and a-walking
-\nd a-walking, I say,
W alking in the parlor
I^'ur to hear the banjo i)lay,
342
PrKACIIKR in the F^ULl'IT
Except for the pos.sible .seriou.sness of its tone, this song resembles
some social songs in White ANFS 308, 367.
'Oh, Lordy, Come This A-Way.' From Miss Luna Weaver, Piney
Creek, Alleghany county: undated, but c. 1921-22. Phonograph record-
ing, Piney Creek, N. C, 1922.
Preacher in the pulpit, l>ible in his hand.
Preacher in the pulpit, Bible in his hand.
Preacher in the pulpit, Bible in his hand ;
Devil in the meal-sack, shaking out bran.
Oh, Lordy, come this a-way.
Oh, Lordy, come this a-vvay,
Oh, Lordy, come this a-way.
Never let the . . . you a-way.
343
Preacher's in de Pulpit
The first stanza is of the pattern parodied in songs reported by
White ANFS 308, 367. The chorus corresponds to 'Fm Going to
Land on the Shore,' Jackson WNS 205.
'Preacher's in de Pulpit.' From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from
Ruby Casey, a pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated,
but c. 1927-28. "Negro fragment."
I Preacher's in de pulpit,
Preachin' mighty bold.
Preachin' fur de money
T(j save de sinner's soul.
Chorus:
Fm gwine de land on de sho',
I'm gwine de land on de sho',
I'm gwine de land on de she',
And rest forevermo'.
404 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 When I gits in 1 k-bcn,
Want you to be there too;
When I say, 'Thank God,'
1 want vou to sav so too.
344
Wait on de Lord
This is marked: "Nesro fragment?" Dr. White notes: "Stanzas
_' and 3 are adapted into Negro song from wliite spirituals. Stanza
,^ is a variation of
I'm Mttliodist Ixini and Methodist bred,
And wlicn I die I'm a Methodist dead,
which enters tlie University of North Carohna coHege song [chorus
of 'Hark the Sound of Tar Heel Voices'] by substituting 'Tar
Heel' for 'Methodist.'" Cf. 'Baptist. Baptist Is' My Name,' in the
present collection.
'Wait on de Lord.' From Julian P. Boyd, Alliance, Pamlico county ;
undated, but c. 1927-28.
1 I wonder where is Spencer gone,
That used to preach up town.
The church is all in mourning.
And Spencer can't be found.
Chorus:
I'm waitin' on de Lord.
Wait on de Lord, wait, wait.
Wait on de Lord.
2 Some .says John de Baptist
is nothing but a Jew.
The Holy l>ible tells us
He was a preacher too.
3 A P)a])tist, I>aptist is my name,
And a Baptist will 1 die.
ni l)e a Uaptist in the l>aptist C"hiu-ch
.And eat all the baptist pie.
345
I Ni:\i:r Will Ti'kx Hack Aw AIokf.
'i'hc song evidently belongs to the class which White, in ANFS
130- 1, calls "upstart crows," i.e., pieces mildly ridiculing religious
fervor or burles(|uing well-known songs of spiritual experience.
Refrain and chorus and "1 went down in the meadow for to pray"
are taken from serious spirituals. Cf. 'No More! No More!' in
this collection.
S A T I 1< 1 (.■ A I. S O N C; S 405
'1 Never Will 'rurn l?ack Any More' Vroiu MSS of G. S. R()l)ins(in,
Ashevillc, August 4, 1939.
1 W'lu'ii 1 was a hoy I had a liltU- nnile
That 1 always rode to Sunday School.
Lord. I never will turn hack any more.
2 I rode that mule to church one day.
And that old mule "ot in an awful way.
Lord. I never will turn hack any more.
Chorus:
Any more, my Lord, any more, my Lord,
Lord, I'll never turn hack any more.
3 I went down in the meadow for to pray,
I met old Satan on the way.
Lord, ril never turn hack any more.
4 1 turned around to run my hest,
And run my head in a hornet's nest.
Lord, ril never turn back any more.
346
Jonah and the Whale
There is some evidence that songs about Jonah and the wliale
have been sung as serious spirituals. White (ANFS 98-9) in-
cludes some versions as religious songs and cites W. E. Barton's
inclusion of it in Old Plantation Hymns (New York, 1899). But
most of White's versions and those in other printed collections
indicate that it has been sung chiefly as a "coon" or college glee-
club number. Such would seem to be the tone and usage of the
following versions.
A
'Jonah and the Whale.' With mnsic. From R. A. Swaringen, Trinity
College stndent (A.B. 1925?, Duke University summer school 1929,
1031, 1933). Kannapolis, Cabarrus county. Typescript, with two AISS
in Dr. Brown's hand.
( )h. for three long days and three long nights
Jonah lay in the helly of the whale.
Spewed him up in a sandy place.
The sun was a-shinin' right down in Jonah's face.
Well, a gourd vine growed up and around.
Along come a little worm and cut him down.
Now. wasn't that a cross on Jonah's little crown?
Chorus:
Living hunihle. humhle, hunihle,
Living humble all your days.
406 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
B
'Jonah and the Whale.' With music. From Misses Hallie and Jean
Holeman, Durham, 1922. Phonograph recording, Durham, N. C, 1922.
1 [Not recalled.]
Chorus:
Humble, humble, humble my soul,
An' de bell done rung.
2 Dey throwed Brer Jonah right over de board,
An' a big fish swallowed Brer Jonah whole.
3 Brer Jonah he prayed to de Lord fer Ian',
An' he heave Brer Jonah right on dry san'.
4 Brer Jonah he prayed to de Lord fer shade.
An' de gourd vine growed right over his haid.
'Jonah and the Whale." From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Alinnie
Lee. a pupil in Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, hut c. 1927-28. Dr.
White notes : "Mixes Jonah with the traditional gospel train and gospel
ship." This corresponds in part to 'Jonah and the Whale' in Randolph
OFS in 368-9. Randolph notes that three stanzas and the chorus of
his song appeared in Haiiiliii's Wizard Oil Soiujbook. 1897.
1 Old Jonah like a fool
Got as stubborn as a mule !
But the whale made him (|uiokly disajjpcar.
Jonah took out his razor
And cut the whale in two ;
He floated to the shore on his ear.
Chorus:
Hide away, hide away.
For there ain't no use
To try to hide away !
Put your l)aggage on the deck.
And don't forget yoiu- check.
For you stay in the boat.
There aint' no use tryin' to hide away !
2 ( )h, let me tell you boys.
You had better look out,
F"or the opposition l)oat am a-runnin' too;
For the boiler am a-liablc
To bust at any time
.And cook you Niggers up in a stew !
S A T 1 K 1 f A I, S 0 N C S 4^7
D
'Jonah and the Whale' From Miss Fanccttc (no other information).
1 The whale he, yes. he did,
The whale he. no, he di(hi't.
The whale he swalltnved Jonah,
The whale he swallowed Jonah,
The whale he swallowed Jonah down.
2 He spit him np, yes, he did.
He spit him up, no, he didn't.
He spit him up on some sandy.
He spit him up on some sandy.
He spit him up on some sandy land.
3 The gourd vine, yes, he did.
The gourd vine, no, he didn't.
The gourd vine growed around Jonah's,
The gourd vine growed around Jonah's,
The gourd vine growed around Jonah's head.
4 The greedy worm, yes, he did.
The greedy worm, no, he didn't.
The greedy worm come along and cut it,
The greed}' worm come along and cut it.
The greedy worm come along and cut it down.
'Jonah.' From Mrs. J. W. Barbee, Durham; undated. The repetitions
shown in stanza i are continued throughout.
1 A whale did, oh, yes, he did,
A whale did, I know he did,
A whale did swallow Brother Jonias down.
A whale did, oh, yes, he did,
A whale did. 1 know he did,
A whale did swallow Brother Jonias,
A whale did swallow Brother Jonias down.
2 He throwed him up, oh, yes, he did.
He throwed him up on some sand}' land.
3 A gourd vine, oh, yes, it was,
A gourd vine growed round Jonias' head.
4 A greedy worm, oh, yes, it was,
A greedy worm came along and cut it down.
F
No title. From an anonymous contributor, without indication of date
and address. This is one form familiar in college glee-chib and other
humorous adaptations.
408 X (t R T II t" A R 0 L 1 N A K O L K L 0 R K
A whale did. a whale did.
A whale did swallow J. j. Jonah.
A whale did swallow J. J. Jonah.
A whale did swallnw hmah down.
347
Jesus Lover of My Soul
White, wlio puhlislied tlie text ( witliout music i in ANFS 133.
noted that it is a parody of a familiar liymn.
'Jesus Lover of My Soul." From K. W. l.itaker, Trinity College stu-
dent, December 5, 1919, witli music and note : "Heard in Cabarrus
county."
Jestis, lover of my sonl.
Set me on top of telegram pole.
When the pole begins to break
Take me down for Jesus' sake.
34S
P)OB Tngersoll and the Devil
Though we think tlie song is of minstrel or vaudeville origin,
we have not found it elsewhere. It is in different meter from
'Shinbone Alley.' No. 422.
No title. Contril)uted. witliout record of date and address, by William
C. Cumming. with the fdllowing note : "In my efforts to discover folk-
lore I was given a song that was said to be used at Negro camp meet-
ings (in Pirunswick Co.) a good many years ago. There are some
things about it that are indeed characteristic of Negro songs, but the
utter inconsistency of the meter shows that it has lost much in trans-
mission. It is said to be sung to the tune of 'Shin Bone Alley,' what-
ever that may be, and is as follows."
Some dese days gwine hit 'ini.
Ingersoll sing anndder song
\\ hen de dehbill git "im.
Debbil watch fo' sich as him.
Ketch 'im in de cnllar.
Choke 'im black an" hit "ini blini.
Butt "im till he holler.
Debbil stand kimbo straight.
Laugh at Ing'soll jirancin',
Stan' 'im in a red hot ])late.
I *at while I'.ob'.s adancin'.
SATIRICAL S 0 N C S
4OC)
349
Lord, I Nfa'kr W'li.i. C'o.mk IJack IIi'-.rk No Mo'
From Miss Jewell Robljiiis, Pckin, .Montgimicry county (later Mrs.
C. B. Perdue). July 1922, with music. The first stanza is found in a
spiritual in this collection.
1 .Some <)' (k'se (l;i\'s ;il)<)iit twtJvc- o'clock,
Dis old worl's a gwi' reel and rock.
Lawd. I neber will come back bere no more.
Chorus:
No nio', my Lawd ;
No mo", my Lawd;
I nebber come back bere no mo'.
2 \\ av down yonder about Arkansas
De niggers ain't a-arguin' a tiling but wa'.
CYPRESS KNEES
X
SONGS OF PRISONERS
AND TRAMPS
'~r*HE SONGS in the following- small section have affinities with
-*- many pieces in several preceding sections. They are super-
ficially related to the outlaw and murder ballads. They differ from
those, however, in subject-matter, aim, emphasis, and point of view.
Whereas in the ballads the substance is action and the chief object
is to tell a story, in the songs about to be presented the material
is mainly feeling and mood, and the purpose is to indulge in self-
pity, to convey a state of mind, or to arouse sympathy. By the
latter criteria several pieces placed among the ballads, e.g., "Tom
Dula's Lament' and 'Shackleford's Farewell Song,' would properly
belong here; but they have been left with the true ballads about
the same persons. The following songs also resemble many of the
constituents of the "Folk Lyric" section. They are separated from
those because they show a degree of homogeneous specialization in
their subjects. They are the lonely, sometimes maudlin, cry of
men who have been alienated from normal society by crime, in-
dolence, or misfortune.
Of the prisoners' songs, the first printed below has been popular
for a long time over a wide area. One of the editors of this col-
lection learned the tune and a few stanzas, forty years ago, from a
stout and jolly young white man who sang it in a rich bass voice
while he chopped cotton in a Mississippi creek-bottom field. The
same singer rendered it again one night, to guitar accompaniment,
in a moonlit farmyard during one of the intermissions of a country
breakdown. 'Twenty-One Years' has at least one stanza notable
in folk song for its expression of utter loneliness and alienation.
Though lamenting "hard times," "Durham Jail" is satirical rather
than self -pitying.
Not knowing well the gypsy, whom European folk have senti-
mentalized about, the American i)eople have romanticized the tramp
or hobo. Half a dozen of the following pieces illustrate this tend-
ency. 'May 1 Sleej) in \'()ur Barn Tonight. Mister?' is a widely
popular sob story accounting for the speaker's vagrancy. Though
a ballad in narrative content, its self-conscious and calculated pathos
may justify our placing it here, if not for a reason similar to that
which left 'Tom Dula's Lament' among the ballads. Much the same
S () N V. S () I' !• R 1 S () N K K S A N I) T K A M I' S 4I I
admission iiii.yht he mack' al)()Ut "I'ale of a Traini).' The others,
though, are rather lyrical tlian narrative. All these pieces are more
concerned about arousing sympathy with or for a human derelict
than about telling a story for its own sake. And. poor as most of
them are, they may be more interesting than are editorial reasons
for placing thcni where they are.
The Prisoner's Song
Miss Scarborough (SCSM 346) thinks this is a descendant of
the English 'Here's Adieu to All Judges and Juries,' which is re-
ported from Sussex in JFSS i 135. In this country, especially in
the Southern mountains, it has got mixed with a sentimental song
by J. A. Wade, 'Meet Me in the Moonlight,' which has nothing to
do with prisoners. In its characteristic Appalachian form it has
three motives: the jail, the moonlight, and a ship. Nova Scotia
texts (BSSNS 303, SENS 309) know nothing of the ship or the
moonlight. But texts from Virginia (SCSM 347-9), Kentucky
(ASb 216-7), North Carolina (SCSM 349-51), and— as it hap-
pens—Iowa (MAFLS XXIX 49) have all three. Another from
Kentucky ( FSSH 327) has the prison cell but no moon or ship;
one from West Virginia (FSmWV 71-2) has the ship and the
moonlight; one from Tennessee (JAFL XLV 82-3) and a Negro
song (NWS 83-4, not treated) have the ship only; another from
North Carolina (BMFSB 54-5) has the prison cell only, no ship
and no moonlight; and one from Mississippi (JAFL xxx'ix 153-4),
not a prisoner's song at all, yet has the ship stanza. 'Meet Me in
the Moonlight' appears also in our collection sometimes without anv
connection with 'The Prisoner's Song.'
'Meet Me in the Moonlight." Reported by Miss Amy Henderson of
Worry, Burke county, in 1914.
1 Off to the jail house tomorrow
Not far to leave my little darling alone.
With them cold iron hars around me
And my pillow is made of stone.
Chorus:
Meet me tonight, darling, meet me
Out in the moonlight alone.
For I have a secret to tell you
AFust he told in the moonlight alone.
2 Oh, I heard that your jjarents don't like me.
They have driven me away from their door ;
If I had those days to go over
I would never come back anv more.
412- N 0 R T H C A R O L I N A K O I. K I. () R E
3 If 1 liad a ship oil the ocean
All lined with bright silver and gold,
Before mv darling should suffer
Mv ship should he anchored and sold.
4 I am dving for some one to love me
And some one to call me their own,
For some one to be with me always ;
1 am tired of living alone.
Dr. Brown notes on tlie manuscript tliat lie heard the cliorus as :
A\"on't vou meet me. won't you meet me by the moon-
light.
Won't you meet me by the moonlight tonight?
I have a sweet story to tell you.
Won't you meet me by the moonlight tonight?'
and one stanza as :
'I have three ships out on the ocean
All lined with silver and gold
I would have them and sold.'
B
'Meet Me hy the Moonliglit.' Reported by W. Amos Abrams from
Boone, Watauga county.
1 I am going to a new jail tomorrow.
Leaving the one that I love.
Leaving my friends and relations;
And oh ! how lonely my home.
Chorus:
Meet me by the moonlight, love, meet me,
Meet me by the moonlight alone.
For I have a sad story to tell you
To be told bv tlie moonlight alone.
2 My parents how cruel they treat me.
They drove me away from their door.
If I live to be a hundred years older,
I'll never go back anv more.
3 ( )li ! if 1 had the wings of an angel
I'd fl\- o'er land and o'er sea,
I'd f\y in the arms of my darling,
And oh ! how happy I'd be.
S 0 \ (', S () 1" r K I S () N 1". K S A N 1) T K A M I' S 4T3
4 ( )h ! I wisli I had sonic one to low nic.
Some one to call me her own.
Some one to always he with me ;
I am tired of living- alone.
5 ( )h ! now 1 have some one to love me.
Some one to call me her own,
Some one to always he with me;
( )h ! don't it heat livin^^ alone?
6 1 have a little ship on the ocean
All lined with silver and gold.
I know that my darling does own it;
1 know it. for I have heen told.
C
'The Prisoner's Song.' From the Jnlm Uurch Blaylock Collection.
This has all three of tlie characteristic elements — the jail, tlie ninoniiglit,
and the siiip.
1 ( )h, I wish I had someone to love me.
Someone to call me their own ;
Oh, I wish I had someone to live with,
For I'm tired of living alone.
2 Oh, meet me tonight in the moonlight.
Meet me out in the moonlight alone ;
For I have a sad story to tell you.
It's a story that's never heen told.
3 I'll he carried to the new jail tomorrow,
Leaving my poor darling alone.
With those cold prison hars all around me
And my head on a pillow of stone.
4 I wish I had wings like an angel ;
I'rom these dark prison walls I would fly,
I would fly to the arms of my darling
And there I'd be willing to die.
5 1 have a fine ship on the ocean,
All lined with silver and gold ;
And before my poor darling should sulifer
J\ly fine ship would be anchored and sold.
D
'Meet Me in the Moonlight.' From A. E. Elliott of Farmer, Randolph
county. With the tune. Four stanzas and chorus, of which stanzas
I, 2, 4, and chorus correspond with slight vcrhal variations to stanzas
I, 2, 3. and chorus of A. Stanza 3 runs:
414 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
If I had the wings of an angel
I would fly far, far away,
I would fly to the arms of my darling
And there I'd he willing to stay.
'Meet Me by tlie Mooiiliglit.' From the manuscripts of Oliadiali John-
son of Crossnore, Avery county. In this there is no mention or thought
of a prison, yet it is clearly a form of the same song as the four texts
preceding.
1 I am going to leave you tomorrow,
To sail on the ocean so blue.
To leave all my friends and relations ;
I have come now to bid you adieu.
2 Then meet me by the moonlight, love, meet me ;
I want to see yoti alone.
To tell of the heart that is breaking
To leave my love and my home.
3 I hate to leave you, my darling ;
But my parents to me are unkind.
To prove false words that are spoken
Has never once entered my mind.
4 I have a fine ship on the ocean
All lined with silver and gold.
And before my lover shall perish
I'll have that ship anchored and sold.
5 1 have c(Mne by the moonlight to see you.
To tell of my future time.
I am going to seek for a fortune.
Will return and claim you for mine.
6 Your return to me is uncertain.
But to you I will ever be true.
God grant you may have a safe voyage
And our days apart may be few !
7 1 know that heaven will bless us
And the angels will guide you aright.
To help yoti rettirn to }-our loved one,
TlKJUgh her heart is breaking tonight.
8 Years i)assed and she prcned to him faithful,
To another she never was wed.
And her life it seemed blighted forever
\\ hen she heard that her true love was dead.
SONGS () I" I' K 1 S () N I". R S A X I) T K A M P S 4I5
F
'Meet Me Tonight.' Contributed by Zilpah Frisbie of Marion, McDowell
county, in 1923. Only two stanzas reported, the first of Wade's song
and the ship stanza, hut she notes tliat "tliere are several more verses."
'I Have a Ship on tlie Ocean.' Obtained from .Miss Jewell Kobbins
(later Mrs. C P. Perdue) of Pekin, Montgomery county, in \t)2i.
The jail and the moonlight have vanished from this version, yet it is
clearly a form of the same song.
1 I have a secret to tcil yoti. sweet love,
Abotit the ship on the sea ;
And if you think you can hear it, sweet love,
I'll tell it to yoti in a dream.
Chorus:
Darling, the shi]) is on the ocean.
As ever near to me ;
Darling, this world would lose its motion
If I proved false to thee.
2 I have a ship on the ocean, sweet love.
All lined with silver and gold.
Before I'd see you sufifer, sweet love,
I'd anchor my ship to be sold.
3 Some say love is ])leasure. sweet love ;
What pleasure do I see
When the one I love so dearly, sweet love.
Has turned her back on me?
H
*I Had a Little Ship.' Obtained from Miss Jennie Belvin of Durham
in 1922. Perhaps not the same song; nothing is left here but the ship.
1 I had a little ship on the ocean
All lined with silver and gold.
.\nd freely would I give it
To call little .Sallie my own.
2 Little Sallie. little Sallie mv darling.
Little Sallie, little Sallie my own.
And freely would I give it
To call little Sallie my own.
I
'Meet Me in the Moonliglit.' Obtained by C. G. Knox in 1923 or
thereabouts from Miss Gertrude Smith of Morganton, Burke county.
Here there is little left of the prisoner motive. The first tliree stanzas
correspond i to the chorus of A, 2 to stanza 3 of C, 3 to stanza 2 of
A, and the fourth stanza runs :
N.C.F., Vol. TTT. (29)
4l6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
When the cold, cold clay is around me
Won't yon come and shed one hitter tear
And say to the friends standing round me.
'There's a heart I have loved long ago' ?
J
'Sweet Lulur.' From John AI. Greer of Boone, Watauga county, in
191 5. Here we have the prisoner and tlie sliip. hut no mounliglit.
1 He hound my feet in cold iron.
All tangled my feet in chains
But hefore I'll go hack on sweet Lulur
I'll have them tangled again.
Chorus:
O Lulur, O Lulur my darling,
O Lulur. O Lulur my dear.
If it hadn't heen for sweet Lulur,
Sweet Lulur that brought me here !
2 I had three ships on the ocean
All lined with silver and gold.
And hefore I'll go back on sweet Lulur
I'll have them hoisted and sold.
K
'Sweet Lulur.' From Thomas Smith, Watauga county, in 1915, with
the notation : "The above verses are all I recall of a song which I
heard sung when a child probably thirty or more years ago by a Miss
Louise Wilson at my grandmother's house."
When I was in Danville, a-walking down the street.
I spied a policeman who bound my hands and feet ;
He bound my feet in cold iron, all tangled my feet in
chains.
But before I'll go back on sweet Lulur I'll have them
tangled again.
Oh Lulur, oh Lulur, my darling, oh Lulur, oh Lulur, my
dear.
If P hadn't a-been for sweet Lulur, it was Lulur that
brought me here.
351
Seven Long Years
Quite distinct from 'The Prisoner's Song:,' thoiic:li it has a similar
theme. It has been reported (with considerable variations in text)
from Nova Scotia (BSSNS 303, SENS 309), Kentucky (FSSH
^ One expects "it."
S O N t; S () I' 1- IM S () X K K S A N 1) T K A MPS 417
Z^"/^, and Oiiio (ASh 218-19, where Satulburg says lie got part of
his text from Denison, Ohio, and part of it from a soldier in the
Spanish-American War). Miss Geneva Anderson's "A Collection
of Ballads and Songs from East Tennessee" (unpublished Univer-
sity of North Carolina thesis, 1932), p. 230, contains a song of
four stanzas and chorus, in a different order and with minor dif-
ferences in the chorus. The thiril stanza of our text is an echo
from 'Little Sparrow.'
'Seven Long Years." Contril)utc(l by P. D. Midgett of Wanchcse,
Roanoke Island, in 1920.
1 1 have a father and a mother
That dwell in a cottage by the sea.
I have a brother and a sister.
I wonder if they ever think of me.
Chorus:
Sad. sad and lonely.
Sitting in a cell all alone.
Thinking of the days that have gone by me
And the time when I done wrong.
2 Seven, seven long years in state prison,
Se\en. seven long years to remain,
For knocking a man down the alley
And swdping his gold watch and chain.
3 If I had the wings of a sparrow
Across this wide world I would fly,
I'd fly to the arms of my darling.
There I would lay me down and die.
352
Twenty-One Years Is a Mighty Long Time
Henry (SSSA 69) prints a version of this song from Tennessee,
taken down in 1932. Alton C. Morris, in FSF 67-9, gives a better
and longer version, noting that it "is a popular barn-dance number
used by fiddling bands on radio programs" and "is sung extensively
by the rural folk of Florida." He includes, also, 'Answer to Twenty-
One Years,' attesting to its popularity. The first stanza of Morris's
'Twenty-One Years' reads :
'The judge says, "Stand up. boys, and dry your tears;
You're sentenced to Nasliville for twenty-one years."
So kiss me goodbye, llabe. and say you'll l)e mine.
For twenty-one years. Hatie, is a mighty long time.'
This may indicate the appro.ximate form Miss Walker's first stanza,
below, would have if it were complete. ( io these references add
Randolph OFS 11 156-9.)
4l8 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Twenty-One Years Is a Mighty Long Time.' From a MS book of
songs lent to Dr. Brown c. 1936 by Miss Edith Walker, Boone.
1 The judge said, 'Stand up, boy, and dry your tears;
You're sentenced to Nashville for twenty-one years.'
Babe, is a mighty long time.
2 Hear the train blow, Babe, she'll be here on time
To carry me to Nashville to serve out my time.
So hold up your head. Babe, and kiss me goodbye.
Best friends must part. Babe; so must you and I.
3 Oh, look down the railroad, as far as you can see.
And keep on waving your farewell to me.
The steam from the whistle, the smoke from the stack —
I'm going away. Babe, but I will be back.
4 Go beg the governor, on your sweet soul ;
If you can't get a pardon, try to get a parole.
For if I had the governor where the governor's got me,
Before Tuesdav morning that governor would be free.
5 Six months have passed. Babe. I wish I was dead —
This dirty old jail house, no clothes for a bed.
It's raining, it's hailing, the moon gives no light.
Tell me why. Babe, you never do write.
6 I've counted the days. Babe, I've counted the nights,
I've counted the moments. I've counted the lights.
I've counted the footsteps. I've counted the stars,
I've counted a thousand of the prison bars.
353
Write My Mother I'll Be Home
No title. Contributed by H. A. Cherry, Lilcsvillc. Anson county : a stu-
dent in Trinity College 1922-24.
1 There is somewhere the sun is shining.
There is somewhere a little rain.
There is somewhere the sun is shining.
There is somewhere a little rain.
2 Some ol' day. some rainy day.
Write my mother I'll be home, some ol' day.
Ain't got no friends to take me in.
Write my mother I'll be home some ol' day.
3 Say, the white folks got me on the ball an' chain,
Pick and shovel, working in de rain,
SON C. S O !-• P R 1 S 0 N K k S A X 1) T K A M P S 4I9
For I ain't got no friends to take me in.
Write my mother I'll be home some ol' day.
Some ol' day, some rainy da}-,
Write my mother I'll be home — I'm on m\' way.
I ain't got no friends to take me in.
Write my mother I'll be home some ol' day.
If I had died when I was young,
Would not had this rick to run.
For I'm in the rain, wearing ball 'n' chain.
Write my mother I'll be home some ol' day.
Oh, Stella, can 1 be your fellow ?
Oh, Stella, can I be your man?
She said, 'No, for I've got a beau.'
I'm in de rain wearin' ball 'n' chain.
Write mv mother I'll be home some ol' day.
354
Durham Jail
'Durham Jail.' By D. W. Fletcher. One of the group of songs pre-
pared by Dr. Brown for printing, about 1916-18. His note says: "As
collected from E. L. Husketh, who learned it from convicts in 1890."
1 Your breakfast comes round, it's cold corn bread ;
It's hard as a rock and heavy as lead.
One cup of cold water, and mush on your bread :
You're bound to starve out in Durham's old jail.
Chorus:
Hard times in jail, yes, it is hard times
In Durham's old jail, hard times in jail.
2 It has often been thought, but a shame to be told.
That an Irishman drinks buttermilk seven davs old.
O, yes. there's lice in jail as long as a rail ;
There's lice in jail under your sliirt tail.
3 There's a city police, a set I despise ;
They'll come to your house with a mouth full of lies.
They hum and they haw, your pockets they pick.
Get drunk on your money, and doing so will .
4 There was old Judge McCoy I like to forgot.
Another grand rascal we have in our lot.
He'll hum and he'll haw and talk about bail —
No bail for a negro, but slap him in jail.
420 X O R T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
5 The judge and llie jury is a hnrrihle crew.
They'll look cm ihe i)ri.soner like looking- him through.
They'll giye him a long sentence in Raleigh to dwell.
For hfty-fiye cents the\"ll shoye him in hell.
355
Moonshiner's Dream
From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 Last night as I lay sleeping
I dreamed one pleasant dream ;
I dreamed I was on some mountain.
On some still house stream.
2 Making hlockade whiskey
And selling at retail ;
But I woke up sad. heart-hroken,
In the Fulton county jail.
3 I see the jailer coming
With a darn big bunch of keys,
One loaf of poor cornbread,
And a darn big bowd of peas.
4 I dreamed my love came stealing,
Had money to go my bail ;
But I woke up sad, heart-broken.
In the Fulton county jail.
5 News came. 'All yoti blockade stillers
That's selling at retail,
The very first place you find yourself
Is in the Fulton county jail.'
356
May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight. Mister?
This has been reported as folk song from Tennessee (ETWVMB
117-18). Texas (PFLST vi 124-5), and Virginia ( FSV y^, listed).
Its author has not been discovered. There are in our collection
two other tramp songs, 'The Tramp Sdm,^' and "Tale of a Tramj),'
that carry hints of a like story.
A
'May I Sk'cp in Your Barn Tonight, Kind Mister?' Contril)ute(i by
Kdiia Whitley — without, unfortunately, any indication of time or place.
1 May I sleep in your barn tonij^hl. mister?
'Tis so cold King out on the ijrdund.
SONGS OF 1' R I S () X I". U S A N 1) T K A M I> S 42I
And the cold, chilly rain are falling,
And 1 have no place to lie down.
2 "^'ou ask me how lon^ I've been traveling
And a-leading this sort of a life.
I'll tell }()u my sad story,
If it cuts my poor heart like a knife.
3 It was three years ago last summer —
And I'll never forget that sad day —
When there came a young man from the city,
So tall and so handsome and gay.
4 He was a well dressed gentleman
And he looked like a man who had wealth.
And said he had come to the county^
To board a while for his health.
5 So my wife said she'd like to be earning
Something to add to (jur home.
And so I then consented that stranger
Might stay there and board.
6 One evening as I was coming from the city,
A-whistling away with joy.
Expecting some kind, loving message
From my wife and my darling little boy,
7 I saw something looked like a letter ;
And I picked it up into my hand.
And the words that was written within it
Was enough to drive any man mad.
8 It took me all in the grave-
And it showed me a newly made grave,
!_ So the manuscript ; doubtless miswritten for "country."
- Essential parts of the story have been lost here. The Texas version
makes it clear (stanzas 9-1 1) :
And the words that were wrote there upon it
Seemed to burn through my brain and drive mc wild.
For they told me the stranger and Nellie
Had run off and had taken my child.
Then I stopped at a farm house last summer.
There they told mc my baby had died.
It was there for the first time in my life, sir,
I knelt on my knees and I cried.
Then they tocjk me dcjwn to the churcliyard ;
There they showed me a newly made mound,
And they told me that Nellie, my darling.
Lay asleep in that cold, solid ground.
422 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And it said that my wife and my baby
\\'ere sleeping in their silent grave.
9 Just as sure as there's a God up in heaven,
\\'hich I've always been taught to believe,
I hoi)e he'll give that scandaP
What he'd ought to receive.
B
'Can I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister?' Contributed by Otis
Kuykendall of Asheville, in August 1939- An abbreviated form of the
song, remade, one judges, by memory.
1 Can 1 sleep in your barn tonight, mister?
It is cold lying out on the ground,
And the cold north wind is whistling,
And I have no place to lie down.
2 ( )h, I have no tobacco or matches.
And I'm sure I'll do you no harm.
I will tell you my story, kind mister.
For it runs through my heart like a storm.
3 It was three years ago last summer.
I shall never forget that sad day,
When a stranger came out from the city
And said that he wanted to stay.
4 ( )ne night 1 came home from my workshop;
I was whistling and singing with joy ;
I expected a kind-hearted welcome
From my sweet loving wife and my boy.
5 But what should I find l)ut a letter !
It was placed in a room on a stand ;
And the moment my eyes fell upon it
I picked it right uji in my hand.
6 Now this note said my wife and the stranger,
They had left and taken my son.
(Jh! I wonder if (lod up in heaven
Only knows what the stranger has d(jne !
c
'May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister?' From the John Burch
Blaylock Collection. Like B, this has lost the latter part of the story;
but its variations from F. show wliat liappens to a song that travels by
word of mouth.
' The Tennessee text has "rascal." Perhaps "scandal" is a mishear-
ing of "scoundrel."
S O N Ci S 0 !•• I> R I S (> N K R S A \ 1) T R A MPS 423
May 1 sleep in your barn tonight, mister?
l''or it's cold lying out on the ground.
And the cold north wind is whistling.
And I have no place to lie down.
I have no bags nor matches,
And I'm sure I'll do you no harm.
I will tell you my story, kind mister,
Though it lies in my heart like a bone.
It was three years ago last summer —
1 shall never forget that sad day —
W hen a stranger came out from the city
And said he wanted to stop for his health.
Now this stranger was fair, tall, and handsome.
And he looked like a man who had wealth.
He said he wanted to stop in the country.
Yet he wanted to stop for his health.
Now my wife thought his board and his lodgings
Would help to keep up our little home.
So we took in this tall handsome stranger
\\ ho later broke up our little home.
Last night as I came from my workshop.
W histling and singing for joy
And expecting a kind, hearty welcome
As received from a wife and a boy,
\\'hat should I spy but a letter
Lying in the room on a stand.
And the moment my eye lay upon it
I picked it right up in my hand.
The note said the tall, handsome stranger
Had gone and taken my doll ;
And as sure as there is a God up in heaven
She with this stranger had gone.
357
The Tramp Song
There are various songs romanticizing the tramp, two of them.
'May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister.' and 'Tale of a
Tramp,' in our collection. This, however, the editor has not found
elsewhere.
'The Tramp Song.' Obtained by Jesse T. Carpenter from the manu-
script songbook of Mrs. Mary Martin Copley, RFD 8, Durham.
424 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 \\'hen passing down the street how many men you meet
Who has nowhere on earth to lay their head !
Oh, grasp him by the hand, and remember he's a man ;
For God knows wliat you may be before you die.
Chorus:
So if you meet a tramp who bears misfortune's stamp,
If he's worthy of your aid, why, freely give
Him a hearty grip, wish him good luck if you trust,
And remember that a poor tramp has to live.
2 I once saw a tramp whom the people called a scamp
And upon him set their dogs lest he should steal ;
And as he turned away I saw him kneel [and pray].
And I know that God above heard his appeal.
3 How little do we know, as they tramped through rain
and snow,'
That once he was as happy as a king
Till fortune's crude- dart came and pierced his manly
heart
And took away his liome and everything.
4 How many men there are who rides in bolts and bar
The door. . .^
Because they've lots of gold their hearts turn icy cold ;
They ought to be condemned for it. I'm sure.
5 I once heard a tramp relate the true story of his fate
And how he was an outcast shunned by all.
He led a happy life, had a loving child and wife;
But alas, like Eve, the woman had to fall.
6 How she proved botli weak and frail — it's no iLse to tell
the tale.
How she turned his manly heart to sad despair.
He never since has smiled on that handsome wife and
child.
But sadly now he roams from ])lace to i)lace.
^ The manuscript has "shine," Imt the rhyme calls for "snow."
"So the manuscript seems to read, hut tiie word sliould prohahly he
"cruel."
^ This stanza is defective in the manuscript. Prohalily the original
says that the rich man holts and hars his door ; hut the editor will not
undertake to reconstruct it. Nor has he done anything ahout the curious
syntax in stanzas i, 3, and 4.
s o n c. s o !• p r 1 s o n !•: r s a x i) t r a m p s 425
Talk of a Tramp
This title appears in the list of records jmhlislied hy the Archive
of American Folk Song as secured in X'irginia. Dean (Flying
Cloud 71 ) has a piece of similar character, 'The Tramp's Lament,'
liut it is not the same. Furtlier it has not heen tracnl.
'Tale of a Trani]).' Reported i)y L. W. Anderson as "sung by Mrs.
I. A. White, Kittv Hawk, N. C, according to her daughter, Eva Mae
White."
1 Let nie sit down a iiionient ;
A stone's got in my shoe.
Don't yoti commence your cussin' ;
I ain't done nothing to yott.
2 Yes, I'm a tramp — what of it ?
Folks say we ain't no good.
Tramps have got to live, I reckon.
Though folks don't think we should.
3 Once I was young and handsome.
Had plenty of cash and clothes.
That was hefore I got to topplin'^
And got gin in my nose.
4 Way down in the Lehigh valley
Me and ni}' jjeople grew ;
I was a hlacksmith captain ;
Yes. and a good one, too.
5 Me and my wife, and Nellie —
Nellie was just sixteen.
And she was the pootiest cretur
The valley had ever seen.
6 Beaux ! \Miy, she had a dozen,
Had 'em from near and fur.
But they were mostly farmers ;
None of them suited her.
7 But there was a city chap.
Handsome, young, and tall —
Oh, curse him ! I wish I had him
To strangle against yonder wall.
8 He was no man for Nellie.
She didn't know no ill.
Mother, she tried to stop it.
But you know^ young girl's will.
^ So the manuscript. Perhaps merely miswrittcn fur "tipplin'."
426 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
9 Well, it's the same old story,
Common enough, you'll say.
But he was a soft-tongued devil
And got her to run away.
10 More than a month, or later,
We heard from the poor young thing.
He had run away and left her
Without any wedding ring.
1 1 Back to her h(jme we hrought her,
Back to her mother's side.
Filled with a ragin' fever
She fell at my feet and died.
12 Frantic with shame and sorrow
Her mother l^egan to sink
And died in less than a fortnight.
That's when 1 took to drink.
13 Come, give a glass now. colonel,
And I'll be on my way.
And I'll tramp till I catch that scoundrel
If it takes till judgment day.
359
The Wild and Reckless Hobo
Probably a music-hall piece originally, this has achieved some-
thing like a folk-song status. It is reported, with wide variations
in the text, from V'irginia ( ETWVMB 3-4) and from Tennessee
(SSSA 107-8, again ultimately from Virginia), and the Archive
of American Folk Song has a record of it from Kentucky.
'The Wild and Reckless Hobo.' Contributed by Otis S. Kuykendall
of Asheville, in 1939.
I There was a wild and reckless hobo
Who left his happy home.
He went out on a western trip
To find himself a home.
His pocketbook was empty
And his heart was filled with pain;
Ten thousand miles away from home,
llumming a railroad train.
Clionis:
"Kind miss, kind miss, won't you give me
A little bite to eat,
Won't you give me a little cold corn bread
SON V. S () I' I' K 1 S O N E R S A N I) I R A M I' S 427
And a little piece of meat?'
Slic took him in the kitchen.
She treated liim nice and kind ;
She put him in the notion
Of l)ummini;- all the time.
2 He got off the train at a small hotel ;
lUnnming around in town
lie thought he heard a doul)le-hea(ler hlow
And thought it was western hound.
He i)ulled his hat down over his eyes
And he stepped up to the track;
He caught himself a sleeping car
And never did look back.
3 He got off the train in Danville,
Got stuck on a Danville girl.
You bet your life she was out of sight ;
She wore those Danville curls.
She wore her hat on the back of her head.
Like high-toned people do ;
And when a freight train came hiking along
He bade that gal adieu.
360
The Dying Hobo
This has been reported from Maine (SBML 102-3). West Vir-
ginia (FSS 252), Mississippi (FSM 251-2), Texas ( PFLST 11
40-1), New Mexico (FB 106-7), and CaHfornia (CFLQ 11 42-3);
it is known also in Michigan (BSSM 478, listed but no text given),
and Sandburg (ASb 186-9) has a somewhat similar song that he
says he got in the Calumet mining region. .Spaeth has it in
Weep Some More, My Lady. \'ery likely it is much more widely
known than this list indicates.
A
'The Dying Hobo.' Obtained by H. E. Sheetz, Jr., from C. F. Thomas
of Rockingham, Richmond county. With the air.
1 It was in a Western watering town,
On a cold Novemlier day.
Beside a north-bound boxcar
A dying hobo lay.
2 Beside him stood his pal
With a low and drooping head
To listen to the last words
That dying hobo said.
428 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 Tm goins^ to a l)ettei- land.
Where evervtliing is grand ;
Where hanclouts grow on bushes
And vou don't have to turn a hand.
4 'You don't have to work a bit,
Not even change your socks.
Where the good old beer with the foam on top
Comes trickling down those rocks.
5 'Now tell my girl in Frisco
No more shall I roam.
I've caught a north-bound boxcar
And I'm jroing awav back home.'
'The Eastern Hobo.' Reported by Julian P. Boyd of .Alliance, Pamlico
county, as secured from Jeanette Tingle, one of his pupils there. Essen-
tially the same as A except that it lacks the fourth stanza.
'The Dying Hobo.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection. This
is a fuller version than A. In fact it is almost identical with Spaeth's
text in 'Weep Some More, My Lady.' After stanza 4 of A it runs:
3 'Tell all the bovs in 1^'risco that my face they'll no longer
view ;
Tell them I've caught a fast freight, and I'm going
straight on through.
Tell them not to weep for me. no tears in their eves must
lurk.
For I'm going to a better land where they hate the word
called work.
4 'Hark ! 1 hear her whistling ; 1 must catch her on the fly ;
One more scoop of beer I'd like, once more before I die.'
The hobo sto])ped ; his head fell back ; he'd sung his last
refrain.
His partner took his liat and shoes and caught the east-
bound train.
361
\\.\iTi.\(; FOR A Trai.n
One of many n()n<le>crii)t lioix) songs. .Stout reports it as known
in Iowa (MAFLS .\.\i.\ 11.^). and the Archive of .Knierican Folk
Song has a recordinj; of it made in Kentucky.
'Waiting for a Tniin.' I'lom the Jnhn lUuch Blaylock Collection.
S O N (. S OK I> R I S () N K R S AND TRAMPS 429
1 All around the water tank,
Waitins]^ for a train.
A thousand miles away from home.
A-sleepint^ in the rain.
I walked up to a hrakeman
To give him a line of talk.
He said, 'If you've got money
I'll see that you don't walk.'
'I ha\en't got a nickel.
Not a j)enny can I show.'
'Get off ! Get off, you railroad hum !'
He slammed the l)oxcar door.
2 He put me oft' in Texas.
A state I dearly love —
Wide open spaces all around me.
The moon and stars ahove.
Nobody seems to want me
Or lend me a helping hand.
I'm on my way from Frisco,
I'm going back to Dixie Land.
For my pocketbook is empty,
J\Iy heart is full of pain,
A thousand miles away from home,
Just waiting for a train.
362
Banjo Tramp
A vaudeville song, presumably, but I have not found it in print.
'Banjo Tramp.' From (and perhaps by) O. L. Coffey, ShuU's Mills,
Watauga county, in 1936. "Chorus after every verse but the last," he
notes.
I Come all you people that are here tonight
And listen to what I say ;
I'll sing you a song ; it's not very long.
And not much out of the way.
I've traveled this country over,
I've never had a stamp ;
But because I'm thin they call me slim.
I'm a regular banjo tramp.
Chorus:
Walking on the railroad,
Looking like a beat.
Sleeping out under a water tank
430 N 0 R T II C A K 0 L I N A K 0 L K L O R E
Without anything to eat.
Some folks say that I'm aU rijjjhi.
While others say I'm a scamp:
But hecause I'ui thin they call me slim.
I'm a regular hanjo tramp.
2 I went to Spokane city
One cold and snowy night.
I went around, took in the town,
You het that 1 got tight.
1 packed my grip next morning
To hit another trail.
But I got drunk, stole an old man's trunk.
And they fired me into jail.
3 They took me up next morning.
Judge Miller he was judge.
I gave him a terrihle game of stufif.
But he would not hudge.
He says, 'Young man, I'm sorry for you.
You look so thin and pale.'
But he sent me down to fatten me up
In a miserable dirty jail.
4 Oh, I'm going to settle down
And settle down for life,
I'm going to marry —
But what will I do with a wife?
I'll quit my funny business
And try to act more sane ;
But I fear, in a year or two,
I'll be hitting the ties again.
363
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
The first stanza of this composite prisoner's song; occurs twice,
in quite different contexts, in Uncle Remus's repertory: in 'The
End of Mr. Bear' and in 'Negro Love-Song.' And the fourth
stanza has been twice reported as Negro song: as part of 'Kelly's
Love' (JAFL xxiv 286) and in a construction gang chant (NWS
92). Title and first line are listed by Davis in FSV 153.
'Hand Mr Down My Walking Cane.' From the John Burcli Blaylock
Collectiiiii. 'I'liu fiftli line is the refrain, and is repeated after each stanza.
I Hand me down my walking cane.
Hand me down my walking cane,
SON G S O I- PRISONERS AND TRAMPS 43I
Hand me down my walking cant'.
I'm going away on the morning train.
All mv sins are taken away, taken away.
2 Hand me down my bottle of corn,
Hand me down my bottle of corn,
Hand me down my bottle of corn,
I'll get drunk as sure as you're born,
3 I got drunk and got in jail,
I got drunk and got in jail,
1 got drunk and got in jail,
1 had no one to go my bail.
4 If I'd listened to what mama said.
If I'd listened to what mama said.
If I'd listened to what mama said.
IW be sleeping on a feather bed.
5 The meat was tough and the meat was fat.
The meat was tough and the meat was fat,
The meat was tough and the meat was fat.
Oh. my Lord, I couldn't eat that.
6 Yonder comes a man across the field.
Yonder comes a man across the lield,
Yonder comes a man across the field,
Kicking up dust like an automobile.
7 If I die in Tennessee,
If I die in Tennessee,
If I die in Tennessee,
Ship me back by C.O.D.
B
'Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane.' Contributed by Otis Kuykendall,
Asheville, in 1939. Stanzas i, 3, 5, and 4 of A, with slight variations
in the wording ; the refrain line is : 'Cause all my friends are taken away,
taken away' ; the third line of each stanza inserts "Oli" at the beginning ;
and the third stanza (stanza 5 of A) has "lieans" instead of "meat" at
the beginning of the line.
364
I Lay Around the Old Jail House (John C. Britton)
This is from a typescript in the Louise Rand Basconi collection.
It bears the notation: "It is apparent that this must he a combina-
tion of at least two or more songs," and Dr. Brown confirms this
with the note: "There are two songs in this, I think." But inconse-
quence is a frequent mark of prisoner songs as well as of love
songs. And the fact that it is set down as a single item in the
N.C.F., Vol. Ill, (30)
432 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
typescript implies tliat it is the record of a single performance.
iVIiss Bascom has not indicated when or where she secured it. Dr.
White notes that the last three stanzas are "evidently a steamboat
song of the Mississippi"; but the pronouns "he" and "his" suggest
that Britton may have been the leader of a military company mov-
ing north in the Civil War.
No title. From the song collection of ]\liss Louise Rand Bascom,
Highlands, Macon county. No date given.
1 1 lay arotm' the ole gaol hottse —
I've got no honey-babe now.
Some one kissed me ; say, my bal)e,
No one won't go my bond.
2 I cursed and I blamed the lawyers,
I cursed, I blamed the judge ;
1 cursed, I blamed the jury. l)al)y.
But they convicted me.
C7/or//.s-.-
It's hush, oh, hush. oh. ])al)e, please hush;
1 hate to hear you cry.
The l)est of friends has to part sometimes
An' why not you and I ?
3 They sent me to them ole coal mines,
My feet all bound and chained.
If these col' rocks don't kill me, baby,
I'll see your face again.
4 It's gettin' so cold in Charlotte town
'J"he birds can't hardly sing.
All the girls air a-leavin' this town
And won't come back till s])ring.
5 It's whar 1 was last Saturday night,
A-drinkin' of sweet wine,
A-studyin' about this pretty little miss
I left so far beliind.
6 John C. P.ritlon left Alanthus^
Willi one hundred and ten good men;
And when he landed in Cairo, baby,
I lis numhiT was down to ten.
7 It's a-yonder comes that ole big b(.)at,
.\nd it's vondcr C(»mes the Lcc,
' Someone lias noted on tlie maniiscri])t that 'Ahmtluis" means "Mem-
phis" and has suggested tli.it "he" and "liis," just below, should be
"she" and "her."
S () N C, S () I" PRISON K K S A N 1) T R A M P S 433
And it's yonder conu's that olc bis; l)<>al ;
She's been the death of three.
It's hush, (ih, hu>h. oh. 1)al)e, please hu.sh,
1 hate to hear you cry.
The best of friends has to part sometimes
And win- not vou and 1 ?
365
The Foc.c.v Mountain Top
This, like many another folk song, is a compound of divers
simples. The Archive of American Folk Song has a record of it
made in California. A song reported from Kentucky ( SharpK 11
no), Tennessee (SFLQ 11 75-6, really from Kentucky), and North
Carolina (SharpK 11 no) has only the title phrase in common with
the present song. Stanza 5 of our text seems to be from some
song of advice about courting; compare 'Courting Song.' p 27.
And stanza 2 recalls 'I Lay around the Old Jail House.' No. 364.
'Foggy Mountain Top. Obtained from Mrs. .Minnie Church of Heaton,
Avery county, in 1930.
1 If I was on some foggy mountain top
rd sail away to the west,
Fd sail around this old wide world
To the girl I love the best.
2 If I had "a' listened to what mama said
I wouldn't 'a' been here today
A-lying around this old jail house
A- weeping my life away.
3 Oh. wdien you see that girl of mine
There is something you must tell her ;
Tell her to not to fool no time away
To court some other fellow.
4 She has caused me to weep, she has caused me to mimrn,
She has caused me to leave my home.
Oh, the lonesome pines and the good old times !
I am on mv way back home.
5 Oh. when you go a-courting,
1 tell you wdiat to do :
Pull off that long-tail roustabout,
Put on your navy blue.
XI
MARTIAL, POLITICAL, AND
PATRIOTIC SONGS
BETWEEN THE SONGS of the following group and an im-
portant portion of a preceding group there is a close parallel.
Among the native American ballads we have included a consider-
able number of pieces primarily devoted to telling stories about the
deeds of men in battle and about the actions and incidents of war.
These touch some of the obscure skirmishes as well as a few of
the high points of the principal wars of American history since
the Regulator troubles of 1765-71. Following the same pattern but
on a smaller scale, there is a group of songs expressing or sug-
gesting the emotional impact of armed conflict and all its accom-
panying economic and social shocks. From these we learn a little
about how people felt, what resolves they made, how they regarded
their causes, how they sought to encourage one another, how they
viewed their enemies, how they endured or dodged hardships and
perils, how they longed for peace, and how they faced death and
defeat. Thus through contemplating these "old, unhappy, faroff
things, and battles long ago," borne on the light wings of simple
song, we may for a moment share the feel of epochs that, viewed
across the chasm of two recent catastrophic wars, have come to
seem more legendary than historical.
Only three songs of the group belong to the period of the Ameri-
can Revolution. .Said to be of North Carolina origin. 'The Rolling
Neuse' tells how a young man, "When Greene's horn blew a long,
loud blast," felt those conflicting emotions of love for country and
love for his Nancy that young men have felt since wars began.
'The Jolly Soldier' is an old song refurbished "for the honor of
George Washington." Only historical context justifies placing in
this setting 'Flora MacDonald's Lament.' It is a love song pure
and simple that connects, on the one hand, with the old Jacobite
sentiment of the Highland Scots and, on the other, with the story
of a heroic woman who sojourned briefly in North Carolina, en-
couraged her menfolk to participate in an abortive Tory rising, and
is said to have left l)ehin(l her silver ])late, the graves of two chil-
dren, and a legend.
Of about two dozen Civil War songs the majority are related
to issues and events. 'Then W^e'll Have a New Convention' jest-
M A K T I A 1. A X 1) r A T U 1 (1 T I C S 0 N C S 435
ingly proposes inarrvinj^ Kaly and killing; tlit' turkcv lu'ii as pre-
liminaries to establishing "the riglits of men" throngli secession,
and 'Colonel Harry He Was Scared' indicates the trepidation with
which one well-to-do conservative viewed such a prospect. 'Root
Hog or Die' reduces to understandable terms Lincoln's motives in
reinforcing Fort Sumter. "Harness up yo' bosses." cry the Yank-
ees; "We'll fight for Uncle Sam." The .Secesh rejjlied with an
invitation to ride in "the Southern wagon." J-Iarly confusion about
colors but no uncertainly about loyalties is expressed in 'Red, White,
and Blue (or Red).' "Early One Morning in the Month of July'
tells how the crops were laid by and the boys marched away — on
the first of many missions like that described in 'The Soldier's Fare-
well,' "to Pensacola/To tarry for a while." In the North Carolina
variants of the song about him, John Brown's body suffers a sea-
change. 'The Bonny Blue Flag' takes on new stanzas as new states
are added to the roll of secession.
Some of the songs suggest the stresses and strains of war. In
'The Homespun Dress' speaks the clear, resolute voice of the loyal
women of the Confederacy. The feminine note is pathetically clear
and sweet in 'Pretty Peggy' as the song gives us a glimpse first of
a girl "tripping down the stairs/A-parting her yellow hair." then
of her mourning for her Captain "buried in the Louisiana country,
O." The fighting spirit of 'Never Mind Your Knapsack' is con-
tradicted by 'The Bushwhacker's Song' and 'Deserter's Song.' The
last-named has a forthright mountain accent and two interesting
topographical allusions. In 'Come, Rain' and 'Sorghum Molasses,'
the seasoned old campaigner turned forager sings in the dryly,
whimsically humorous nostalgia of one who remembers the fleshpots
of peace. The last-named is an authentic concoction of cornbread,
sorghum molasses, and goobers, mixed and consumed in the remem-
bered smile of a blue-eyed Georgia girl. The ancient Gl-vs.-otificer
grudge is succinctly uttered in 'The Privates Eat the Middlin'.'
In the sentiment of 'When This Cruel War Is Over' North and
South were united long before the close of the struggle. Both
regions, perhaps, could feel the simple pathos of 'Brother Green.'
Still-divergent points of view, however, find inveterate expression
in two blunt and vigorous songs, 'The Good Old Rebel' and its
Union counterpart, 'The Veteran's Song.' It is the ironv of his-
tory, if not the token of reconciliation, that 'The Veteran's Song'
was remembered in a state which still boasts of having sent to the
Southern armies the highest per capita of manpower contributed
by any of the Confederate States.
Perhaps all the war songs of all the ages, of this country and
of all countries, find laconic summary in '.Soldier's Epitaph,' from
the World War of 1914-18.
Faint echoes of ancient wars of the parties and old battles of
436 X O R T H C A R O L I N A l" () I. K L O R E
the ballot boxes persist in two canipaisn son,y:s. The "ballad deaf-
ened" contest of 1840. between General William Henry Harrison
(Old Tippecanoe) and President Martin \'an Buren. is spiritedly
recalled by 'Tippecanoe.' Only reference to newspapers or detailed
political histories of the 1870s would connect 'Does Your Mother
Know You're Out' with Horace Greeley's candidacy for the presi-
dency in 1872.
From a final sheaf of songs in this group we learn tliat just as
a man may love his country passionately in war so may lie love
it (luietly in peace. In 'Uncle Sam's Farm" patriotism is so ex-
pansive that it includes an invitation, "Come every nation, come
every way," which seems to date it among the years when the
land still seemed big enough for all comers. 'The Sweet Sunny
South' and 'Blue Ridge Mountain Blues' are both nostalgic pictures
of lands to which dreams and fond wishes return. 'The North
Carolina Hills,' in similar key, localizes the vision. It is from an
informant with a good repertory of folk songs, and has not appeared
in other collections; it may be an original song. 'The Hills of Dan'
has the honor of concluding the songs of this group.
366
Tin-: Rolling Neuse
From S. M. Davis, White Hall (on Neuse River); undated; with the
following note : "This is a song composed by a Revolutionary Soldier
living on Neuse River at White Hall, about four miles from where 1
was born. He was in the American Army at the time lie comixised it.
There is more of this, but I do not know it."
1 When Greene's horn blew a long, loud blast.
At early clay's bright dawning.
In slumber my heart was pulsing fast.
I was dreaming of the morning
When Nancy sliould be my youthful jjride
When she would be my darling.
2 I thought upon the rolling Neuse,
I thought upon my Nancy.
I thought ujion my future bride
That took my youthful fancy.
The horn called nie from dreamland sweet.
It called nu' t rom u]v .\ancy.
3 (jod'.-, bles.sing.s fm- her I intreat.
The girl of my youthful fancy.
My heart pleads for the rolling Neuse
With boat and girl floating on it.
JMir eyes ,so bright with ( iod's own truth
And lips singing a war sonnet.
MAR T 1 A L A N 1) V A T K I () T 1 C S C) N G S 43/
Tiiic JoLi.v Si>i.I)Ii:k
In WSSU 181-2, George I'ullen Jackson says: "Among: tlie songs
wliich attached themselves, in retrospect, to George Waslungton and
his period is 'The Jolly Soldier,'" and he quotes the song from
John G. McMurry's" The Social Harp (Philadelphia, 1859). The
"first stanza of The Social Harp and the North Carolina texts has a
close analogue in a hroadside, No. 16. hy W. & T. Fordyce, New-
castle and Hull (undated). See headnote to "The Rambling Sol-
dier.' There are two traditional versions of the song in our
collection.
A
No local title. Text, with music, collected by Thomas Smith, Zionville,
Watauga county, from Mrs. Peggy Perry. In a letter to Dr. Brown,
dated .March 15, 1915, Mr. Smith stated that he had recently heard an
old lady sing songs learned from her grandfather, a soldier of the Revo-
lution. In a footnote to the text he wrote : "The above Mrs. Perry
says was sung by her grandfather, Clem Dorsett, who fought for our
country. One of his brothers fought for the British."
The text in Jackson (cited above) makes clear the original of the
garbled first line of stanza 2 in ^Nlrs. Perry's song ; it should read
"Aboard a man-of-war and a merchantman."
1 I once was a seaman stout and bold,
Ofttimes I plowed the ocean,
I plowed it over and over again
For the honor and promotion.
2 Aboard a man-of-war marchin' men.
Many be the battles that I've been in.
It was all for the honor of George Washington,
And I'll still be a jolly good old soldier.
B
No local title. From Miss Nanfcy] Maxwell, Hazel wood, Haywood
county; contributed in 1919-20. Same as Mrs. Perry's version.
368
Flora MacDonald's Lament
When in 1774 Flora MacDonald (1722-90) emigrated with her
family to the Cape Fear country of North Carolina, she was already
famous in song and story for having delivered Prince Charles Ed-
ward Stuart from the hands of his enemies, after the batde of
Culloden in 1746, and for having been visited by Dr. Samuel John-
son and James Boswell in T773. Concerning her two years' sojourn
in North Carolina many legends have accumulated, and a few relics
have survived. Most of these are connected with the Tory rising
of the Highland Scots, settled in the region around Cross Creek
(now Fayetteville), in 1775 and 1776. Her husband and sons were
438 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
members of the Loyalist Scots force gathered there to join an ex-
pected British landing at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, in
January 1776. "A picturesque Carolina legend relates how Flora,
mounted on her white pony, rode part of the way with the Highland
army, and under an old oak tree that is still pointed out she is
said to have taken her farewell." (See Edith E. MacQueen. "A
Highland Tragedy, the Story of Flora MacDonald in America,"
The Scots Magazine, n.s. xvii [July and August, 1932]. 257-66,
351-9.) After the disastrous defeat of the Scots at the Widow
Moore's Creek, the IMacDonalds and all the other leaders were
either prisoners or fugitives. Flora, her husband, a son. and her
son-in-law were imprisoned for a while at Halifax, N. C. Mean-
while, her home and plantation in Richmond county were being
pillaged, and they were confiscated in 1777. When she was per-
mitted to depart, in 1779, according to local tradition she left behind
her the graves of two children and most of her silverware, sold to
defray expenses of her return to Scotland. ^ Some of the silverware
is now owned by North Carolinians, but the greatest monument to
Flora MacDonald is the woman's college named in her honor, at
Red Springs, N. C. (See J. P. MacLean, Flora MacDonald in
America [Lumberton, N. C, 1909]). Her memory is venerated by
thousands of the descendants of the Scotch Highlanders still living
in the Cape Fear country and still retaining the characteristic traits
of their race. (See Jonathan Daniels. Tar Heels [New York,
1941], pp. 63-77.)
Historical accounts of Flora MacDonald's first exploit, wliich
made her "the heroine of the Forty-five," partly confirm the some-
what amorous nature of the 'Lament.' Winifred Duke, in Prince
Charles Edzuard and the Forty-fife (London, 1938, pp. 284-5), tells
of how on the morning that the Prince left Kingsburgh House,
Flora and her stepmother obtained and divided a lock of the Prince's
hair, and how, after he had gone, the two "went to his bedroom
and folded away the sheets between which he had slept, declaring
that they were never to be washed or used again. She and Flora
divided these, each retaining her portion to serve as a winding-
sheet." Mrs. A. T. Wilson, in Memoirs of the Jacobites of 1715
and 1^4^ (London, 1846, 3 vols., HI, 356-7), declares that "Her
emotions on separating from Charles have been expressed in a poem
entitled 'The Lament of Flora Macdonald,' beginning thus" (quot-
ing the first stanza of Hogg's poem). Yet, profound as her passion
of loyalty may have been, she would hardly have thought of him
as her "royal swain." That is hardly the sentiment of Hogg's poem,
which equals the North Carolina traditional song in admiration and
sorrow for "my hero, the gallant and young." At any rate, the
portrait of Flora, from life, by Allan Kamsay, reproduced in Mrs.
Wilson's book and in others, supports the 'Lament's" assertion that
Flora's beauty is surprising," whether or not it is "Like bright
Venus in the morn," and shows her young and romantic looking.
' In "i'lora Macdonald in llist<jry," North Carotin Historical Re7'icic,
xviii, 233-58, Profi'ssor Dnrothy Mackay Qiiynn discredits the tradition
about tiic two cliildriii (pp. 256-7) and raises some douln about tlic
silver (p. 251).
MARTIAL AND PATRIOTIC SONGS 439
Though reprintings of Hogg's poem are common, the editors
have not been able to find any printed record of the North CaroHna
traditional song.
'Flora McDonald's Lament.' From S. M. Davis, White Hall (near
Neuse River), N. C. ; without date, but with this note: "The following
is a song that was sung by my great-grandmother Whitfield, whose father
was a Scotchman, one of Flora McDonald's followers. This song was
written about Charles Stuart. His health had given away and he had
gone away into the mountains to recuperate. The words were sung by
Flora McDonald."
1 Over hill and lofty mountains
Where the valleys were covered with snow.
Hear the murmuring of the fountains
Where the crystal waters did flow.
There poor Flora sat lamenting.
Thinking of her royal swain.
Crying. 'Charlie, constant Charlie,
My kind, constant Charlie, dear.
2 'When the winter's frost is over
Charlie shall return again.
On the banks of pinks and clover
There I'll meet my royal swain.
The lamb shall caper over the turf,
The lark and linnet they shall sing.
Charlie, Charlie, constant Charlie,
My kind, constant Charlie, dear.'
3 Flora's beauty is surprising.
Like bright Venus in the morn.
She a rich and lamblike lady
Like a rose just in the dawn.
She each minute on her spinet
Doth her royal swain repeat :
'Charlie, Charlie, constant Charlie,
Now my joys are all complete.'
369
The Rambling vSoldier
'The Rambling Boy' appears in Fred May's Comic Irish Songster
(New York, c. 1862), pp. 36-7, where stanza i reads:
Oh, I am a gay and rambling boy.
From Tipperary town I came ;
And poverty has compelled me.
To turn out in the rain —
with chorus-
Oh come buy my humble ditty,
440 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
From tavern to tavern I steer,
Like every uther good fellow,
I like my glass of beer,
For 1 am the rambling son of poverty,
And the son of Michael O'Feer.
The piece i.s clearly a prototype of "'riie Rambling Soldier.' An-
other version of the same song appears in the familiar "Son of a
Gambolier.' printed by H. J. Wehman. as a penny song (No. 381).
(Cf. Sandburg ASb 44.) In these versions the equivalent of
"Drey's Lane" (stanza 5 of our text) is, respectively. "Catherine
Lane"' and "Maiden Lane." Another version. "Rambling Sailor.'
appears as a broadside (No. 16) printed by W. & T. Fordyce,
Newcastle and Hull.
'Old War Song.' Contributed by Julian P. Boyd ; obtained from James
Tingle, a pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county, c. 1927-28. On
the MS Dr. Brown suggests that "Drey's Lane" is Drury Lane and
queries: "Napoleonic Wars?" Dr. White notes: "I have seen some-
where the original of this. The second line should be 'From Tipperary
Town I Come.' The original is the model for 'Rambling Wreck from
Georgia Tech.'"
1 I am a rambling soldier
From Tripling come to France.
It was poverty compelled me
To turn out in the ranks.
2 In all sorts of weather,
Let it be wet or dry,
'Tis my fate, I will relate,
To either sing or cry.
3 Cold weather is ai)proaching ;
I have no clothes to pack,
None I've left behind me.
For they're all on my back.
4 As for my shirts, 1 have none,
My pants are all the same.
And if I'm poor and ragged,
I think I'm none to blame.
5 As for my silk handkerchief.
To ornament my frame,
I bought f)f a girl at the gin shop door
At the corner of Drev's Lane.
370
'I'liKX \\'i."i.i. Have a New Convention
From Miss Jewell R(il)liins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs.
C. P. Perdue), who lent Dr. Brown .some "old song books" c. 1925.
M A K T 1 A I. AND 1' A T R I () T 1 f S () N' C S 44I
A phonograph recording, prisumahly of Miss R()l)l)ins' singing of this
song, was made at Pckin in ii;2i or 1922. Of tiie song Dr. Brown notes:
"Played liy brass band at Klierl)ee Springs muster-ground. Enlisting
song Ix-fore Civil War, at beginning of 'conventinns.' " Tlie "eonven-
tions" were those held in counties and states tbnmubDUt the Snuth to
consider the question of secession.
1 Katy, Katy. (hjn't }C)U want to marrv ?
Your mother says you shall not marry.
Your mother says yoti shall not marry
Until we kill the turkey hen.
2 Then we'll have a new convention
And we'll kill the turkey hen;
Then we'll have a new conventi(jn.
And we'll have the rights of men.
371
Colonel Harry, He Was Scared
No title. From Professor M. G. Fulton, Davidson College, N. C. ; un-
dated, but c. 1 91 2- 1 6, when Professor Fulton was in fairly regular
correspondence with Dr. Brown. MS bears notation "all that could be
remembered." This fragment seems related to 'Then We'll Have a
New Convention,' above.
Colonel Harry, he was scared,
And he was scared of the Indian man.
We'll all have the new convention.
We'll have the rights of men.
We'll all have the new convention.
The volunteers and the drafted men.
372
Root Hog or Die
The Arkansas Traveller's Songster (New York, c. 1864). p. 48,
has a version of this song, of which the first stanza and the cliorus
run as follows :
Fm right from ole Virginny, wid my pocket full of news.
Fm worth twenty shillings, right square in my shoes ;
It doesn't make a dif of bitterance to neder you nor \.
Fm chief cook and bottle-washer,
Cap'n ob de waiters ;
I stand upon my head
When I peel de apple-dumplins !
It was published in various versions by Partridge, Boston, and J.
Andrew, New York — two versions by tlie latter, one version with a
note, "Composed and Sung with Unbounded Applause by Ricliard
442 X O R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
J. McGowan, the W'orUl Renowned Champion Banjoist"; the other
with a note, "'Sung with Shouts of Applause all over the country
by Madigan & Co.'s National Travelling Circus." Apparently an
adaptation of a minstrel song, it has some vague relation to 'Root
Hog or Die,' in BSM 334, which Belden describes as "a patriotic
ditty, probably a variety stage production originally . . . printed
in The Dime Song Book (Boston, 1859) along with extensions or
parodies of it in the nigger minstrel lingo." See Frank Moore, 77/t'
Rebellion Record, "Poetry, Rumors and Incidents," iv, 51, for an-
other parody found in a Texas regiment camp. See also A. E.
Wier, Songs of the Sunny South (New York, 1929), pp. 251-2,
and Randolph OFS iii 162.
'Root Hog or Die.' From Miss Jewel Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery
county (later, Mrs. C. P. Perdue). A phonograph recording of the
song was made at Pekin, in 1921.
1 I'm just from the South for to tell you all the news.
It's worth a half a dollar right square in my shoes.
There isn't much difference betwixt you and I —
Little pig, big pig, root hog or die.
Chorus:
Chief cook and bottle-washer,
Captain of the waiters.
Stand upon your head,
Till you peel a bag o' 'taters.
And do jog along.
2 When old Abe went to reinforce Sumter for the fight
He told his men to pass thru the harbor in the night.
He said to them, 'Be careful ; I'll tell you the reason whv ;
I want to teach old Jefif to root hog or die.'
373
Harness up Yo' Hosses
No title. From Fred A. Olds, Raleigh, July i, 1914, with the comment:
"Here is another which used to be in vogue after the war among the
darkeys, having to do witii Gen. Sherman's march to the sea."
Harness up yo' bosses,
Hey, o hey !
Harness up yo' bosses.
We'll teach you how ter drive uni,
1 ley, o hey !
We'll fight fur Uncle Sam.
MARTIAL ANU PATRIOTIC SONGS 443
374
The Southern W'agon
"R. B. Buckley's li'ait for the Jl'agon," says Belden BSM 364,
"was immensely popular iu the dozen years or so before the out-
break of the Civil War, and lasted well down into my own time.
It was parodied to express political feeling on both sides in that
contest." He cites Hudson FSM 262 for a traditional Southern
form from Mississippi and prints a Missouri text satirizing the
Confederacy.
A
'Southern Wagon.' From an anonymous contributor ; witliout date. This
is fairly close tc a text printed in Frank Moore's The Ciiil War in Son;/
and Story (New York, 1889), pp. 397-8, but shows variations that evi-
dence oral transmission, e.g. : "Justice is our mother" for "Justice is
our motto" ; "to protect our firesides" for "to defend our firesides" ;
"'Tis stuffed with cotton round the sides" for 'It's stuffed around with
cotton"; no stanza corresponding to Moore's si.xth ; and "Wait for the
wagon, the secession wagon" for "O, wait for the wagon, the dissolution
wagon." A text close to Moore's in the first three stanzas and chorus,
attributed to Maria Grason, of Anne Arundel county, Maryland, has been
published in Colonial Dames of America's Anicrican War Soiujs (Phila-
delphia, 1925). PP- 132-3-
1 Come all ye sons of freedom and join our Southern band ;
We're going to fight the Yankees and drive them from
our land.
Justice is our mother, and Providence our guide ;
So jump into the wagon and we'll all have a ride.
Chorus:
Wait for the wagon, the secession wagon ;
The South is our wagon, we'll all have a ride.
2 Secession is our watchword, our rights too all demand.
And to protect our firesides we pledge our hearts and
hands.
Je^ Davis is our president with Stephens by his side ;
Brave Beauregard our general will join us in the ride.
3 The wagon is plenty big enough, the running gear is good.
'Tis stufifed with cotton round the sides and made of
Southern wood.
Carolina is the driver, with (Georgia by her side ;
So jump into the wagon, we'll all have a ride.
4 There's Tennessee and Texas also in the ring ;
They would not own a government to hear cotton was not
king.
Alabama, too, Florida have long replied,
Mississippi in the wagon, anxious for a ride.
444 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
5 Missouri. North Carolina, and Arkansas are slow;
They must hurry or we'll leave them and then together
they will go.
There's old Kentucky, .Maryland, each hasn't made up
their mind ;
So I reckon after all we'll have to take them up hehind.
6 (Jur cause is just and holy, our men are hrave and true;
To whip the Yankee cut-throats is all we have to do.
God bless our noble army, in him we all confide ;
So jump into the wagon and we'll all have a ride.
'The Southern Wagon.' From Miss Fredrika Jenkins. Wihnington,
Brunswick county ; text undated. One stanza.
We'll wait for the wagon, the Secession \\'agon.
We'll wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.
Carolina'll be the driver, with Georgia by her side ;
V'irginia'll hold the flag up and we'll all take a ride.
375
Red, Whitk. and Red
Though there is no evidence that the tirst of tlie three following
texts has been sung in North Carolina, the two following versions
have been, and there is another song, 'On the Plains of Manassas,'
which seems related to it. (For notes on battles and leaders men-
tioned, see that song. Vol. II, No. 223, p. 529. )
There are three broadside printings of this song in a collection of
Southern songs and ballads formed by Dr. Charles T. Abell of
Arlington, Virginia, about 1923, and bought from him and pre-
sented to the Harvard College Library by Mrs. Percival Alerritt,
in 1925. Dr. Abell stated, in a letter to Professor Franz Rickaby,
that "The songs were all printed during the Civil War — in the 6o's,
and but a few [of] each one was issued." He was a printer in
Baltimore in 1861, sympathetic toward the Southern cause. One
day he met a Dr. Ridgely, a book dealer, who was making a col-
lection of "Rebel literature" ("He bad quite a number of Southern
ballads in manuscript"), and agreed to print broadsides for Ridgely.
He reserved copies for himself. These he added to copies of bal-
lads he had already collected, and he continued collecting. Dr.
Abell's letters attest the oral popularity of many of the songs. In
a letter to Professor G. L. Kittredge, October 13, 1925, he stated
that "if the author of any of the songs [was discovered], or anyone
[was] found in possession thereof, his or her fate was a cell in the
fort [McHenry]. Some were sent as far as Fort Lafayette in Bos-
ton barbcjr. So that is why their [the authors'?] names are not
])ublisbe(I." He goes on to tell of an incident that occurred in New
Orleans while (ieneral Ben F. Butler was in command there: "A
M A K r I A I. A N I) !• A T U 1 O T 1 C S () X C S 445
P'ederal soldier was walkin.iL;' down one of the avemu's when he
encountered a Southern lady wearing;- a Confederate hadj^e — red,
white, and red. — The soldier ordered lier to remove the hadge and
when she refused, he endeavored to tear it otY, and she spit de-
liberately in his face. Wlien Butler heard of this he issued an
order, it is chary^ed, that if any female should affront a Federal
soldier she should be treated as a zcomaii of the to-u'ii. This order
created a sensation that swept the country."
The three Abell broadsides are different printiui^s, with different
captions and sliijht textual differences. One, under heading 'Con-
federate Flai,^ Red White and Blue. C"omposed by Y. P. Prevette,
Co. E., 6th Georgia Regiment, C.S.A. (Air — Gum Tree Canoe.),' is
close to A below. Its chorus, however, runs :
Huzza ! Huzza ! We're a nation that's true.
And we stand by our colors of Red White and Blue,
and it lacks A 3-4. The other two, under different captions, are
textuallv close to each other and to A.
'Red, White, and Red.' From an anonymous contril)utor, who noted,
"Written by Mary Stevenson Hughes in 1862." The contribution is
undated.
1 On the banks of the Potomac, there's an armv so grand.
Whose object is to subjugate Dixie's fair land.
They say that we split this great universe in two
And altered the colors of the Red. White, and Piltie.
Chorus:
Huzza ! Huzza ! we're a nation they dread.
We'll stand by our colors of Red, White, and Red,
We'll stand by our colors of Red, White, and Red.
2 Our banner is simple and by it we will stand.
It floats from the Potomac to the great Rio Grande,
And waves o'er a people so gallant, 'tis said.
Who will die defending the Red, White, and Red.
3 If yoti want to hear Greeley and Yankeedom rear.
Just mention the ^lason and Slidell affair.
When first they got them, they made a great to do.
But now they curse England, the Red, White, and P)lue.
4 We had a little fight on the tenth of last June.
Magnider [Magruder] at Bethel whipped old IMcayune;'
^ "Old Picayune" is apparently a nickname of General Ben F. Butler.
In the Rose of Alabama, a songster published by William H. Murphy of
New York (undated), there is a sung entitled 'Picayune I'utler, as sung
by dat greatest of living darkies, Jim .Sanford." wbicli, referring to war
conditions, has a refrain :
'Picayune Butler's coming, coming,
Picayune Butler's come to town.'
446 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
They commenced in the morning and fought, it is said,
When glory waved over the Red, White, and Red.
5 On the twenty-first of last July,
A trip down to Richmond the Yankees did try ;
They had not got far before back they all flew
With the old Union banner of Red. \\'hite, and Blue.
6 On the plains of Manassas, there we met ;
We gave them a whipping they will never forget.
Poor lazy old scoundrels, how little they knew
That we would not fight under the Red, White, and Blue.
7 They never can subdue us, and that they all see.
While we've got a Beauregard, Johnson, and Lee ;
Magruder, McCulloch, and Jackson they dread ;
They all die defending the Red, White, and Red.
8 The sweetest, the dearest spot on earth
Is Dixie, sweet Dixie, the land of my birth ;
I love her, I adore her, and with her I'll be wed,
And stand by the colors of Red, White, and Red.
B
'The Red, White, and Blue.' From Miss Jewell Robhins, Pekin, Mont-
gomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue). A phonograph recording
was made in July 1922. This confuses the colors, and hence the two
adversaries.
1 On the banks of the Potomac there's an army so grand,
Whose object's to subjugate Dixie's fair land.
They say we have split this great Union in two
And altered the colors of the Red, White, and Blue.
Chorus:
Hurrah ! Hurrah ! We're a nation so true ;
We'll all die defending the Red, White and Blue.
2 Our colors are simple, but by them we'll stand ;
They wave from the Potomac to the great Rio Grande ;
They wave over people who are gallant and true,
Who will all die defending the Red, White, and Blue.
3 In the year '61 on the loth day of June
Magruder at Bethel threshed out Picayune.
We commenced in the morning and fought until two,
When glory waved o'er us and the Red, W hite, and Blue.
The same song is in The People's I'ree and Easy Songster (New York,
n.d. ), p. 12. This seems to be an adaptation of an older one, with the
same title, in White's Neiv Illustrated Melodion (New York, c. 1848),
p. 30.
M A R T 1 A L A X I) PATRIOTIC SONGS 447
4
T1k'\- hadn't gut far before back they all flew
With their old Union banners, their Red, White, and I line.
c
'Red, White, and Red.' From a manuscript notebook lent to Dr. White
in December 1943 by Mrs. Harold (jlasscuck, Raleigh. "Most or all of
her st)ngs Mrs. Glasscock learned from her parents, and she can now
sing all but one of those copied from her notet)ook."
1 ( )n the banks of the Potomac there's an army so grand.
Whose object is to subjngate Dixie's fair land.
They say we have split this great Union in two
And have altered the colors of the Red, WHiite, and Blue.
Chorus:
Hurrah! Hurrah; We're a nation they dread.
Three cheers for |eff Davis and the Red, White, and
Red.
2 Our banner is simple and by it we'll stand.
It floats from the Potomac to the great Rio Grande.
It floats o'er our people, who're honest and true.
Whilst others are defending the Red, White, and Plue.
3 On the twenty-first of last July
A trip to old Richmond they thought they would try.
They had not gone far till back they flew
With their old Union banner shot right half in two.
4 If you want to hear Lincoln and Yankeedom rear
Just mention the Mason and Slidell afl^air.
And after we got them how often they said
Old England is favoring the Red, White, and Red.
The Soldier's Farewell
In BSM 380-1 Belden prints a song entitled 'Fare You Well,
My Darling.' "Here," he remarks in his headnote, "a familiar
situation of street balladry and recurrent elements of folk lyric
have been adapted to the conditions of the American Civil War.
No doubt from print, but I have not found it printed." Since
North Carolina origin for the following song in our collection has
been indicated, three stanzas in Belden's Missouri text are here
given for comparison :
I Oh, fare you well, my darling.
Oh, fare you well, my dear.
Don't grieve for my long absence
While I am a volunteer.
X.r.F.. Vol. Ill, <M)
448 NORTH CAROLINA F 0 L K L 0 R K
3 I am going to Pensacola
To tarry for a while
Away from my darling,
Yes, about five hundred mile.
4 When the cannon loudly roar
And the bullets swiftly fly,
The drums and fifes are a-beating
To drown their deadly cry.
Similarities between the North Carolina and the Missouri te.xts
would seem to confirm Belden's surmise about a printed text. Dif-
ferences would stiggest considerable oral diffusion.
'The Soldiers's Farewell." From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Mont-
gomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue). A phonograph recording
was made c. 1921-24. On the copy of the text Dr. Brown noted:
"Originated in Richmond County' (N. C).
1 I'm going away tomorrow
To tarry for a while,
So far from my dear darling.
About five hundred mile.
2 Where the cannon's loudly roaring;-
And the bullets like grapeshot fly.
The fife and drum a-sounding
To drown the dying's cry.
3 Stand sturdy by your cannon.
Make balls ancl grapeshot fly.
And trust in God. your Saviour,
And keep your i)owder dry.
4 In the battle you'll be wounded
And on the field be slain.
It'll luirst my heart asunder
1 f I never see you again.
5 I hope the time is coming
When you and 1 will meet;
With looks and words and kisses
We will each other greet.
B
No title. Contributed c. i<)i5 by Thomas Smith, Zionville, Watagua
county, with this note; "Recited by .Mrs. Polly Rayfield Feb. 1915. She
says she heard the sun^ sung when a child. She is 64 years of age."
I So fare you well, my darling.
So fare vou well, mv dear.
M A R T I A I. A N I) 1' A T K 1 () T I C SO N 0 S 449
I'm Li'oing away louKirrow
To tarry for a while.
To leave my dear darling
About five hundred miles.
If in battle you are wounded,
1 f in the held you're be slain,
Burst my heart asunder
If vou never return again.
4 Stand steady
And make the grapeshot Hy ;
Trust in the Almighty
And keep your powder dry.
377
Early One Morning in the Month of July
From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs.
C. P. Perdue). A pbonograph recording of Miss Robbins' singing of
the song was made at Pekin in 1922 or 1923. There is no indication
as to whether the last couplet completes the song or is only half of a
stanza the rest of which had been forgotten.
1 Early one morning in the month of July
We finished our crops and laid them all by.
We left our plows and gear a-laying in the mow [mold?] ;
We left our pretty girls silver and gold.
Chorus:
If you want to know for what I can tell you why —
We're bound to whip the Yankees, we'll do it or die.
2 The Louisiana Legion is bound to win or die.
With the Mississippi Rifles ; fly, boy, fly.
Florida is out hunting all through the bush.
The Yankees are in earnest ; push, boys, push.
3 There's old General Butler, such a warrior was he,
But not such a one as our General Lee.
378
John Brown's Body
According to C. A. Browne. The Story of Our Xatirc HaUads
(New York, 1919). pp. 142 ff.. 'John Brown's Body' was composed
in April 1861 bv a quartet of soldiers in the Second Battalion of
Massachusetts Infantry, to the tune of the old Methodist hymn
'Glory Hallelujah,' the'authorship of which was claimed by William
Steffe, a Sunday-school music composer. ('Battle Hymn of the
450 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Republic' is sung to the same tune.) It was immediately parodied,
and only parodies of it have found their way into our collection.
One of these returns the derision of Secessionist parody by sub-
stituting the name of leff Davis for that of John Brown. Cf.
Lomax ABFS 528-29. Botkin APPS 221.
A
'John Brown's Body.' From Miss Clara Heariic, Principal of Central
School, Roanoke Rapids, Halifax county, probably in 1923. The repe-
titions indicated in stanza i continue throughout.
1 John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,
As we go marching on.
Chorus:
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
As we go marching on.
2 Hang John Brown on a sour apple tree,
3 Grasshopper sitting cjn a sweet potato vine,
4 Little yellow dog come trotting on behind,
B
'Hang Jolm Brown on the Sour Apple Tree.' From a MS bearing only
the name McAdams, without date or address but with informant's note:
"Sung in going to and coming from picnics." Dr. White adds : "From
early youth I have been familiar with this song in this function. It
is also sung with 'Jeff Davis' for 'John Brown.'" For a play-party
version, see Botkin APPS 221.
1 Hang John Brown on the sour apple tree.
Hang John Brown on the sour ai)i)le tree.
Hang John Brown on the sour apple tree,
As we go marching home !
Chorus:
Glory, glory, halle-lu-jah.
Glory, glory, halle-lu-jah.
Glory, glory, halle-lu-jah.
As we go marching home.
2 Hang \inscrt any ;/</;;/(' | on the sour apple tree.
[Repeat as in i. \
c
'Civil War Song.' From Miss .Mma Irene Stone, Meredith College;
MS undated. One stanza and chorus as in B, except that refrain reads
"As wc go marching by."
M A K T 1 A I. A X U P A T K 1 O T 1 C SOX G S 45 1
No title. From Miss Jessie Hansen, Forsytli county; no date, (^ne
stanza, withont chorus.
Hang Jefif Davis on a sonr apple tree,
Hang JefF Davis on a som* apple tree,
Hang Jeff Davis on a soiu* apple tree,
.As we go marching on.
379
THK r.ONNY liLL'K l^^l.AG
Tlie most circumstantial and convincinij accounts of the origin
of 'The Bonny Blue Flag' are to be found in Franklin L. Riley's
A School History of Mississippi (Richmond, 1900), pp. 223-5, ^^d
Dunbar Rowland's History of Mississippi, the Heart of the South,
4 vols. (Jackson, Mississippi, and Chicago, 1925), i 784 ff. On
the authority of Col. J. L. Power's "Mississippi Secession Conven-
tion," published in Southern Home Journal for April and May
1899, and of Power's oral statement to him, Riley places the origin
of the song in the Mississippi Secession Convention. Following
the adoption of the ordinance of secession, on January 9, 1861, at
Jackson, Mississippi, a "Mr. C. R. Dickson entered the hall, bear-
ing a beatitiful silk flag with a single white star in tlie center (made
that morning by Mrs. Dickson. . .). Upon leaving the hall, Harry
]McCarthy, a comic actor who had witnessed the scene, wrote that
popular war-song, 'The Bonnie Blue Flag, that Bears a Single
Star.' The next day it was printed by Col. J. L. Power, and that
night it was sung in the old theatre in Jackson by its author."
Rowland, agreeing in the main recital with Riley, but adding de-
tails (for instance, that the ground of the flag was blue), states:
"A week later the song was heard on the streets of New Orleans
and in many Southern and some Northern cities."
Other accounts agree with these two in ascribing the song to
IMcCarthy but differ in some of their details. Mildred L. Ruther-
ford, in The South in History and Literature (Athens, Ga., 1906),
says tliat it was composed by Harry McCarthy, a Confederate
soldier-Irish comedian, and first sung on the stage of the Academy
of Music in New Orleans, September 1861. In compliment to Te.xas
soldiers in the audience, McCarthy's sister displayed a large flag of
blue silk with one white star in the center. (Later in the war,
"When Gen. Butler was in command at New Orleans he issued an
order that any man, woman, or child that sang, whistled, or played
it, should be fined twenty-five dollars.") In a later note on the
history of the song, published in Miss Rutherford's Scrap-Book, iv
(April 1926), p. 22, Miss Rutherford states: "McCarthy sang his
Bonnie Blue Flag [at New Orleans] not for the first time, for lie
had sung it at his home in Jackson, Miss." She also (ibid., p. 23)
disposes of another claimant to partial authorship, as found in
S. J. A. Fitz-Gerald's Stories of Famous Songs (London, 1898),
p. 106, with an additional remark: "Mrs. Annie Chambers-Ketchum,
452 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
of Kentucky, wrote other words to the tune, and for this reason it
has been said slie claimed to have written tlie ori.^inal song."
Kate E. Staton, in Old Songs of the Period of the Confederacy
(New York, n.d.j, p. 66, says that McCarthy was the author of
other popular songs, among them 'Origin of the Stars and Bars,"
'The Volunteers,' and 'Missouri,' and that "he wrote, composed,
and sang his compositions at his personation concerts." The in-
clusion, in several versions of "The Bonny Blue Flag,' of stanzas
calling the Secession roll of other states after Mississippi is to be
explained by the probability that as events progressed he, or other
singers of die song like Mrs. Chambers-Ketchum. added stanzas
to the original.
'The Bonnie Blue Flag' was parodied by the Unionists. One
parody, apparently first printed by S. T. Gordon, was reprinted
twice, on illustrated notepaper for Union soldiers, by Charles Mag-
nus, New York; another, for Marsh, Philadelphia, in 1862. The
Southern version was printed as a broadside by H. De Marsan
(copy in the Burton Collection, concerning which see "The Cum-
berland').
For texts and further information see, besides the foregoing
references: Frank Moore, Songs and Ballads of the Southern
People 135-7; Confederate Scrap Book 192-3; Belden BSAI 357-8;
and Randolph OFS 11 261-2. All the texts differ from one another
in one or more respects — wording, number of stanzas, order of
stanzas.
A
'War Song".' CtJiitrilnitcd l)y Minnie Bryan Farrior, Duplin county, with-
out indication of date.
1 We are a band of brothers
-And native to the .soil,
Fis^htin<( for the property
\\ e <^ained by honest toil ;
And when our rights were threatened.
The cry rose far and near^ —
Hurrah for tlie Bonnie Blue I'^lag
That liears a single star !
Chorus :
I lurrah ! I lurrah !
h'or Southern rights, hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Bkie Flag
'I1iat bears a single star!
2 As long as e'er the l^nion
Was faithful to her trust.
Like friends and like brcjthers
l)Oth kind we were and jtist ;
I'ut now, when Northern treachery
.Attempts our rights to mar,
' Thus in .MS.
MARTI A I, A N 1) V A T K 1 0 T I C SONGS 453
W'c hoist on his^h the Honnie 15hic Flag
That bears a single star.
3 First gallant South Carolina
Nobly made the stand ;
Then came Alabama.
Who took her by the hand ;
Next quickly Mississippi,
Georgia, and Florida,
All raised on high the I'onnie lUue I'lag
That bears the single star.
4 And here's to old Virginia,
The Old Dominion State,
With the young Confed'racy
At length has linked her fate.
Impelled by her example,
Now other states prepare
To hoist on high the Bonnie IJlue Flag
That bears the single star.
5 Then here's to our Confederacy,
Strong are we and brave.
Like patriots of old we'll fight
Our heritage to save.
And rather than submit to shame,
To die we would prefer ;
So cheer for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears the single star.
6 Then cheer, boys, cheer !
Raise the joyous shout.
For Arkansas and North Carolina
Now have both gone out.
And let another rousing cheer
For Tennessee be given ;
The single star of the Bonnie Blue Flag
Has grown to be eleven.
B
No title. Marked "Contributor : Minnie Bryan Grimes, Duplin County"'
(without date). Except for the last line of stanza i (reading "That
bear the single flag"), exactly like A, this appears to be simply another
copy of A. "Minnie Bryan Farrior" and "Minnie Bryan Grimes" would
seem to be the same person.
380
The Homespun Dress
The aiitliorship of tliis, one of the most beloved and best remem-
bered songs of the Southern Confederacy, has l)ccn ascribed to at
454 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
least two different people. Belden BSM 360 cites an informant
who wrote that the song "is to be found in Miss Mason's Southern
Poems of the War (Baltimore. 1867 J and in Confederate Scrap-
Book (Richmond, 1893 j, and that it was written by Carrie Bell
Sinclair in 1863." Mildred Lewis Rutherford, The South in His-
tory and Literature (Athens, Georgia, 1906), p. 2j2, confirms this
ascription. On the other hand, Luke W. Conerly, Pike County.
Mississippi, ijgH-i8j6, pp. 214-16, ascribes the song to Lieutenant
Harrington of Alabama, on the authority of " a writer in the Age-
Herald of Birmingham" (date of issue not specified). Agreeing
with Conerly's account in outline, but adding some circumstantial
details, Kate E. Staton, in Old Southern Songs of the Period of the
Confederacy: The Dixie Trophy Collection (New York, ig26), pp.
111-12, says (without citing sources of information) :
"In September, 1862, Lieutenant Harrington, of Alabama, passed with
.Morgan's cavalry through Lexington, Ky. The women gave a hall one
night in their honor. They wore homespun dresses. So impressed was
the Lieutenant that he wrote the words to the song, 'The Homespun
Dress.' He met during the evening a Miss Earle, of whom he imme-
diately became enamoured. As she was musical, she improvised an air
for the young Lieutenant's song-poem which all the men of Morgan's
command soon learned and sang. To Miss Earle the original manuscript
of the words was given, she in turn giving it to George Dallas Musgrove,
of Carrollton, Ky., who preserved it among his treasures and from which
later typewritten copies were made. The song never found its way into
print, but was always popular about camp fires. . . . Lieutenant Har-
rington was killed in the battle of Perryville, October 3, 1862, only a
few days after the ball in Lexington."
Yet, on p. 125 of Old Southern Songs, the same song is reprinted
with the subcaption "Words by Carrie Bell Sinclair. Air "Bonnie
Blue Flag.'"
Frank Moore's The Cii'il ll'ar in Song and Story (New York.
1889), p. 174, prints a full text of 'The Homespun Dress' with a
headnote stating : "The accompanying song was taken from a letter
of a Southern girl to her lover in Lee's army, which letter was
obtained from mail captured on Sherman's march through Northern
Alabama" (1863-64).
Moore's headnote and text, in full, were copied, without acknowl-
edgment as to source, and sent to Miss Frederika P. Jenkins, Trinity
College, July 13, 1923. by Captain E. D. Williams. Harbor Master,
Wilmington, N. C. This copy appears in the Frank C. Brown
Collection, "Contributed by Capt. Williams thru Miss Frederika
Jenkins." The text of the song is reprinted below, so that the
following traditional versions may be compared with it.
Oh yes! I am a Southern girl, and glory in tlie name.
And boast it with far greater pride than glittering wealth or fame ;
I envy not tlic Northern girl her robes of beauty rare,
Though diamonds deck livr snowy neck and pearls bedeck her hair.
Chorus:
Hurrah I hurrah ! for the Sunny South so dear.
Three cheers for tiie homespun dress the Southern ladies wear.
MARTI A L A N I) P A T R 1 O T I C S () N (; S 455
Tliis homesinin dress is plain, I kiK)\v, my Iiat's ])aliiictto tcx),
But then it shows what Soutlicrn girls for Southern rights will do —
We scorn to wear a dress of silk, a hit of Northern lace,
We make our homespun dresses up and wear them with much grace.
Now Northern goods are out of date, and since old Ahe's hlockade
W^e Southern girls are quite content with goods ourselves have
made
We sent the hrave from out our land to battle with the foe
And we will lend a helping hand — we love the South, you know.
Our land it is a glorious land, and ours a glorious cause.
Then, three cheers for the homespun dress and for the Soutlicrn
boys.
We sent our sweethearts to the war, but, dear girls, never mind,
The soldier never will forget the girl he left behind.
A soldier is the lad for me — a brave heart I adore.
And when the Sunny South is free, and fighting is no more,
I then will choose a lover brave from out that glorious band.
The soldier boy that I love best shall have my heart and hand.
And now, young man, a word to you, if you would win the fair,
Go to the field where honor calls, and win your ladies there ;
Remember that our brightest smiles are for the true and brave.
And that our tears are for the one that fills a soldier's grave.
From a manuscript notebook lent in December 1943 to Dr. White by
Mrs. Harold Glasscock, Raleigh. "Most or all of her songs Mrs. Glass-
cock learned from her parents, and she can sing all but one of those
copied from her notebook."
1 Oh, yes I am a Sotithern girl
And glory in the name
And boast it with far greater pride
Than glittering wealth or fame.
Chorus:
Hurrah, hurrah for the Sunny South so dear!
Three rousing cheers for the homespun dress
That Southern ladies wear.
2 W'e envy not the Northern girl
Her robes of beauty rare.
The diamonds that deck her snow\- neck
And the jiearls that deck licr hair.
3 We scorn to wear a bit of silk,
A bit of Northern lace,
But make our homespun dresses u])
And wear them with a grace.
4 Oiu" homespun dress is ])lain, 1 know,
Our hats palmetto too.
But then it shows what Southern girls
For Southern rights will do.
456 N I) R T 11 C A R 0 L I N A FOLKLORE
5 W'e sent our sweethearts to the war,
But. dear girls, never mind,
Your soldier lad will not forget
The girl he left behind.
6 And now. young men. a word to \ou
If you would win the fair —
Go to the field where honor calls
And win your lady there.
7 Remember that our brightest smiles
Are for the true and brave
And that our tears fall for the one
Who fills a soldier's grave.
Chants:
Hurrah, hurrah for the Sunny South so dear!
Three rousing cheers for sword and plume
That Southern soldiers wear.
B
'The SDiitlicrn Girl.' From Vernon Sechriest, Thomasville, Davidson
count}-, April g, 1928: "As remembered by Mrs. Augusta Fouts, Thomas-
ville, N. C., at the age of 77 years." Three stanzas with chorus.
1 The homespun dress is plain, I know.
My hat's palmetto too;
But then it shows what Southern girls
For Southern rights will do.
Chorus:
Hurrah ! hurrah ! for the Sunny South, hurrah !
Three cheers, three cheers for the Scnithern girls and
boys.
2 I envy not the Northern girl
Her robes and beauteotis rare ;
Diamonds adorn her snowy neck,
And pearls bedeck her hair.
3 W'e sent the bravest of our land,
But. dear girls, never mind ;
The soldier boy will not forget
The girl he left behind.
381
Pretty Pix.gy
This is an adaptation of the Enj^lish son<^ 'Pretty Girl of Darby
O.' I<"or Kentucky and other North Carolina versions, see SharpK
II 59-61 (;ill with music). Sharp's A and C texts say that the
captain "\\a> buried in the Louisiana country." and C identifies
him a> "("antain Wade."
M A R T I A L A N I) i' A T R I 0 T 1 C SO N G S 457
"Pretty JV-ggy-' I'Voiii Thonias Smith, Zionville, Watauga county, May
8, 1915, with tliis note: "As sung by Bennett Smith, who learned it as
early as i860. Civil War song." Two MSS, one in Dr. lirown's hand
and one in the hand of Thomas Smith. It is also noted that the song is
accompanied by music from Mrs. Perry.
1 Won't you marry me, Pretty Peggy O,
Won't you marry me. Pretty Peggy O,
Won't you marry me ?
Such a soldier Pll l)e.
Just as grand as any in the country, (),
Just as grand as any in the country, O.
2 She came tripping down the stairs. Pretty Peggy O,
She came trip[)ing down the stairs. Pretty Peggy (J,
She came tripping down the stairs
A-partin' of her yellow hair.
Just as grand as any in the country, O,
Just as grand as any in the country, O.
3 His name was Captain Wade, Pretty Peggy O,
His name was Captain Wade, Pretty Peggy O,
His name was Captain Wade,
And he died for a maid.
And was buried in the Louisiana Country, O,
And was buried in the Louisiana Country, O.
382
Never Mind Your Knapsack
'Southern Spy's Song — Spy in Lee's Army.' From Miss Jewell Rob-
bins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), July 1922.
Dr. Brown notes : "Miss Robbins' father learned it in Lee's army. Sung
just before close of war."
1 Never mind your knapsack,
Never mind your gun.
Fighting of the rebels
Ain't nothin' but fun.
Chants:
And it's ofif to Richmond
So early in the morning,
Ofif to Richmond,
I heard a Yankee say.
2 We've got the navy,
We've got the men.
We're bound to go to Richmond
To storm the rebel den.
3 They anchored out a battery
Upon the waters free.
^-8 N- () R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Twas the queerest looking thing
You ever did see.
383
Bushwhacker's Song
"There was a husliwhacker's strongliold in Montgomery County
I writes Dr. Brown] wliere the deserters during the Civil War found
refuge, especially pacifists, and organized a band whose leaders
were the Owenses, who built a fort, called Owens' Fort. The hunt-
ers (those too old for service) from southern Montgomery County
went up to arrest the deserters and hung two women by their
thumbs to make diem tell where the fort was. They found the fort
and had a battle, and part were killed, part escaped, and others were
captured. One who escaped crawled into a tree to hide and stayed
so long that maggots ate into his wound and they had to amputate
his leg. The captain sang this song. Miss Robbins' grandfather
was one of the hunters. William Fraser Merton."
'Owen's Fort.' From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county
(later .Mrs. C. P. Perdue), July 1922; with music.
1 1 am a bushwhacker.
The thicket's my heme.
The thicket's my home.
The thicket's my home.
I am a bushwhacker.
The thicket's my home.
.And them that don't like it
Can let me alone.
2 I'll tune up my fiddle
And rosin my bow,
And rosin my bow,
And rosin my bow.
I'll tune up my fiddle
And rosin my bow.
And I shall find welcome
Wherever I go.
3 Mv kinfolks don't like me
And that I well know,
.■\nd that I well know.
And that I well know.
My kinfolks don't like me
.'\nd that I well know.
And I don't find welcome
To knock at their door.
m a r t 1 a l a \ u patriotic songs 459
Deskktkr's Sung
'Deserter's Son^' suggests the story of sonic North Carohna
mountain man from tlie neighborhood of Grandfather Mountain who
had dodged the conscription officers^ and was thinking of the fates
of his less fortunate fellow-citizens who had not but were languish-
ing in "Castle Thunder."
A clipping from the Richmond Timcs-Dispatcli of June 22, 1943,
kindly supplied by Miss Mary M. Watt, editor of the Questions and
Answers column of that newspaper, identifies "Castle Thunder"
(1. 3) as follows:
"Castle Thunder was tlie cliicf provost prison in the South and was
used for civilian, rather than military, prisoners of the Confederacy. Its
commander. Captain C. W. Alexander, was a disabled soldier with vigor
and determination, .\ccording to Richmond. I'lrgiiiia, in Old Prints, by
Alexander W'eddell, 'Castle Thunder, on the north side of Cary Street,
between Eigliteenth and Nineteenth Streets, and its twin fortress. Castle
Lightning, almost opposite on the south side of Cary, were both built
prior to the War Between the States as factories for "the manufacture of
tobacco. At the outbreak of hostilities they were taken over by govern-
rnental authorities and used principally for the incarceration of 'unde-
sirables' of our own people, but a certain number of Federal prisoners
were also kept there. . . . Neither of the "castles' here referred to is
now standing, their places being filled by modern plants in which, as
in their predecessors, tobacco is prepared for the market.' The United
States Tobacco Company now has the property on which Castle Thunder
formerly stood."
Mr. Ben Ames Williams, in his novel of the Civil War, House
Divided (Boston, 1947 J, refers to Castle Thunder several times,
e.g., p. 6-2.
There is a song of the same pattern as Mr. Smith's in White
ANFS 289 (from Alabama).
No title. From Thomas Smith, Zionville ; undated ; with this explana-
tion : "A deserter's lament sung during the Civil War by many persons
in Watauga county."
I'd nither be on the Grandfather Mountain
A-taking the snow and rain
Than to be in Castle Thunder
A-\vearin' the ball and chain.
^ "Draft-dodgers and deserters were found in ail the Snuthern states
during the Civil War, but especially in those sections where sentiment
was divided between the two causes. When in 1864 the Confederate
Congress drafted boys from eighteen down to seventeen, hundreds of
these new draughts from counties east of the Blue Ridge were avoiding
the Confederate service by scouting their way to the Yankee lines in
Tennessee." — Shepherd M. Dugger, The War Trails of the Blue Ridyc
(Banner Elk, N. C, 1922), pp. iio-ii.
460 north carolina folklore
Come. Rain, Come
From a manuscript notebook lent in December 1943 to Dr. White by
Mrs. Harold Glasscock. Raleigh, N. C. "Most or all of her songs Mrs.
Glasscock learned from her parents, and she can now sing all but one
of those copied from her notebook." Cf. Hudson FSM 257.
1 I'm alone in my shanty
And rations are scanty,
For grits are now the order of the day.
The young moon is peeping
While o'er the hills are creeping
Some hungry Rebs about to make a raid.
Chorus:
Come, rain, come, rain, come.
Come, flow to the top of my boots.
Oh, come and I'll thank 'ee
To keep back the Yankees
Until our ranks are filled up by recruits.
2 The watchdog is growling
While down the lane is prowling
Some Rebs about to steal a hen away.
The watchdog is snarling
For fear Annie darling,
His beautiful young friend, they'll steal away.
3 You may talk about your Annie,
But give me some hammie.
Some biscuit nicely buttered over, too,
-A cup of smoking Java,
'Twill make your mouth saliva.
I wish I had some in me now ; don't yoit?
386
Sorghum Molasses
This blend of Cracker. Tar Heel, and Piedmont we have not
found in other published collections.
'Sorghum Molasses.' Contributed by G. S. Robinson. Asheville. A
phonograph recording was made on August 4, 1939.
I A soldier was a-setting by the road one day
As he was a-looking very gay.
By his side he had some meal
He'd just stolen from an old tar-heel.
Bye and bye.
S O R G H U M B () I L I X G
MARTIAL AND PATRIOTIC SONGS 461
Cliorits:
I'm a-goin^^ to marn- before I die.
Bye and bye, bye and bye,
Marry the girl with the bright bkie eye.
The Georgia girls there's none surpasses ;
They are swetter than sorghum molasses.
P>ye and bye.
2 He made a hre to bake iiis bread.
And when it was done he laughed and said,
*A11 the world there's none surpasses
Good cornbread and sorghum molasses.'
Bye and bye.
3 In a canteen by his side
That he was trying hard to hide
From the eyes of those who were passing,
He had a quart of sorghum molasses.
Bye and bye.
4 As I went up Atlanta street
A tar-heel girl I chanced to meet.
Says to me, 'Are you a traveller?'
'Yes. by ginger, I'm a goober grabbler.'
Bye and bye.
5 There's Alabama, thus you see,
Tennessee, or what you please,
South Carolina, tar and resin,
Good old Georgia, goobers and sorghum.
Bye and bye.
387
Jeff Davis Rode a White H()r.se
Cf. Scarborough SCSM 74, in wliich the lines are transposed.
Miss Scarborough's text is from Asheville.
No title. The text bears only the notation "Mr. Fairley, Duke Univer-
sity student" and Mr. Fairley's note : "This was a very popular verse
after the war. It was sung, it was recited, and was put in every form
possible."
Jeff Davis rode a white horse,
Lincoln rode a mule ;
Jeff' Davis was a gentleman,
Lincoln was a fool.
N.C.F.. Vol. III. i.U)
462 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
388
Old Abe Is Sick
From Vernon Sechriest, Thomasville, Davidson county, March 9, 1928,
with comment: "As remembered by Mrs. Augusta Fonts, Thomasville,
N. C. at the age of j-] years."
1 Old Abe is sick, old Abe is sick.
Old Abe is sick in bed.
He's a lying dog, a dying dog.
With meanness in his head.
2 He wants our cotton, he wants our cotton.
He wants our cotton, too.
He shall have it, he will have it —
Some tar and feathers, too.
3 Down with old Abe, down with old Al)e,
And all his Yankee crew.
Up! up! with Jefif, hurrah for Jeff,
A Southern man so true.
389
The Privates Eat the AIiddlin'
'Verse from "Git erlong home, Cindy, Cindy." ' Contributed by V. C.
Royster, Wake county, 1914 ( ?), with the note: "Before the Civil War —
Personal recollections refreshed by talking with other old people. Sung
during the war."
The privates eat the middlin.
The officers eat the ham.
They put me in the guardhouse.
Rut I don't care a D — n.
[Or]
Way down in Rockingham.
390
When This Cruel War Is Over
Esther Park i'^llins^er, in The Soiithcni War I'octry of the Ck'il
War (Philadelpliia, iyi8), p. 189, quoting the title and the first
two lines of this song, describes it as: "Ballad. Words by Charles
C. Sawyer, Richmond, Va. Music by Henry Tucker. George Dunn
and Co." She indicates that it is in the collection of nuisic in
Ridgway Branch of Library Company of Philadelphia. 'When
I'his Cruel War Is Over' was printed as a broadside by De Marsan
and by Auner of Philadelphia. It is in Frank Converse's Old
Cremona Songster (New ^'()rk, iW),^), p. 5. Belden BSM 381 re-
marks tliat the song "scenic to have e.\])resst'(l a feeling about the
M A U r 1 A I. A N I) r A T K 1 () l' 1 I' SO N C S 463
\v;ir cdiiniKiii to both Ninth and South," gives notes on parodies of
it. and jn-int?, a Missouri text. It appears in an excellent musical
setting? in Olin Downes and Elie Siej^nieister : ./ 'I'rcasury of
American Song (New York, 1^40) , pp. 164-5.
A
'W'licn This Cruel War Is Over.' Coiilrilmtid by Austin I,. ICIlintt.
Farmer, Randolph county ; without date.
I iX-arcst love, do yoti reniemhcr, wlieii we last did meet.
How you told me that }-oii loved me. kneeling at my feet ?
Oh, how proud you stood before me. in your suit of j^ray.
When yoti vowed for me and couiitrv ne'er to jn'o astray.
Chorus:
Weeping sad and lonely, sighs and tears, in \ain.
^\ hen this cruel war is over praying to meet again.
_' When the summer breeze is sighing mourn fullv along.
( )r when the autumn leaves are falling, sadly breathe the
song.
Oft in dreams I see you lying on the battle plain.
Lonely, woitnded, even dying, calling, but in \ain.
3 If, amid the din of battle, nobly you should fall.
Far away from those who love you, none to hear you call.
Who would whisper words of comfort, who would soothe
your words of {)ain ?
Ah, the many cruel fancies ever in my brain.
4 liut our country calls you. loved one. Angels guide yotir
way ;
\\ bile our Southern sons are fighting, we can only pray.
When you strike for God and Freedom, let all nations see
How you loved your Southern banner, emblem of the free.
B
'Song Composed During the Civil War.' From a notebook lent in
December 1943 to Dr. White by Mrs. Harold Glasscock, Raleigh, N. C.
"Most or all of her songs Mrs. Glasscock learned from her parents,
and slie can now sing all but one of those copied from her notebook."
Three stanzas and chorus, corresponding to stanzas i, 2, 4, and chorus
of A (stanza i. 1. 4 reading "As you vowed to me and country never
to betray" ; stanza 3. 1. 3, "Nobly strike for God and Liberty . . ." ;
chorus :)
Weeping sad and lonely, hopes and fears how vain.
Yet ])raying when this cruel war is over that we'll meet
again ) .
'When This Cruel War Is Over.' From an anonymous contributor ; un-
dated. Four stanzas and chorus, differing in a few verbal details frorn
464 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
A and the corresponding parts of B (stanza i, 1. i reading "Dearest
one . . ." ; stanza i, 1. 2 reading "how you loved me"; stanza i, 1. 4,
"When you vowed from me and country ne'er to go astray"; stanza
3. 1. 3, "All! the many cruel fancies ever in my brain").
1)
'If Amid the Din of Battle.' From Miss Jewell Rohbins, Pekin. Mont-
gomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue). A phonograph recording was
made in 1921. One stanza, composed of lines corresponding to the first
halves of A 3 and 4 :
If amid the din of battle nobly you should fall,
Far awav from those who love you, and none to hear vou
call,
But your country calls you. loved one. Angels guide your
way.
While our Southern boys are fighting, we will also pray.
E
'When This Cruel War Is Over.' From the John Burcli Blaylock
Collection. With a few verbal changes, close to A.
The Good Old Rebel
Louise Pound, in Poetic Origins and the Ballad (New York,
1921), pp. 228-9, called attention to the fact that 'The Good Old
Rebel,' which has become a folk song, "is one of the best poems of
Innes Randolph (1837-87), who was for a time connected with the
Baltimore American." It appears in its original form in Poems by
Innes Randolph (Baltimore, 1898), pp. 30-1. Harold Randolph,
W'ho edited the Poems, says that Innes Randolph served "in the
Confederate Army throughout the whole of the great struggle,"
and that the poem "was written . . . while Reconstruction held sway
in the South."
The original has been printed in The Oxford Book of Light
Verse, pp. 436-7. For other printed appearances, see the citations
in Cox FSS 281, and for a later traditional version of it, Hudson
FSM 259. See also Randolph OFS 11 291-5.
A
'The Unreconstructed Rebel.' From W. S. Fitzgerald, Durham, Decem-
ber 19, 1938, with tlie following note (which is in error about the
authorship) : "The following stanzas were composed many years ago by
an old Confederate veteran, a Georgia cracker, and were sung by him
with banjo accompaniment to a group at a Confederate reunion, probably
the one held at Nashville. Tennessee. The song represents the extreme
but semi-humorous attitude of the old soldier who at the close of the War
between the States refused to renew his citiztnsliii) by taking the oath
of allegiance to the government of the United States. So far as the
reporter knows, the words have never appeared in print." In this text,
stanzas i, 2, 3, and 4 correspond to Randolph's i, 4, 5, and 6, and there
arc no stanzas corresponding to Randolph's 2 and 3.
M A R T 1 A 1. A N I) P A T R 1 0 T 1 C SONGS 465
1 ( )h, I'm a o(H)cl ole Rebel.
An' that's jes what 1 am.
An' fer this 'Land of h'reedom'
I do not care a damn.
I'm glad I fit against it,
1 only wisht we'd won,
An' 1 don't want no ])ardon
Fer anything 1 done.
2 I followed ( )le IMarse Robert
Fer fo' years nigh abont.
Got wounded in three places
An' starved at P'int Lookout.
I cotch the rheumatism
A-campin' in the snow.
But I killed a chance of Yankees,
An' Fd lak to kill some mo'.
3 Three hundred thousand Yankees
Lie stifif in Southern dust ;
We killed three hundred thousand
Refo' they conquered us.
They died of Southern fever,
An' Southern shell and shot ;
I wisht it was three million
Instid of what we got.
4 I can't take up my muskey
An' fight 'em any mo',
But I ain't a-goin' to love 'em,
Now that is sartain sho.
An' I don't want no pardon.
For Reb I was an" am ;
I won't be reconstructed,
An' I do not care a damn.
B
No title. From Lois Johnson, Davidson county ; undated. One stanza.
Now Fm a good old rebel.
And that's just what I am ;
For this fair Land of Freedom
I do not care a damn.
I only fit against it,
I only wish we'd won,
.\nd I don't ax no ])ar(lon
h'or nothing 'tall I done.
466 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
No title. From an anonyniuus contributor ; undated. Same as B, except
in 1. 5, "fight" for "fit."
D
'Ole Marse Robert.' From .Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery
county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue). A ])honograph recording was made
in July K.J22. This corresi>onds to stanzas i, 4, 2, and 6 of Randolph's
text.
1 I am a good old rebel.
Now that's just what 1 am.
For this fair land of freedom
I do not give a danL
I'm glad I fought against it,
I only wish we'd won.
-And I don't want any pardon
For anything I've done.
2 Fve followed old Marse Robert
For four years all about,
Got wounded in three places,
And starved at Point Lookout.
I caught the rheumatism
While camping in the snow,
P)tit I killed a chance of Yankees —
( )h, I'd like to kill some more.
3 I hate this Constitution,
This great Republic too,
I hate the Freedman's Bureau,
Its uniform of blue;
I hate the nasty eagle
With all her brags and fuss.
And the lying, thieving Yankees,
1 hate them worse and worse.
4 1 won't take up my musket
To hght them any mcjre.
And Fm not going to love them.
Now that is certain shore ;
And I ne\ er will deny
W hat 1 was and am,
.And I won't be reconstructed,
Ancl I don't care a dam.
martial and t a t k 1 u t 1 c songs 467
The Vktkrax's Song
Contrilnitcd l)v lulian P. Boyd, who obtained it from a pupil in the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county, c. 1927-28. The copy of the song
iiears the notation: "By John Ross Dicks, a Yankee Soldier. Brought
from tlie Civil War by John L. Lee, Union Soldier."
1 Come, gather rotind the caniptire.
And till the hreak of day
I'll sing a song, my comrades,
To pass the time away.
I've been in many a battle —
You may see it in my scars —
And this old arm has failed not
Through all this weary war.
2 I was wounded at Bull Run
When the Rebels' bloody host
Came down in all their pride
And the stream in haste we cross'd.
'Twas the first time I smelled powder,
But I knew not how to yield,
And at Fair Oaks I contested
Another bloody field.
3 This scar upon my cheek I got
When a bloody charge we made
Upon the traitors — I was one
Of Fighting Joe's Brigade.
I was left for dead upon the field,
But when the former ran
With Averill at Culpeper,
I crossed the Rapidan.
4 When the cry was 'On to Richmond!'
I was in McClellan's track ;
1 put my face into the front
And couldn't show my back.
On Antietam's bloody field.
All hacked and gashed. I fell.
But not before some score of foes
Found I could smite as well !
5 I got at Fredericksl)urgh
A graj^eshot in my knee.
But fought on for the Union
Till I -saw the traitors flee !
I grasped one Rebel by the throat,
468 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Who tried to seize our flag,
And choked the cheer that to his Hps
Arose for General Bragg.
6 Three fingers of my left hand
A sharpshooter destroyed,
As I was out on picket,
But my bullet him annoyed.
I got his body in exchange.
And my revenge was full.
For I've a few more fingers
Which can still a trigger pull !
7 But what care I for wounds or death ?
With all a patriot's might.
As a good and faithful soldier
For the Union still I'll fight !
And will not sheathe my sword
Until from Florida to Maine
The Stars and Stripes shall proudly float
O'er all our land again.
393
Brother Green
Of this farewell song of a Union soldier mortally wounded in
battle, there are, in our collection, two closely similar texts, with
music common to both, and a phonograph recording.
Belden BSM 2;/";, printing one stanza of the song from Missouri,
notes that an Illinois contributor of a text in JISHS xxxi 303-10
reported the song to have been "'composed by Rev. L. J. Simpson,
late chaplain in tbe Army ... on the death of a brother who was
killed at Fort Donaldson, February, 1862." Belden also gives ref-
erences to other texts from Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee, and North Carolina. Fuson BKH 193-4 contains a text
of twelve stanzas, lacking one corresponding to 4, below, but con-
taining two additional stanzas and showing throughout many verbal
variations. For a text witb music, see Wyman and Brockway LT
18-21. See also Randolph OFS 11 253-6.
A
'Brother Green.' With music and the following note : "Collected for
Prof. I. G. Greer, of Boone, N. C, by Miss Ella Harden, of Stoney
Fork, N. C. Copied from original manuscript, written and composed by
Joseph Green." The typescript bears the notation "copied 3/4/15."
I () cnuK- to nie my brother green
for 1 am shot and bleeding
Now I must die no more to see
mv wife and m\- dear children
M A R T I A I. AND PATRIOTIC SO N G S 469
2 Sonic Southern foe have laid me low-
on this cold ground to suffer
dear brother Stay and lay me away
and rii^dit my wife a letter
3 tell her I am prepared to die
and hope to meet in heaven
since I've believed in Jesus Christ
my Sins are all forgiven
4 1 hope she prayed and prayed for me
and now my pra}-ers are answered
So I must be prepared to die
Still hope to meet in heaven
5 my poor little bal)es 1 love them well
o if could but oust more see them
to bid them all a long fare well
Still hope to meet in heaven
6 but here I am in tennessee
and bur in Illinois
soon I must die and be buried
no more to hear their voices
7 dear mary you must teach them well
and train them all for heaven
that may love and sur\e the lord
and they will be respected
8 dear father you have suffered long
and prayed for my salvation
and I must die and leev you all
Still hope to meet in heaven
9 Sister Nancey you must not greave
for the loss of a dear brother
for he are gon on to heaven to live
to see your blessed mother
10 two brothers yet I can not forget
a fighting for the union
for which dear wife I have lost my life
to put down this rebellion
11 tell my wife she must not greave
but kiss the little children
for they will call their paw in vain
when he are gone to heaven
1-0 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
12 they is men here from old Tennessee
anci from old Illinois
now 1 must die no more to see
no more to here thiere voises
13 dear brother green I am diing now
o that 1 die so easy
o shorley death has lost its sting
because I lov my Jesus
Joseph Green his song ballet
Sep the I 1877
B
'Brother Green.' A typescript. This is anonymous, but is on stationery
of .Appalachian Training School, I. G. Greer, Boone, N. C. The song
ends: "Joseph Green his song ballet, Sep the i 1877." This typescript
appears to be a regularization, with a lacuna at stanza 6, 1. 2 (which
reads "and hur in tennessee" in A 6) and a query "they?" for "that"
in A 7, 1. 3. It was probably made to accompany the music.
C
•() Brother Green, Come to Ale.' In 1939 a recording of the song was
made from the singing of Manley Greene, aged eighty-si.x, Zionville,
Watauga county.
394
He Never Came Back
This is a traditional variant of a song- published as a broadside
bv Auner of Philadeli)hia, with notation: "Words and music by
\Villiam Jerome, c. 1891, by Rossiter, Chicago." For another, see
Randolph OFS iii 124-6.
'He Never Came Back.' From O. L. Cofifey, ShuH's Mills, N. C,
August 1939. There is a recording of the song by G. S. Robinson,
West Asheville, 1939.
I A soldier kissed his wife good-bye,
He was going to the war ;
The tears did trinkle down his cheeks,
( )f the one he did adore,
"lie patient, love, till 1 return.
My own sweetheart,' ho cried ;
lUn at the liattle of Hull Run,
1 li' like a soldier died.
Chorus:
He ne\(.r came back, oh, he never came back;
Mis dear face .she'll never see more;
I'.ut how liappy she'll be
When bis diar tacc she'll see,
When wo niei't on that beautiful shore.
M A R l- 1 A 1. A X I) I' A T K 1 O T 1 C SONGS 47I
2 I wt'ul inid a iL'^lauraut.
As huiiyry as a hear.
And like a raving maniac,
I i,n-al)l)e(l a bill of fare.
The waiter said, A\'hat will you have?'
'Bring me a steak,' 1 say.
He took my order and bowed his head.
.\\u\ slowK- walked awav.
(Iionis:
lie never came back, oh, he never came back.
I waited an hour or more.
But his face 1 will break.
If he don't bring me that steak,
\\ hen we meet on that beautiful shore.
3 I went to see the Barnum Show,
I took my mother-in-law ;
She laughed at everything she saw.
Until she broke her jaw.
The big l)alloon outside the tent,
It proved to be my friend;
I shoved her in and cut the rope.
And up she did ascend.
Chorus:
She never came back, oh, she never came back,
High up in the air she did soar;
Oh I'm so happy tonight.
She is away out of sight ;
Till we meet on that beautiful shore.
395
Goodbye, My Blue Bell
From Newman I. White, Durham, January 13, 1945, with this note:
"Furnislied from memory of about 1900-1913, to accompany record
9-\'III as hummed l)y Miss Jewell Rohhins. It is a Spanish-American
War song, and I am not sure whether what 1 recall is stanza one or
chorus— the latter, I think." Miss Jewell Robbins. of Pekin, Mont-
gomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), made a recording of tlie
song at Pekin c. 1921-22.
Goodbye, my Blue Bell,
Farewell to you.
One last fond look into your eyes so blue.
'Mid campfires gleaming.
Through shot and shell,
I will be dreaming
( )f mv sweet Blue r.ell.
472 north carolina folklore
Soldier's Epitaph
Xo title. From Lucille Cheek, Chatham county, contributed while she
was a student in the 1923 Trinity College Summer School. Cf. White
ANFS 293.
Born in North Carolina,
Raised in Tennessee,
Worked like hell in Georgia,
Died in Gerniinee.
397
Tippecanoe
At the close of the presidential campaign of 1840, between Gen-
eral William Henry Harrison (Old Tippecanoe ) and President Mar-
tin Van Buren, the defeated Democrats complained, "We have been
sung down, lied down, drunk down." In no other American presi-
dential campaign have political ballads and songs played so impor-
tant a part. The Whigs got out several songbooks, among them
The Log Cabin Songster. The "ballad deafened" contest was re-
newed in the campaign of 1844. Cf. Meade Minnigerode, Presiden-
tial \'ears, I/87-1860 (New York, 1928), pp. 177-254.
'Tippecanoe' appeared in Tippecanoe Song-Book : A Collection of
Log Cabin and Patriotic Melodies (Philadelphia, 1840), pp. 18-19.
with direction that it was to be sung to the tune of "Old Rosin the
Bow,' with line 5 reading "near" for "by" in the Waddell version,
and the fourth stanza lacking. (Location and collation by Mr.
Richard B. Vowles. the Graduate School. Yale University, New-
Haven. Conn.)
'Tiijpecanoe.' Contributed by Julian P. Boyd, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
April 19, 1928, as copied from "Waddell Manuscript, North Carolina
Hist(jrical Commission Archives," without identification or description
of the "Waddell Manuscript." A description of the source, with a copy
of the song, has been kindly supplied to the editors by Mr. D. L. Cor-
l)itt. Head of the Division of Publications, North Carolina State Depart-
ment of Archives and History, Raleigh. X. C, in a letter dated Novem-
ber 29, 1946, as follows :
"This campaign song is a manuscript written on a sheet 8x10. There
is no (late and no author indicated. Tiie page is yellow with age, but
otherwise in fair condition. I am sending you, herewitii, a typescript of
the song.
"This song is in the collection entitled 'Waddell Papers,' which are
described in the Guide to Manuscript C(dlccti()ns, item No. 748. In check-
ing through the Biennial Reports 1 find that part of the 'Waddell Papers'
were i)reseuted by Mr. Guion W. Waddell, Mooresfield, N. C. This is
listed in the report covering the jteriod December i, 191 6, to November
30. 1918. In the ne.xt lUcnnial Report. 1918-1920. Mr. O. C. Erwin,
of .Morganton, presented a collection of pai)ers relating to the Moore
and Waddell families, wliich from casual investigation indicate they were
placed witii the Waddell papers. In the Collection of papers I find no
M A R T 1 A I. A N I) 1" A T K 1 0 T I C SON 0 S 4/3
reference to this song in any correspondence or otherwise. It is difficult
for me to say that Mr. WaddcU owned this copy, or that Mr. Erwin
owned it. About the most I can say witli certainty is that tlie song is
in manuscript, and is in this department."
Mr. Boyd's and Mr. C'orbitt's copies of 'Tippecanoe' differ only
in a few mechanical particulars. Mr. forhitt's is followed here.
'ri])l)t'caii(ic'.
1 A humpcr around now, my hearties,
I'll sing you a song that is new ;
I'll please to the luittons all parties,
And sing of Old Tipl^ccanoc.
2 When first by the Thames, gentle waters,
My sword for my coitntry 1 drew,
I fotight for America's daughters.
Long side of Old Tippecanoe.
3 Ere this too when danger assailed tis.
And Indians their dread missiles threw,
His counsil & courage availed us ;
We conquered at Tippecanoe.
4 And when all the troubles were ended,
I flew to the girls that I knew.
They promptly declared that they intended
To kiss me for Tippecanoe.
5 And now that the good of the nation
Required that something we do.
W'e'U hurl little Van jroni his station
And elevate Tippecanoe.
6 Again and again fill your glasses.
Bid Martin Van Buren adieu.
We'll please ourselves and the lasses.
And vote for Old Tippecanoe.
398
Does Your Mother Know You're Out?
This is an echo of the canipaijjn of Horace Greeley for the
presidency on the Independent Republican and Democratic ticket
in 1872, adapted obviously from a vaudeville song of the time. It
is interesting to find it preserved in memory in North Carolina
down into the twentieth century.
'Does Your Mother Know You're Out?' From the manuscript notebook
of Mrs. Harold Glasscock of Raleigh, lent to Dr. White in 1943. The
songs in this l)ook Mrs. Glasssock learned from her parents.
474 ^' " R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 Does your mother know you're out ?
Does your mother know you're out ?
How arc you, Horace Greeley?
Does your mother know you're out ?
2 -Mother, is the battle over?
What are the men about?
How are you, Horace Greeley?
Does vour mother know you're out ?
399
Uncle Sam's Farm
This is in Jordan and Kessler's Songs of Yesterday and Ford's
Traditional Music of America, and the California Check-List re-
ports a broadside of it printed by Andrews of New York. It does
not appear in other regional collections of folk song. From its
emphasis on the melting-pot idea one infers that it dates from the
period following the Civil War.
'Uncle Sam's Farm.' From the manuscript book of songs belonging to
Miss Lura Wagoner of Vox, lent to Dr. Brown in 1916. The Jordan
and Kessler text shows that in stanza 2 "past" in the first hne should
be "as fast" and that the first half of the third line should read "From
the great Atlantic ocean," that in the third line of stanza 3 "that" should
be inserted before "course," that the second line of stanza 4 should be
"Of the grand results that pour along this mighty age of steam," and
the fourth line "And we send our news by lightning on the telegraphic
wire."
1 Uf all the might}' nations in the east or in the west.
Oh, this glorious yankee nation is the greatest and the
best.
W^e have room for all creation, and our l)anncr is un-
furled ;
Here's a general invitation to the people of the world.
Chorus:
Then come along, come along, make no delav.
Come from every nation, come from every wav.
Our lands they are l)road enough, don't he ahirnied.
For Uncle Sam's rich enough to give us all a faruL
2 St. Lawrence marks the northern line, fast our waters
flow.
And the Rio (irande our soutliern l)ounds way down to
Mexico.
From across the great Atlantic, where the sun begins to
dawn,
Leap across the Rocky Mountains far away to Oregon,
M A R T I A I. A X I) I' A T K 1 O T 1 C SO N C. S 4/3
3 While the south shall raise the cotton, and the west the
corn and pork.
New luio-land manufacturers shall do up the hner work;
l'\)r the\leep and flowing water falls course aloui^ our
hills
Are just the ihinu for washin- sheep and dru ui- cotton
mills.
4 ( )ur fathers gives us liherty, but little did they dream
( )f the grand result that favors along that mighty stream;
l-or our mountains, lakes, and rivers are all a blaze ot
And we send our news by the lightnmg telegrai)hic wu'e.
5 Yes, we are bound to beat the nations, for our motto is
'Go ahead.'
And we will tell the foreign pauper that our jjcople are
well fed. .
b'or the nations must remember that Sam is not a too ,
For the people do the voting and the children go to school.
400
The Sweet Sunny South
This is reported as folk song from Virginia (SharpK ii 262,
263) and West Virginia (SharpK 11 263). and a song of the same
title but of a considerably diiYerent content from Michigan (BbSM
242-3). In Heart Songs (pp. 20-1) it is ascribed to "Raymond.
Professor White notes on the manuscript of the Nordi Caroina ver-
sion that it was -one of my mother's favorite songs m my cjiildhood
( 1802-1000) in Statesville. N. C. I can still sing it. The Massa
in our text suggests that it is a pseudo-Negro piece: but the word
is spelled "iMassie" in Sharp's Virginia text, and there is nothing
else in any of the versions to support the suggestion. In the
Michigan version and in Sharp's second Virginia text it is a song
of Southern patriotism in the Civil War.
'The Sweet Sunny South.' Reported by Mrs. Alice Cooke of Boone,
Watauga county, in 1921 or 1922. With the tune.
I Take me home to the place where I first saw the light.
To the sweet sunnv South take me home.
Where the mocking-bird sung me to rest every mght ;
Ah, why was I tempted to roam ?
I think with regret of the dear home 1 left.
Of the warm hearts that sheltered me then,
( )f the wife and the dear ones of whom I'm bereft.
And 1 wish for the old place again.
476 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Cliorus:
Take me home to the place where my Httle ones sleep ;
Poor Massa lies buried close by.
O'er the grave of the loved ones 1 long to weep
And among them to rest when I die.
2 Take me home to the place where the orange trees grow.
To my cot in the evergreen shade,
Where the flowers on the river's green margin may blow
Their sweets on the banks where we played.
The path to our cottage, they say, has grown green
And the place is quite lonely around.
And I know that the smiles and the forms I have seen
Now lie under the ground.
3 Take me home, let me see what is left that I knew.
Can it be that the old house is gone?
The dear friends of my childhood, indeed, must be few,
And I must lament all alone.
But yet I'll return to the place of my birth,
\\'here my children have played at the door.
Where they pulled the white blossoms that garnished the
earth,
Which will echo their footsteps no more.
401
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From the title and the refrain it is apparent that this is of com-
paratively recent origin. The editor has not found it in other col-
lections. The disordering of the rhyme arrangement in the final
stanza suggests that it has been misremembered.
'The Blue Ridge Mountain Blues.' Contributed by Otis Kuykendall of
Asheville in August 1939.
1 \\ hen I was young and in my prime
I left my home in Caroline.
All I do is sit and pine
For those folks 1 left liehind.
Chorus:
I got the Blue Ridge Mountain blues,
And I'll stand right here and say
b'very day I'm counting till I climb that mountain
To the I>lue Ridge far away.
2 I know the day when I'll return
There'll be a shindig in the barn.
M A R T I A L A X 1) P A TRIO T I C SON f. S 4/7
And folks for miles around will swarm ;
There'll he some fiddlers to the storm.
I see a window with a light,
I see two heads of snowy white ;
And 1 can almost hear them sigh.
'Where is niv wandering hoy toni^lit ?'
I'm going to do right hy Ma,
I'm going to do right hy Pa,
I'm going to hang around that cahin door,
Never going to wander any more.
I can hear my hound dog Ijay.
I'm going to hunt for the 'possum.
Where the corn tops hlossom
To my Blue Ridge far away.
402
The North Carolina Hills
This has not been found elsewhere, and there is l)ut one text in
our collection: but as a piece of local patriotism it should perliaps
be given place liere.
'The North Carolina Hills.' Contributed (and perhaps composed) by
O. L. Coffey of Shull's Mills, Watauga county, in 1939.
1 Oh. the North Carolina hills.
How majestic and how grand.
With their summits hathed in glory
Like our Prince Immanuel's land ;
Is it any wonder, then.
That my heart with rapture thrills
As I stand once more with loved ones
On those North Carolina hills?
' Chorus:
Oh. the hills, the heautiful hills.
How I love those North Carolina hills !
If o'er sea or land I roam
Still I think of happy home
And the friends among the North Carolina hills.
2 Oh, the North Carolina hills.
Where my childhood hours were passed ;
Where I often wandered lonely
And the future tried to cast.
Many are our visions hright
N.C.F.. Vol. Ill, (33)
NM) R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Which the future ne'er fulfills ;
But how sunny were my day-dreams
On those North Carolina hills !
Oh. the North Carolina hills,
llow unchanged they seem to stand;
With their summits pointing skyward
To the great Almighty's land !
Many changes I can see.
Which my heart with sadness fills.
But no change can he noticed
On those North Carolina iiills.
Oh, the North Carolina hills,
1 must bid you now adieu.
In my home beyond the mountains
I will ever dream of you ;
In the evening time of life.
If my Father only wills.
I shall still behold the visions
Of the North Carolina hills.
403
The Hills of Dan
In the Greensboro Daily Nezvs of Sunday, November 2. 1947,
E. P. Holmes quotes a garbled five-stanza text of 'The Hills of
Dan' from a scrapbook owned by "Old Granny Parks" of Oakland
Farm, near Sanford, N. C. According to Mr. Holmes's informant,
Granny Parks's "attic library . . . hasn't been touched as I know
of since the Civil War."
'The Hills of Dan.' From the John Bnrch Blaylock Collection.
1 The world is not one garden spot
Or pleasure ground for man ;
Few are the spots that intervene.
Such as the Hills of Dan.
2 Though fairer i)rospects greet mine eves
In nature's i)artial plan.
Yet I am bound hv stronger ties
To love the Mills of Dan.
3 The breezes that around them ])lav.
And the bright stream they fan.
Are loved as scenes of childhood's day
Ann'd the Hills of Dan.
M A U T 1 A I. A \ 1) r A T R I () T I C SONGS 479
4 Here. too. the friends of early days
Their fated courses ran ;
And now they tind a resting place
Amid the 1 lills of Oan.
5 Ye saw the twilight of my dawn
When first my life hegan;
And ye shall see that light withdrawn.
My native Hills of Dan.
6 Whatever fortune may ensue
In life's short changeful span.
Oft niem'ry shall turn hack to view
I\Iy native Hills of Dan.
7 The love that warms this youthful l)reast
Shall glow within the man ;
And when I slumber, may I rest
Amid the Hills of Dan.
XII
BLACKFACE MINSTREL AND
NEGRO SECULAR SONGS
THE GREAT MAJORITY of the contributors to the Frank C.
Brown Collection are white people. The number of direct com-
munications from Negroes is small. Most of the songs designated
as from Negroes have passed through a medium of transmission
at one remove or more from actual singing. Many songs, it is true,
were taken down directly from Negro informants; but many, also,
were obtained from wliite people who had learned them from other
white people who regarded them as Negro songs. In this process
there was doubtless a good deal of unconscious "editing." In many
instances there has been no certain indication whetlier a piece that
sounds like a Negro song was certainly of Negro origin or tradi-
tion. Dialect is no sure criterion, for the speech of illiterate South-
ern whites is often indistinguishable from that of illiterate Southern
Negroes; and educated or half-educated Southerners when they re-
port the songs or sayings of a Negro informant usually try to do
so in a language that they imagine to be that of the Negro. More-
over, though there are, between the races, some differences in taste
for certain types of songs — the whites liking the older ballads better,
the Negroes showing a preference for the spirituals — yet folk song
in the South is shared on fairly equal terms between the two races.
For these reasons, if for no other, the editors of this book have
never thought of the Jim Crow law as applying to their labors.
Thus, we have already included in previous sections — notably
among the American ballads, the lullaby and nursery songs, the
bird, beast, and fish jingles, and the work songs — numerous songs
from, by, and about Negroes. In the last section, "Religious Songs,"
perhaps half of the pieces have the same provenience. Without
thought of racial differentiation, we have so placed them, on tlie
principles of formal, thematic, and functional classification, as the
songs of the people of North Carolina.
The reason for the following separate section grows out of the
nature of the contents. It is a historic fact that "Negro song" has
a definitive significance. Apart from the classes of songs mentioned
above, there is a large body of songs popularly supposed to be about
Negroes as Negroes or to interpret Negro life as such. They are
H LACK F A f K M 1 N S T K K L , N K C K 0 S () N V. S 48 1
rej^arded as rertt'Ctiui;- specific racial traits, tastes, hal)its, pre-
occupations, prejudices, and attitudes, tliat are traditionally attrib-
uted to Negroes, whether they are genuinely Negro or only aspects
of the white man's notit)ns about Negroes.
Certainly the first cluster of the songs below are the white man's
interpretation of the Negro. These are the old blackface minstrel
favorites. Most of them are directly traceable to the minstrel show,
which first discovered the Negro as a subject for popular art in the
184OS and continued to be a universal purveyor of entertainment
all over the United States and even to the cities of the British
Isles, until the movie drove it out of business about the time of
World War I. The earliest burnt-cork hits often developed out
of a kernel of genuine folk song, as, for instance, the Jim Crow
songs. But the new song genre soon became stylized. Two of
Stephen C. Foster's compositions, 'Oh, Susannah' and 'Nelly Ely,'
have firmly established themselves in North Carolina folk tradition,
and so have two others in nmch the same mode, though by different
authors, 'Dearest Mae' and 'Kitty Wells.' 'Cindy,' 'Nancy Till,'
'Ella Rhee,' 'Miss Julie Ann Glover,' and 'Massa Had a Yaller
Gal' are further examples of songs about or to girls. These dusky
darlings with the pretty names and the sad or comic airs and words,
sung around the cottage organ or by the parlor fireside or on the
moonlit "front gallery," are a part of the sentimental heritage of
most "Southern-raised" people. There is a corresponding group of
songs about the "old" men — 'Jim Crack Corn.' 'Old Zip Coon,'
and 'Uncle Ned.' 'Clare de Kitchen,' 'Run Nigger Run,' and 'Some
Folks Say That a Nigger Won't Steal' also come down from the
old minstrel repertories. 'Ain't Got to Cry No More,' 'The Happy
Coon.' 'The Traveling Coon,' and 'The Voodoo Man' smack of later
provenience.
The rest of the songs in this section are of mixed origins and
treat a variety of themes. Many sound like genuine Negro utter-
ances; some show the minstrel or vaudeville touch. All of them.
perhaps, belong to the class designated by Professor White as social
songs. There are snatches about a variety of comestibles supposed
to be specially favored by Negroes, though many white men would
put in their claim for these delicacies and would certainly join in
lyrical praise of them — cabbage, chicken, cornbread and molasses,
hambone, short'nin' bread, and watermelons. The "mixed disturb-
ance and delight" of woman is the burden of 'Eliza Jane' (two
songs), 'Po' 'Liza Jane,' 'Everybody's Gal Is My Gal,' 'I'd Rather
Be Dead,' and a dozen more. 'Shady Grove' and some versions of
'Raise a Ruckus Tonight' are keyed to a holiday mood. Brushes with
the law or plans likely to involve collisions with it occasion such
482 \ O K T H C A R O L I N A FOLKLORE
pieces as ■Staiuliii' on de Street Doin' No Harm, "Shoot Your Dice
and Have Your Fun,' and a puzzling version of 'Raise a Ruckus
'J'onight.' Race feeling is clearly implied or directly expressed in
more than a dozen pieces. 'Guinea Negro Song' and 'Jigger Rigger
Bumbo' tersely but vigorously protest the injustices of slavery. A
much larger number, like 'White Folks Go to College' and its
variants, the white gal — yaller gal — black gal complex, 'Old Bee
Make the Honey Comb,' and 'You Shall Be Free,' the last named
beginning with —
.A nigger and a wiiite man playing seven up ;
The nigger won the money and he's 'fraid to pick it up —
briefly but pungently illustrate racial discrimination. Special types
are exemplified by 'Negro Yodel Song,' 'Old Aunt Dinah,' a "shout"
or "hollow," and 'California Blues.' One of the blues snatches is
epigrammatic :
Oil ! when a man gets the blues,
He boards a train and rides.
Oh ! when a woman get the blues,
She ducks her head and cries.
404
Cindy
A rather miscellaneous lot of songs or song fragments have
attached themselves to the 'Cindy' refrain of an old (ante-bellum)
minstrel song. The 'Cindv' refrain is reported from Kentucky
(BKH 172), North Carolina ( FSSH 434-5, JAFL xlv 168-9),
Mrs. Steely 160-61 (1935), and the Midwest (Ford 58, as a square-
dance tune), and among the Negroes from South Carolina (JAFL
XLiv 428-9) and Alabama (ANFS 161, really from Tennessee).
The second stanza of our A belongs to 'The Journeyman'; the sec-
ond stanza of D to the 'I Wouldn't Marry' songs; for the first
stanza of B see 'Cornbread When Fm Hungry'; the second stanza
of B is likely to appear in almost any of the composite folk lyrics ;
the first stanza of F is a favorite among Negro singers ; and for
the coon and possum stanzas of G see Ford's Traditional Music
of America yy (a square-dance song) and TNFS 170, 172, 173.
'Sindy : a Jig.' Reported by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga county,
in 1915 or thereabouts with the notation that it has been "a popular
fiddle and banjo tune in our county for a great many years."
I Oh, whc-re'd ye git yer licker.
Oh, whcre'd ye git yer dram ?
I got it of a nigger
Way down in Kockin'hani.
I? I. A C K 1" A C I-: M INST R K L , N E c; K 0 S O N (.; S 483
Chorus:
(iit alons^ lionie. oh Sindy, Sindy,
Git along liome. oh Sindy, Sindy.
Git along home, oh Sindy, Sindy,
(lit along down home.
2 She tuck me in the parlor,
She fanned me with a fan ;
She said I was the sweetest thing
In the shape of mortal man.
3 Sindy in the spring time,
Sindy in the fall,
Sindy at the hall room
A-dancin' at the hall.
4 Sindy went to meetin' ;
So happy she did feel.
She got so much religion
She split her stockin' heel.
B
'Beefsteak When I'm Hungry.' Collected by Julian P. Boyd in 1927
from Duval Scott, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance. I'amlico
county.
1 Beefsteak when I'm hungry;
Gravy when I'm dry ;
Pretty little girl to love me,
And heaven when I die.
Chorus:
Git along home. Cindy, Cindy,
Git along home, Cindy ;
Git along home, Cindy, Cindy,
I ain't gwine there no mo'.
2 I went to see Miss Cindy,
I hadn't heen there hefo' ;
She fed me in the chicken coop.
And I ain't gwine there no mo'.
3 I went to see Miss Cindy ;
She met me at de do'.
Shoes and stockin 's in her hand
And her hare feet on de flo'.
4 I went U) see Miss Cindy,
She met me on the route ;
Put me in the cofifee pot
And poured me out the spout.
484 N " K T H C .\ R 0 L I X A 1" 0 L K L 0 R E
C
'Cindy.' From .Miss Jewell Robbins, Pckin, Montgomery county, in
1922.
Cindy in the spring o' the year,
Cindy in the tall :
If 1 couldn't be Cindy all the year
L wouldn't be Cindy at all.
D
'Cindy.' From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pckin, Montgomery county, in July
1922.
1 1 went to .see Miss Cindy.
She 'as standin' in de door.
Shoes and stockings in her hand
And feet all over de floor.
Chorus:
Oh, git along home. Cindy, Cindy.
Git along home, Cindy. Cindy,
Oh, git along home. Cindy, Cindy,
I'll marrv you some time.
2 I wouldn't marry a Johnson gal ;
I'll tell you the reason why :
The neck so long and stringy
I'm afraid they'd never die.
E
'Get Along, Sindy.' Contributed as an "old slave song"' by S. M. Davis
of White Hall, Wayne county.
I went down to Julia's house
To see Liza Jane.
She fed me in an old hog trough
And 1 ain't gwine there again.
Chorus:
Oh. gel along, Sindy, Sindy,
Sindy, get along, Sindy, Sindy,
Sindy, get along, Sindy, Sindy, Sindv.
I'll spend my money drinking.
F
No title. Frtnn Mrs. Nilla T-ancaster, Wayne county, in or about 1923.
Rather far removed frdui the otlier Cindy songs.
1 Old massa married a yaller gal,
lie fotch her from de South.
Her hair was twisted on her head so tight
She could not shut her mouth.
BLACKFACK MINSTREL, NEGRO SONGS 485
Chorus:
Oh. my love Cindia,
Oh, my love Cindia,
Oh, my love Cindia,
Oh. Cindia, fare you well.
2 I went to see my Cindia,
Carried her a pair of shoes.
Ast her if she would marry me ;
She said she couldn't refuse.
3 I went to see my Cindia.
Sat down by her side.
I ast her if she'd be my bride ;
She hung her head and cried.
405
Dearest Mae
One of the early minstrel songs in the Stephen C. Foster mode,
tills song appears in The Ethiopian Glee Book; a Collection of
Popular Xegro Melodies. Arranged for Quartet Clubs (Boston, c.
1850), p. 2/, and in Christy's Negro Songster (New York, 1855),
pp' 246-7, "Words and Music by A. F. Winnemore." It is also
included in Minstrel Songs, Old and Nezv. a Collection of World-
Wide. Famous Minstrel and Plantation Songs . . . (New York,
1882), pp. 143-4, where it is designated "Written by Francis Lynch,
Composed by L. V. H. Crosby." The North Carolina texts show a
number of differences suggestive of oral transmission.
From K. P. Lewis, Durham, as sung by Dr. Kemp B. Battle at Chapel
Hill, in November 1910; text undated. Note by Dr. Brown: "Printed
in The Scepter, an old collection of songs. From the K. P. Lewis
collection."
I Come, listen to me, darkies, and a story I'll relate;
It happened in the valley of the old Carolina State.
Way down in the meadow, where I used to mow the hay.
I alwavs worked the harder when I thought of dearest
Mae.
Chorus:
( )h. dearest Mae, you're as lovely as the day ;
Your eyes so bright, they shine at night
\\ hen the moon has gone away.
486 X t) R T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 Ule niassa gave me holiday, 1 wish he'd give me more ;
I tlianked him very kindly, and 1 pushed my boat from
shore.
Way down the river 1 floated, with my heart so light and
free,
To the cottage of my lovely girl I longed so much to see.
3 W ay down !)}■ the river where the trees do hang so low.
The coons among the branches play, and the mink he
hides below.
There is the spot where Mae she looked so sweet.
Her eyes did sparkle like the stars, her lips as red as beet.
4 Iknieath the shade of an old oak tree we sat for many
hours.
As happy as the humming bird that flits among the
flowers.
And dearest Mae, when I left her. she wept when both we
parted ;
I gave her one long farewell kiss, and up the river started.
5 Ole massa he was taken sick and poor ole man he died.
And I was sold way down below close by the ri\-er side ;
And dearest Mae. when she heard the news, she sickened
like a flower.
And now lies dead beneath the tree, where the owl hoots
every hour.
Hoo-oo-00 (to tunc of regular chorus)
Under title 'Plantation Songs.' From Aliss Virginia C. Hall, a Trinity
College student ; without local address or date ; with note : "This memory
is of a gray-whiskered old gentleman bouncing a little boy on his knee
and singing to him 'plantation songs' whicli he liad learned as a child
from negroes on his father's plantation." Dr. White adds : "probably
refers to her grandfather." The text corresponds to A. 2 and chorus.
C
I-'rom an informant identified only as I!urns ; te.xt without date or ad-
dress. A combination of stanza i and chorus of 'Dearest Mae' with
'Massa Bought a Yaller Gal,' stanza i of tlie latter running:
Ole Massa bought a cullud gal.
He bought her from de South.
Her hair it curl so berry tight
She couldn't shut her mouth.
He tuck her to de tailor shop
To sew her mouth up small ;
De gal she took in one long breath
And swallowed up tailor and all.
n I. A C K V A t" K M I X S T R K L , N E C. R O SON G S 48/
I)
From Otis S. Kiiykcndall, Ashevillc (with plioiuif-raph recording),
August 4, 1939. W'itli some verbal (iiffereiues, tlie same as A, i, 2, 3,
and chorus.
406
Massa Had a \'ai,i.i;r (Iai,
An earlv form of this sons^ is " "The (ial from the Sotith,' stmt;-
])y Dan Brvant," in Complete Bryant's Songs and Programme for
One Year '(New York, 1859). H, 9-10. White, in ANFS 152-3,
450, traces 'Massa Had a Yaller Gal' to other minstrel songhooks of
the 1850S, giving references and printing a numher of texts, mostly
from Alahama. See also Scarborough TNFS 66-8, with versions
from Louisiana, South Carolina, and Kentucky (the last with
music ).
A
'Massa Bought a Yaller Gal.' From C. L. Walker, address unknown;
not dated.
Massa bought a yellow gal,
Bought her from the south.
Her neck so long and skinny
She couldn't close her mouth.
He sent her to the blacksmith shop
To have her mouth made small.
She fell in love with the blacksmith
And swallowed the shop and all.
'Marster Had a Yaller Gal.' From an anonoymous contributor ; not
dated. Dr. White notes : "The incomplete first stanza is probal)ly in-
trusive. Most of the rest is from the antebellum minstrels." Cf. 'The
Derby Ram,' Vol. H, No. 176, p. 436, and 'Lynchliurg Town,' No. 415,
below.
1 His name was Peter Brown.
Every tooth within his head
Was a mile and a cpiarter round.
2 Marster had a yaller gal,
He brought her from the South ;
Her hair was wrapped so very tight
She couldn't shut her mouth.
3 I went to see her the other night ;
She met me at the door.
Shoes and stockings in her hand,
Feet all over the floor.
NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I went down to New Orleans,
I did not go to stay ;
I fell in love with a pretty little gal
And she in love with me.
I wish I was in Tennessee
A-sittin' in my chair.
One arm round a whiskey keg,
'Tother round my dear.
If I had a scolding wife
I'd beat her shore's you're born;
I'd take her down to New Orleans
And trade her off for corn.
'She's My Yaller Gal,' with music. From J. D. Johnson, Jr., Trinity
College student (from Garland, Sampson county), December 5, igig^ —
"Sung to banjo by an old Negro in Eastern North Carolina." White
prints the same song, with minor differences and without music, in
ANFS 324.
She's my yaller gal.
1 brought her from the South.
Took her down to the blacksmith shop.
To have her mouth made small.
And bless you soul she opened her mouth
And swallowed that shop and all.
407
Nelly Blv
From an inf(jrmant designated only as Burns; without date or address.
From the song of that name by Stephen C. Foster, published in 1849.
\'erl)al differences in the stanza and the chorus indicate oral transmission.
Nelly Bly, Nelly Ely.
I'ring the broom along,
.And sweep the kitchen clean, my dear,
We'll have a dance and song.
Oh, Nellie, sweet Nellie
Listen, love, to me,
I'll play for you, I'll sing for you, etc.
408
( )ll, St'SAXNA !
I-'oster's wliinisical 'Oh, Susanna I' had a .n^reat vosjue and is still
remcnihered ; it is to be found in various collections of popular
songs — Wier's Book of One Tliousand Songs, Chappie's Heart
r. I. A C K K A C E MINSTREL, NEGRO S (1 N G S 489
Soiiys, etc. — and has been reported as folk song from Pennsylvania
(NPiM 79), Tennessee (BTFLS v 47-8), and North Carolina
(SSSA 198). See also ANFS 178-9. There is some variation
in the texts, but less than in Emmett's "Old Dan Tucker,' probably
because it was not, as Emmett's song was, adopted as a play-party
song. Many of the reports of it in our collection arc but frag-
mentary memories.
A
'Oh! Susannah.' Obtained by K. P. Lewis in 1910 from Dr. Kemp P.
Battle of Chapel Hill. This follows Foster's original text pretty closely
except for the added third line in the chorus.
1 1 come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.
I'm gwine to Louisana my true love for to see.
It rained so hard the day I left, the weather it was dry.
The snn so hot I froze to death; Susannah, don't you
cry.
Clionts:
Oh ! Susannah. d(jn't you cry for me,
I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee
And I'm gwine to Louisana my true love for to see.
2 I had a dream the other night, when everything was still,
I (h-eamt I saw Susannah a-coming down the hill ;
A buckwheat cake was in her mouth, a star^ was in her
eye ;
Says I, 'I'm coming from the South, Susannah, don't you
cry.'
3 I jumped aboard a telegraph and traveled down the river.
The electric flew and magnified and killed five himdred
nigger.
The biler bust, the train ran off; I really thought I'd die.
I shut my eyes to hold my breath ; Susannah, don't you
cry.
4 I'll travel down to New Orleans, and then I'll look
around.
And if I find Susannah. I'll fall upon de ground.
But if I do not find her. this darkey'll surely die.
And when I'm dead and bur-i-ed. Susannah, don't you
cry.
B
'Oh ! Susanna.' From Miss Amy Henderson, Worry, Burke county,
in 1914. This uses Foster's text exactly.
^ Foster's text has "tear" for "star" and in the next stanza "fluid" for
"flew and."
490 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Susannah, Don't You Cry.' From Lois Johnson, Davidson county, along
with other songs and the notation : "I learned practically all these songs
from my mother, who was reared in Cumberland county." Consists of
stanza 2 with "mill" for "hill," the chorus without the third line of A,
and the latter half of stanza i.
D
No title. From Maysie Rea, Craven county. Not dated. A fragment :
the first three lines of stanza 2 and the chorus, which latter shows a
slight variation :
Oh, Susiana. don't you cry for me,
I'm going to Louisiana for to see my fairy fay.
'Suzanna.' From Katherine Barnard Jones. Raleigh. Not dated. Here
Foster's song has become mixed with another and quite different piece.
1 I saw Suzanna coming,
Turning round and round,
Broadaxe on her shoulder.
Going to boot the mountains down.
Chants:
Run, logan. rini. boys,
Run, logan, run.
Run, logan, run, boys.
Bound to have some fun.
2 Hot-cake was in her hand,
Tear was in her eye.
I saw Suzanna coming.
Poor Suzanna about to cry.
3 I am going down to Alabam ;
Don't you cry for me.
I aiu going down to Alabam
With the banjo on my knee.
F
No title, l-'rom William C. Cumming, Brunswick county; a fragment,
with the notation : "Still another song, and one that used to mystify us
a good deal, was in i)art as follows:"
Oh. Susiaima, don't you cry for me.
For I've gone to Calif orny with my banjo on my knee.
A buckwheat cake was in her eye,
A tear was in her nioiuli
No title. From .Minnie Bryan Grimes, Duplin county. Merely the two
lines of the chorus.
B L A C K F A C K M I X S T R K I. , \ K C K () SON C. S 49I
II
N(i title. From V. C. Royster, Wake county. Only the last two lines
of the first stanza.
'Oh Susanna!" From tlie John Ihirch Bhiyhick Collection, made in Cas-
well and adjoining counties in the years 1927-32. Te.xt as in .\ except
that it lacks the last line of the chorus as there given.
409
Nancy Till
Sear's Index lists this simply as a "Negro song-." It is known
in Kentucky (Shearin 23). and the Archive of American Folk
Song has a recording of it made in Washington. Probahlv it is
nmch more widely known than this short account implies. Our two
texts are identical.
A
'Xancy Till." Reported by Kemp P. Lewis in 1915 or thereabouts as
set down in 1910 from the singing of Dr. Kemp P. P>attle of Chapel
Hill.
1 Down in the cane])rake close by the mill
There lives a pretty girl and her name is Nancy Till.
She knew that I loved her. she knew it very long.
I'm going to serenade her. and this shall he tiie song :
Chorus:
Come. love, come, the boat lies low.
She lies high, dry, on the Ohio.
Come. love, come, won't you go along with me?
I'll row the boat while the boat rows me.
2 Open the window, love, oh, do.
And listen to the music I am playing for you.
The whisperings of love, so soft and low.
Harmonize my voice with the old banjo.
3 Softly the casement began for to rise.
The stars are a-shining above in the skies,
The moon is declining beyond yonder hill.
Reflecting its rays on you, my Nancy Till.
4 Farewell, love. I now mtist away,
I've a long way to travel before the break of day.
But the next time I come, be ready for to go
A-sailing on the banks of the Ohio.
'Nancy Till.' Contributed by C. K. Tillett of Wanchese, Roanoke
Island, in 1923. The text is as in A.
492 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
C
The tullowing fragment, contributed by V. C. Royster from Wake
county, with a note that it goes back before the Civil War, is perhaps
a memory of the same song :
Come, my love, and go with me,
J '11 take you down to Tennessee;
There we'll live a happy life,
Every da}' as man and wife.
410
Miss Julie Axx Glover
This jingle seems to be merely a variant of the more familiar
'Julie Ann Johnson,' of wliich the Archive of American Folk Song
has records from Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
With the name 'Grover' it has been reported from Maine (FSONE
224-5) 'ind with the name 'Glover' from Iowa (JAFL liv 167-8).
Our text conies from Georgia, but is reported by a North Carolinian.
'Miss Julie Ann Glover.' Reported by Mrs. C. C. Murphy of Ivanhoe,
Sampson county, as sung on Flint River, Georgia. With the tune.
As I was a-gwine to the mill one day
I met Miss Julie Anne a-gwine dat way.
She 'spressed her wish that she might ride.
An' I sot Miss Julie for to ride by my side.
Oh! set up thar. Miss Julie Ann Glover!
Bend yo' eyes an' I can but lub yer !
Oh! set up thar. Miss Julie Ann Glover!
Bend yo' eyes an' I can but lub yer !
411
Kitty W'ells
This song of Negro plantation life, the work of Thomas Sloan
in the sixties of the last century, has been so loved and sung in
divers parts of the country that it nmst be reckoned folk song, at
least according to John Meier's definition of folk song. It has been
reported as a traditional song in Pennsylvania (NPM 135-6), Vir-
ginia (SSSA 185-6), West Virginia (FSS 395), Kentucky (in
Shearin's Syllabus) . Tennessee (JAFL xlvi 47), North Carolina
(JAFL XLiv 79, FSSH 414-15), Indiana (BSI 351-2), Illinois
(TSSI 223-5), Michigan (SMLJ 216, BSSM 48c>^in the latter
case listed only), Iowa (MAFLS xxix 80-3), and Nebraska (ABS
202) ; the Archive of American Folk Song lists records of it from
California and (i)resumably) North Carolina (made by B. L. Luns-
ford) ; and it is doubtless known and sung as traditional song in
other parts of the country. Our collection has copies of it as
follows :
BLACKFACE MINSTREL. N E C R O S 0 N C S 493
A From I-. W. Anderson, Nag's Head.
B From Mrs. Mary Martin Copley ol near Durluun.
C From George D. Harmon, Union Mills, Rntherford county.
D From Otis Kuykendall, Asheville.
E From Miss Duo K. Smith, Houstonville, Iredell county.
F As sung on Rabbit Ham, Buncombe county; singer's name not given.
G From 1. G. Greer, Boone, Watauga county.
H From Miss Bonnie Ethel Dickson of Watauga county, west of Boone.
I From Julian P. Boyd, Alliance, Pamlico county.
J From Mrs. Sutton; sung by a girl "at the foot of Mt. .Mitciieil on
the Yancey county side."
K From Mrs. Minnie Church, Heaton, Avery county.
L From O. L. Coffey, Shull's Mills, Watauga county.
M From W. Amos Abrams, Boone, Watauga county.
These texts do not vary greatly : enougli to show that they have
for the most part heen set down from memory, hut not enough to
justify printing all of tliem here. One will he sufficient.
'Kitty Wells.' From L. W. Anderson of Nag's Head, collected from
Ellen Scarborough, a pupil in the school there.
1 You ask what makes this darky sad,
Why he like others am not gay.
What makes the tear flow down his cheek
From early morn till close of day?
My story, darkies, you shall hear.
For in my memory fresh it dwells ;
'Twill cause you all to drop a tear
On the grave of my sweet Kitty Wells.
Chorus:
When the birds were singing in the morning
And the myrtles and the ivy were in bloom,
When the sun o'er the hills was dawning,
'Twas then we laid her in the tomb.
2 Oh. I remember well the day
When we together roamed the dells ;
I kissed her cheek and named the day
When I should marry Kitty Wells.
But death came in my cabin door^
And stole from me my joy and pride ;
And when I found she was no more
I laid my banjo down and cried.
3 The springtime has no charms for me.
The flowers that bloom around the dells ;
There's a form I long to see,
The form of my sweet Kitty Wells.
* The manuscript, probably by a mere slip of the pen, has "dear."
N.C.F.. Vol. III. (.U)
494 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 I've sometimes wished that 1 was dead
And laid beside her in the tomb,
For sorrow now bows down my head
In silence to the midnight gloom ;
I'm longing for the day to come
When I sliall clasp her to my heart,
While in heavenly fields we roam
And never, never more to part.
412
Ella Rhee
This is no doubt from the nigger-minstrel stage, though I have
not been able to trace its history. It is in Dean's Flying Cloud,
p. 96, is listed in Miss Pound's syllabus, and there are records
of it from Missouri and California in the Archive of American
Folk Song.
'Ella Rhee.' Secured by Julian P. Boyd in 1927 from Graham Wayne,
a pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
1 Sweet Ella Rhee. so dear to me,
Is lost forevermore.
Our home was down in Tennessee
Before this cruel war.
Chorus:
Then carry me back to Tennessee,
Back where I long to be.
Among the fields of yellow corn.
To my darling Ella Rhee.
2 Oh. why did I from day to day
Keep wishing to be free
And from my massa run away
And leave my Ella Rhee ?
3 They said that I would soon he free
And happy all the day ;
But if I thought they'd take me hack
I'd never atrain nni awav.
413
Clare de Kitchen
S. Foster Damon reprints {Scries of Old American Songs No.
16) T. D. Rice's form of this favorite of the minstrel stage of a
hundred years ago, from the Harris collection at Brown University.
Miss Scarborough also gives it (TNFS iio-ii). Damon says that
r. I. A C K I- A C E M I X S T R K L , N K (1 K 0 SO N C S 495
it "is trt'ciuently found in the songsters after 1836"; one form of
it was printed in Baltimore as early as 1832. It is essentially a
medley of nonsense verses, and as such takes on various elements
in tradition (from which, prohably, it was originally taken up by
the minstrel stage). The refrain has been reported from South
Carolina (TNFS no), Florida (ibid.), and Illinois (JAFL xxxii
492). The stanza about the old horse is reported from Virginia
(TNFS 163-4), Tennessee (JAFL xxvi 123), and Indiana (SSSA
237), and without definite location by Ford {Traditional Music of
America 407-8) ; one about the terrapin and the toad (possum and
toad in our text) from Virginia (TNFS 164, 106) and from Ten-
nessee (JAFL XXVI 123).
A
'Old Jim Crow.' Contributed by Mrs. Emma W. Smith of Salisbury,
Rowan county, in 1922. With the tune. The title given is not justified
I)y the text; it is to be explained by the fact that her "Uncle John" is
"old Jim Crow" in the Rice version.
1 I saw Uncle John come riding by.
Says I, 'Uncle John, your horse will die.'
'If he does. I'll tan his skin.
If he don't. I'll ride him agin.'
Chorus:
Clear the kitchen, old folks, young folks.
Clear the kitchen, old Virginia never tire.
2 As I went up the new-cut road
I spied a possum and a toad.
Every time the toad did jump
The possum dodged behind the stump.
3 The gals are so proud they won't eat mush.
And when I go to court them they .say '(Jh hush.'
I wish I was back in old Kentuck.
For since I hove her here^ I had no luck.
B
'Clear the Kitchen.' Reported in 1914 by Miss Amy Henderson of
Worry. Burke county, as "a fragment of an old song.'' Dr. White notes
upon the manuscript that these stanzas "belong to the old minstrel
repertory." Cf. "Clar de Kitchen.' The Popular Xatioiial Soiii/ster. and
Lucy Xcal and Dan Tucker's Delif/ht. . . . Philadelphia : Published by
John B. Perry, 1845, pp. 153-4. One stanza of 'Clare de Kitchen' in
The Virginia Warbler (Richmond, 1845), p. 92, is similar to stanza 2
in B text.
I In old Kaintuck in the afternoon
We swep the floor with a brand new broom,
And after tliat we'd form a ring
^ The meaning of this phrase is not clear.
4g6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And this is the song that we would sing :
Clear the kitchen, old folks, young folks.
Clear the kitchen ;
Old \'irginny never tire.
2 A hull frog dressed in soldier's clothes
Went to the field to shoot some crows.
The crows smelt the powder and all flew away ;
The hull frog mighty mad that day.
Clear the kitchen, old folks, young folks,
Clear the kitchen ;
Old Virginny never tire.
414
Jim Crack Corn
This is one of the best-known of tlie nigger-niinstrel songs of
the last century, and has become more or less a traditional song.
See Mrs. Steely 165 (1935). Miss Scarborough (TNFS 201-3)
reports a text from Virginia almost identical with our A text. In
this form it is also known as 'The Blue-Tail Fly.' But the tune
and the chorus, very singable, have attracted fragments of other
songs so that sometimes — as in texts C. D, E below — only the
chorus of the original song is left. Alfred Williams in FSU^T 178
gives a text which he says was "popular about the Thames Valley."
'Jim Crack Corn.' Contributed by K. P. Lewis of Durham in 191 5. It
lacks the opening stanza of the version mentioned in the headnote above,
and adds an alien stanza — but one quite famihar in other connections —
at the end.
1 Den arter dinner massa sleep.
He hid dis nigger vigil keep ;
And when he gwine to shut his eye
He tell me watch the hlue-tailed fly.
Chorus:
Jim crack corn, 1 don't care,
Jim crack corn, I don't care,
Jim crack corn, I don't care,
Old massa's gone away.^
2 \\ hen he rides in the artcrnoon
I follow him with a hickory hroom.
The pony being very shy
When bitten by the hlue-tailed fly.
' In tlic manuscript tlie chorus is indicated only by the first three
words ; doubtless as being to(j well known to need writing out in full.
li L A C K F A C !•: M 1 N S T R K I, , N E c; K 0 SONGS 497
One day lie ride an inn' the farm,
The flies so nnnierons they did swarm.
One chanced to bite him on the thij^h:
"The dickens take that hhie-tailed fly!"
Tlie pony he reared and he jnmped and he ])itch,
And he flung old master in the ditch.
The jury came and wondered why.
The verdict was : "The blue-tailed fly.'
They l)uried him under a 'simmon tree,
His epitaph is there to see:
'Here lies I, all forced to die
By the bite of a blue-tailed fly.'
Ole massar's dead and gone to rest.
They say all things is for the best.
I never shal forget till the day I die
Ole massa and the blue-tailed fly.
De hornet gets in eyes and nose,
De skeeter bites you through de clothes,
De gallinipper flies up high ;
But wusser yet, the blue-tailed fly.
'Jim Crack Corn.' From Miss Amy Henderson of Worry, Burke
comity. The same as A except that it has the proper initial stanza :
\\ hen I was young I tised to wait
On massa and hand him de plate,
Pass down de bottle when he get dry,
And brush awav de blue-tail flv.
'I Wish I Had a Great Big House.' Contributed by Miss Monta
Adams, Durham, in 1922. Here there is nothing but the chorus left
of the original song. The "chicken pie" stanza appears in various con-
nections. For the second stanza see the 'I Wouldn't Marry' songs,
No. 17.
I I wish I had a great big house
Sixteen stories high
And every story in that house
Was filled with chicken pie.
Clionis:
Jim crack corn, I don't care.
Jim crack corn, I don't care,
Mv master's yone awav.
498 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 I wouldn't marry an old maid ;
I'll tell you the reason why :
Her neck's so long and skinny
I'm scared she'd never die.
D
'Jim Crack Corn.' Contributed by Lida Page, Durham county. Here
again only the chorus is left of the original song; the other two stanzas
occur fre(|uc'ntly in Negri) song. See No. 194, above.
1 Possum up a 'simmon tree
Looking cunningly at me.
ricked up a l)rick and hit him on the chin ;
Said he, '( )ld fellow, don't you do that again.'
C/ionts ( as in C) :
2 Folks that live on hshing creek
Grow from ten to eleven feet.
Go to bed, it is no use ;
Their feet stick out for the chickens' roost.
E
'Jim Crack Corn." Reported by Mrs. Nilla Lancaster of Wayne county.
Only the familiar chorus and a single stanza :
I went to the hen house on my knees
Just to hear the gobbler sneeze.
It was only a rooster sayin' his prayers,
Singiu' a hymn to the hens upstairs.
415
Lynchburg Town
White in ANFS 178 gives an account of the relation of this
song to the ante-bellum minstrel books and notes some of the re-
portings of it by later collectors. To the references there given
may be added Kentucky (Shearin 20, OSC 60-2) and North Caro-
lina (JAFL XXII 249). The core of the various texts is the refrain
"going down town" to sell — to chaw — his tobacco down. The name
of the town may vary; and so may the matter of the stanzas that
make up the different versions. Like 'Old Joe Clark,' which equally
admits a diversity of matter in its various versions, it has been
used as a play-party song; see the McLendon finding list, SFLQ
VIII 215. For other occurrences of the first stanzas of A and B,
see Nos. 161-64, above.
.\
'Get on D(j\vn to Ivichniond Town.' ()i)tained in 11J27 Ijy Julian P. lioyd
from Minnie Lee, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance, Pamlico
county. As various in content as some of the versions of 'Old Joe Clark.'
H L A C K F A C K M I N S l' R K L . N K C R 0 S O N CJ S 499
Dr. W'liito iu)tes on tlio manuscript that most of the stanzas and their
histories can be traced tln-on.uli the index of lirst linos in ANFS.
1 A raccoon has a bushy laih
A possum tail am hare;
Rabbit he come skippin' 'long,
He had none to spare.
Chorus:
(Jet on down town,
Get on down town.
Get on down to Richmond town
And carry my 'baccy down !
2 My old mistress had a cow,
I 'member say^ she was bo'n,
It takes a jay bird a thousand years
To fly from ho'n to ho'n !
3 I wouldn't marry a po' gal,
I'll tell you the reason why :
Her neck's so long and stringy
I'm afraid she'd never die !
4 God almighty made this world,
And then he made a whale ;
And then he made a fat raccoon
With a ring around his tail.
5 Raccoon is a cunning thing ;
He travel in de dark.
He never thinks to climb a tree
Till he hears old Growler bark.
6 My old mistress had a mule.
His name was Gilbert Brown.
Every tooth in Gilbert's head
Would cover an acre of ground.
'Get Along Down Town.' Contributed, apparently in 1921 or 1922, by
the Reverend L. D. Hayman of Elizabeth City, Pasquotank county. With
the tune.
I Possum up the 'simmon tree.
Raccoon on the ground.
Raccoon said to possum :
'Hand some 'simmons down!'
' So in the typescript. Should it be "day" ?
500 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Chorus:
Get 'long down town,
Get 'long down town,
Get "long down Newburg town,
Take my terbacker down.
2 Raccoon is a migbty man.
Totes a busby tail.
Steals all tbe farmer's corn "
And sbucks it on the rail.
3 Raccoon totes a busby tail,
Possum he goes bare ;
Rabbit he come hopping by,
Ain't got none to spare.
c
'Lynchburg Town.' Contributed by Miss Amy Henderson of Worry,
Burke county, in 1914. The version is defective at the end.
1 I'm gwine down to town,
I'm gwine down to town.
I'm gwine down to Lynchbtn'g town
To take my bacca down.
2 Bacca sellin" high.
Dollar and a half a pound,
A great big knife to cut it up
And a little gal to tote it round.
3 Somebody stole my good coon dog.
I wish they'd bring him back ;
Run the big niggers over the fence,
The little ones through the crack.
4 Marster had an old gray mule
D
'Down to Lynchburg Town.' From J. H. Burrus of Weaverville, Bun-
combe county, in 1922, with tlie notation: "Used for any old dance, such
as Virginia break-down, the singing being accompanied by the music on
an instrument, usually a banjo."
1 rf 1 had a scolding wife
I'd whip her, sure as she's born ;
I'd take her down to Lynchl)tu-g town
And trade her off for corn.
Clioriis :
( )li, I'm going down to town.
( )b. I'm going down to town,
BLACKFACE MINSTREL, NEGRO SONGS 50I
Oh, I'm going clown to Lynchburg town
To carry my tobacco down.
I went on down to town,
1 didn't aim to stay ;
I laid my head in a pretty girl's lap
And I could not get away.
'Lynchburg Town.' From the Reverend A. J. Burrus, Cliffside, Ruther-
ford county. With the music. The chorus as in D and a single stanza
much the same as the first in D :
If I had a sporting [v. I. scolding] wife
I'd whip her, sure's she's born.
I'd whip her down to Lynchburg town
And bid her ofi, of course.
T'se Gwine Down to Town.' From W. B. Leake, student at Trinity
College. Merely the chorus, as in D.
'Git Along Down Town." From Lucille Cheek of Chatham county.
Merely the chorus, as in D.
'Going Down to Town.' Published by Louise Rand Bascom in JAFL
XXII 249 with the remark that "it is similar in character to the 'Arkan-
saw Traveler,' and the fourth verse [of each stanza] is always the
invention of the singer. It runs on endlessly, and begins thus: — "
I'm goin' down to town,
I'm goin' down to town,
I'm goin' down to town,
To chaw my terbacco down.
Git along down town,
Git along down town,
Git along down town,
To bile that cabbage down.
No title. Reported by Mrs. Nilla Lancaster, Wayne county. Only the
chorus, three lines, slightly different from tlie preceding forms at the
end :
Carry mv bacco down to town,
Down to town, down to town.
Trade it ofi. for wine.
502 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
416
Mv Long Tail Blue
S. Foster Damon, in Series of Old Ajiicriccvi Songs, says that
'My Long Tail Blue' was the first song of the Negro dandy and
that George Washington Dixon, who sang it as early as 1827,
claimed authorship of it. Damon prints a copy of the early sheet
music. One of the earliest blackface minstrel favorites, the song
appears in Christy's Negro Songster (New York, 1855), pp. 149-50
(pagination of the book irregular), with chorus. The following
version corresponds roughly to stanzas i. 2, and 4 in Christy's.
It has changed locale and dropped political allusions to Andrew-
Jackson.
"My Long Tail Blue.' From Miss Zilpah Rebecca Frisbie, Marion,
McDowell county, c. 1923.
1 I's come to town to see 3'ou all.
And ax ye howdy do,
And sing a song not very long
Abotit my long tail blue.
2 Some darkies has but one coat.
But you see I's got two.
I wears my jacket all the week.
And Sunday my long tail blue.
3 As I went up Tutton Street,
I hollered atter Sue.
A watchman came and took me up,
And tore my long tail blue.
4 I took it to a tailor's shop
To see what he cotild do ;
He took a needle and some thread
An' mended my long tail blue.
5 Jim Crow was courting a yaller gal,
De darkies called her Sue,
You bet I backed that nigger out.
And swung my long tail blue.
6 If you want to win a lady's heart,
I'll tell you what to do —
Go down to a tiptop tailor's sliop.
And bu\' you a long tail blue.
417
Mv ( )l1': .MisTi's I'romiskd Mk
White. .'\XI-\S 132. shows that this song, of minstrel origin in
the 1850S, "had contemporary existence [of the first stanza] in
practically every section of the South." JAFL xxx 220 contains a
]? I. A C K F A C F. M I N S T R F. L , N E C. R O S O N G S 503
rini;-,L:anic soiii;- from Georiiia which hr.^ins w itli a story — cor-
respoiuliiii;- to "My Ole Mistiis I'roiniscil Mr,' foUowcd hy a refrain.
The second stanza continues :
Now she's dead and gone to licll.
I hope that tlie devil will burn her well.
Scarhorout;li (TXh'.S 1^)4-5) contains a song the second stanza of
which corresjionds to the followins^-. (See also TNFS 194.)
"My Ule Mistus Promised Ale.' From Miss Clara Hcarnc, Pittsboro,
Chatham county, c. 1923.
1 My ole mistus promised me
When she died she'd set me free.
Refrain :
Good mornin'. John.
Ans.: Howdy.
Good mornin'. John.
Ans.: Howdy.
2 She Hved so long her head got l)ald.
She got outer de notion er dyin' at ah.
3 My ole mistus killed a duck,
Didn' give me nuffin' hut de hone to suck.
4 Alv ole mistus killed a goose,
Didn' give me nuffin' but de greasy juice.
5 I'm on my way to the promised land,
A great big biscuit in each hand.
418
Old Zip Coon
The autliorslnp of 'Zip Coon,' "one of minstrelsy's earliest and
most characteristic and popular songs," was a matter of dispute
among George Nichols. Bob Farrell, and George W. Dixon. "It
resembled a rough jig dance, called Natcliy under the Hill, and
was said to have originated among the boatmen, gamblers, river
pirates, and courtesans who congregated freciuently for a real 'hoe-
down' at a rendezvous near Natchy." Farrell sang it at the Bowery
Theater in New York in 1834.. (Carl Wittke. Tambo and Bones,
a History of the American Minstrel Stage [Durham. N. C.. 1930],
pp. 16. 33.) There is a fairly early version of it in Cliristy's Negro
Songster (New^ York, 1855), pp. 177-80, which reads "sandy hol-
lar"' for "sandy hook." See also J. Foster Damon, Series of Old
American Songs (Providence, R. I., 1936), for the earliest printing
and for further details about the origin of 'Zip Coon.' Professor
Damon suggests that "some lost spiritual is the probable source" of
the tune, and states that the tune was used later for 'Turkey in the
504 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Straw.' See also The Popular Xational Songster, etc. (Philadel-
phia, 1845), pp. 177-80.
A
'Old Zip Coon.' From Miss Amy Henderson, Worry, Burke county,
c. 1915.
1 I went down to Sandy Hook t'other afternoon.
I went down to Sandy Hook t'other afternoon,
I went down to Sandy Hook t'other afternoon.
And the first man I met there was old Zip Coon.
Chorus:
Old Zip Coon is a very learned scholar,
Old Zip Coon is a very learned scholar,
Old Zip Coon is a very learned scholar.
He plays upon de banjo Cooney in de holler.
2 Old Sukey Blue-skin fell in love with me.
She 'vite me to her house to take a cup o' tea.
What do you think Old Suke had for supper?
Chicken foot, sparrow-grass, apple sass and butter.
3 Did you ever see the wild goose sail upon the ocean ?
The wild goose motion is a very pretty motion.
And when the wild goose winks he beckons to de swallow ;
Den de wild goose holler goggle, goggle, goller.
4 Oh ! my old Mistis she is mad with me
Because I wouldn't go with her and live in Tennessee.
Marster build a barn there and put in all de fodder.
This thing and that thing and one thing another.
The John Burch Blaylock Collection has a version practically identical
with A.
419
Camptown Races
Stephen Foster's 'Camptown Races' was enormously popular in
his own time, and is still widely known and sung, almost a hundred
years later, though it is not often included in collections of folk
song. Our collection has but a single stanza of it.
No title. Reported by S. O. H. Dickson of Winston-Salem in 1913 as
having been a "favorite song of little darkies 'i)efo' de Wah.' "
I gone down town wid ma pockets full o' tin,
Dudab! Dudah !
I come back home wid my bat cave in,
KLACKFACE MINSTREL, NEGRO SONGS 505
Dudah! Dudah day!
Uudah ! Dudah day !
I boun' ter run all night,
I boun' ter wuk all day.
I bet ma money on de bob-tail horse —
Dudah! Dudah dav !
420
Uncle Ned
The original 'Uncle Ned' was composed by Stephen C. Foster,
copyrijfht 1848. As a song, or more often as a rhyme, it is known
by most Southern people. It was early parodied (see B, below),
aiid the parody, too, has achieved some traditional diffusion. See
Randolph OFS ii 335-6.
A
'Uncle Ned.' From K. P. Lewis, Durham, c. 191 5, as set down in
November 1910 from Dr. Kemp P. Battle. Chapel Hill.
1 There was an old darkey, and his name was Uncle Ned,
And he lived a long time ago.
And he had no wool on the top of his head.
In the place where the wool ought to grow.
Chorus:
Lay down the shovel and the hoe.
Hang up the fiddle and the bow.
There's no more work for poor old Uncle Ned,
For he's gone where the good darkies go.
2 His fingers were as long as the cane in the brake,
And he had no eyes for to see.
And he had no teeth for to eat the corn cake.
So he had to let the corn cake be.
3 \\'hen Uncle Ned died. Missus took it very hard.
And the tears ran down like the rain,
And the darkies all said when they saw the old man dead,
They would never see his like again.
B
From the same informants, with note: "First verse of above [parodied]
as smig by Hon. R. H. Battle of Raleigh." S. Andrews, New York,
one of the early penny song publishers, printed this parody. The Battle
version of it shows a number of variations.
There was an ancient colored individual, and his cog-
nomen was Uncle Edward,
And he lived in the time long since past.
506 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And he had no capillary substance on the summit of his
])ericranium.
In the place where the capillary sul)stance is accustomed
to vegetate.
Lay the agricultural implements prone upon the floor,
Let the musical instruments be suspended on the wall,
For there's no more arduous labor to be performed by
ancient Uncle Edward.
For he's gone to the place designated by kind Provi-
dence for good kind colored individuals.
c
'Uncle Ned.' From Miss Lucille Cheek, Chatham county; no date. This,
like the Battle A version, shows numerous changes of the original printed
text of 1848.
1 There was an old darkey, and his name was Uncle Ned ;
He died long ago, long ago.
He had no hair on the top of his head
The place where the hair ought to grow.
Chorus:
Then lay down your sho\el and your hoe,
Hang up your fiddle and your bow ;
For there's no more work for poor Uncle Ned,
He's gone where the good darkies go.
2 One cold frosty morning when Uncle Ned died
The tears streamed down like rain,
For we knew when we put that darkey in his grave
We'd never see his like again.
421
Way Down on tiik Old Phedee
Songs about the Peedee appeared early in blackface minstrelsy.
Christy's Nigga Songster (New A'ork, n.d., pp. 164-5) has one with
a chorus ending :
Way down in tlie countoree.
Four or five miles from de ole Pec Dee.
(hunbo Chaff's The lltJiiopiau C,lcc Book (Boston, l(S4(;, p. 154)
includes another of which the following is a sample:
In .Souf C arolina I was horn.
I Inisk de wood an choj) de corn,
De roastin ear to de house I l)ring,
De nigger cotch mo an 1 sing:
Chorus :
Ring de hoop ! blow de horn !
H I. A f K F A C I". M I N S T K K I. , N K C k O S () N C S 507
Cotch dc nigger a steal in corn,
Way down in die low groun fiel,
3-4 mile from Pompey's heel.
There is another sonj^', of more recent provenience, traditional, and
closer to the A text below, in Lydia Parrish's Sla7'c Songs of the
Georgia Sea Islands (New \'ork, 1942, pp. 122-3).
A
From Mr. K. P. Lewis, Durham, c. 1915, as set down from tiie recitation
or singing of Dr. Kenij) P. Battle, Chapel Hill, in Xoveniher lyio.
Way down on de ok- Pcedee.
Way down on de ole IV-edee,
I'll take my boat
And way I will float
Way down on the old Peedee.
B
'Old Darkey Joe.' Contributed by Miss Jewell Robbins of Pekin, Mont-
gomery county (afterwards Mrs. C. P. Perdue), in 1922. With the air.
The name appended is probably that of the person who wrote out the
song for Aliss Robbins.
1 Away down sotith, on the old Peedee,
Away down in the cotton and the corn,
There lived old Joe ; and he lived so long
That nobody knows when he was born.
Chorus:
No use now to weep for darkey Joe,
Sleeping by the tall green corn,
It doesn't matter now for old darkey Joe ;
Nobody knows when he was born.
2 The wind blows soft on the old Peedee,
Away down in the cotton and the corn.
Sighing now for old darkey Joe ;
But nobody knows when he was born.
3 There's an old gray stone on the old Peedee,
Away down in the cotton and the corn.
Tell us all when old Joe died ;
But nobody knows when he was born.
W\ A. Leach
422
Shinbone Alley
The oldest text of this sons? that S. Foster Damon could find
was published as sung- by Daddy Rice in 1833 (Scries of Old
American Songs No. 18, from a print in the Harris collection at
508 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Brown University) ; but he says it was already current in more
than one form before that, being "rooted deep in the Negro past."
It had great popularity and prompted Morris's Long Time Ago
('Near the Lake where Drooped the Willow'). Our stanza is not
in the text printed by Damon. A variant of it is reported by Odum
and Johnson (NWS 176) as part of a Negro work song.
No title. Contributed by V. C. Royster of Wake county as from "an
old man who lived in Cumberland county before the [Civil?] War. Prob-
ably sung in Wake also."
Old IVliss Tuck and my aunt Sallie
Both lived down in shin bone alley.
No sign on the gate, no number on the door ;
Folks around here are gittin' mighty poor.
423
Some Folks Say that a Nigger W'on't Steal
For the song based on this line, its distribution and its history,
see ANFS 370-2, and add South Carolina (JAFL xliv 425) and
the Midwest (Ford's Traditional Music of America i7i)- It seems
to be equally familiar to whites and blacks. It is associated, in our
North Carolina texts, with various refrains : with "you shall be
free" in E and F, with "run, nigger, run" in G and H, and with
"way down yonder in the cornfield" in I (so too in Ford's text).
The texts are mostly of one stanza, never, apparently, in North
Carolina, of more than two and a refrain. Although they are much
alike, they vary in details, and most of them are therefore given
here in full. Cf. 'Whar Did You Cum From?' The Popular Na-
tional Songster, etc. (Philadelphia, 1845), PP- 187-8.
No title. From Mildred Peterson, Bladen county, in 1923 or thereabouts.
In this and the three following no refrain is indicated.
1 Some people say a negro won't steal.
I caught two in my corn field :
One had a shovel, the other had a hoe.
If that ain't stealing I don't know.
2 Some say that a negro won't steal.
But I caught three in my cornfield.
I ran them down a ])ine thicket.
Stuck my head in a yellowjacket's nest.
B
'Some Say dat a Nigger Won't Steal.' Reported by David T. House,
Jr., of Durham, in 1919. The first stanza of A with only slight verbal
differences.
IJ I. A C K F A C K M 1 N S T R K I. . N E (; K O SON C S 509
c
'Song.' Contributed by Miss Minnie Bryan Farrior of Duplin county.
No date given.
Some folks say a iiigj^er won't steal,
But I caught three in niy corntiekl ;
One had a bushel and one had a peck,
And one had some hung around his neck.
D
No title, l-'roni Miss Kate S. Russell, Roxboro, Person county. Not
dated.
Some folks say that a nigger won't steal.
1 catight forty in my corn field ;
One had a bushel and one had a peck
One had a roasten-ear tied around his neck.
E
'Some Folks Say that a Negro Won't Steal." From Lucille Massey,
Durham. This has the "you shall be free" refrain. The same as A
except for the refrain, which runs :
Oh, moana, you shall be free,
Oh, moana, you shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free.
F
'Oh, Mourner.' Reported by Clara Hearne of Pittsboro, Chatham county,
in 1923. This is the longest of the North Carolina texts.
Some folks say a nigger won't steal,
But I caught seven in my cornfield.
One had a bushel and the other had a peck.
One had a roas'n' ear strung around his neck.
Refrain:
Oh, moana. you shall be free
\\^hen the good Lord sets you free.
Some folks say a nigger won't steal.
But I caught two in my corn field.
One had a shovel, an' one had a hoe ;
If that ain't stealing I don't know.
Soitie folks say a nigger won't rouse.
But I caught two in my smoke-house ;
One had a middling and one had a ham
G
No title. From Flossie Marshbanks, Mars Hill, Madison county. It is
the same as A except that between the first two and the last two lines
a refrain is inserted :
N.C.F., Vnl. TTI. (3S)
510 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Run, nigger, run. the pattyroll'll ketch you.
Run. nigger, run. it's ahiiost clay.
Run. nigger, run. the pattyroll'll ketch you.
Run. it's almost day.
H
No title. From Antoinette Beasley, Monroe, Union county. This con-
sists of the first half of A (with "six" for "two") and a shortened form
of tlie "run, nigger, run" refrain.
I
'Oh, Mourner.' From Miss Doris Overton, Durham, in 1922. It is a
curious conglomerate.
1 Some folks say that a nigger won't' steal.
Way down, wav down, way down yonder in the corn-
field.
But I caught one in my cornfield.
Way down, wav down, wav down vonder in the corn-
field.
One had a shovel and the other had a hoe.
Way down, wav down, wa\- down yonder in the corn-
field.
2 If that ain't stealin'. I don't know.
Way down, wav down, way down vonder in the corn-
field.
Oh, mourner, you' shall be free.
Way down, wax down, wav down, yonder in the corn-
field.
When the good Lord sets you free.
Way down, wav down, wav down vonder in the corn-
field.
424
The Happy Coon
Dr. White notes on tlie manuscript: "Looks to me very much like
a product of the later minstrels (ca. 1900-10) which may pass into
folk-possession as the 1840 minstrel songs often did." He prints
a version from Florida, ANFS 222.
'The Happy Coon.' Obtained by Julian P. Boyd in 1927 from Jeannette
Tingle, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
I I've seen in my time some mighty funny things.
But the funniest of all I know
Is a colored individual, just as sho' as you is ho'n.
And he's black as any crow.
' The manuscript has "would" in the first line and "who" in tlie ninth;
clearly errors for "won't" and "you," respectively.
15 L A C K F A C K M I N S T K K I. , X E C K O SO X (; S 5 1 I
2 You may talk till ^-ou're tired, hut you'll never i;et a word
From this very queer old coon.
He's knock-kneed, double-jointed, pigeon-toed.
And he's happy when he whistles his tune.
3 He whistles in the daw in the morn, in the ni^ht ;
And he whistles like the devil goin' to l)ed.
He whistles like a locomotive engine in his sleep;
And he whistled when his wife was dead.
4 (Jne day a nigger hit him in the moiuh with a hrick.
His mouth swelled up like a big balloon.
Still, he went around the very next day,
And he whistled his merrv tune.
425
The Preacher and the Bear
This is reported from Virginia as a Negro folk tale with verses
at the end (JAFL xxxii 360-1). It is, or was, known in Kentucky
(Shearin 31) and in the Ozarks (Ford 300-2). White, reporting
it as Negro song from Alabama ( ANFS 210), says it is originally
a minstrel song. Davis FSV 336 lists it.
A
'Preaclier Went Out Hunting.' Obtained in 1923 from Airs. W. L.
Pridgen of Durliam.
1 A preacher went out huntin'
One nice bright Sunday morn.
It was against religion.
But he took his gun along.
2 He killed some nice fat quail
And a great big molly har',
And on the way home he met
A great hie grizzlv b'ar.
3 '() Lord, if you can't help me.
Por the Lord's sake don't help that bear!'
Parson went up the 'simmon tree.
Bear went out a limb ;
Preacher said, Tf he stays there
I don't give a dim'.'^
^ So the manuscript gives the last word. Apparently the reporter
understands it as a twisting of "dime"' to rhyme with "limb" ; but one
suspects that it is rather a bowdlerizing of "damn."
512 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'The Preacher and the Bear." Obtained, probably in 1923-24. from Miss
Tina Fussell of Snow Hill, Greene county. \\'ith the music.
1 A preacher went out huntiii' ;
'Twas on one Sunday morn.
He knew it was against religion,
But lie took his gun along.
2 He killed himself some very line quail
And one little measly hare ;
And on his way — he was goin' home —
He met a great big grizzly bear.
3 The bear stood out in the middle of the road,
An' oh. dat coon, you see,
Dat coon got so excited
He climbed a 'simmon tree.
426
I \\'as Born About Tex Thousand Years Ago
This bragging song probably originated as a vaudeville produc-
tion. As a humorous performance it is known — or has been — in
Virginia (AMS loi), Tennessee (JAFL xxvi 160). and Michigan
(BSSM 448-9), and Sandburg (ASb 330-1 ) gives it without saying
where he found it. Whether as known by Negroes (ANFS 146,
Alabama from Florida) it is consciously humorous or not is not
clear; but a text from Maryland (JAFL xxvi 190) obviously de-
rived from our humorous song is quite clearly religious in temper.
It deals onlv with events in the life of Christ. See also 'The
Highly Educated Man' (ABFS 346-50).
A
'I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago.' Reported by H. F.
Shaw from the "eastern part of North Carolina." without date.
1 I was born abotit ten thousand years ago
And there is nothing in this world that I don't know.
I was behind the Inishes, beating, when that apple Eve
was eating.
I can prove that I was the man what ate the core.
2 I was there when Cain slew Abel in the glade.
I know that the game was ])oker that they played ;
But right here coities the rub : some say it was a club,
Btit I'll bet it was a diamond or a spade.
3 I was there when Noah built his famous ark
And I crawled in one evening after dark.
BLACKFACE M I \ S T R K I. . X K C K 0 SON C S 513
I twisted the lion's tail, and made Jonah swallow the
whale,
And I swam the Atlantic on a l(jg.
4 Queen Victoria she fell in love with me.
\\'e were secretly married in Milwaukee;
But I got tired and shook her and jcMued Cieneral Hooker
Fighting- skeeters down in sunny Tennessee.
B
"I Was Born Ten Tliousand Years Ago.' From Miss Eura Manguin
of Durham, in 1922. With the tune. Only the first five lines.
1 was horn ten thousand years ago.
There isn't anything that I don't know.
I saw Peter, Paul, and Moses playing ring-around-the-
roses
And I'll lick the man who says it isn't so!
I taught Solomon his little A B C's
c
'I Was Born About a Thousand Years Ago.' Reported by Miss Aura
Holton of Durham about the year 1924. But the text seems not to have
been preserved.
The two fragments here following show a confusion of our brag-
ging song with another song quite different not only in temper but
in verse structure, 'Goodbye, Susan jane.'
'I Went to See My Susan.' Contributed by C. L. Walker, place and
time not noted. In the manuscript the third stanza is marked "chorus"
and the fifth stanza "chorus to first verse" ; which probably means that
stanza 3 is the chorus of the biblical burlesque and stanza 5, or the
first half of it, is the chorus of 'Susan Jane.'
1 I went to see my Susan ;
She met me at the door
And told me that I need not come
To see her any more.
2 She fell in love with Rufus
Ahram Jackson Pane.
I looked her in the eye and said,
'Goodhye, Susan Jane.'
3 I was horn ahout ten thousand years ago.
Ain't nothing I don't know.
Standing on Mount Zion I saw Sampson slav the lion ;
And I can lick any man that says it ain't so.
4 Saw Noah when he Iniilt dat famous ark.
Crept in one night right after dark.
514 NORTH CAROLINA F 0 L K L 0 K K
I twistt'd a lion tail and saw Jonah swallowed the whale
And rid through the land of Canaan on the ark.
5 Oh. Susan, stop your fooling
And give your heart to me.
Oh, give me back nn- own true love
And I will let you be.
I useter love you dearly,
And I will never love again.
1 looked her in the eye and said
'Goodbye, Susan Jane.'
E
'Saw Noah When He Built dat Famous Ark.' From D. C. Crawford,
w^ithout notation of time or place. Made of the same elements as D,
and no less confused. It appears in the Collection in two sheets. On
one of them the Noah stanza is followed by stanza 5 of D labeled
"chorus" ; on the other the first two stanzas of D are followed by the
"I was born" stanza labeled "chorus." Apparently the two songs are
actually combined in some way by singers, but our manuscripts do not
enable one to make out how.
427
Have a Little Banjo Beating
From J. B. Midgett, Wanchese. Roanoke Island, identified by Dr. White
as "probably the uncle of P. D. Midgett, Jr., a Trinity student wdio
wrote F.C.B. from Wanchese in 1920 that his father knew about 500
songs." Phonograph recording ("as sung by Mr. or Mrs. C. K. Tillett,
Wanchese, 12-29-22"). Resembles 'Have a" Little Dance,' in Christy's
Negro Sonysfcr (New York, 1855), p. 18.
1 Stay a little longer and don't keep a noise
\\ hile old Massa and Missus is sleeping.
We'll go in the barnyard and awake up the boys
And have a little banjo beating.
Chants:
Ho. ho, ho, a long time ago,
Ho, ho. ho, a long time ago.
2 The hardest work I ever done
Was grubbing around the pine ;
The easiest work I ever did
Was hugging that girl of mine.
3 I've been to the east, Lve been to the west,
I've been to South Carolina,
Lve been so far beyond the sun
I heard jioor negro hollow.
li L A C K F A C E MINSTREL, N E c; R 0 SONGS 5 1 5
4 The telegraph is mighty swift,
But a negro's heel is swifter.
I'll go down in New Orleans
And marry Pop Miller's sister.
5 1 took Susanna hy the hand
And led her across the field.
Her ankle stuck fast in the middle of the ditch
And she couldn't get out for her heel.
428
The Traveling Coon
A
From Percy F. Dilling, Trinity College student, Decemljer 5, 1919, with
music by E. C Lovell and note : "Sung by travelling minstrel at King's
Mountain, Cleveland County, N. C." As in White ANFS 349 (without
music).
1 Once there was a travelling coon
Who was born in Tennessee.
He made his living stealing chickens
And everything else he could see.
Chorus:
Well, he travelled and was known for miles around,
And he didn't get enough, he didn't get enough,
Till the police shot him down.
2 Well, the police got in an automobile ;
They got right after that coon.
No matter how fast that freigh train past.
That coon was sho' to get on board.
3 That coon got on the Titanic steamship
And sailed across the ocean blue.
When he saw that iceberg a-comin'.
Right overboard he flew.
4 The people standin' aroun'
Said that nigger was sure a fool.
But when that Titanic ship went down.
He was shootin' craps in Liverpool.
5 They sent for his mother down in Cjeorgia ;
She was all carried 'way with tears.
When she opened tip the coffin for to see her boy.
He hafl done a disaj^peared.
B
No title. From an informant identified only as Woodard ; no date. Cor-
responds to chorus and stanzas 3 and 4 of .\.
5l6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
429
The Voodoo Man
White, who printed this text in ANFS 206-7 (without music),
described it as "apparently of comparatively recent vaudeville
origin" and stated that he had a copy of it from Auburn, Alabama.
No title. From James E. Lj^on. High Point. Guilford county, c. 1919,
with music.
Chorus:
I've been hoodooed
I've been hoodooed,
Hoodooed by a nigger voodoo ;
I've been hoodooed, hoodooed,
Hooddooed by a big black coon.
1 Oh! coon for me had a great infatuation;
He wanted me to marry but he had no situation.
As soon as I refused.
That coon he got wild.
Says he. Tm bound for to hoodoo this child.'
He went out and got a rabbit's foot
And burned it with a frog
Down in the hollow of an old burnt log
Right by the road where I had to pass along.
Ever since that time my head's been wrong.
My bones began to ache
And my teeth began to chatter ;
Went to the doctor and he couldn't tell the matter.
Says he, 'You are a gone coon, gone up the spout.'
He looked at my head and my hair fell out.
Nobody knows how funny I feel —
Even the husk fell ofif mv heel.
Chorus:
2 That same black coon had an awful disposition;
He could do more tricks than Herman the magician.
My daddy went out for to kill this black moke.^
That coon only laughed for he throught- it was a joke.
He had all the other coons afraid to look him in the eve.
He had a lot of niggers that he taught to fly.
All the police for this coon had to search.
He robbed a nigger right at church.
He would grab up a chicken and it wouldn't even holler.
He would throw down his gopher, and 'most everything
would follow.
* Apparently an error for "smoke."
'■' Apparently an error for "thought."
BLACKFACE MINSTREL, N E C. R O SONGS 51/
It may seem strange but it ain't no lie.
I hope in my heart that coon will die.
For I can't sleep, walk. talk, nor cat ;
Guess I'm dead — my heart don't heat.
Chorus:
(Repeat the first five lines)
430
Ain't Goxxa Rain No More
This is perhaps a chant of Negro origin. See White's note on
the version in ANFS 281-2, which is our A text. It is rather
widely known: among Southern Negroes (JAFL xxiv 277, 374),
as a dance song in Texas (TNFS 107-8) and Nebraska (ASb 141),
and Finger heard it sung in Patagonia (FB 163. by an American
Negro). The fragments of meaning that have attached themselves
to the key refrain vary, as will be seen from our Nortli Carolina
texts. See ]\Irs. Steely 217-18 (i935)-
A
'It Ain't er Gwine ter Rain.' Reported by H. H. Hanchey of Durham
in 1919 as heard some four years before that. Said to be a "song sung
bv slaves when they went back to work after a rainy day." Previously
printed, ANFS 208. The contributor notes that "it was said to be a
sign of' dry weather to see a rabbit sitting in the fence corner."
1 It ain't er gwine ter rain, it ain't er gwine ter rain,
It ain't er gwine ter rain no mo' ;
It rained last night an' de night befo'.^
2 Rabbit settin' in de jamb ob de fence.
It ain't er gwine ter rain no mo'.
He's settin' thar for de like- ob sense,
It ain't er gwine ter rain no mo'.
B
"Tain't Gon' Rain an' 'Tain't Gon' Snow.' Contributed in 1922 or there-
abouts by Jennie Belvin, Durham.
1 'Tain't gon' rain and 'tain't gon' .snow,
'Tain't gon' rain no mo'.
'Tain't gon' rain and 'tain't gon' snow,
'Tain't gon' rain no mo".
2 Rabbit settin' behind the pine,
'Tain't gon' rain no mo'.
One eye out an' the other'n blind.
Ain't gon' rain no mo'.
' One expects a repetition of the refrain line after line 3. but the
manuscript does not give it.
- For "lack," of course.
5l8 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 What does the blackbird say to the crow ?
'Tain't gon' to rain no mo'.
It ain't gon' to rain no mo'.
'Tain't gon' to rain no mo'.
"Tain't A-Going to Rain No More.' Reported in 1923 by Clara Hearnc
of Pittsboro, Chatbam county.
1 'T ain't goin' rain, 't ain't goin' snow,
'T ain't goin' rain no more.
2 Rabbit sittin' behind the pine.
One eye out and the other blind.
'T ain't gwine rain no more.
3 Red bug hauling, seed tick a-mauling ;
'T ain't gwine rain no more.
4 How do you know, an' who said so?
'T ain't gwine rain no more.
D
"T ain't Goin' to Rain No More.' Obtained from Carl G. Knox, Dur-
bam, some time in tbe period 1922-24. Witb tbe tune. Here a human
figure takes tbe place of tbe rabbit.
1 Old Aunt Dinah behind the pine —
'T ain't goin' a rain no more —
One eye out and the other one blind —
'T ain't goin' a rain no more.
2 Big boy, little boy, picking up sticks —
'T ain't goin' a rain no more —
Big boy, little boy, picking up sticks —
'T ain't goin' a rain no more.
3 Little boy, big boy, picking up sticks —
'T is goin' a rain some more —
Little boy, big boy, picking up sticks —
'T is goin' a rain some more.
E
'Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'.' From Miss Mamie Mansfield of Durbam,
June 1922. Tbis attaches entirely new matter to the refrain. It sounds
as if it might be a play-party song. Compare ANFS 268.
I got a husband, a sweetheart too.
Ain't gwine a rain no mo'.
Hu.sband don't love me, sweetheart do.
Ain't gwine a rain no mo'.
B I. A C K F A C K M 1 X S T K K I- , N K C K O SO N C S 5I9
Ain't Oct to Ckv No Mork
This appears in the Collection in the hand of Dr. Brown, undated Pre-
suniahlv it is a product of the school of l)lack-face sentnnenta nnn-
strelsv'wliich Dr. Brown heard somewhere. We have not lound it ni
other' collections. p:vidently made on the suggestion of 'Am t (jonna
Rain No More.'
1 Ain"l gut to crv no more.
Ain't got to cry no more;
Blackberries growin' round mah cabin door;
Ain't got to cry no more.
2 I ain't got to cry no more,
Ain't got to cry no more ;
Pickaninnies rollin' on mab calmi door,^
T ain't got to cry no more.
3 Ain't got to cry no more,
Ain't got to cry no more ;
Possum gittin' fat bebin' my cabin door ;
Ain't srot to cry no more.
432
Boil Them Cabbage Down
See White ANFS 303 and Scarborough TNFS 124 and 168. See
also Mrs. Steely 221-4 (1934)-
From Julian P. Boyd, from an anonymous pupil of the school at Alli-
ance. Pamlico county; undated, but c. 1927-28.
Boil them cabbage down.
Turn them round and round.
Look out, nigger, don't give me any sass,
And boil them cabbage down.
Turn them round and round.
Look out. nigger, don't you give mc any sass,
And boil them cabbage down.
433
Broder Eton Got de Coon
See White ANFS 223. and Steelv 216 (i935>- Dr. White adds:
"l' think the first two stanzas at least are of old minstrel origin.
From Julian P. Boyd, from Catherine Bennett, a pupil of the school at
Alliance, Pamlico county: undated, hut c. 1927-28.
^ This seems to be a mistake for "floor."
520 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 De Lord made de wide world.
And den he made a whale.
And den he made a big raccoon,
Wid a ring around his tail.
Ciiorus:
Broder Eton got de coon !
(ione on, gone on, gone on,
Broder Eton got de coon.
Gone on, left me l)arkin' up a tree!
2 De Lord made a nigger.
He made 'im in de night.
He made 'im in a hurry.
And forgot to make 'ini white.
3 \\'hen I come to die, 1 want to be ready.
Lay me down, straighten my feet,
So I c'n git to heben
By de middle of de week.
4 If I had a needle.
As fine as I could sew,
I'd tack my sweetheart to my side.
And down de road we'd go.
434
Chicken
See Perrow JAFL xxvi 130 (from Mississippi). Dr. White
notes: "I remember this from childhood as a minstrel coon song in
Western North Carolina in early 1900's."
From Julian P. Boyd, from an anonymous pupil of the school at Alli-
ance, Pamlico county ; undated, but c. 1927-28.
Chicken, oh, you chicken, went up in a balloon,
Chicken, oh, you chicken, roost behind the moon.
Chicken, oh, you chicken, flop your wings and fly.
Tell it all to the bad boy, chicken don't rocjst so high.
Chicken, oh, chicken.
You rascum, they know just what I mean
When they see me coming.
All round this old plantation
There can't be a chicken seen.
Chorus:
()h, you rascal, flo]) your wings and fly.
Tell (?) it all to tlu' bad boy :
Chicken don't roost so high.
BLACKFACE MINSTREL, N E c; R O SONGS 521
435
The Dummy Line
A Nesro hobo and railroad song about "a small train running
on a short track." Terrow JAFL xxvi 171 gives two variants, one
from Alabama, one from Mississippi, collected 1908-09. Both make
Atlanta the point of departure. See also Scarborough TNFS 244-5
(one text from North Carolina) and Satis N. Coleman and Adolph
Bregnan, Songs of American Folks (New York, 1942), pp. 76-7.
A
From Miss Eura Mangum, Diirliani ; dated 1922.
Some folks says a dummy won't rtin.
But listen, let me tell you what a dummy's done done —
Left New York at half-past one.
Rolled into 'p-risco at the settin' of the sun.
Chorus:
On the Dummy Line, on the Dummy Line.
Ridin' and a shinin' on the Dummy Line.
Ridin' and a shinin' and pay your fine.
Ridin' and a shinin' on the Dummy Dummy Line.
"As sung on Turkey Creek, in Buncombe Co., N. C." ; informant's name
not given— possibly Bascom Lamar Lunsford. An interesting version.
The chorus works' in the name of a river and a county in eastern North
Carolina. The second stanza is perhaps traceable ultimately to 'From
Whar Did You Come From?' (c. 1840). popularized by Joel W. Sweeny,
"father of the modern banjo." See S. F. Damon. Scries of Old A men-
can Songs (Providence, R. T, 1936).
1 Some folks say a dummy can't run. Sugar Bahe ;
Some folks say a dummy can't run. Sugar Rahe.
Git on the dummy, didn't have no money :
They hit me on the head with a two-hy-four.
Not'a-goin' to ride on the dummy no more, Sugar Bahe.
[Chonts?]
Way down yonder in Pasquotank. Sugar Bahe;
Way down yonder in Pasquotank. Sugar Bahe.
Way down yonder in Pasquotank.
The' hullfrogs jump from hank to hank. Sugar Bahe.
2 Some folks sav that niggers don't steal. Sugar Bahe ;
Some folks say that niggers don't steal. Sugar Bahe.
Some folks say that niggers don't steal.
But I caught seven in my cornfield, Sugar liahe.
522 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Eliza Jane ( I)
See W'liite ANFS 172-4 for a history of the song, several vari-
ants, and references to other coUections containing it.
'Li'l Liza Jane.' From Miss Tina Fussell, Snow Hill, Greene county,
c. 1920-21.
1 I got a gal and you got none,
Li'l Liza Jane.
I got a gal and you got none,
Li'l Liza Jane.
Chonis:
Oh, Eliza, li'l Liza Jane,
Oh, Eliza, li'l Liza Jane.
2 House and lot in Baltimore,
Li'l Liza Jane,
Lots of chilluns round de floor,
Li'l Liza Jane.
437
Eliza Jane (II)
'Liza Jane.' From Miss Mildred Peterson, Bladen county, in 1923.
1 When I go a ridin',
I take the railroad train ;
But when I go a-courtin',
I take sweet 'Liza Jane.
2 When I go a-fishing,
I take my hook and line ;
But when I go a-courtin',
I take my gal o' mine.
3 You climb up the oak tree,
I'll climb up the gum,
1 never see a pretty gal
But what I love her some.
4 I wish 1 had a needle and thread.
As hne as i could sew,
I'd sew my true love to my side,
.\nd down the road we'd go.
5 You go ride the (jld gray horse,
I'll go ride the roan ;
^'(»u hug and kiss you gal,
I'll hug and kiss my own.
I! I. A C K F A C E M 1 N S T K E I. , X E C K O S <) N C S 523
l^\-KRVH()i)v's (1ai. Is My (Iai,
From Julian P. Boyd, who obtained it from jiamutte Tin^lf, a pupil
in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
1 l{vcrvl)()dy's gal is my gal.
•My partner's gal is my gal loo.
If you ain't mighty keerful.
I'll take 'er right away from voti.
2 If you got a good gal.
You better pin 'er to your side,
'Cause if she flags my train,
I'm gonna let 'er ride.
3 Everyl)()dy's gal is my gal.
Aiy i)artner's gal is my gal too.
439
Go 'Way from My Window
This fragment of Negro song resembles the ancient serenade.
(Cf. 'The Drowsy Sleeper.') See Lomax ABFS 198.
From Miss Clara Hearne, Pittsboro, Chatham county; undated.
Go 'way from my window,
Stop hangin' on my do'.
Got another Brownie,
Don't love you no mo'.
440
Here Lies de Body uv Po' Little Ben
From an anonymous contributor, without address or date. It is related
to 'Oh, Dat Watermilion,' No. 454, and to 'Watermelon Hanging on the
Vine,' No. 468.
1 Here lies de body uv po' little Ben.
We ain't gwyne to see 'im in I dunno when.
'Twus hard to part, but it could 'a' been wuss,
'Case Ben mou'ter been a no-'count cuss.
2 Ham bone am sweet, beats all de meat.
Possum am very, very fine.
l>ut give me. o, give me de bestes' thing of all,
'Tis de watermillion hanging on de vine.
524 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
441
I'm CioiNc; Down the Road Feeling Bad
B. A. Botkin, editor of A Treasury of American Folklore, in-
cludes in that volume (p. 876) a version of this song, the words of
which, he notes, were written by Woody Guthrie. There are sliglit
verbal differences between the two versions, and the original does
not include stanza six given below. Davis FSV 279 lists the title.
From the John liurcli Blaylock Collection.
1 I'm going down the road feeling bad.
I'm going down the road feeling l)ad,
I'm going down the road feeling bad,
And I ain't gonna be treated this-a way.
2 I'm down in the jail on my knees,
I'm down in the jail on my knees,
I'm down in the jail on my knees,
And I ain't gonna be treated this-a way.
3 Oh, it's nothing but cornbread and peas,
Oh, it's nothing but cornbread and peas,
Oh, it's nothing but cornbread and peas.
And I ain't gonna be treated this-a way.
4 I'm going where the climate suits my clothes,
I'm going where the climate suits my clothes,
I'm going where the climate suits my clothes.
And I ain't gonna be treated this-a way.
5 These five dollar shoes hurt my feet.
Oh, these five dollar shoes hurt my feet,
Oh, these five dollar shoes hurt my feet,
And I ain't gonna be treated this-a way.
6 I'm leaving if I never come back.
Oh, I'm leaving if I never come back.
Oh, I'm leaving if I never come back.
And I ain't gonna be treated this-a way.
442
I Could'n Li\'k P)Edout dk I-'lowers
Of minstrel origin, this song was often rejjrinted on penny sheets
and in songsters of the mid-nineteenth century.
From the mother of Mrs. C. C". Thomas, whose address was not given;
undated ; descril)ed as "plantation song."
I I ccnild'n live bedout de flowers,
Ur dat sweet mapnolia tree.
15 L A C K F A C K M 1 N S T K K 1. , N K C K O SON G S 525
1 could'n sleep where de inockiii' bird
Cuuld'n sing he song to nie.
2 I'd soon be nothin' but skin and bones,
Ef de docfish^ were my meat ;
I'd pine an' die on Boston beans,
'Caze possum is what we eat.
3 Brer Rabbit wink at de possum.
De possum drin at me ;
I shy a rock at the critter.
He cluni de hicknut tree.
443
I'd Rather Be Dead
From James E. Lyon, Jr., Trinity College student, December 5, 1919
(with music). As in VVIiite ANFS 340 (without music), with in-
formant's note: "Heard in High Point, N. C, 1916."
1 I rather be dead an' laid in de' dirt
Than to see my gal with her feelin's hiu't.
2 I rather be dead an' laid in de sand
Than to see my gal with another man.
3 I rather be dead an' laid in de ground
Than to see my gal in anoder weddin' gown.
444
If You Want to Go to Heaven
This seems to be Negro hunior ; it is known among the Negroes
of Alabama (ANFS 135, 144). Mississippi (JAFL xxvi 158), and
Texas (TNFS 225). Our text is not strictly from North Carolina,
but the distance is not significant.
No title. Contributed by Cousor, Bishopville, South Carolina.
If you want to go to heaven I'll tell you iiow to do:
Grease yourself with chicken soup.
And if the devil get[s] after you with the red-hot pan.
Just slide over into the Promised Land.
445
I Had a Banjo Made of Gold
'Zigon Made a Wheel.' From Mrs.. Charles M. Carson, Charlotte; un-
dated ; with note : "to the tune of 'Gocxlby, My Lover.' " Dr. White says
that the refrain is from a minstrel song.
' Thus in copy supplied to the editors.
X.r.F., Vol. Ill, (.?6)
526 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I had a banjo made of gold,
And all the strings were twine,
And all the tune that I could play was
I wish that gal was mine.
And all the tune that I could play was
I wish that gal was mine.
446
If You ]\Ieet a Woman in the Morning
From Miss Jewell Rohbins, Pekin, ^Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P.
Perdue), 1921 ; with recording, probably at a later date. Cf. 'Asheville
Junction.'
1 If you meet a woman in the morning.
Bow yo' head, buddy, bow yo' head.
2 When you hear that turkle-dove a-hollerin'.
Sign it's gwi' rain, buddy, sign it's gwi' rain.
3 When you hear that whip-poor-will a-hollerin'.
Time to plant corn, buddy, time to plant corn.
4 When you hear dat scrooch-owl a-hollerin'.
It's gwi' turn cold, l)uddy, it's gwi' turn cold.
447
If You Don't Believe I'm Sinking
A
From Howell J. Hatcher, Trinity College student, December 5, 1919,
with music, and note : "sung by Negro farm laborer." Cf. White ANFS
279, 328.
If you don't believe I'm sinking just look what a hole
I'm iiL
If you dou'i believe I love you just look what a fool
I've bin.
You made me love you and now yoiu- man have come,
I'll see you later when I've got my guiL
From Thomas Litaker, Trinity College student, December 5, 1919, with
music, and note: "VVork song lieard in Cabarrus County, N. C."
O Lord if you <lon't believe 1 am sinking-
Just look what a hole I am in.
i; 1. A C K I- A C K M 1 N S T R E I- , N K 0 K O S () N 0 S 527
448
I (loT A (IlRh
From Miss Jewell Rohhins, Pekin, M()nt!4<inKry county (later Mrs. C. P.
Perdue), with recording.
1 I got a girl, she lives in town.
She wrote me a letter, she's a comin' down.
2 Down the road and across tlie creek.
I ain't had a letter since away last week.
3 1 do red she ain't no fool.
Tryin' to put a saddle on a hunipd)acked mule.
449
I'm Gwine Away to Georgia
From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs.
C. P. Perdue), with recording.
1 I'm gwine away to Georgia.
U'm^ gwine away to roam.
U'm gwine away to Georgia, chile.
Fer to make it my home.
2 The turkle dove is a hollerin'
'Cause he hears my sad cry,
U'm gwine away to Georgia now
Fer to live till I die.
450
The Yaller Gal
Ole niarster's valler gal is a favorite subject of Negro ^ong',
but the particular bits here recorded I have found only in White's
American Negro Folk-Sotigs, where the first is reported (p. 315)
frotu Alabama (with "dark-skinned baby" instead of "long, tall
yaller gal") and North Carolina, the otlier two only from North
Carolina.
A
No title. From Lucille Cheek of Chatham county. The same words
in ANFS 315, but from another informant.
It takes a long, tall yaller gal
To make a preacher lay his P)il)le down,
It takes a long, tall yaller gal
To make a bulldog break his chain.
B
'I Got a Long, Tall Yaller Gal.' Communicated in 1919 by a Trinity
College student, Blake B. Harrison. With the tune. This appears also
in ANFS 323, but is there without the tune.
^ The MS varies between "I'm" and "U'm."
528 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I got a long, tall yaller gal
On de road somewhere.
c
'It Takes a Long, Tall, Slim Black Man.' Reported in 1919 by Eugene
C. Crawford of Durham. Found also in ANFS 355 from the same in-
formant but there without the tune. Clearly an adaptation of A, sung
by Negro soldiers in France. \\'ith the tune.
It takes a long, tall, slini, black man
To make a German lay his rifle down.
451
I W'e.xt Down to My Gul's House Las' Night
From Howell J. Hatcher, Trinity College student in 1920, of Mt. Airy,
Surry county, with music — "Sung by an old Negro on farm." In White
ANFS 334 (without music).
I went down to my gill's house las' night.
She met me at the doh.
She knocked me in the head with a rollin" pin
And I ain't been back no moh.
45^
Mama Don't Allow No Low Down Hanging Around
The Library of Congress Check List of Folk Songs lists eight
versions. The tune, with varying lyrics, was extremely popular
with dance bands of the 1930s.
From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 Well, I get up in the morning.
See no rain ;
Looked in the pantry,
See the .same old thing.
Mama don't allow no low down hanging around.
Chorus:
Mama don't allow it,
Sister don't care.
Papa don't 'low it,
Won't ha\'e it here.
Mama don't 'low no low down banging around.
2 Tell me, honey,
That you'll be true.
Quit wearing clothes
Let the sunshine through.
Mama don't 'low no low down hanging around.
H I. A C K V A C K M 1 N S T R E I. , \ E (1 R 0 SONGS 529
3 Tell me. honey,
That you changed your name.
Quit wearing them
Sweet Mary jane.
Mama don't 'low no low down hanging around.
4 Well. I don't care
What your mama don't 'low,
Gonna have fun anyhow.
Mama don't 'low no low down hanging around.
453
Negro Yodel Song
From G. B. Caldwell, Monroe, Union county, without date ; with note :
"This is a very interesting song from the fact that it was the first time
I ever heard a Negro yodel song. A very old Negro taught nie this.
The song itself is very simple but it gives us the idea that the Swiss are
not the only people who yodel. ( Words in the parentheses are the
yodel words.)"
I (love) my (wife) and (hahy)
Each (morning) so (soon).
I (love) my (wife) and (hahy).
454
Oh. Dat Watermilion
On a copy of 'Here Lies de Body uv Po' Little Ben.' Dr. White
notes: "Has the refrain of 'Watermilion Song.' I can sing this
refrain from memory." The song is evidently of minstrel origin.
Cf. Steely 260 (1933).
A
From S. M. Davis, White Hall (on Neuse River) ; undated.
1 You can talk about your apples, your jjeaches and yotir
pears,
And your 'sinnnons hanging on your 'simmon tree ;
But bless your heart, my honey, your truck ain't nowhar ;
The watermilion am de fruit for me.
2 Ham bone am sweet, bacon am good,
'Possum fat am very, very fine.
But gimme me, oh gimme me,
I shorely wish you would.
That watermilion hanging on the vine.
'Oh, Dat Watermilyon,' with music, from an informant identified only
as Miss Foy (without address). Other information indicates tliat the
530 NM)RTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
song was contrilnited in 1920. Dr. White notes: "A fairly familiar coon
song of tile early lyoo's."
Oh, dat watennilyon. spilin' on de vine.
Oh, how I wisht it wuz mine.
White folks am so fooHsh
Dey ain't got a bit o' sense
To leal) dat milyon spilin' on de vine.
Hamhone am good, sweet co'n am sweet.
Possum's fat an' bery, bery fine.
Cos'n I'se gwinter hab it, cep'n I be a dunce
To leab dat milyon spil' on de vine.
455
One More River to Cross
Obtained by Julian P. Boyd, from Jeannette Tingle, a pupil in the school
at Alliance, Pamlico county. Cf. White ANFS 103, 141, and Randolph
OFS II 379-82.
1 Oh, de animals came in eight by eight !
For dar am one mo' ribber for to cross !
Sez de ant to de elephant,
'W ho am you a-shovin' ?'
For dar's one mo' ribber for to cross.
2 Oh, de animals came in nine by nine !
For dar am one mo' ribber for to cross !
Ole Noah got mad, and shouted fo' mo',
For dar's one mo' ribber fo' to cross !
456
Po' Liza Jane
The first two lines of stanza 2 appear in a number of songs. Cf.
White ANFS 247 (Alabama), and Scarborough TNFS 106. 162.
164 (Virginia). Substantially the same song (from Mississippi),
with the order of the stanzas reversed, appears in Perrow JAFL
XXVIII 180.
From Miss Lucy Cobb, Chapel Hill, c. 1929.
Chorus:
Go long, pt)' Liza Jane, go long, po' Liza Jane!
I turned my head to the ole grey horse,
Co long po' Liza Jane.
I 1 ast her would she marry me ;
She ast me wasn't I shamed ;
1 turned my head to the ole gre\- horse,
Go long po' Liza Jane.
15 L A C K V A C K M 1 N S T K li L , X E C K O SON G S 53 1
1 went up to the new-cut road,
And she went down the lane ;
I turned my head to tlie olc j^rey horse,
Go long po" Liza Jane.
457
Run, Nigger. Run
With this refrain — coninionly completed with "the paterol'll ketch
you" — have heen sung at various times and in various places a
medley of more or less unrelated stanzas. The refrain itself or one
or the other part of it has been found in Virginia (JAFL xxviii
n8), Kentuckv (SharpK ii 359, TNFS 12), North Carolina
(ANFS 169), Mrs. Steely 164 (1935), Alabama (ANFS 168-9),
Mississippi (JAFL xl 303), Louisiana (TNFS 24), Missouri
(OFS II 338), and in Talley's Negro Folk Rhymes 34. The "new-
cut road" also is a favorite image, commonly rhyming with "toad" ;
so in Virginia (TNFS 164), Alabama (ANFS 247), Mississippi
(JAFL XXVIII 179, but without the toad), Texas (Owens, Szmng
and Turn 70, again without the toad), and Indiana (SSSA 237).
The snake-bite and the hornet's nest also appear without the "run,
nigger, run" refrain. See the headnotes to 'Banjo Sam' and to
'Clare de Kitchen' in this volume. The snake is perhaps a bor-
rowing, as Dr. White suggests, from 'Springfield ^Mountain.'
'Run, Nigger, Run.' Obtained sometime in the period 191 2- 14 from
C. R. Bagley of Moyock, Currituck county.
1 I went through the farmer's field.
The hlack snake hit me on my heel.
I jumped up and run my hest.
Stuck my head in a hornet's nest.
Chorus:
Oh, run, nigger, run, tlie pateroles catch you ;
Run, nigger, run, it's almost day.
2 I went [to] the railroad track.
Hitched an engine to my hack.
Combed ni}- head with an engine wheel ;
It gave me the headache in mv heel.
No title. Reported by V. C. Royster from "an old man who lived in
Cumberland county before the [Civil?] War. Probably sung in Wake
county also."
Nigger tried to cross the field.
Black snake struck him on the heel.
532 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Nigger tried to do his best
And stuck his head in a hornet's nest.
Chorus:
Run. nigger, run,
De patter roller catch you.
Run, nigger, run,
De patter roller catch you.
No title. Obtained by Dr. J. F. Royster from William C. Daubken of
the class of 1915 at the University of North CaroHna.
As I went down the new-cut road
1 met a possum and a toad ;
And every time the toad did jtimp
The possum hid behind a sttimp.
Refrain :
Oh, run, nigger, run,
The pateroller ketcher,
Run, nigger, run ;
It's almos' day.
'Run, Nigger, Run.' From J. H. Rurrus of Weaverville, Buncombe
county, in 1922; with a note explaining the patrol system by which
slaves, if off their plantations after dark without a permit, were whipped
and returned to their masters.
Run, nigger, run, a pater-roller'll catch you,
Run, nigger, run, you'd better get away.
As I jumped over in the harvest field
A black snake struck me on my heel.
I run myself so nigh to death
I stuck my head in a hornet's nest.
Rim. nigger, run, a pater-roller'll catch you,
Run, nigger, run, you'd better get away.
'Run, Nigger, Run.' From Clara Hearne of Pittsboro, Chatham county,
in 1923. The same as E except that the refrain ends "it's almost day"
and is inserted between t!ie first and second halves of the stanza, which
has "caught" for "struck" and the second half runs
Run, nigger, run, I run my best,
Rvm mv head in a hornet's nest.
B L A C K K A C E M I N S T K K L , N K (I R O S O N c; S 533
'Run, Niggar, Run, or Paderole'll Ketch You.' 01)taincd from Walter
J. Miller, student at Trinity College, in 1919, who learned it from his
father and said it was "a favorite slave song." With tiie tune, obtained
from H. B. Harrison. Only the refrain line and the line "Stuck his
head in a hornet's nest."
No title. From Minnie Rryan I'^arrior, Duplin county. The refrain
only, ending "You better he a-runnin'."
458
.Salln- Went to Preachin'
From K. W. Litaker, Trinity College student, December 5, 1919, with
music and note : "Heard in Cabarrus county, from Negro cornshucker.
The Shankletown mentioned in this song is a Negro settlement about
two miles from my home. It is a hangout for all the Negroes on Satur-
day night."
1 Sally went to preachin'. .she shouted and she squalled.
She got so full religion she tore her stocking heel.
Chorus:
An a git a long home, nega, nega,
An a git a long home, nega. nega,
An a git a long home, nega, nega,
I'm bound for Shankletown.
2 Somebody done stole ma ol' coon dawg.
Wish I had 'im back.
Chased the big ones over the fence.
And the little ones through the cracks.
3 I'm gona git some liricks. and build my chimney high[er].
To keep mv neighbors' tomcats from wettin' out the fire.
459
Saturday Night and Sunday Too
From Eugene C. Crawford, Trinity College student, December 5, 191 9,
with music. White published it in ANFS 336 (without music) as a
work song heard on Durham streets.
Saturday night and Sunday too,
Pretty little gal is on my mind ;
Monday morning at break of day,
The old folks have me gwine.
534 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
460
She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain
This is a parody or secularization of 'The Old Ship of Zion,' No.
623. See also Steely 265-6 (1935).
'O, Ship of Zion.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes,
when she comes.
She'll he coming around the mountain when she conies,
when she comes.
She'll he coming around the mountain, coming around the
mountain,
She'll he coming around the mountain when she comes.
2 She'll he driving six white horses when she comes, when
she comes.
She'll be driving six white horses when she comes, when
she conies.
She'll be driving six white horses, driving six white
horses.
She'll be driving six white horses when she comes.
3 We will kill the old red rooster when she comes, when
she comes.
We will kill the old red rooster when she comes, when
she comes.
We will kill the old red rooster, kill the old red rooster.
We will kill the old red rooster when she comes.
4 We will go out to meet her, when she comes, when she
conies,
We will go out to meet her, when she comes, when she
comes.
We will go out to meet her, we'll go out and meet her.
We will go out and meet her when she conies.
5 She'll be driving smooth and level when she conies, when
she conies,
She'll be driving smootli and level when she conies, when
she conies.
She'll be driving smooth and level, driving smooth and
level,
She'll be driving smooth and level when she comes.
6 Mary '11 light the candles when she comes, when she conies,
Mary '11 light the candles when she conies, when she conies,
Mary'll light the candles, Mary'll light the candles,
Mary '11 light the candles when she comes.
1! 1. A I- K F A t- K M 1 N S T K K I, . N E C R () S O N V. S 535
; She'll 1k' (Iriviii,-; like a niyslcry \\ii(--n she comes, wlien
she conies.
She'll lie (lri\in^ like a mystery when she C(jmes. when
she comes.
She'll he driving like a mystery. (lrivin,<.( like a my.stery.
She'll he drivini; like a mystery when she comes.
461
ShoKT'NIN" liKl'.AI)
A favorite song, especially of the blacks, throughout the South.
A few simple motives, associated more or less closely with hog-
killing times, are combined and recombined, so that a variety of
texts ^is produced— some of them with no verbal connection with
short'nin' bread. In one and another of its forms the song is known
in Virginia (TNFS 149-50, 151). North Carolina (TNFS 152-3,
ANFS 194. FSSH 428). Tennessee (JAFL xxviii 142), Georgia
(ANFS 193), Alabama (ANFS 193-4). Mississippi (TNFS
150-1), Louisiana (TNFS 152), Texas (TNFS 151-2). Missouri
(FSSH 428), and (presumably) Kentucky (AMS 81). The texts
in our collection differ in such a variety of ways diat it seems best
to give them all.
A
'Shortened Bread.' Reported by Mrs. Nilla Lancaster from Wayne
county some time in the period 1921-23. The variant spelling ot
'•short'nin" is in the manuscript.
1 Run hyeur. Mammy, run hyeur ((uick !
Short'n hread made me sick.
Refrain:
My! don't he love shord'n. shord'n. shord'n.
Don't he love shord'n. shord'n hread !
2 Oh, give me something. I don't care [what|.
To cyore the awful pain I got.
3 Two little niggers layin' in hed.
Heels cracked open like shord'n hread.
4 Two little niggers layin' in hed
Sent for the doctor ; en the doctor said :
Feed them niggers on shord'n etc.
5 Two little niggers hlack as tar
Tried to go to heaven on a 'lectric car.
6 Two little niggers dressed in hlack
Tried to go to heaven on a railroad track.
536 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
7 Two little niggers dressed in white
Tried to go to heaven on the tail of a kite.
8 Two little niggers black as hell
Tried to go to heaven in a peanut shell.
9 Two little niggers in a peanut shell
Tried to go to heaven, but went to hell.
B
No title. From Lucille Cheek, Chatham county. Two lines only.
Run here, mania, run here quick ;
Shortening bread has made me sick.
c
"Shortening Bread.' From Gertrude .'\llen (afterwards Mrs. Vaught),
Taylorsville, Alexander county, in 1923.
Three little niggers laying in the bed,
Heels cracked open like shortenin' bread.
One turned over, and the other one said,
'Don't that look a like,
Don't that look a like shortenin' bread ?'
D
'Shortenin' Bread.' Reported as "sung on Turkey Creek, in Buncombe
county" ; anonymous, but a note says "probably by B. L. Lunsford."
The date is probably 1921.
1 Two big niggers lying in the bed ;
One turned over, and the other'n said :
'Don't my baby love shortenin' bread !
Don't my baby love shortenin', shortenin',
Don't my baby love shortenin' bread !
2 'Ever since my pig's been dead, sugar babe,
Ever since my pig's been dead, sugar babe.
Ever since my pig's been dead,
I've been livin' on shortenin' bread,
I've been livin' on shortenin', shortenin',
I've been livin' on shortenin' bread.'
3 Two little niggers lying in the bed.
Heels cracked open like shortenin' bread.
Heels cracked open like shortenin', shortenin',
Heels cracked open like shortenin' bread.
4 Sambo sick and Sambo dead.
The very last words that Sambo said,
'My whole fam'y love shortenin' bread,
My whole fam'y love shortenin', shortenin',
My whole fam'y love shortenin' bread.'
B I. A C K r A C E M I N S T R K 1. , N E CI R () SONGS 53"
E
'Shortnin' Bread." Reported by the Misses Holeman of Durham in 1922.
Great big nigger layin' in the bed,
Heels cracked open like shortenin' bread.
Put on the skillet, throw away the lid ;
Mammy's goin' to cook some shortenin' bread.
Run here. Mammy, run here (|uick.
Shortenin' bread done made me sick.
The contributors add that another variant of this song begins:
Two little niggers settin' in the jam ;
If that ain't a hot place. I'll be dam.
Ricliard T. Wyche in a letter from Denver, Colorado, in July 1914, sets
down exactly the same text and variant.
F
'Shortnen Bread.' A version slightly different from E, reported by the
Misses Holeman.
1 Put on de skillet and put on de led ;
Mammy gwine to cook some shortnen bread.
Chorus:
My baby love shortnen. shortnen,
My baby love shortnen bread.
My baby love shortnen, shortnen.
My baby love shortnen bread.
2 Dat ain't all mammy gwine ter do ;
Mammy gwine ter cook some coffee, too.
G
'Shortnin' Bread.' Obtained from Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Mont-
gomery county, in 1922. Same as the first stanza of G, but with a
different chorus :
Mammie's gwi' cook a little shortning, shortning,
Mammie's gwi' cook a little shortning bread.
H
'Shortening Bread." Reported by H. F. Shaw from the eastern part of
North Carolina. Just the chorus, with a quirk in it.
My baby loves shortening, shortening.
My baby loves shortening so.
My baby loves shortening, shortening,
Till my baby loves shortening dough.
I
'Ain't I Glad the Old Sow"s Dead.' Contriliuted in 1913 by William
B. Covington as one of his "reminiscences of my early youth spent in
the country on the border of the sand hills of Scotland county."' Here
there is a definite allusion to hog-killing time.
538 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Ain't I glad the old sow's dead !
Mammy's gona cook a little shortnen bread.
That ain't all she's gona do ;
She's gona make a little coffee too.
462
Sing Polly ^^'oLLv Doodle
Probably of minstrel origin, this song has been familiar to one
of the editors of this volume since his boyhood days in Mississippi,
where he knew the refrain as 'Sing Polly Wolly Doodle all day'
and stanzas much like those below. There is a printed version of
it in Spaeth's Read 'Em and Weep, 92; another in Plantation Songs,
Arranged for Baritone Solo and Chorus of Mixed Voices with
Pianoforte Accompaniment by Stanford Robinson (London and
Philadelphia, c. 1928), pp. 14-15. With stanza 2 compare No. 193,
above.
'Negro Song." From Mrs. Nilla Lancaster, Wayne county; without
date.
1 I'm going down South for to see my gal.
Singing Polly Wolly duoll doll da.
My Sal is a spimky gal.
Singing Polly Wolly duoll doll da.
Chorus:
Farewell, farewell, my fair fae,
Goin' to Louisiana to see my Susiana,
Singing Polly Wolly duoll doll da.
2 I went to the river and couldn't get across, etc..
Jumped on a nigger, thought he was a boss, etc.
3 Grasshopper sitting on a railroad track, etc..
Picking his teeth with a carpet tack, etc.
4 I went to bed, but it was no use, etc..
My feet stuck out for the chicken roost, etc.
5 That chicken sneezed so hard with the wiiooping cough,
etc..
He sneezed his head and tail right off, etc.
463
Stick ^Iv LIead in a Paper Sack
From Thomas Litakcr, Trinity College student, December 5, 1919, as
from Cabarru.s county, with music, As in White ANFS 183 (without
music),
II 1. A C K K A C- I". M 1 X S T U K 1. , .\ V. C. U O S O X C S 539
Stick my head in a papt'r sack.
Show clem nigt,a'rs how to Cairo l)ack.
Shake clat flat foot.
Shake clat flat foot.
464
That's Wiikkk IMv Money Coks
From Miss Doris Overton. Durham, July 1922. Dr. White notes:
"Probalily modern minstrel — I remember learning it as such about lyoo-
1910."
That's where my money goes,
To huy my bahy clothes.
I'd do 'most any old thing
To keep that woman in style.
She's w^orth her weight in gold.
My coal-black Venus.
Sav, bcjys, that's where my money goes.
465
There Was a W'atermeeon
From Miss Eura Mangum, Durham, in 1922-25; with recording. Dr.
White notes : "Looks like a modern vaudeville ca. 1900-1910."
There was a watermelon
A-growing in the garden.
And in the garden wall there was a hole.
A skinny little nigger
Said if he's a little bigger.
He'd climb over the garden wall.
He'd sneak tip like a rabbit,
And then he'd grab it.
And ther'd be no watermelon there at all.
466
Train . . . Run So Fast
From Blake B. Harrison, Trinity College student. Deccml)er 5. 1919.
with music. As in White ANFS 402 (without music).
1 Train, train, train, train, run so fast,
Couldn't see nothing but de trees go past.
Refrain :
Don't tell mama where I'm gone.
Cause I'm on m\- wa\' back home.
540 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 Mister, Mister, I don't want to fight ;
I got de heart disease, don't feel just right.
3 Mister. Mister. I don't want to fight.
I'm gwine to de functum^ and stay all night.
467
Two Little Niggers Black as Tar
From W. T. Huckabee, Jr., Trinity College student, December 5, 1919,
with music and note : "Sung by Negro street workers, eastern N. C."
As in White ANFS 194 (without music). Cf. No. 461 A, stanza 5.
Two little niggers hlack as tar.
Tryin' to git to heaven on a 'lectric car.
De street car hroke, down dey fell ;
'Stead a going to heaven they went to h — 1.
'Big Black Nigger Black as Tar.' Communicated by Cousor from
Bishopville, South Carolina. Whether it is a memory of something
heard in North Carolina does not appear.
Big black nigger, black as tar.
Try to get to heaven in a 'lectric car.
Car wheel broke, dat nigger fell ;
He did miss heaven, but he sho' hit hell.
468
Watermelon Hanging on the Vine
Dr. Brown described this song as "a composite of many snatches
by a white man who projects the Negro into the situations." Dr.
White added: "I knew this in my boyhood. It is a modern minstrel
song, not originally Negro, but not a composite except possibly 1st
stanza." The chorus corresponds to 'Hambone Am Sweet,' in
Southern Songs and Spirituals by Marjorie Lamkin and W^endell
Hall (Chicago, 1926), p. 12. It is related to 'Here Lies de Body
uv Po' Little Ben,' No. 440. and 'Oh, Dat Watermilion.' No. 454.
'Happy Little Negro.' From Miss Lura Wagoner, Vox, Alleghany
county, who in August 1936 lent Dr. Brown a MS book of songs, some
dated 191 1, some 1913, from which this was copied.
I I'se a happy little negro ; all the way from Alabam',
Where they use to hoe the cotton and the cane.
The whites they will miss me when they look for little
Sam,
For I never expect to go back there again.
'This seems to be a negroism for "function" (forma! social affair).
B LACK K A C K MINSTREL, N K C R 0 SON C, S 54I
Chorus:
Hani bone is good, l)cicon am sweet, possum meat so
very very fine.
But give me. oh ! give me, I really wish you would,
That watermelon hanging on the vine.
2 You may talk about your peaches, your bananas and your
pears.
Your persimmons hanging high upon the tree, but bless
your soul,
]\ly honey 1 know, your fruits are good.
But the watermelon is good enough for me.
3 I left my older brother for to take care of my mother.
For to view that bright and happy clime.
I went to get that melon on a dark and rainy night.
When the moon had just begun to shine.
The white folks they did see me and they shot me through
the fence.
But didn't leave the melon on the vine.
469
Way Down Yonder on Cedar Street
From Thomas Litaker, Trinity College student. December 5, 1919, with
music. As in ANFS 138 (without music). Cf. Randolph's 'Roll, Jor-
dan. Roll,' OPS u 388.
Way down yonder on Cedar Street,
Where all dem niggers grow eleben feet,
Go to bed when 'tain't no use,
Feet stick out like a chicken roost.
Shout to the Lord shamonyah,
He will set you free.
470
What You Gwina Do When the World's on Fire?
From K. W. Litaker. Trinity College student, December 5, 1919. "heard
in cotton fields, Cabarrus County, N. C," with music. As in White
ANFS 282 (without music).
W'hat you gwina do when the world's on fire?
Fm gona jump in a hole o' water.
What you gwina do when the water gets to boilin'?
Fm a gona kick and squeal and hollo.
N.C.F.. Vol. HI. (.^7)
542 north carolina folklore
Jigger, Rigger, Bumbo
White, in ANFS 152, prints a similar song (from Alabama),
with headnote references to other collections containing analogues.
'Plantation Songs.' From Miss Virginia C. Hall, identified as probably
a Trinity College student ; without date or informant's address.
My old marster promised me
When he died, he'd set me free.
Now, old marster's dead 'n gone,
Lef po' Sambo hillin' up de corn.
CJionts:
Jigger, Rigger. Bumbo, Bumbo, Bumbo
Jigger, Rigger, Bumbo, Bumbo, So.
(Repeat)
472
Guinea Negro Song
Dr. Brown has tliis note to the recording: "Sung by Guinea
Negro who liad been taken to England first, then sold in Mont-
gomery County, and had to carry fence rails and sang this song
(Negro and wife)." Dr. White adds: "This can hardy be strictly
true, for the Negro would have been free on landing in England,
unless early in i8th Century or before."
A
From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later, Mrs. C. P.
Perdue), with phonograph recording, July 1922.
The Engeley man he 'teal me,
And give me pretty red coatee.
The 'Melican man he takee me
And make me fence rail toatee.
B
From the same informant — apparently another recording.
1 The Englie man he 'teal me,
A lack ta lou-li-lana,
A lack ta lou-la-lay.
And carry me to Bergimy.
2 The Aiuerican man he 'teal lue
And give me fine red coatee,
A-lack ta-lou-li-lay.
And make me fence rail toatee.
B L A C K F A C K M I N S T R K L , N E (". R O SONGS 543
473
\\'niTi-: Folks Go to College
Race-consciousness fnids expression in a number of sonj^s com-
paring the living conditions of the two races. 'ihe theme is
picjuantly ilhistratcd in several variants of "white gal" vs. "yellow
gal." For other examples and for a sensible and informed discus-
sion of the significance of such songs, see White ANFS 376-386.
From Miss Clara Hearne, Pittsboro, Chatham county, c. 1923. This is
close to the B variant in Perrow JAFL xxviii 140, and 'I Went to
Atlanta,' Lawrence Gellert, Xryro Songs of Protest (New York, 1936).
p. 9-
White folks go to college,
Niggers go to field ;
White folks learii to read and write,
Niggers learn to steal.
Oh. Lord, it's hard to he a nigger,
Oh, Lord, it's hard to he a nigger,
'Cause a nigger don't have no show.
474
Cold Frosty Morning
A variant of the second stanza of a song in WHiite ANFS 382.
Cf. a song in John A. Lomax's "Some Ballads and Songs of North
Carolina," Xorth Carolina Booklet, Vol. XI, No. i, pp. 2j-i): and
'On a Cold Frosty Morning,' Randolph OFS 11 365-6.
From Miss Clara Hearne, Pittsboro, Chatliam county (also Roanoke
Rapids, Halifax county, c. 1923).
1 Cold frosty morning, nigger mighty good.
Axe on his shoulder, choppin' up de wood.
2 Little piece of ash cake, an' a little piece ti' fat —
White folks grumhle ef you eat all u' dat.
'Hop Up de Doodle' (with music). From W. N. \'auglian, Durham
(later Lillington, Harnett county): text undated (c. 1921).
On a cold frosty morning when a nigger feels good.
He'll hop up de hoodie doodle do ;
Have his axe on his shf)ulder, he's off to de woods,
He'll hop up de hoodie doodle do.
544 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
475
Hung My Bucket on de White Folks' Fence
From Miss Ellen Smith, early address Greenville, Pitt county ; text un-
dated ; with note : "heard in Johnson and Pitt counties."
Hung iny bucket on de white folks' fence.
Hain't seen my bucket sence.
Oh Lawd ! Oh Lawd !
Old Aunt Dinah, well she bounce around,
Leave her wooden leg on de ground.
Save her meat skin, lay dem away.
To grease her wooden leg every day.
476
White Folks in the Parlor
From Miss Mamie Mansfield, c. 1922-25. Cf. 'Ole Massa in de Parlor'
and "Rich Man Rides on a Pullman Car,' No. 483.
1 \\ hite folks in the parlor,
Talking 'bout jelly and jam,
Talkin' 'bout 'most everything.
Didn't say a word about ham.
Chorus:
Ham, ham. ham is good and sweet ;
Put it in the pot, stew, or fry it —
Nothing better 'n ole ham meat.
2 'Possum in the corn fields,
Siding up the corn.
Rabbit say, 'You dirty dog!'
'Possum blew the horn.
477
White Gal, Yaller Gal, Black Gal
From David T. House, Jr., Durham, Decemher 5, 1919, with recording,
as sung by Miss Eura Mangum, Durham. As published by White
ANFS 316-21 (without music).
White gal rides on an automobile.
Yellow gal rides on a train.
Black gal rides on a bull and cart,
But she rides just the same,
BLACKFACE MINSTREL, N E c; K 0 SONGS 545
6
From H. O. Walz. Durham, December 5, 1919, with recording, as sung
by Miss Eura Mangum, Durliam. As published by White ANFS 316-21
(without music).
1 White gal rides in aut()in(jl)ile.
Yellow gal does the same.
Black gal rides in an old ox-cart,
But gets there just the same.
2 The white gal uses good cold-cream.
The yellow gal does the same.
But the black gal uses pure hog-lard,
But she gets there just the same.
3 The white gal uses perfume soap.
The yellow gal does the same.
But the black gal uses no soap at all,
But she smells just the same.
c
From Harvey Harward. Durham, December 5, 1919, with recording, as
sung by JNliss Eura Mangum, Durham. As pubhshed by White ANFS
316-21 (without music).
1 A white gal sleeps in a folding bed,
A brown skin does the same.
A black gal makes a pallet.
But she's sleeping just the same.
2 A white gal rides in an automobile.
A brown skin rides on the train.
A black gal rides in an ox -cart,
But she's riding just the same.
3 A white girl wear a hobble skirt,
A brown skin wears a plain.
A black girl wears a guano sack,
But she's hobbling just the same,
D
From Edwin P. Gibson, Durham, December 5, 191 9, with recording, as
sung by Miss Eura Mangum, Durham. As pubhshed in White ANFS
316-21 (without music).
The white gal smells like sweet smellin' soap.
The yaller gal smells the same.
The black gal smells like a billy goat,
But she's smellin" just the same.
E
From Miss Zilpah Rebecca Frisl)ie, Marion, McDowell county, 1923. Cf.
White ANFS 316-21. The fourth stanza is from No. 256, above.
546 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 A white-skin gal. she rides in an automobile.
A brown-skin gal. she do de same.
A black-skin gal ride in a oxen cart,
But she gits there jes' a same.
2 A white-skin gal, she wears a hobble skirt.
A brown-skin gal, she do de same.
A l)lack-skin gal wears a Mary Jane,
But she hobbles jes' a same.
3 A white-skin gal, she smell like a sweet perfume.
A brown-skin gal. she do de same.
A black-skin gal, smell like a billy goat.
But she gotta scent jes' a same.
4 O, go 'round the mountain, charming Betsy,
O, go 'round the mountain, Cora Lee,
And if I never do see you no more,
O, do, gal, remember me.
F
From George C. Little, early address Marines. Onslow county. 1914.
Intrusive fourth stanza as in E.
1 Oh, yaller gal rides in an automobile.
Brown skin gal, she does the same.
Black gal, she rides in an old ox-cart,
But she gets there just the same.
2 Oh, yaller gal, she drinks her champagne wine.
Brown skin gal, she does the same.
Black gal, she drinks N. C. corn.
But she gets drunk just the same.
3 Oh, a yaller gal, she wears a hobble skirt.
Brown skin gal, she does the same.
Black gal wears an old Mary Jane,
But it's a hobble just the same.
4 O coming round the mountain, charming Betsy,
Coming round the mountain, Cora Lee.
If I die before I wake.
Do, gals, remember me.
G
From H. A. Cherry, Lilesville, Anscn county; c. 1024. Tlie chorus is
from No. 256, above.
I The white girl rides in an automobile.
The brown skin do de same.
The black gal rides in an ol' ox cart.
But she's ridin' just the same.
I! 1. A C K F A C K M INST k K I, , N K c; K O SONGS 547
Chorus:
Let's go 'mund the iiiountain. charming I'etsy;
Let's go 'round tlie mountain, Cora Lee.
I f I never more see \'ou.
Take mv ring and follow me.
2 The white girl wears a twenty-live dollar wig.
The brown skin do de same.
The black gal aint got no hair a-tall.
But she gets there just the same.
3 The white girl wears a fifty-dollar dress.
The brown skin do de same.
The black gal buys her a cheap Mary-Jane.
Rut she's sporting just the same.
4 The white girl sleeps in a nice feather bed.
The brown skin do de same.
The black gal makes a pallet on de flo',
But she's snoozing just the same.
5 The white girl lives in a nice brick house.
The brown skin do de same.
The black gal got all in jail.
But it's a brick house just the same.
6 The white girl's smellin' like a sweet cake o' soap.
The brown skin do de same.
The black gal's smellin' like an ol' billy goat.
But she's smellin' just the same.
H
'The Rich Girl Wears the Ten Dollar Shoes.' This fragment exists
in two copies in the Collection, one of which, from R. B. Edwards of
Durham, has already been published (ANFS 321). The other (the
texts are identical ) comes from Lucille Cheek of Chatham county. A
bit with a like contrast though not identical with ours is reported from
the singing of Negro convicts in South Carolina (JAFL xliv 433).
The rich girl wears the ten-dollar shoes,
The brown-skin gal does the same.
The poor black gal ain't got no shoes at all
But she gets there just the same.
478
You Shall Be Free
This is a medley, held together by the underlying feeling of the
relation between the blacks and the whites and in some dejjree by
the refrain — which latter, however, appears also in a great variety
548 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
of Other songs. For otlier appearances of the matter of stanzas 2-4
see the headnote to 'Sugar Babe,' No. 482. The first stanza is
known also in Alabama (ANFS 385-6) but without the "you shall
be free" refrain.
'Oh, Nigger, You Shall Be Free.' Contributed by Zilpab Frisbie of
Marion, McDowell county, in 1923.
1 A nigger and [a J white man playing seven up.
The nigger won the money and he's 'fraid to pick it up.
The nigger drawed back, the white man fell.
The nigger ran like hell.
Chorus:
Oh, nigger, you shall be free
When the good Lord calls you home.
2 I got a white wife, she w^orks in the white folks' yard ;
She works all day and never gits tired.
She kills me the chicken and saves me the wing.
She thinks I'm working and I ain't doin' a thing.
3 I got a white wife, she works in the white folks' yard;
She works all day and never gits tired.
She kills me a chicken and saves me the head.
She thinks I'm working and I'm layin' in the bed.
4 I got a white wife, she works in the white folks' yard;
She works all day and never gits tired.
She kills me de chicken, she saves me de feet.
She thinks I'm workin' and I'm walkin' up street.
479
Old Bee Makes de Honey Comb
The song appears in Uncle Renins, His Songs and His Sayings,
new and revised edition (New York, 1920), p. 195. The text as
given below was printed with notes by White ANFS 382. With
it cf. 'Hard Times,' below.
Reported from Durham, 1919, MS of Jesse M. Livingston, as "Heard
in 1914 on plantation in Scotland County, N. C."
The old bee makes de honey comb.
The young bee makes de honey ;
Colored folks plant de cotton and corn
And de white folks gits de money.
BLACKFACE MINSTREL, N E t; R O SONGS 549
480
Hard Times
Perrow JAFL xxviii 140 prints a song from Mississippi with
chorus corresponding- to that below and one stanza corresponding
to stanza 2. See also 'I Went to Atlanta.' in Lawrence (iellert's
Xcgro Songs of Protest (New York. 1936), p. 9.
No title. Contributed by Miss Lucy Cobl), Cliapcl Hill. The text
appears in Miss Cobb's unpublished Duke University M.A. thesis.
Chorus:
Times git tin' mighty hard,
Money's gittin' mighty scase.
Soon's I sell my cotton 'n' corn
I'm gwiner leave dis place.
1 Big hee makes de honey comb.
Little bee gits de honey ;
Nigger man makes de cotton 'n' corn,
White man gits de money.
2 White man goes to college.
Nigger goes to de field ;
\Miite man larns to read and write,
Nigger learns to steal.
3 Nigger in de kitchen.
White man's breakfast hot ;
One eye on de table, boys,
Other eye on de pot.
481
Don't Like a Rich White Man Nohow
'Negro Song.' Contributed by William B. Covington, November 17,
1913, with note: "Reminiscence of my early youth spent in the country
on the border of the sand liills of Scotland County."
1 Don't like a rich white man nohow.
Don't like a rich white man nohow.
Head like a boss, and he tries to be de boss,
An' I don't like a rich white man nohow.
2 Don't like a poor white man nohow.
Don't like a poor white man nohow,
Head like a mule, an' he tries to act a fool,
An' I don't like a poor white man nohow.
550 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
482
Sugar Babe
It seems best to retain this title for the present medley, because
it is the refrain that gives it such coherence as it has. The first
stanza, about bringing the speaker the chicken wing, is found —
commonly in connection with the explanation that his woman works
"in the white folks' yard" — in North Carolina (ANFS 322), Ala-
bama (ANFS 242, 301-2), Mississippi (JAFL xxviii 135-6), and
without definite location in JAFL xxiv 356, NS 214-15, TNFS 235,
and in Spaeth's text of 'Mona' {Read 'Em and U'ccp 124-5). The
mule-driver and his singletree appear in Alabama (ANFS 229)
and without specific location in Talley 42 and JAFL xxiv 264.
None of these have the "Sugar Babe" refrain, though some of them
have something like the "this-u mornin'" tag.
'Sugar Babe.' From the singing of Marvin Bowman, Olin Township
and Third Creek, Iredell county, probably in 1922.
1 Oh. kill-a me a chicken and bring me the wing, this-ti
mornin'.
Oh, kill-a me a chicken and bring me the wing, this-u
mornin',
My honey babe, my little babe, my sweet baby, so sweet ;
Oh, kill-a me a chicken and bring me the wing ;
You may think I work-a but I won't do a thing, this
mornin", this mornin',
My honey babe, my little baby, so sweet.
2 I had an old mule and the mule wouldn't gee, this-u
mornin',
I had an old mule and the mule wouldn't gee, this-u
mornin'.
My honey babe, my little babe, my sweet baby, so sweet,
I had an old mule and the mule wouldn't gee ; I hit him
on the head with a singletree, this mornin', this evenin',
My honey babe, my little baby, so sweet.
3 I took my girl to the crawfish stand, this mornin',
I took my girl to the crawfish stand, this mornin'.
My honey babe, my sugar babe, my sw'eet baby, so sweet ;
I took my girl to the crawfish stand, she fell in love with
the crawfish man, this mornin', this evenin'.
My honey babe, my sugar babe, my sugar baby so sweet.
4 I took my girl to the milkshake stand, this mornin',
I took my girl to the milkshake stand, this mornin'.
My honey babe, my sugar babe, my sweet baby so sweet ;
I took my girl to the milkshake stand, she fell in love
with the milkshake man, this mornin'. this evenin'.
M}- honey babe, my sugar babe, my sugar baby so sweet.
« 1. A C K V A C K M 1 N S T K K I, . N E C. R O S () N C. S 55 1
5 1 slipped in tlu' kilchfu and slipped olT the lid. this
niornin".
1 slip])ed in the kitchen and sli])ped (A'i the lid. this
nujrnin'.
My honey hahe. my sui^ar hahe. ni}- sweet hahy so sweet;
1 slip])e(l in the kitchen and slipped off the lid.
1 slipped my jxtckets full of sJKjrtenin' hread. this mcjrnin',
this evenin'.
My honey hahe. my sugar hahe, my sugar hahy so sweet.
483
Rich Man Rides on a Pullman Car
From J. P. Jones, Durham, 1919. with recording as sung l)y Miss Eura
Mangum — heard by Mr. Jones "while walking on the railroad ... in
Durham County." and also as "sung by Negroes working on the roads
of Durham." Published in White ANFS 316-21 (without music). Cf.
•White Folks in de Parlor' and 'White Gal, Yaller Gal, Black Gal,'
above.
Rich man rides on a pullman car.
Poor man takes de plain.
But de ole nigger rides on de coal car.
But he gets there just the same.
484
I Don't Like a Nigger
Sandburg (ASb 326) reports something like this directed not at
Negroes but at railroad men. Otherwise I have not found it. The
last four lines, quite incongruously, sound like a fragment of a
spiritual.
'I Don't Like a Nigger.' Contributed by Julian P. Boyd, from James
Tingle, one of his pupils in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
I don't like a nigger,
ril be dinged if I do.
Feet's so big
Till he can't wear a shoe.
Head like a hay-stack.
Mouth like a frog's ;
Eats more l)read than
Forty bull-dogs.
Got de glory and honor !
Praise de Jesus, to my dyin' land !^
Got de glory and honor.
To my dyin' land.^
' So the manuscript. Perhaps misheard, or simply miswritten, for
"Lawd."
552 north carolina folklore
Shady Grove
One of the fragmentary or detritus lyrics so often found iti folk
song — at least in America. It is known also in Kentucky (JAFL
XLix 220-1. XXVIII 182-3, Shearin's Syllabus) and Tennessee
(JAFL XXVIII 182). In our text, which is described as "Negro
song," the last two lines of each stanza are repeated as shown here
for the first stanza.
A
'Shady Grove.' Obtained, some time in the years 1921-24, from Miss
Jewel! Robbins of Pekin, .Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Per-
due). With the tune.
1 Come on, girls, and yes^ go home,
Put on yo' Sunday clothes,
Wash yo' face and comb yo' head,
Go down to Shady Grove.
Go down to Shady Grove, my love,
Go down to Shady Grove,
Wash yo' face and comb yo' head,
Go down to Shady Grove.
2 When you hear dat lonesome dove
Goin' whoo-whoo-whoo.
He's mournin' for his own true love
Just as I mourn for you.
Just as etc.
3 Come along, girls, and listen to me
And 'member what I say ;
You are the ones that I'll love best
Until my dying day.
Until etc.
There is in the Collection a somewhat haphazard agglutination
of folk-song fragments which may be entered as a version of
'Shady Grove.' The second stanza is a form of the second stanza
of 'Weevily Wheat' A; the third stanza belongs with the song here
dealt with.
B
'God Bless the Ocean.' Contril)uted by William B. Covington in 191.3
as among the "reminiscences of my early youth spent in the country on
the border of the sand hills of Scotland County."
I (jod bless the ocean.
God bless the sea,
God bless the pretty little girl —
She turned her back on me.
'Is this miswritten for "les," i.e., "let's"?
H L A C K F A C K MINSTREL. NEGRO SONGS 553
2 Ciet up in the uioniiiig.
The ground all covered in snow.
Got no shoes to go on my feet,
Frost's gona hitc my toe.
3 Wash your dirty face and hands.
Put on your Sunday clothes ;
Come on. gals, and go with me,
Goin' to Shady Grove.
486
Fair Brown
For the charge that a woman will "play sick" on her man when
she has another lover, see Odum's findings of Negro song in JAFL
XXIV 283.
No title. Contributed hv H. A. Cherry, Lilesville, Anson county, rroh-
ably in 1922 or thereabouts. For the division into hnes the editor is in
some places responsible.
1 Fair brown. () fair brown.
What makes you hold your head so high ?
Don't you remember
You got to lie down and die ?
2 Say, these Norfolk women
Working up a plan
How to git the money
From the poor ol' workin' man.
3 Tell you one thing
You good gals'U do:
Drink gin all day and night
And play sick on you.
4 Fm goin' to commissary.
Have my account worked up;
Want to see how much liciuor
That my good gal drinked up.
5 Just as sure as the Lord
Sits on his throne above,
Life ain't no pleasure
'Cept you get the girl you love.
6 I ain't going to marry.
I ain't going to settle down.
Fm going to stay 'round here
Till my mustache drags the ground.
554 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
7 I love my fair brown,
Tell the world I do.
When she's in trouble
I'm in trouble too.
487
Old Aunt Dinah
This is described by the contributor as a "Negro hollow" ; pos-
sibly it is a yodel. It has not been found elsewhere.
'Negro Hollow.' Contributed in 1921 by Elizabeth Janet Black of Ivan-
hoe, Sampson county. With the music.
Old Aunt Dinah, ho pee, ho pee,
Old Aunt Dinah, ho pee, ho !
Gwine away to leave yer, ho pee. ho pee,
Gwine away to leave yer, ho pee, ho !
488
Apple Sauce and Butter
This scrap of Negro song I have not found elsewhere, but it is
twice recorded in the North Carolina Collection.
'Apple Sauce and Butter Spread out on the Floor." Contributed to the
Collection in practically identical texts by D. C. Crawford and C. L.
Walker — in neither case with any record of locality or date.
Apple sauce and butter spread out on the floor,
I am going to marr}- dat pretty yellow gal that came from
Baltimore,
For she is sweeter than 'lasses, she's sweet as any pie ;
I am going to marry that pretty yellow gal that is coming
bye and bye.
489
When I Die Don't \\'ear No Black
A fragment, embodying a superstition ; known by the Negroes
(NWS 129, and less closely 128). I have not found it elsewhere.
'Song.' Contributed by Miss Lucille Cheek, from Chatham county.
When 1 die don't wear no black,
hOr if you do
My ghost come a-creeping back.
BLACK V A C K M 1 N S T R K 1. . N K (i R O SON C. S 555
490
Rain Come Wet Mk
Tills Nesjro sons? is known also in Virginia (JAFL xxviii iSo).
'Kaiii Coino Wet Me.' Reported as a nursery rhyme, vvitli the music,
by Minnie Stamps (later Mrs. Gosney) of Wake county.
Rain conic wet nic.
Sun come dry ine.
Stand l)ack. white man,
Don't come a-nigh me.
491
We'll Have a Little Dance Tonight, Boys
This fragment is slightly reminiscent of 'Buffalo Girls,' hut it
might belong to almost any dance song of a like rhythm.
'We'll Have a Little Dance Tonight, Boys.' Olitaiiied from C. M.
Hutchiiigs, Durham, in 191 3 or thereabouts.
We'll have a little dance tonight, boys, tonight, boys.
We'll have a little dance tonight, boys, tonight, boys,
We'll dance by the light of the moon.
492
Way Down Below
This is a medley of parts from various songs. The refrain I
have not found elsewhere. Stanza 4 belongs to "Goodbye, My
Lover, Goodbye'; stanza 5, belonging to the minstrel favorite 'Jim
Along Joe,' is likely to appear in a multitude of burnt-cork— and
other — songs.
No title. Contributed by William C. Gumming of Brunswick county,
with the note: "As we children grew older we used to delight in going
out into the country to see Grandma and Uncle Billy, and on summer
nights as we sat out on the porch or in the yard we would always try
to get him to sing to us. Of course some of his songs, like Dem Golden
Slippers,' were not really folklore, but others, like the following favorite
of ours, could be nothing else."
I Oh, a good beef steak an' a mutton chop
W^ay down below !
Make dat nigger's lip go flip flap flt)p.
Way down below ! Way down below !
01e^\unt Kittie am honin' for de sea.
Way down below !^
' Lines 2 and 4-6 constitute the refrain, repeated thus in each stanza.
The contributor notes that a variant of the refrain went thus:
Way down below, way dt)wn below,
Old Aunt Jemima
He hi ho.
556 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 Bought a rooster for fifty cents ;
The son of a gun jumped over the fence.
3 Oh, a Sister Sal an' a ole Aunt Loos
Telegraph news to terbacker juice.
4 Steamboat comin' around' de ben'
Loaded down wid railroad men.
5 Oh. my ole mistis promised me
W'en she died she set me free.
493
Railroad Dinah Gal
This may have come originally from the minstrel stage, or it
may be an impromptu of some Negro singer. I have not found it
in other collections of folk song.
'Railroad Dinah Gal.' Obtained, in 1921 or thereabouts, from Miss
Jennie Belvin of Durham. With the tune, hi the manuscript there is a
comma between "Railroad" and "Dinah," but it seems more likely that
the two words constitute the girl's name. Lines 5-6 and 9-10 are clearly
a refrain, though they are not so marked in the manuscript.
1 As I went down to Simon's mill.
There I found a very steep hill.
The steers began to bellow and balk
And 1 began to cuss and talk —
Railroad Dinah gal. Lm goin' over the mountains.
Railroad, my true love, Lm goin' over the mountains.
2 Me and old Dinah killed a sheep,
Give old Dinah the head and the feet.
Railroad Dinah gal. Lm goin' over the mountains,
Railroad, my true love. I'm goin' over the mountains.
494
If I Had It You Could Get It
Reported as sung by Negroes in Alabama (ANFS 309) and the
refrain of it without precise location is reported by Odum ( JAFL
XXIV 385) as Negro song; a like phrase occurs in a Negro con-
struction-gang song (NWS 91) ; reminiscent of it is a riddle on a
bald head reported from North Carolina (JAFL xxx 204). Not
improbably it is originally from the vaudeville stage.
'Logging Song.' Sent in by Julian P. Boyd, Alliance. Pamlico county,
as collected from a pupil in the school there, .Minnie Lee, who said it
was "heard in a logging camp." But in itself it has nothing to do with
logging.
B L A C K F A C K M 1 N S T R E L , N K C. R O S 0 N c; S S?7
1 I went right down to my old friend Joe
As I had been the day be to'.
And he said. 'Why didn't you come right down to me?
For I could have let you had a Y.
But 1 only have a twenty-dollar bill lett.
And 1 couldn't spare that to nobody.'
Chorus:
[i 1 had it you could get it.
But 1 am very sorry I haven't got it;
For I am all in and down and out !
2 When 1 had money I was crazy to lend.
If I ever get my hand on a dollar again
I'm going to hold fast to it.
For it's my only friend
When I am all in and down and out.
495
If I Die in Tennessee
This is generally found with "Arkansas" in place of "Tennessee."
In that form it 'is found in South Carolina (JAFL xliv 425,
Negroes). Alabama and Louisiana (ANFS 277), and Odum reports
it TJAFL XXIV 273) from the singing of Negroes without detinUe
location.
'If I Die in Tennessee." Communicated by Miss Lucille Massey of Dur-
ham with the notation: "I have heard 'If I Die in Arkansas' parodied
thus:"
1 If I die in Tennessee,
Oh, if I die in Tennessee,
If [I die in Tennessee.]
Des ship my body to my mammy-to-be.
2 If my mammy refuse me.
Ship it to my pa.
If my papa refuse me,
Ship it to my gal.
3 If my gal refuse me,
just let my body be
Where the worms and the buzzards
]\Iake a fuss over me.
496
JiNGER Blue
It is not clear whetlier this is iust a f(jrm of 'Walk in the Parlor'
or not. The rhydnn seems to be different. Dr. WhUe notes on the
N.C.F.. Vol. III. (.'8)
c;58 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
manuscript that it "comes direct from the minstrel books of 1840-
60. But I think this is greatly different in most lines." The
spelling with / instead of g is used by the contributor, and may
come from the minstrel-book print. Cf. ANFS 381 (Alabama; 2
lines only), and Ford 34 (as a square-dance tune).
This seems to be a traditional development of "Ginger Blue,'
which appears in The Popular National Songster, etc. (Philadel-
phia, 1845), pp. 157-8, of which the first stanza and chorus run
as follows :
Oh, my name's Ginger Blue, what I tell you is miglity true ;
I came from the Tennessee Mountains ;
My paragraph is short, and my life is sweet,
As the water that fluws from the fountain :
The first ting that I said when I raised this ncgga head
To the darkies on the plantation,
Chorum:
Walk, chalk. Ginger Blue, git over double trouble.
And old Varginny never tire.
'Walkin' Talkin' Jinger Blue.' Contributed by Miss Jewell Robbins of
Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), probably in 1921.
Walkin' talkin' Jinger Blue,
I can tell yoti might true
I'm just from the Tennessee mountains.
Take a drink of beer as sweet as the water
That flows from the Tennessee fountains.
497
Mammy in the Kitchen
From Eugene C. Crawford, a Trinity College student (later address
Enfield, N. C), December 3, 1919, with note: "As sung by Negro sol-
diers in France." Cf. White ANFS 355 (without music).
Mammy in the kitchen cookin' pink beans ;
Daddie on the ocean dodgin' submarines.
498
I've Bin to the 'Bama and I Just Got Back
From Howell J. Hatcher, Trinity College student (in 1920) from Mt.
Airy, Surry county, with music, December 5, 1919: "Heard sung by an
old Negro on father's farm." As in White ANFS 285 (witliout nnisic).
I've bin to the 'Bama and I just got back.
I didn't bring no money but I brought the sack.
499
Raise a Ruckus Tonight
This is a rather puzzling item — especially the A version. "Mona"
one supposes is a corruption of "mourner," and so one expects it
11 I. A C K F A C E MINSTREL, NEGRO SONGS 559
to l)c followed by "you shall be free," as it is (with the spelling
"Moana" for "Mona") in Perrow's report of a son.i;- by Mississippi
Negroes (JAFL xxviii 135) ; but there is no "you shall be free" in
our North Carolina texts. Nor have they anything to do with the
"moanish lady" of a South Carolina Negro text (JAh'L x.wi
157-8), which is a corruption of "Romish lady." Perhaps the
identifying thread is to be found in tlic refrain line "going to raise
a ruckus tonight" (for which see ANFS 180, 245-6; it occurs also
in a Negro song from Texas, ABFS 253-4, in NWS 173-4, 'i"^^ 'n
Talley 90-1 ). White's informant ventures the suggestion that his
text (our 1:5) is "a holiday song and expressed the joyous feelings
of a Negro on a holiday." This accords well enough with texts B,
C, and D. But A is a tragic ballad. Or is it a travesty of such
a story? The boat in all four texts seems to show that they derive
from a common orisfinal.
'Fair Mona.' One of Mrs. Sutton's contril)utions, Init she does not say
where nr wlien she found it.
1 Til make me a boat and I'll down the river float;
Goin' to raise a rnckus tonight.
I'll see Mona, fair Mona. pretty Mona I'll see.'
2 Then he made him a boat out of his coat
And he tied up his shirt for a sail,
^Vent to see iNIona, fair Mona, pretty Mona to see.
3 Before he ever kissed her lips or touched her little hand.
Her brothers four broke in the door with all their jolly
band.
Oh, he saw Mona, fair !Mona, pretty Mona he saw.
4 Two of them grabbed him from behind and two grabbed
him before.
They bore him from their sister's room; she followed by
the door.
Oh, she cried. Mona, fair Mona, prettv Mona, she cried.
5 They pitched him into the salt, salt sea with a dagger in
his heart.
And pretty Mona ftdhnved him ; these lovers did not part.
Oh, he saw Mona, fair Mona, pretty Mona he saw.
B
'Raise a Rucus Tonight.' Obtained from Charles F. Jordan, student at
Trinity College, in December 1019. Already printed in ANFS 180.
]\I\- ole banjo liangin' on de wall
Ain't been tuned since away last fall.
Goin' to raise up a rucus tonight.
Come along, my children, come along!
560 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Come while der moon am shinin' bright.
Take a boat, an' we'll go down de ribber afloat.
\\'e're gwine to raise up a rucus tonight !
c
'Come on, Chillun, Won't You Come Along?' Communicated as "chorus
of an old slave song" by S. M. Davis of White Hall, Wayne county,
on the Neuse River.
Come on, children, won't you come along,
While the moon am shining bright?
Come on board and down the river flow,
We gwine to raise a rucus^ tonight.
D
'Raise a Rukus Tonight.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 Old hen sitting on a fodder stack,
Raise a rukus tonight.
Hawk came along and struck her in the back.
Raise a rukus tonight.
Chorus:
Come along, chillun, come along,
\Miile the moon shines bright tonight ;
Get on board and down the river float,
Gonna raise the rukus tonight.
2 Old hen flew and the biddies too,
Raise a rukus tonight.
What in the world is the rooster gonna do?
Raise a rukus tonight.
3 If I could I surely would
Raise a rukus tonight ;
Stand on the rock where Moses stood.
Raise a rukus tonight.
500
Georgia Buck
This is reported by Robert Duncan Bass (JAFL XLiv 434) as
one of the sonj^s of Nej^roes in the Pedee country. South Carolina,
with the notation that it "was a favorite of some years ago" but
that he has secured only a fragment (six lines) ; "the rest seems
to have been lost." Odum (JAFL xxiv 363) reports the line
"Don't ever let yo' baby have her way" from the singing of South-
ern Negroes. The Archive of American Folk Song has a record of
' This is "rufus" in the manuscript ; doubtless merely a slip of the pen.
Or does it stand for "rough house" ?
15 L A C K y A C K M I N -S T K E L , N E C. R 0 SON (I S 561
it made by B. L. Lun^tOrd. See also Mrs. Steely 219 (i935);, Dr.
White on one of the niamiscripts writes "Cf. Old Joe Clark," and
in ANFS 337 he recalls stanzas of that song which lie heard sung
by mountain whites containing the line "Never let a woman have
her way." But otherwise they contain nothing of our song. It
is of course not unlikely that 'Cieorgia Buck' is sometimes sung as
part of 'Old Joe Clark,' since almost anything may be included in
that song. Randolph OFS 11 307 has two stanzas from Arkansas
entitled 'Barbro Buck' and cites SharpK 11 274. A girl sings of
her lover in the .Smithern army.
A
'Georgia Buck.' William B. Covington in igi3 reported the following
as "reminiscences of my early yovitli spent in the country on the border
of the sand hills of Scotland county."
1 Georgia Buck, Georgia I'.uck,
Georgia Buck said so :
'Go to my shack, dog on my track,
And it's nobody's business but mine.
If you don't believe I'll fight
Just follow me out tonight.
And I'll shoot you or I'll cut you, God knows.'
2 Georgia Buck, he's dead,
And de last word is said,
'Baby, let vour bangs hang low.'
(or)
'Never let a woman have her wav.'
'Georgia Buck.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton as sung by Mrs. Buchanan
of Horse Creek, Ashe county. Mrs. S. remarks : "This seems to be a
sort of joking song — the verses are made up as the singer goes along
and are usually unveiled allusions to some one in the crowd." Dr. White
has noted on the manuscript: "1 learned the second stanza from N. C.
mountains, with similar tune, about 191 1. Only it was 'Old Joe Clark.'
Another stanza gave bis last words as 'never let a nickel go by.' "
1 Old Georgie Buck he died.
He laughed and he cried
'Oh rock me the cradle, law, law.'
2 r)ld Georgie Buck is dead ;
And the last word he said :
'Don't never let no woman have her way.'
3 Georgie Buck passed away
On his own wedding day.'
'I'm .shore glad to escape, boys,' he said.
' The manuscript has here "May"— presumatily a mere slip in copying.
562 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'Georgia Buck.' Obtained from Miss Jewell Rubhins (later Mrs. C. P.
Perdue) of Pekin, Montgomery county, in 1922. A fragment.
I been around the ben'
And I'm gwine ter go agin,
Georgia Buck said so.
501
You've Got Your Big Gux, and I've Got Mine
From Howell J. Hatcher, Trinity College student, December 5, 1919,
with music. As in White ANFS 360 (without music).
You've got your big gun, and I've got mine.
Just rap on the cartridge if you don't mind dying.
502
Went Down Town
From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs.
C. P. Perdue), c. 1921, with music. Resembles 'The County Jail' in
BSSM 357.
1 Went down town.
Went down town, didn't mean no harm.
Police grabbed me by my aruL
2 Went up town wid my hat in my hand,
Lookin' fo' a woman tain't got no man.
503
Standing on de Street Doin' No Harm
This is already printed in White ANFS 361. Cf. 'Went Down
Town/ above. The two lines correspond to the opening of 'Standin'
On de Corner' in Lawrence Gellert's Negro Songs of Protest (New
York, 1936), p. 21.
From Howell J. Hatcher, Trinity College student, December 5, 1919,
with music.
Standing on de street doin' no harm ;
Along come de i)olice caught me by the arm.
504
A Tiiirty-Two Special on a Forty-1u)ur Frame
From Howell J. Hatcher, Trinity College student, December 5, 1919,
with music. As in White ANFS 360 (without music).
IS L A C K !•■ A C K M I N S T K K L , N K C. K O S () N C S 563
A tliii"lv-t\v() spct-Mul (111 a forty-fovir frame.
How can 1 miss ycni when I've ^ot dead aim?
505
The California Blues
A blues song that I have not found recorded elsewhere, though
the feeling it expresses is common in Negro song.
'Blue Yodel Xuml)er Four.' From the John Burch Hlaylock Collection.
1 I'm going to California where they sleep out every night;
I'm going to California where tliey sleep out every night;
I'm leaving you, mamma,
You know you don't treat me right.
2 Listen to me, mamma.
While I sing you this song;
Listen to your daddy
Sing you this lonesome song;
You got me worried now.
But I won't be worried long.
3 Let me tell you something, mamma,
That you don't know ;
Let me tell you something, mamma.
That you don't know.
Lm a do-right i)apa —
Got a home everywhere I go.
4 Got the California hlues.
And Lm sure gonna leave you here;
Got the California blues.
And I'm sure gonna leave you here.
I may ride the blinds —
I ain't got no railroad fare.
506
Oh ! When a Man Get the Blues
Cf. White ANFS 394, who publishes a text from Alabama with
the order of the man ancl woman reversed, and refers to this North
Carolina text.
From K. \V. Litaker, Durham, December 5, 1919. witli music as sung by
Miss Eura Mangum.
Oh ! when a man get the blues,
He boards a train and rides.
Oh ! wdien a woman gets the blues,
She ducks her head an' cries.
564 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I Got de Hezotation Stockings and de Hezotation Shoes
White ANFS 391 identifies a shorter text (without music) as a
variety of the "hesitating blues" and cites \\. F. Hardy and Dorothy
Scarborough for further examples of the type and discussions of
its history.
From Blake B. Harrison, Trinity College student, December 5, 1919,
with music.
1 ]\Iy daddy drives a street car and my brother drives a
hack ;
My mammy takes in washin' while I bawl de Jack.
Refrain:
Oh, honey, how long will I have to wait?
Kin I git you now or must I hezotate?
2 I got de hezotation stockings and de hezotation shoes.
I believe to my soul I got de hezotation bhies.
508
It's Raining Here
Something like this, though not the same song, has been reported
from Kentucky (BKH 127). As we have it here it is clearly a
Negro blues song.
'Blue Yodel Number Five.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 It's raining here,
Storming on the deep blue sea ;
Oh, it's raining here.
Storming on the deep blue sea.
Ain't no black-headed mamma
Can make a fool out of me.
2 Now I can see a train
Coming down the railroad track ;
I can see that train
Coming down the railroad track.
And I love to hear
The bark of that old smoke stack.
3 Talk about trouble.
That's all I've ever known ;
Talk about trouble,
That's all I've ever known.
Now if 1 hadn't been a man
1 would have stayed at home.
BLACKFACE MINSTREL, NEGRO SONGS 565
1 may need clothes,
1 may need hat and shoes ;
I may need clothes.
I may need hat and shoes.
Makes no difference what I need,
I'll never sing the blues.
509
Nigger in the Woodpile
This proverbial phrase, known all over the country, perhaps got
its currency from Dan Eniniett's 'Old Dan Tucker,' said to have
been written as early as 1830 but first published in 1843 (S- Foster
Damon, Series of Old American Songs, No. 2>7)y the third stanza
of which begins :
Tucker in de wood pile — can't count 'lebben.
Put in a fedder bed — him gwine to hebben.
'Nigger in the Woodpile.' From Mrs. C. C. Thomas, who learned it
from her mother, Mrs. Woodward. Location and date not noted.
Nigger in the woodpile, couldn't count to seven.
Put him in a feather bed and he'll think he's got to heaven.
510
Share 'Em
This fragment, fairly unintelligible as it stands, the editor has
not found elsewhere. Does "share" mean "share" or does it mean
"shear"?
'Share 'Em.' Reported by Mrs. C. C. Murphy of Ivanhoe, Sampson
county, as sung by her father, J. N. Corbett, who learned it after the
Civil War near Bainbridge, Georgia.
Oh, I din' ka' how you share 'em
So you share 'em eben ;
Share yo' sheep and blankets —
Share 'em, share 'em, share 'em !
If you want er see dem pretty gals
Look on Mon'lyn's Baniel —
511
The Preacher Song
This, as Dr. White has noted on the manuscript, is "a composite
of three separate songs, and probably others." The first stanza of
A is almost identical with stanza 3 of a Texas version of 'Pore
Mounah' ( TNFS 194) ; Brother Ephram and his coon are the sub-
ject of Negro song in Virginia (TNFS loi), North Carolina
566 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
(ANFS 223), South Carolina (JAFL xliv 429), and Mississippi
(JAFL XXVI 158) ; the hog-shooting is reported from South Caro-
lina (JAFL XLIV 433), Alabama (ANFS 140, 192, 231), Missis-
sippi (JAFL XXVIII 136), and Texas (TNFS 176) ; "some folks
say that a nigger won't steal" is likely to appear in any of the
haphazard composites of Negro song, though I have found it applied
elsewhere to the preacher only in Georgia (TNFS yj-)- Cf. No.
433-
'The Preacher Song.' From the manuscript book of songs of Miss Lura
Wagoner of Vox, Alleghany county, lent to Dr. Brown in 1936. The
songs seem to have been entered in the book about 1911-13.
1 The sorriest sight I ever seen
Is a heavy loaded wagon and a sorry team.
I popped my whip and the leaders sprung,
And the aft horse fell on the wagon tongue.
Chorus:
'Where are you going. Moses?'
'None of your business.'
'Come here, Moses.'
'Ain't going to do it.
Brother Ephram got the coon
And gone on, gone on, gone on,
Brother Ephram got the coon
And gone on and left me
Looking up a tree.'
2 Some folks say that a preacher won't steal,
But I caught a preacher in my watermelon field.
Preaching and a-praying all the time
And a-stealing the watermelons off'n the vine.
3 Alabama negro laying behind a log,
Finger on the trigger, eye on the hog.
Down went the trigger, bang went the gun ;
Oh Lord A'mighty, how the hog did run !
512
Johnson's Mule
Quite another matter than 'The Kicking Mule,' below. What
seem to be forms of this song are reported from Alabama (ANFS
288), Michigan (BSSM 447), and Nebraska (ABS 213-14).
'Johnson's Mule.' Reported hy .Mrs. Sutton with tlie remark: "I tliink
this must be a music-liall ditty, but it is very effective when sung to the
banjo."
(Jld Johnson had an old gray mule,
And he driv him to a cart.
H I. A (.■ K V A C K M I N S T R K I. . N K C K () S d X C, S 56"
111' l()\f(l that imilf. and tlir nuilc \i>\v<\ him
W ith all his mulish heart.
When the rooster crowed ole" Johnson knowed
That dawn was ijoin' fur to hreak.
He comI)ed that mule with a waj^on wheel
And he ruhbed him down with a rake,
And you could hear him sing
Hee haw — hee haw — hee haw
And vou could hear him sing.
513
The Kicking Mule
This miglit be considered a form of the 'Liza Jane' song, which
varies rather widely in content, taking up or dropping stanzas
with the individual singer; or of the 'Whoa, mule' song, which
suffers similar variations. Its origin, in either form, is not known,
but it is sung very widely, especially in the South. Many of the
texts recorded are from the singing of Negroes. Our version com-
bines the two elements ; so do texts reported from Tennessee
(FSSH 431-2), North Carolina (FSSH 430-1, 433, JAFL xlv
165), Mississippi (JAFL xxviii 180), from the Midwest (Ford
295-6, 440-1), and from the singing of southern Negroes (JAFL
XXIV 265, 371-3). Sometimes the 'Whoa, mule" motive appears
without the 'Liza Jane'; so in North Carolina (FSSH 433), Ala-
bama (ANFS 227, 229), Mississippi (JAFL xxvi 126), Texas
(TNFS 186), and Indiana (BSI 335-8). Once at least the 'Liza
Jane' element appears without the 'Whoa, mule' : in Tennessee
(FSSH 432-3). The sleigh-ride of our text appears also in Ten-
nessee (FSSH 431-2), in Mississippi (JAFL xxviii 180), in a text
reported by Odum (JAFL xxiv 371-2) from Southern Negroes,
and in the Ozark region (Ford 440-1). The name Simon Slick as
that of the owner (sometimes as that of the mule itself) seems to
occur only (except for the two texts from Indiana, BSI 335-8) in
Negro texts: from Alabama (ANFS 157, 227, 228) and in others
not definitely located (Talley 47-8, JAFL xxiv 373). This hst
sufficiently shows the shifting and composite character of the song.
'The Kicking Mule.' From the manuscripts of G. S. Rohinsnn of .A.shc-
ville, secured in August 1939.
I Once there was a man, his name was Simon Slick.
He had a mule with dreamy eyes — and how that nude
could kick !
He'd shut one eye and switch his tail and greet you with
a smile.
He'd gently raise you from the ground and kick you half
a mile.
568 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Chorus:
\\ hoa, mule. I tell you.
Whoa, mule, I say !
Keep your seat. Miss Liza Jane,
And hold on to the sleigh.
2 I hitched that mule one morning to take my girl a ride.
He kicked both hind feet over the shalves^ and kicked
her in the sides ;
He kicked the feathers from a goose, he broke the ele-
phant's back,
He stopped the Texas railway train, and he kicked it off
the track.
3 Oh, hear the sleigh-bells ringing ! The snow is falling
fast.
Find a mule that's roomy, just give him all the road.
And don't get scared at nothing what you hear or see ;
Liza, I'll stay with this mule and you must stay with me.
4 Just see them snowflakes flying ! Look out, let them sail.
Watch them ears of his'n and see him wag his tail.
Going to the preacher's. Liza, you keep cool;
Hain't got time to kiss you now, I'm busy with this mule.
5 Little bee came flying around, came flying around the
wall ;
This little mule gave him one good kick, little bee didn't
feel so well.
Took him down to the blacksmith's shop, hitched him by
himself ;
He kicked both hind feet down his . . .- and kicked him-
self to death.
514
The Billy Goat
Spaeth (Read 'Em and JVccp 158) gives this without author or
(late, but as he includes it in his chapter on "The Vogue of Harrigan
and Hart" it belongs in the period 1870-90. An elaborated version
of six stanzas has been recorded from the Midwest (Ford 374-5),
and a four-line fragment from Alabama Negroes (ANFS 231 ).
'A Billy Goat Was Feeling Fine.' Reported in 1913 by W. B. Covington
as "heard at Gary. Wake Guunty, four years ago."
^ This seems to be an attempt t(j reproduce the local pronunciation of
"shafts."
^ There is no lacuna indicated in tbe manuscript, but tlic missing word
can easily be supplied.
K I, A C K F A C K MINSTREL, NEGRO SONGS 569
1 A billy i,n)at was feeling fine,
Ate six red shirts from ofi the line.
Sal took a stick and broke Bill's back
And tied him to the railroad track.
2 l^ong came a freight just six hours late.
It was too bad, made poor Bill mad.
Bill gave a shriek of roar^ and i>ain.
Coughed up the shirts and flagged the train.
' Probably iniscopicd for "fear."
XIII
RELIGIOUS SONGS
THE RELIGIOUS songs gathered by Professor Brown and his
aides are, alone, sufficient in number, variety, and interest to
make a sizable book. For Negro songs he had access to most of
those collected by Professor White from North Carolina for Pro-
fessor White's American Negro Folk-Songs. For those current
among the whites the Collection has drawn from the Adams manu-
script book of songs contributed by Professor W. Amos Abrams and
from several other manuscript collections of mixed songs. Besides
these there were scores of individual contributions, ultimately from
singers of both races. The racial provenience of the songs, then, is
fairly representative of the population of North Carolina. In many
instances, the collector's note indicates whether a given song was
recovered from white or Negro singers.
But differences of racial provenience do not make much differ-
ence in the character of the texts, however great the differences in
music may be. The whole body of songs in this part of the Col-
lection suggests the original unity of religious experience and wor-
ship among the two races. The probable priority of most of the
so-called "spirituals" in the worship of the whites, demonstrated by
Professor White and confirmed by Professor George Pullen Jack-
son and other scholars whose books are cited in this collection,
indicates that the spirituals are the common property of the two
races. The notion of a fundamental dift'erence is due to ignorance
or forgetfulness of the fact that changes in fashions of worship by
singing have taken place more rapidly among the whites than among
the blacks. Many songs in this collection suggest, and a visit at
camp-meetings, revivals, or back-country church services would
show, that what seems strange about the singing of an unsophisti-
cated (not a city) Negro congregation today is largely due to the
fact that Negroes are simply continuing, in their own way. an old
song tradition once observed without distinction by whites and
blacks and later abandoned by most whites. This strangeness is
also partly due to an undeniable difference of racial psychology
and musical habits which early gave Negro singing and religious
behavior a peculiar flavor — and which have given to some of the
Negro spirituals their uniciue glory. Yet the texts common to both
races exhibit few important differences due to race — often not even
K K I. 1 C I () U S S O N C S 5/1
in dialect — tliough the soii,t,'s recovered from white people arc more
likely to retain verbal features of the old hymns.
An interesting group of texts would seem, from known proveni-
ence and from comparison with other printed recordiniL^s, to have
been better preserved anions tlu' whites tlian anHini^- llie blacks.
Most of these arc pieces of some length and some pretense to liter-
ary style, often printed in such older hymnals as the Zioii Songster,
Harmony, or Sacred Harp and taught in the old-fashioned singing-
schools described by Professor Jackson in U^liitc Spirituals in the
Southern L ' plands. Such books, once common among the whites,
were rarely owned by Negroes. Thus, though the songs became
traditional, the learning of them had support by print.
Among this group are two old ballads based on scriptural story —
'Daniel in the Lion's Den' and "'rhe Little Family,' both redolent
of ancient piety and (|uaint expression. Similarly, 'Babe of Bethle-
hem,' 'Jesus. Born in Bethlehem,' and 'In the Valley' recall the old
English carols; two of them have been printed in old hymnals and
have been generally known among mountain whites. 'Hicks' Fare-
well,' 'The Cumberland Traveler,' and 'The Lone (or White) Pil-
grim' describe the hardships and perils suffered by pioneer preachers
and testify to the faith that sustained servants of the Word. The
funeral song is well exemplified by such pieces as 'Departed Loved
Ones,' 'Dark Was the Night,' 'Drooping Souls,' and 'Lily White
Robe,' most of which had printings in one or another of the Har-
mony hymnals. Accompanying the last-named text is Mrs. Sutton's
description of an occasion on which it was sung. 'As I Went Down
in the Valley to Pray' is a foot-washing song, with the same col-
lector's vivid little picture of the ceremony and the singing — a scene
that transports the reader into a setting of primitive faith and cus-
tom. 'Old Satan's Mad,' a brisk banjo spiritual, sounds as if it
might certainly be a Negro song, but it was actually sung by a wild
mountaineer with a keener eye for the location of moonshine stills
than for romantic scenery. "1 Am Bound for the Promised Land'
("On Jordan's Stormy Banks'), 'Old Ship of Zion,' 'The Lonesome
Dove,' and 'Way Over in the Promised Land' are other traditional
survivals of old spirituals printed in The Sacred Harp and other
old square-note hynmals.
Of songs recovered from Negro singers, several ordinarily re-
garded as "Negro spirituals" (whatever their original history may
be ) are classics of their kind. The noblest in the Frank C. Brown
Collection are 'Go Down Moses' and 'He Never Said a Mumbling
Word,' the latter recovered from a Negro congregation about the
time of the First World W^ar by a North Carolina jurist and
writer who wrote a few words testifying to the strange power of
the singers' treatment of it. In this "classic" tradition, too, are such
pieces as 'Jacob's Ladder,' "Pharaoh's Army," "Noah's Ark,' and
'All God's Chillun Got Shoes.'
5/2 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Aniong^ the many other reHgious types described by Professor
White in his American Negro Folk-Songs and by other collectors in
this field, several may be illustrated from the Frank C. Brown Col-
lection. One group, containing such pieces as 'Oh, I Used to Drink
Beer,' 'I Don't Sing Like I Used to Sing,' "The Gospel Pool,' and
'I Picked My Banjo Too' belong to the "experience" phase of a
religious revival, in which converts and penitents testify to changes
in their moral conduct and spiritual outlook. A second group draw
their imagery from analogies to travel by railway, such as 'The
Gospel Train,' 'The Little Black Train,' and T Do Wonder Is My
Mother on That Train.' Preoccupation with the terrors of the
Last Day, transition to the Other World, and the joys of Heaven
provide themes for numerous songs. 'Rock of Ages' raises the
question, to those who have "heard a mighty rumblin'," "What you
goin' to do when the world's on fiyer ?" 'Ain't Goin' to Worry My
Lord No More' announces, "I's gwine to heaven on eagles' wings,"
and another song begins with "We'll sail away to Heaven like a
feather in the wind." "Heaven," it is asserted in still another, "is
a beautiful place," and 'Down by de Ribberside' specifies three ex-
emptions from worldly worries there : "Ain' goin' study 'bout war
no more. . . . Ain' goin' study 'bout peace no more. . . . Ain'
goin' study 'bout nothin' no more." 'One of Tonight' seems to be
a robust specimen of the "shout song," an early and very primitive
type well illustrated by Lydia Parrish's Sla7'c Songs of the Georgia
Sea Islands. The informant's note and the text of 'Good Lord,
Rocky My Soul' give a snapshot of an old Negro plowman, doubt-
less in a voice as monotonous as his plodding up and down the
furrows of a North Carolina field, singing an old spiritual all day
long. Thus many of the religious songs serve the human needs of
lonely hours as well as the raptures of communal worship.
The literary interest attaching to most of the religious songs,
whether from Negroes or from whites, is of course slight. Their
themes, their structure, and their development are usually rudi-
mentary. Most of them are the detritus of older hymns, or are
repetitions, with slight variations (for example, the father-mother-
brother-sister type of progressive iteration), of some scriptural
passage, homiletic phrase, or revival catchword. Two of the sort
in the Frank C. Brown Collection, however, are noteworthy. Both
of them are of Negro origin. 'Ananias' is a funeral song alleged
to have been made by comnmnal composition for the occasion.
'John Jasper' piquantly characterizes one of the most remarkable
personalities produced in the South during the last century. A
third song, 'Cherokee Hymn.' is, incongruously enough, about the
sole reminder, in all our collection of ballads and songs, of the
great but unhappy race that once inhabited a large part of North
Carolina.
R 1-. 1. 1 (i 1 O US S 0 N C! s 573
515
TiiK Cumbi-:rland Traveller
■The I'unibeiiand Traveller' is here included as a liistorical
curiosity.
From the Adams MS hook owned by Professor W. Amos Al)rams,
formerly of Boone, N. C (now of Raleigh). The book dates from
1824-25 and lias nt'ver been out of western North Carolina. Stanzas
2-7 are largely intlecipherable. but deal first with the writer's present
state and departure from home, followed i^y three stanzas on his journey
to and reception in Cumberland. Stanza 8, a little more legible, adjures
the wife to teach the children virtue and "good holy word," and is
dated 1830 in the margin in a different hand. The signature at the end
of the pt)em is in a ditferent hand.
I Dear wife I hope this you will f. . .
In health of body and of mind
xAnd my dear babes whom I adore
I live in hopes to see once more.
9 Protect and guide me O my God
That rules the nation with the Rod
Guide them against that savage land
And smile with peace on Cumberland.
10 Good lord of murcy stay thy hand
Keep me from falling into they savage h. . .
Let the earth drink no more the blood of m. . .
WHiilst I return from Cumberland.
1 1 ( ) if you want for to noe the time
These Hues was Rought in 89
April was the second day
These Hnes was rote and sent away.
finis Moses Adams. Jr.
516
The Great Round-Up
Reported from Mississippi (JAFL xxxix 170-1, FSM 227) and
from Texas (CS 44-8, FB 101-3). Not the same as the piece by
the same title in the first edition of Cowboy Songs nor as the
'Cowboy's Meditation' in the 1938 edition, but is substantially the
same as "The Cowboy's Dream' in the first edition. Perhaps long
nights under the stars were favorable to the sort of religious senti-
mentality expressed here.
'The Great Round-Up.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
I Last night as I lay on the prairie
Looking up at the stars in the sky,
How I wondered if ever a cowboy
\\'as carried to that sweet bye and bye.
X.C.F., Vol. TIT, f39)
574 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Chorus:
Oh, they say there will be a great round-up
When the cowboys, like cattle, shall stand
To be roped by the riders of judgment —
Oh. 1 hope they will know every brand.
2 The way to that bright, happy region.
It is narrow and dim, so they say.
But the road that leads down to perdition,
It is broadest and blazed all the way.
3 I wonder if there will be many
Wlio will be at the oreat final sale ?
4 I hope there will be some stray cowboy
Who'll be claimed by someone that is nigh.
And be roped by the rider of judgment.
And be carried to that sweet bye and bye.
517
Some of These Days
A Negro spiritual. See J. W. Work's A)iicricaii Negro Songs
166, White's ANFS 120-1 and 89; a form of it is reported from
the singing- of South Carolina Negroes (JAFL xliv 424) ; a song
similar in content but not the same is known in Kentucky (BKH
208). Cf. Sixty-Tzi'o Southland Spirituals (Winona Lake, Ind.,
1946), No. 48. Our two texts differ not a little but arc certainly
forms of one song.
A
'Some of These Days.' Collected by Julian P. Boyd of Alliance, Pam-
lico county, in 1927 from Jeannette Tingle, one of his pupils there.
1 I'm a-gonna walk on de streets of glory,
I'm a-gonna walk on de streets of glory,
Hallelujah, I'm a-gonna walk on de streets of glory,
I'm a-gonna walk on de streets of glory, some of these
days!
2 I'm a-gonna see my a-sainted mother,
I'm a-gonna see my a-sainted mother,
Hallelujah, I'm a-gonna see my a-sainted mother,
I'm a-gonna see my a-sainted mother, some of these days!
3 I'm a-gonna sing and shout for glory,
I'm a-gonna sing and shout for glory.
Hallelujah, I'm a-gonna sing and shout for glory,
I'm a-gonna sing and shout for glory, some of these days !
R K I. 1 C 1 <) r S S O N G s 575
4 I'm ;i-!L;i>nua .sec in_\- l)k'ss(.'(l S;i\itii",
I'm a-gi»nna sec my blessed Savior.
I'm a-ij:()nna see my blessed Savior, (hallelujah)
I'm a-i^onna see my blessed Savior, some of these days!
B
"Some uf These Days.' Tliis text also comes b-oin Mr. IJoyd at .\lli-
ance, with tlie music, "done by one of my seniors." ICach stanza con-
sists of a line three times repeated and the refrain line. Only the first
is so printed here.
1 I'm soing to cross the river Jordan,
I'm i^oing' to cross the river Jordan.
I'm going- to cross the river Jordan,
Some of these days, some of these days!
2 I'm going to see my blessed Jesus
3 I'm going to shake his kjvely hand
4 I'm going to see my dear ole mudder
5 I'm goin" to tell her how I suffered
6 I'm goin' to try on my golden slippers
7 I'm goin' to shout the houses over
8 Oh. I'll .shout and never get tired
518
Long White Robe
This seems to be a Negro spiritual mixed in the last stanza with
a more mundane element. "Cotton-eyed Joe" figures in various
songs, mo.stlv sung by Negroes; see ANFS 359, TNFS 69-70.
JAFL xxvii'i 190, AMS 67, BTFLS v 25— this last a play-party
song.
'Long White Robe.' Contrilnited l)y A. J. and J. H. Ikn-rus of W'eaver-
ville, Buncombe county, in 1922.
CJlorHS:
Can't you hand down that long white robe?
Can't you hand down that l<)ng white robe?
Can't you hand down that hmg white robe?
Can't you hand down that long white robe?
I Old Satan thought he had me fast,
Can't you hand down that long white robe?
But I broke his old chain and I come at last.
Can't you hand down that long white robe?
5/6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 If ever I reach that mountain top,
Can't you hand down that long white robe?
I pray to ni}- Lord I may never stop,
Can't you hand down that long white robe?
3 Oh. I'd 'a' been married twenty-seven years ago,
Can't you hand down that long white robe?
If it had not 'a' been for cotton-eyed Joe.
Can't you hand down that long white robe?
There's a Little Hand \\'riting on the \\'all
This sounds as though it might be a fragment from a spiritual ;
but I have not found it in that or any other context.
'There's a Little Hand Writing on the Wall." Reported hv George D.
Harmon of Union Mills, Rutherford county, from "Uncle Frank."
There's a little hand writing on the wall.
There's a little hand writing on the wall.
All I say and all I do,
That hand writing on the wall.
520
Ananias
There are two slightly different variants of this song in our
collection.
a
'Funeral Song of Uncle Ananias.' From Airs. Jacques Busbee, Raleigh;
MS and typed versions dated November 1907 and January 1915. re-
spectively, with one or two trivial variations. The tune is given as 'The
Old Time Religion.' but, adds Dr. White, "does not fit the tune I know."
There is a picture of Uncle Ananias, and the letter giving the story of
the song follows :
108 Park Avenue
January 22, 191 5
Mv DEAR Mr. Brown:
I have been waiting to find an accommodating musician
before answering your letter. As soon as one is found, I'll
mail you the air of the Funeral Song. The air is very sim-
ple and plaintive. I wish I could sing it for you.
About the origin : I have done much illustrating for
magazines and have rather specialized on our old-time
darkey — Uncle .Ananias was one of my most delightful
models. Several years ago he died. His wife. Aunt Mitty
Ann, urged me to attend the funeral. Needless to say, 1
went. They were Baptists, but as -Xunt Mitty had heard
that the Methodist preacher preached the "prettiest funeral
R E I, I C I 0 U S S 0 N c. s 57"
in tdwn, witli ninri' ri'lij^imi in it," she had lu-r luishaml's
funeral cunducUd I'runi the MethcxHst Chunli. I wisli 1
could tell you all this — my right hand won't C(Mivey my
knowledge of that wonderful orgy.
The sermon was astounding. This song was made up
then and there hy the preacher, and was lined out to the
congregation, who moaned and sang it with every possihle
Methodist quaver (I'm one myself). There were many
more verses. 1 wrote down all that I could rememher, at
the time. I have some very good pictures of tiie old man
They're yours if you want them.
Yours very cordially,
Juliana R. Busbee
(Mrs. Jacques Busbee)
1 Ananias wuz er-la}in' in his bed,
Ananias wuz er-layin' in his bed,
Ananias wiiz cr-layin" in his bed,
An' er knockin' came at de do'.
2 Ananias he say. 'Who dat?'
Ananias he say, 'Who dat ?'
Ananias he say. 'Who dat?'
An' de Lord he say, 'Hit's me.'
3 De Lord say, 'Whar yo' 'hgion?'
De Lord say, 'W'har yo' 'Ugion?'
De Lord say, 'Whar yo' 'Hgion?'
Ananias say: 'Search me.
4 'Look in de bureau,
Look bin' de washstand,
Pull down de bed-clothes,
An' see what you kin fin'.'
5 De Lord say, 'Lay down yo' rheumatism,'
De Lord say, 'Lay down yo' rheumatism,'
De Lord say, 'Lay down all yo' ailments,
An' come along wid me.'
6 Ananias he say. 'Yes. Lord,'
Ananias he say, 'Yes, Lord,'
Ananias he say, 'Yes, Lord,
ril go along wid you.'
B
'Ananias.' It is not entirely clear whether the following is a real
variant or a careless copy of 'Funeral Song of Uncle .Ananias.' At any
rate, when Mrs. L. D. Latta, Wilmington, N. C, in Novcmher 1927,
requested a copy Dr. Brown sent iier a typescript ; and this typescript
corresiKinds to an anonymous copy in the Collection which may have
been sent by an informant different from Mrs. Busbee, who sent 'Funeral
5/8 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Song.' On tile other hand, huth the 1927 typescript copy and tlie un-
dated anonymous copy may have come from Mrs. Busbee's 1907 MS ver-
sion and the typescript version made in 191 5. Whatever the facts may be,
the following version shows differences not only in the representation
of the dialect but also in wording.
1 Ananias was a-layin' in his bed,
Ananias was a-layin' in his bed,
Ananias was a-layin' in his bed,
When a knockin' hit come at de do'.
2 Ananias he say, 'Who dat?"
Ananias he say, 'Who dat?'
Ananias he say, 'Who dat ?'
And de Lord he say, 'Hit's me.*
3 De Lord he say, ' Whar yo' "ligion ?'
De Lord he say, 'W'har yo' 'ligion ?'
De Lord he say, 'W'har yo' 'ligion?'
And Ananias he say: 'S'arch me.
4 'Look 'hind the wardrobe.
Take down the bed clo's,
S'arch in the washstan'.
And see what you kin find.'
5 And de Lord he say, 'Lay down yo' rhetunatiz,'
And de Lord he say, 'Lay down yo' rheumatiz,'
And de Lord he say, 'Lay down yo' rheumatiz.
And come an' go 'long wid me.'
6 Ananias he say, 'Yes, Lord,'
Ananias he say, 'Yes, Lord,'
Ananias he say, 'Yes, Lord,
I sho will go 'long wid you.'
521
The Gospel Pool
This song, from the same informant, appears in White ANFS
111-12, with the following note: "This song parallels the custom I
have seen practised in white revival meetings of the telling of re-
ligious 'experiences' by recent converts, to encourage waverers.
Lines 4, 5, and 8 are probably based on the pool of Bethesda, John
V, 3, 4 (the moving of the water) and numerous other Biblical
passages less directly applicable. Cf. Zioi Songster, second edition,
1827, p. 141, 'The Gospel Pool.' " The note also points out tlie
occurrence of 1. 8 or its cciuivalent in other spirituals.
A
No title. From MS of W. A. Ellison, Jr., Durham, N. C. December
1919, with note by contributor : "Heard from an old Negro man."
R K I. I C 1 () U S S 0 N G S 579
'brother, how did yon ivv\ dat day
When yo' los' yo' gniU and hurden?'
'I felt like de Lord (iod done freed my soul
An' de holy water moved on,
brethren, de holy water moved on.'
1 run all about, brethren, I run all al)out.
1 felt brand new. brethren, 1 felt brand new.
My hands lonked new. brethren, dvy looked new;
And de green trees bowed, lirethren,
De green trees bowed.'
B
No title. From MS of R. B. Edwards, December 4, 1919. White ANFS
III notes this as "Reported from Durham, N. C," and points out dif-
ferences between it and A, but does not print it.
'Brother, how did you feel that day,
\\'hen you lost your guilt and burden?'
'I felt like the Lord God freed my soul.
And the healing waters move.
I run all about, brethern, I run all about.
I felt brand new. brethern, I felt brand new.
i\Iy hands looked new, brethern, my hand looked new.'
'How did you feel that day,
When you lost your guilt and burden?'
'I felt brand new that day, brethern,
I felt brand new.
Well, the green trees bowed that day,
Brethern, the green trees bowed.'
522
A Charge to Keep
Under the title 'Carolina,' Jackson DESO 158 reprints a hymn
of four stanzas, of which the first corresponds to the following,
and says that the hymn appears in Southern and Western Pocket
Harmonist, compiled by William Walker, of .Spartanburg, S. C,
and printed in Philadelphia in 1846. "The text is by Charles Wes-
ley." Under the title 'Kentucky,' the hymn appears in Songs of
Zion. A Manual of the Best and Most Popular Hymns and Tunes,
for Social and Private Dci-otion (New York, 1851 ), p. no.
Contrit)uted by Geora^e D. Harmon, Union Mills, Rutherford county,
as from "Uncle Frank"; without date (Mr. Harmon attended the
Trinity College Summer School in 1921 and 1922).
' This line does not appear in the White ANFS version, Init does
appear in the Ellison MS.
580 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
A Charge to keep I have,
A God to glo-ri-fy,
A never ly-ing^ soul to save
And fit it for the sky.
523
Creation
In ANFS 83-5, Wliite, who prints several versions, states that
this appears in several printed collections of Negro songs (which
he cites), that it is often sung by whites as a picnic song, and
that the refrain is apparently based on Ezekiel 2i7- Cf. Sandburg
ASb 470-1.
A
No title. With music. From an anonymous MS, without date and
address.
The Lord He thought he'd make a man,
A little bit of dirt, a little bit of sand.
These old bones gwine-a rise again.
Chorus:
I know it, indeed, I know it,
These old bones gwine-a rise again.
'Dese Bones Gwine to Rise Again.' Text given in June 1948 to A. P.
Hudson by Miss Marjorie Craig. Brevard, Transylvania county, with
note: "Version by Gene Carter, Mrs. Lucille Reid's cook in Went-
worth, N. C. Recorded by Miss Nancy Withers." Wentworth is in
Rockingham county.
1 De Lord thought he'd make him a garden so fair,
Dese bones a-gwine to rise again.
Thought he'd put him a man in there.
Dese bones a-gwine to rise again.
2 Took a little sand, took a little clay.
Dese bones, etc.
Out of these Uncle Adam he made.
Dese bones, etc.
3 Thought he'd make him a woman to squeeze.
Dese bones, etc.
Snatched out a rib and he made Miss Eve.
Dese bones, etc.
' .A scribal error for "dy-ing."
R E L I c; 1 O L' S SONGS 581
4 In that garden was an ai)ple tree.
Dese bones, etc.
De Lord tole 'em to let 'em apples be.
Dese bones, etc.
5 Up come Satan with a skip and a jump.
Dese bones, etc.
At Miss Eve one eye he wnnk.
Dese bones, etc.
6 Eve took a look, then she took a pull.
Dese bones, etc.
Den she filled her apron full.
Dese bones, etc.
7 De Lord called out in a mighty voice.
Dese bones, etc.
Shook dem heavens from joist to joist.
Dese bones, etc.
8 Turned 'em out and give "em a plow.
Dese bones, etc.
That's the reason we're ploughing right now.
Dese bones, etc.
524
Daniel in the Lion's Den
In a miscellaneous untitled collection of American broadsides in
the Houghton Library of Harvard University there is a broadside
of 'Daniel in the Lion's Den.' undated and without indication of
printer or publisher. It is in sixteen stanzas and begins, "Among
the Judith captives, one Daniel there was found."
'Daniel in the Lion's Den' appears (without music or indication
of authorship) in Peter D. Myers's The Zion Songster: A Collec-
tion of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Generally Sung at Camp and
Prayer Meetings, and in Rez'ii'als of Religion (New York, 1829,
1834, 1844), pp. 304-6 (1844 ed.). The same ballad also appears,
with a "Second Part" relating the fate of Daniel's enemies, in
The Camp-Meeting Chorister: or, A Collection of Hymns and
Spiritual Songs, for the Pious of All Denominations to Be Sung
at Camp Meetings, etc. (Philadelphia. 1852). pp. 173-6. SharpK
II 2/^ prints one stanza with music. The Library of Congress
Check-List lists two songs with this title, both from South Caro-
lina. Davis FSV 311-12 lists two texts by title.
Between the Zion Songster and the Blades texts (eleven stanzas
in each) there are verbal differences in every stanza, twenty-six
in all; e.g.: stanza i, Zion "nations" for Blades "captives," and
"Thev say him" for "He was": stanza 6, "Now when Darius" for
"When King Darius," "soul" for "heart," "The Prince then" for
582 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
"His Nobles all." These indicate copying from memory. There
are similar differences from The Camp-Mccting Chorister text.
'Daniel in the Lion's Den.' From Camden Charles Blades. Elizabeth
City, Pasquotank county, ^larch 25, 1916; with the note: "The words
to this were sent to my Grandfather by his sister in a letter she wrote
sometime between 1845- 1854. It is not known where she got them
from. This was found in his scrapbook."
1 Among the Jewish captives one Daniel there was foimcl.
Whose unexampled piety astonished all around.
He was so very pious and faithful to his Lord,
Three times a day he howed to supplicate his God.
2 Amongst the King's high princes this Daniel was the
first —
The King preferred the spirit this Daniel did possess.
His unexampled piety sustained a jealousy;
The princes sought his ruin, obtained a firm decree :
3 'Should any man or woman a supplication bring
For thirty days ensuing, save to thee, O King —
Or any Lord or Master or any other man —
They should without distinction fall in the lion's den.'
4 But soon as Daniel heard it, straight to his home he went :
To beg his God's protection, it was his whole intent.
His windows being open, before his God he bowed.
The princes were assembled and saw him worship God.
5 They came to King Darius and spoke of his decree.
Saying, 'This Hebrew Daniel doth nothing care for thee —
Before his God he boweth three times in every day.
With all his windows open — and we have heard him pray.'
6 W^ien King Darius heard it, his lieart did so relent ;
He set his heart on Daniel his sentence to prevent.
His Nobles all assembled and to the King they said,
'Remember you great honor, likewise the law you made.'
7 Then King Darius ordered that Daniel should be l)rought
And cast into the lion's den because the Lord he sought.
The King then said to Daniel, 'The God whom you adore
Will save you from the lions and bless vou evermore.'
8 The King went to liis palace and fasted all the night.
He neither ate nor drank, nor in music took delight.
So early the next morning he stole along the way
And came unto the lion's den where this l)ol(l I lei)rew lav.
9 And with a voice of mourning the King he cried aloud,
Saying, 'O Daniel, Daniel — the servant of the Lord —
R K L I (■ I O U S S 0 N t; S 583
Is iKil llu' (i()(l suiricic'iit l(ir to (K'li\c'r llicc —
'\\\c ( i()(l in \\h(ini tlimi iruslcst, and saxes continually?'
10 "My liod has sent His angel and shut the liun's jaws,
So that they have not hurt nie — my enemies He saw.'
Straightway the King commanded to take him out the
den —
Because in (iod he trusted no harm was found in him.
11 See how this faithful Daniel feared not the face of clay.
'1\\as not the King's commandment could make him cease
to pray,
lie knew that (lod was ahle to save his soul from death.
I le trusted in Jehovah — he [)rayed at every ])reath.
525
Departed Loved Ones
Marie Campbell, in "Funeral Ballads of the Kentucky Moun-
lains," SFLQ iii 112, prints a text of this hymn, obtained in 1933
from the singing of an eighty-one-year-old woman, who "said she
could not remember when her family had not 'knowed that air
ballet pine-blank like I done sung hit.' "
'Departed Loved Ones.' From MS book of songs lent to Dr. Brown in
August 1936 by Miss Lura Wagoner, Vox, Alleghany county. Several
of the songs were dated, some 1911, some 1913.
1 Is it wrong to wish to meet them
\\ ln) were dear to us in life?
Shall we check the rising sadness
Since they're free from toil and strife?
2 I've a mother up in heaven,
And oh. tell me if you will.
Will my mother know her children
\\ hen to glory they will go ?
3 Does she watch me from those wind(jws
While I'm on this distant shore?
Will she know when I am going?
\\ ill she meet me at the door?
4 I've a father, too, in glory,
And oh. tell me if you know.
Will my father know his children
\\'hen we n.ieet on Canaan's shore?
5 In that land are saintly children
Who are happy now and free.
Shall we ever reach those mansions,
All those darling: ones to see?
5^4 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
526
Dark Was the Night
The original hymn, of which there are three traditional versions
in our collection, has been ascribed to Thomas Haweis. The first
three stanzas appear in A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social,
Olid Domestic ITorsliip (Nashville, Tenn., 1859), P- 88; the whole,
in Basil Manly and B. Manly's The Baptist Psalmody (Charleston,
S. C, 1850 J, p. 124. White ANFS 105-6 prints songs containing
the first stanza, with other references. Cf. Jackson WNS 199 (No.
Ixxiv). A Negro version of this song, from Alabama, appears in
Emily Hallowell, Calhoun Plantation Songs (Boston, 1901), p. 31.
A
No title. Contributed by Julian P. Boyd, from Mary Price, a student
in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county; c. 1927-28. The copy of the
song bears this note by Dr. Brown : "Many of the white people along
the coast write and speak as do the Negroes : notice 'de' for 'the' ; hence
one cannot conclude that the songs are of Negro origin just because of
the idioms." But see text B.
1 Dark was the night and cold was the ground
On which de Lord was laid ;
De sweat like drops of blood run down ;
In agony he prayed.
2 'Father, remove this bitter cup.
If 'tis thy sacred will.
If not, content I'll drink it up.
Thy pleasure I'll fulfill.'
3 Go to the garden, sinner, see
Those precious drops that flow.
The heavy load he bore for thee.
For thee he laid so low.
4 Then learn of him the cross to bear.
Thy Father's will obey.
And when temptations press too near,
Awake to watch and pray.
B
'Dark Is the Niglit.' Provenience the same as that of the A text,
except that it was olitained from Rosebud West. It is described as
"Negro fragment."
Dark is the night,
And cold is the day
On which niy Lord was laid.
He sweat drops of blood,
Rut never told a soul.
KE 1, ItilOUS SONUS 503
b'athcr w ill remove
This bead of blood from you
If you will bear bis call.
Oh, God will remove ibis bead of blood,
Oh, God will remove ibis bead of blood,
If you will hear his call.
Oh. go to God and be saved
From this bead of blood.
( )b. ves, God will remove this bead of blood!
c
No title. From Miss Jennie Ik'lvin, Dnrliam ; nndated, Init i)n>l)al)ly
1920-21. Plmnograph recording, undated.
1 The sweat like drops of blood run down;
in agony he prayed,
In agony he prayed.
2 I heard my blessed Savior say,
'Come unto me and rest.
Come unto me and rest.'
3 He bid me come to Him and rest.
My head upon his breast.
My head upon his breast.
527
Don't You Grieve after Me
Though related in xA. and B versions to 'Jacob's Ladder' (q.v.),
this seems to be a different song. Cf. W. A. Fisher. Sez'eiity Negro
Spirituals (Boston. 1926). pp. 198-9; J. Rosamond Johnson, Rolling
Along in Song (New York, 1937), pp. /O-i.
'Climbin" Up Jacob's Ladder.' From typescript copy of a MS copy
contributed by Miss Mary Morrow. Greensboro, Guilford county. Jan-
uary 29, 1928. (The MS copy was returned.) A plionograph rccord-
ingof the song was made at Greensboro in 1928.
1 Old Si.ster Susan, don't ycju grieve after me.
( )ld Si.ster Su.san, don't you grieve after me.
(Jld Sister Susan, don't you grieve after me,
'Case I don't want you to grieve after me.
2 When Fm daid and buried, don't you grieve after me.
When Fm daid and Iniried. don't you grieve after me.
When Fm daid and buried, don't you grieve after me,
'Case I don't want you to grieve after me.
586 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 Climbin' up Jacob's ladder — don't you grieve after me ;
Climbin' up Jacob's ladder — don't you grieve after me ;
Climbin' up Jacol)'s ladder — don't you grieve after me ;
'Case I don't want you to grieve after me.
4 Old Brotber Epbraim. don't you grieve after me.
Old I brother Epbraim, don't you grieve after me,
Old Br(jtber Epbraim, don't you grieve after me,
'Case I don't want you to grieve after me.
B
'Jacob's Ladder.' Contributed by Julian P. Boyd, c. 1927-28, as col-
lected from Catberine Bennett, a student in the school at Alliance,
Pamlico county.
Climbin' up Jacob's ladder — don't you grieve after me ;
Climbin' up Jacob's ladder — don't you grieve after me.
I don't want you to have to grieve after me !
c
Contributed by William C. Cumming, Brunswick county (?); undated.
"Another of Uncle Billie's songs, but one we didn't like nearly as well."
The first line and refrain are repeated in stanzas 2 and 3 as in stanza i.
1 Jobn on the island, don't you grieve after me,
John on the island, don't you grieve after me,
John on the island, don't you grieve after me,
For I don't want you to grieve after me.
2 Long neck bottle, don't you grieve after me, etc.
3 When I get married, don't you grieve after me, etc.
528
Drooping Souls, No Longer Grieve
From the Adams MS book (western North Carolina, 1824-25),
owned by Professor W. Amos Abrams. The MS spellings, lines,
and stanzas have been followed verbatim et literatim.
Jackson SFSEA 98-9 and DESO 95 give versions of this hymn
and say it appeared in several of the early American hymnbooks,
among them The Knoxville Harmony (1838). which prints the first
line "Mourning souls," and in The Southern and Western Poeket
Harmony (compiled at Spartanburg, S. C, and printed in Phila-
delphia, 1846). In the latter, the first line begins "Drooping souls."
It appears, too, in The Camp-Meeting Chorister . . . (Philadelphia,
1852), pp. 69-70. The Adams text indicates coi)ying from mem-
ory; e.g., "balsam" in stanza 2, reads "lotion" in the printed texts.
See Annabel Morris Buchanan's Folk Hymns of America (New-
York, 1938), p. 58, for a text recovered from oral tradition in
Tennessee. For a North Carolina text taken from oral tradition,
see Chappell FSRA 167.
R i: 1. I c 1 () u s SONGS 587
1 Drooping souls no longer grive
Heaven is propitions
If on Christ you can believe
You shall find him ])rt'ci()us
Jes\is he is passing hy
Calls the mourners to him
It was for mourners lu- did die
Now look up and view him
2 l^'rom his hand his feet his side
I'dowes the healing balsam
Be [ ?] the consolating tide
Boundless as the ocean
Se the loveing current move
For the sick and dieing
I am Resolv'd to gain his love
( )r to perish trying
3 lioundless mercy, rich &: free
Weary souls to gladen
Jesus calls Come unto me
\\'eary heavy-laden
Though your sins like mountains high
Arise and reach to heaven
Soon as you on him relye
All shall be forgiven
4 Now me thinkes 1 hear one say
I will go & prove him
If [ ?] he takes my sins away
Shurely I shall love him
Yes I se the Savior smile
Smileing [ ?J moves my burden
O rich "[ ? sick?j I am for I am ville
Yet it seals [ ?] my pardon
5 Boundless mercy how it flowes
Now I hope I feel it
It has never yet ben told
Still I want to tell it
Jesus he has heal'd my wounds
0 the wounders story
1 was lost but now 1 am found
Glory Glory ( ilory
6 (dorv to my Saviours name
Saints T noe you lo\'e liim
Sinners you may do the same
588 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Only come & prove him
Wilkes County C W C W C W
Hasten to a saviours blood
Feel it and declare it
0 that I could sing so loud
That all the world could hear it
7 If no greater joys was known
In this [? these?] uper regions
1 would try to travel on
By this pure religion
Heaven here & heaven there
Glory here & younder
Brightest seraphs shout amen
And all the angels wonder
finis M. L. Adams
529
The Gospel Train
Tlie iron road and horse made a great impression on the minds
of Americans — especially, it would seem, of American Negroes —
in the nineteenth century. The imagery of the "Gospel Train' takes
a variety of forms. See White's note on it in ANFS 64. Our
song has already been reported from North Carolina (FSRA
145-6), and others like it but not the same from Kentucky (JAFL
XLi 560), South Carolina (TNFS 254), Alabama (ANFS' 64), the
lower South (JAFL xl 299), and the Bahamas (JAFL xli 460).
No title. Manuscript in tlie hand of Dr. Brown, undated.
1 Select de proper train,
Select de proper train,
Select de proper train
When de bridegroom comes.
2 Git on boa'd de train.
Git on boa'd de train,
Git on boa'd de train
W'hen de bridegroom comes.
3 Gwine to trabbel wid mah Sabuh,
Gwine to trabbel wid mah Sabuh,
( jwine to trabbel wid mah Sabuh
When de bridegroom comes.
Gwine to trabbel home to glory,
Gwine to trabbel home to glory,
K E L I H I O l' S SONGS 589
(Iwiiie to tral)l)cl home to glory
W lien de l)ri(lei>rt)oni comes.
*lt Ain't No Harm to Trust in Jesus.' Reported from Durham. Decem-
ber 5, lyiy. MS of Austin L. Elliott. White, who prints this as a
version of "That (iospel Train Is Coming," ANFS 64-5, cites numerous
collections containing the song and says of the following version, "Every
line is found in printed versions of other songs, but the combination is
original." For a good musical setting, see VV. A. Fisher, Sci'cnty Negro
Spirittuils (Boston, 1926), pp. 52-5; and Rodeheaver, Sixt\'-T7>.v South-
cm Spirit mils (Winona Lake, Ind., 1946), No. 42.
1 ( )h, (Icjii't you hear that whistle IjIo'h',
L)h, don't you hear that whistle hlo'n'.
Oh, don't you hear that whistle hlo'n' ?
(let on hoard, get on board.
2 Uh, it ain't no harm to trust in Jesus,
Oh, it ain't no harm to trust in Jesus,
Oh, it ain't no harm to trust in Jesus ;
Get on board, get on board.
3 Jesus is the conductor,
Jesus is the conductor,
Jesus is the conductor ;
Get on board, get on board.
4 Oh ! have you got your ticket ready,
Oh ! have you got your ticket ready,
Oh ! have you got your ticket ready ?
Get on board, get on board.
c
No title. From Misses Hallie and Jean Holeman, Durham, 1922.
Chorus only.
O, git on de board, de board, little childun,
O, git on de board, de board, little childun,
O, git on de board, de board, little childun,
Dere's room fer many a mo'.
530
Hicks' Farewell
William Walker, who compiled The Southern Harmony, and
Musical Companion (printed at Philadelphia, 1847), says (p. 19)
in a footnote to this son^ that it "was composed by the Rev. B.
Hicks, (a Baptist minister of South Carolina,) and sent to his wife
while he was confined in Tennessee by a fever of which he after-
wards recovered." A version entitled 'The Dying Father's Fare-
x.r.F.. V(,i. in, (40)
590 NORTH CAROLINA F 0 L K L 0 R K
weir is included among songs published by Emma AI. Backus in
JAFL XIV 288-9, "taken . . . from the lips of elderly reciters, who
have given them as current and popular in Central North Carolina
in the days of their youth, about the first quarter of the nineteenth
century." Jackson W'SSU 202 and SFSEA 31 contain other texts
and information. Davis FSV 299 lists three \'irginia texts by
titles and first lines.
No title. From the Adams MS book (western North Carolina, 1824-25),
owned by Professor W. Amos Abrams. The MS spellings, lines, and
stanzas have been followed verbatim ct literatim. Bracketed words have
been supplied by the editor from The Southern Har)U(m\ version where
the Adams' reading is defective.
1 The time is swiftly rolling on
That [When J I must faint iS: die
My body to the dust return
And there forgotten lie
2 Let persecution rage around
And unto Christ [Anti-Christ] appear
My silent dust beneath the groimd
Shall no disturbance heare
3 Through cold and heat I oft times went
And wandered through distress [in desi)air|
To call on siners to repent
And seek there saviors face
[And seek the Saviour dear]
4 My brother preachers boldly speak
And stand on Zions wall
Revive the weak [strong], confirm the weak
And oft times [after] sinners call
5 ^ly breathren all I bid adieu
[My brother preachers, fare you well]
Your fellowship I love
In time I never se you more
[In time no more I shall you see]
We soon shall meet above
6 My little babes lies near my heart
[My little children near my heart]
For nature bind
[And nature seems to bind]
It greaves me strong for to dejjart
And leave them all behind
7 C) lord to them a father be
And sheald them from all harm
R K K 1 C, 1 0 U S S 0 N C S 591
That they may noc to worship the
And dwell upon thy charms
8 My loveiiig wife, my hosom friend
the ohject of my heart
So sweet the time with you Ive spent
My sweet iJv; harmliss dove
9 M\- love yon oft times lood'd |look'd?J for me
And oft times se me come
But now 1 must depart from you
And nevermore return
10 My loveing- wife weep not for me
Niether lament nor morn
for you will cjuickly come to me
for we shall never part finis amen
M. L. Ada MS
531
If You Get There Before I Do
No title. From MS of R. B. Edwards, Durham, December 4, igig.
Printed by White in ANFS iii, with notes and references, in particular
pointing out that lines i and 3, with different refrains, are found in
several songs, among them 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.'
If you get there hefore I do, all right, all right.
Jesus will make it all right.
Just tell them that I am coming too, all right, all right.
If you get there before I do, all right.
Just scratch a hole and pull me through, all right, all right.
532
I'm Boun' to Cross the Jordan
From K. P. Lewis, West Durham, 1915, as set down by Dr. Kemp P.
Battle, Chapel Hill, November 1910.
Chorus:
I'm houn' to cross the Jordan,
I'm boun' to cross the Jordan,
I'm boun' to cross the Jordan,
I'm boun' to cross the lordan,
I'm boun' to cross the Jordan,
Hallelujah !
I Oh, brothers, wc^n't you join me?
Sisters, won't you join me?
592 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Sinners, won't you join me ?
For I'm boun' to cross the Jordan,
Hallelujah !
2 Oh, my brothers over Jordan,
]\Iy sisters over Jordan,
]\Iy neighbors over Jordan,
And I'm boun' to cross the Jordan,
Hallelujah !
533
I Am Going to Heaven
No title. From Mrs. Mattie Southgate Jones, Durham, July 26, 1922.
The alternative reading of line 4 of the chorus appears on the copy of
the song.
Chorus:
I am going to Heaven,
I am going to Heaven,
I am going to Heaven,
I an' the bleeding Lamb
[To see the bleeding Lamb].
1 Come, my loving Father,
And don't you want to go ?
Come go with me to glory
To see the bleeding Lamb.
2 Come, my loving Mother, etc.
3 Come, my loving Brother, etc.
4 Come, my loving Sister, etc.
534
In the Valley
The theme and the metrical pattern of this sonj? resemble those
of 'Babe of Bethlehem,' No. 554. which has been identified as one
of the old Harmony favorites.
From Mrs. Leander Wilson, Zionville, Watauga county, witliout date.
The peculiarities of MS spelling are retained. According to the Library
of Congress Check-List, a song with this title from the same informant
was recorded by John A. Lomax on July 16, 1936.
I It was in Judies land by God's Femortal [Immortal?!
hand
That Jesus Christ was bi)rned in the valley.
In the valley, in the valley,
That JesiLs Christ was horned in the \alley.
R E L I C I 0 U S S O N c. s 593
2 The news was spread abroad that he was the son of CJod,
And now he makes his start in the valley,
In the valley, in the valley.
And now he makes his start in the valley.
3 It was bv his mother's hand he was clotlu-d in Suadland
[swaddlinj,^?] band.
In the man^a-r lade him down in the valley.
In the valley, etc.
4 It was in the gloom of night when Mary look her flight
Into h^gypt. Slie did light in the \alley,
In the valley, in the valk-y.
Into Egypt she did light in the valley.
5 Well did the prophets say that the time would will the day
When God would call him away from the valley,
From the valley, etc.
6 He goes into the town to cast away the gloom,
To prepair for us a home from the valley,
From the valley, etc.
7 The storm clouds hanging low, I to glory then will go,
Iv [I've?] inquired every fo from the valley.
From the valley, etc.
8 The Christian people sing hosanna to their king
And will make their music ring from the valley.
From the valley, etc.
9 When in heven we would be we would have a Jublen
I Jubilee? J
To all Eaturnety from the valley,
From the valley, etc.
535
I've Got a Brother in the Sxovv-White Fieeds
The tirst stanza corresponds to a song of four lines in White
FS 119, also from Nortli Carolina. Several phrases, White
notes, appear in other songs, which he cites. Cf. 'Want to (io to
Heaven When I Die' in A. E. Wier, Songs of tin- Sunny South
(New York, 1929), p. 99.
No title. From Lucille Cheek, Chatham county, wlio was a student at
the Duke University Sunuuer Scliool in 1923.
1 I've got a brother in the snow-white fields,
Praying all night long.
I want to go to Heaven when 1 die.
ANFJ
594 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Oh, my Lawcl ! Oh. my Lawd !
I want to go to Heaven when I die.
2 I want to go to Heaven and I want to go right.
Oh. how I long to be there !
I want to go to Heaven all dressed in white,
Oh. how I long to be there !
3 I want to go to Heaven at my own expense,
Oh. how I long to be there. (Etc.)^
Jacob's Ladder
Genesis 28.12 records that Jacob "dreamed, and behold a ladder
set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and be-
hold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." The
passage provided the theme of one or more of the early spirituals,
sung by whites and blacks. 'Climb Jacob's Ladder' was one of
three songs rejected by Allen (Slaz'c Songs, 1867) because it was
found in Methodist hymnbooks. Of the songs on the theme in our
collection, one is briefly narrative with a chorus; the others are
choral, with several variations of the idea of climbing a ladder.
For general reference, see White ANFS 59-60, Allen SS 96, Combs
FSMEU 224. SharpK 11 295. The C version below is fairly close
to 'We Are Climbing, Climbing Jacob's Ladder' in Emily Hallowell,
Calhoun Plantation Songs (Boston. 1901). p. 33. Cf. 'Don't You
Grieve after Me.'
A
'Jacob's Dream.' From R. S. Russell, Roxboro. Person county ; undated.
Jacob drempt he seed a ladder.
Climbing up the sky.
Angels gwine up and down it,
Climb up, children, climb.
CJionts:
Climb up, ye little children.
Climb up, ye older people ;
Climb up to the sky.
Go up in six and sebens.
Now am your chance for heben.
Climb up. children, climb.
B
'Climb Up Jacob's Ladder.' With music. From Walter J. Miller, a
student in Trinity College. December 5. iQKj; learned from bis father,
"as sung in the 1830's." Printed, without music, by White in ANFS 60.
^ The "(Etc.)" appears in the informant's MS, implying tliat there is
further repetition — perhaps anotlier stanza, after the pattern of i and 2:
but no more is given.
R K 1. 1 c; 1 (I r s s 0 N (". s 595
Cliinl) up Jacob's ladder, hi^lier and hii;hcr,
■\\av in dc Kiiii^doni.
Satan is a liar .and you needn't d'pend upon luni.
'Way in de Kinj^dom.
c
'Jacob's Ladder." Gmtriluitod hv Miss (ii-rtrudr Allen, Taylorsvillc,
Alexander county (later Mrs. VauRht) ; undated hut pn.hahly c. 1922-23.
1 We are clinil)in,ij^ Jacob's ladder.
We are clinibini,^ Jacob's ladder.
We are climbing Jacob's ladder.
And our work is done.
2 Every little round gets bigber and bigber.
Every little round gets bigber and bigber,
Every little round gets bigber and bigber ;
Lord, I can't stay bere.
3 Going be in Heaven witb Paul and Silas,
Going be in Heaven witb Paul and Silas,
Going be in Heaven witb Paul and Silas ;
Lord, I won't stay bere.
D
"Negro Fragment." From G. B. Caldwell, Monroe, Union county ; with-
out date. With the second and third stanzas cf. stanzas 3 and 4 of the
song in White ANFS 120.
1 Pni gonna climb up Jacob's ladder,
Pm gonna climb up Jacob's ladder,
Yes,"Lawd, some of tbese days.
2 Pm gonna ride in tbat golden cbariot,
Pm gonna ride in tbat golden cbariot,
Yes, Lawd, some of tbese days.
3 Pm gonna eat at de welcome table,
Pm gonna eat at de welcome table,
Yes, Lawd, some of tbese days.
537
Jesus Born in Bethlkhem
Despite its resemblance in (|uality to the old English carols, this
song seems not to be older than the middle of the last century. It
is fairly close to SharpK 11 293 (from North Carolina). See
lackson' WNS 174-5, who gives two songs with two stanzas cor-
responding to 2 and' 3 below; also, Jackson DESO 43; John Jacob
Niles, Tcu Chrislnms Carols from the Southern Appolaehian Moun-
tains, .Schirmer's American b'olksong Series, set 16 (New York,
596 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1935 J, pp. 6-7; Annabel Morris Buchanan, Folk Hymns of America
(New York, 1938), p. 40 (from Marion, Va.) ; and Florence H.
Botsford, Botsford Collection of Folk-Songs (New York, 1930),
I, 28-9 (from Kentucky).
'Song of Jesus.' From E. Myers, Concord, Cabarrus county, with music.
1 Jesus born in Bethlehem,
Jestis born in Bethlehem,
Jestis born in Bethlehem,
And in a manger lay.
And in a manger lay.
And in a manger lay,
Jesus born in Bethlehem
And in a manger lay.
2 The Jews crucified him
And nailed him on the cross.
3 Joseph begged his body
And laid it in the tomb.
4 The tomb it would not hold it ;
He burst the bars of death.
5 Alary came weeping
About her lovely Lord.
6 'What's the matter, Mary?'
'They've stole my Lord away.'
7 They found Jesus living
Alive forever more.
8 He ascended to his Father,
Ascended to his Father,
Ascended to his Father,
To reign with Him on high,
To reign with Him on high,
To reign with Him on high,
Ascended to his Father.
To reign with Him on high.
538
John Saw the Holy Number
The chorus apparently refers to Jolm 7:4: "And I heard the num-
ber of them that were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred
and forty and four thousand," and it seems related to "Jolin. John,
of tlic Holy Order' in Allen SS 16. The other scriptural allusions
are more familiar. Cf. JAFL xxv 241 ; R. N. Dett, Religious Folk-
R E I, 1 C. 1 0 U S SO N G s 597
So)i(/s of the Xcfjro (Hampton, X'irjjinia, U)Jj ) . \). 63. The song
is included as 'Jolin Saw l)e Holy Nunihah" in i'-va A. Jessyc. My
Spirituals (New \'(.rk. lo-'Ji. ])p. 44-5. obtained from Negroes of
southern Kansas.
No title. Contributed liy Mr^. Mattic SoutiiRate Jones, Durliani, July
26, 1922.
Chorus:
John saw the Holy Xtnnber,
Sitting on the (lolden Altar,
|()hn saw the Holy Number,
Sitting on the (ioUlen Altar.
1 Fishnian Peter, fish no more,
Fish no more, fish no more,
Fishman Peter fish no more.
Sitting on the Golden Altar.
2 Weeping Mary, weep no more,
\\'eep no more, weep no more.
Weeping Mary, weep no more.
Sitting on the Golden Altar.
539
John Saw de Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand
Cf. 'Jolin Saw the Holy Number,' above.
From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later .Mrs. C. P.
Perdue), July 1928. Phonograph recording made at Pekin in 1922.
John saw de hundred and forty-four thousand,
can't stay away.
got a mother, and she's gone on to glory,
can't stay away.
got a brother, and he's gone on to glory,
can't stay away.
got a sister, and she's gone on to glory,
can't stay away.
5 I got a father, and he's gone. . . .
[MS unfinished. \
540
Johnny Was a P.aptist
No title. With music. From E. D. Cavenaugh, Trinity College student
(A.R. 1921). For "Sign J on your ticket," see Scarborough TNFS
238-264 on railroad songs.
598 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 Johnny was a Baptist, O yes !
Johnny was a Baptist, O yes !
Johnny was a Baptist, Baptist, Baptist,
[ohnny was a Baptist. O yes !
2 He 1)aptised Jesus, O yes !
He Ijaptised Jesus, O yes !
He I^aptised Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
He baptised Jesus, (J yes !
3 Crying Lord have mercy, O yes !
Crying Lord have mercy, ( ) yes !
Crying Lord have mercy, mercy, mercy !
Crying Lord have mercy, C) yes !
4 Sign J on your ticket, O yes !
Sign J on your ticket, O yes !
Sign J on your ticket, ticket, ticket.
Sign J on your ticket, O yes !
541
The Little Black Train
In ANFS 65-6, White prints a different version of the song,
with Hezekiah (the correct allusion) for Ezekiel, and "The little
black train" stanza as chorus. See, also, Scarborough TNFS 260-1.
'The Little Black Train Is a-Coming.' Contributed by -Mrs. Mattie
Southgate Jones, Durham, July 26, 1922, with this note: "The charm
of this scng is the intoned music without tune. Sung by an old-time
Negro who said it was in an old hymn-book of her grandmother's. Her
name is Sis Holman. She lives with the family of Jerry Perry, Bahama,
R. F. D. No. 2. She sings it to perfection. She also sings a song
called 'Moses,' and another one — 'The Lord is going to set this world
on fire some of these days.'" At the end of the MS Mrs. Jones wrote
"unfinished."
1 God said to Ezekiel.
In a message from on high,
'Go and set thy house in order,
For thou shall surely die.'^
2 The little Black Train is a-coming ;
Get all your business right ;
Set your hoiLse in order ;
For thou shall surely die.
'A confusion of Isaiah 38:1: "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto
death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and
said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for tliou
shalt die, and not live."
K K 1. I (; 1 o r s s 0 n c s 599
3 The rich old fool and his graiiarv'
Says he has no future to fear.
'I'll build my harns a little larger
And live for nian\- a \'ear.
4 'I now have plenty of money,
Expect to take my ease ;
My harns are overflowing;
No one hut self to please.'
Till". 1 .OXI". I 'll.CRI .\1
This song is known to many singers, and published in several
printed collections, as "The White Pilgrim.' Its authorship lias nut
been definitely settled. Flanders ct al. (NGMS) cite The Chris-
tian Harp (Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1858), in which it was
printed, for the statement that 'The White Pilgrim' was written by
the Reverend Jonathan Ellis. Ellis, they say, "was, on September
16, 1789, installed minister of the First Parish of Topsham, Maine;
later he was one of the original Board of Overseers of Bowdoin
College." Further, "Ellis' sacred ballad . . . was arranged in The
Christian Harp, to be sung to [the air of] Lily Dale. It was
printed without the music in The Golden Harp" (Oneida, New
York, 1857). Against this attribution of authorship is that of the
igii editor of The Sacred Harp, who attributes it to B. F. Wdiite,
of Georgia, the original compiler of that songbook. White wrote the
song "on the lone prairie in Texas," while standing "at the grave
of a friend who once lived in Georgia." (See Jackson SFSEA,
who prints a text of the song under the title of 'The Lone Pilgrim'
and cites the 191 1 Sacred Harp.) Hudson's FSM 209 version,
'The White Pilgrim,' has a headnote relating a romantic legend
about the origin of the song which accords with the Sacred Harp
account. Finally, the song appears in Tlie Southern Harmony and
Musical Companion (Philadelphia, 1847). compiled by William
Walker, of Spartanburg. South Carcdina, which antedates 77;^
Golden Harp, in which the Reverend Jonathan hdlis's ballad ap-
peared, by ten years. Until it is known whether Ellis's "The
White Pilgrim' was certainly composed by him, or, if that fact
cannot be verified, whether his text antedates The Sacred Harp and
The Southern Harmony texts, credit for audiorship must lie be-
tween him and White.
A
'The Lone Pilgrim.' Witli music. From Mr.s. Maude Minnisli Sutton:
comniunicati(jn undated. "The oldest religious song 1 renieiuher. ... I
do not remember much of it." One stanza.
1 came to a place where the lone pilgrim lay.
I pensively stood hy the tomb;
' See Luke 7:16-21.
600 X 0 R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
When in a lone whisper I hyerd something say,
'How sweetly I rest here alone.'
From MS and notes in Dr. Brown's hand: "The Lone Pilgrim. 'B. F.
White, Arr. by Adger M. Pace." As sung by Mr. Eph Stamey, Alta-
niont, N. C, 14 July, 1940. This song has been printed, words and
music, in some of the old song-books ; included in Bells of Heaven,
James D. V'aughan, publr., Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 1930." This "B. F.
White," from The Bells of Heaven, evidently refers to B. F. White, of
Georgia, one of the compilers of The Sacred Harp, from which The
Bells of Heaven version was taken.
1 J came to the place where the lone pilgrim lay,
And pensively stood hy him [sic] tomh ;
When in a low whisper I heard something say,
'How sweetly he rests here alone.'
2 The tempest may howl and the loud thunders roll.
And gathering storms may arise ;
Yet calm are his feelings, at rest is his sottl.
The tears are all wiped from his eyes.
3 The cause of his Master propelled him from home ;
He bad[e] his companions farewell;
He blessed his dear children who for him now mourn — •
In far distant regions they dwell.
4 He wandered an exile and stranger from home.
No kindred or relation nigh ;
He met the contagion and sank to his toml) ;
His soul flew to mansions on high.
5 O tell his companions and children most dear
To weep not for him now he's gone ;
The same hand that led him through scenes most severe
Has kindlv assisted him home.
543
Mary Wore Three Links of Chain
A stanza close to the first appears in several versions of 'Sis
Mary Wore Three Links of Chain,' White ANFS 60-3; another,
with more variation, in A. P. Hudson's Specimens of Mississippi
Folk-Lorc (Ann Arbor, 1928), p. 90. Cf., also, 'All Mah Sins
Been Taken Away' in Satis N. Coleman and Adolph Bregman's
Songs of American Folks (New York, 1942), pp. 76-7, and Sand-
burg ASb 474-5, who describes it as "one of the sublime creations
of the Negro race in America."
FISHING IN THE CREEK
K K 1. 1 c; I 0 u s s () x c s 6oi
A
Xo title. C iintril)iiti.(l liy Miss Mamie Manslicld, ['"dwler ScIuhiI Dis-
trict, Durliain cduiity, July 2(>. 1922.
1 Mary wDre three links of chain,
Mary wore three links of chain.
Mar\ wore three links of chain;
l'.ver\- link was Jesus's name.
.\11 my sins heen taken away, taken away.
2 Don't yon hear those horses' feet,
Don't you hear those horses' feet,
Don't you hear those horses' feet,
I'rancint,^ down the golden street?
All m\- sins heen taken away, taken away.
3 Jonah made a wheel, and he made it on the ground,
Jtjiiah made a wheel, and he made it cm the ground.
Jonah made a wheel, and he made it on the ground ;
The wheel turned over, and the earth turned ar mnd.
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
B
'Mary Wore a Golden Chain.' With music. From Blake 15. Harrison,
Durham, December 5. 1919. "Negro fragment.' The same text as in
White AXFS 63.
544
Noah's Ark
The editors are uncertain whether to entitle this song 'Noah's
Ark' or 'Gideon's Band,' the two motifs are so mixed. Cf. White
ANFS 90 and 100; A. E. W'ier, Songs of the Sunny South (New
York, 1929). p. 161; Rodeheaver. Si.vty-Tzvo Southern Spirituals
(Winona Lake, Ind., 1946), No. 41.
A
'Gideon's Band.' Contributed by E. T. Fletcher, without date or address,
but with this notation: "These two ballads ['Ballad (if the Waterfall'
and "(jideon's Band'] are given by E. T. Fletcher; one was learned from
the Negroes, the other from a showman."
1 Do you belong to (iideon's luuid.
Do you belong to (jideon's Band?
Here's my heart and here's my hand.
Do you belong to Gideon's Band?
2 God told Noah there was going to come a doud,
Gold told Noah there was going to come a flood.
Better git a place to git out of the water and mud.
6o2 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Chorus:
Old Noah did build an ark.
Old Noah did build an ark.
Out of hickory sticks and i)(iplar l)ark.
B
From an anon^'mous copy, without date or address.
1 God told Noah, told Noah
There was going to come a fltiod.
Better git a place to git out
h> water and mud.
Clwnts:
Do you belong to Gideon's 1 >and ?
Here's my heart and here's my hand.
Do you belong to Gideon's Band?
2 Old Noah did build an ark
Out of hickory sticks and poplar bark.
545
Pharaoh's Army
Like Jacob's dream of the ladder ascending into heaven, tlie
drowning of Pharaoh's army is a motif or leitmotif of several old
spirituals. In ANFS 58. White notes tliat "Pharaoh's Army' "occurs
in variant versions in most of the printed collections, beginning with
Higginson (Atlantic, 1867, xix, 685)," cites traditional reports
of it from South Carolina. Tennessee, and Mississippi, and prints
two versions, one from Alabama, the other from Tennessee. For a
Kentucky version, see W. A. Fisher. Sc-j'oity Negro Spirituals
(Boston, 1926), pp. 127-9.
'Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep.' From Miss Gertude Allen, Taylorsville,
Alexander county (later Mrs. Vaught) ; undated, but c. 1922-23.
1 Mary's son fell in a well.
Mary's son fell in a well ;
But Pharaoh's army got drowned.
O Mary, don't you weep.
2 O Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn ;
Your son's ill Heaven with a harp and horn.
But Pharaoh's army got drowned.
O Mary, don't you weep.
3 Pharaoh's army got drowned in the sea;
Thank to (iod. it was not me.
R K 1. 1 (; I () L- S S O N C. S (^>0^
I '.111 I'liaraoli's army i;<il drowiR-d.
( ) Marv. (Idu'l vdu wcvv.
4 Jt'Mis I'hrist died on a tree
"I'or all good people like you and me.
lUit I'haraoh's army got drowned.
( ) Marv. don'l you weep.
B
'Pharaoh's Army Cot Drownckd.' Fmm Mrs. J. \V. Barlice, Uurliam :
undated.
1 If 1 could 1 really would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood.
Pharaoh's army got drownded.
O Alary, don't you weep.
2 Pharaoh's army got drownded in the sea;
Thank the Lord, it was not me.
I'haraoh's army got drownded.
O Mary, don't you weep.
3 Some of these nights 'bout twelve o'clock,
Dis old world's goin' to reel and rock.
Pharaoh's army got drownded.
() Mary, don't you weep.
c
'Pharaoh's Army.' From Cozette Coble, Stanly county (?); undated.
If I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood.
Pharaoh's army got drowned
In the middle of the sea.
Chorus:
O Mary, don't you weep for me,
O Mary, don't you weep for me ;
Pharaoh's army got drowned
In the middle of the sea.
'Piiaraoh's Army.' From "Hodgin, Soutlieastern N. C." ; undated.
Three stanzas and chorus, stanzas i and 2 correspondnig to B i and 2.
the chorus more elaborately wrouglit.
3 Way up yonder above the moon.
Where they eat with silver spoons.
Pharaoh's army got drownded.
O Mary, don't you weep,
O Mary, don't you weep,
N.r.F.. Vi.l. Ill, 141)
6o4 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Don't you mourn.
O Mary, don't you weep.
Don't you mourn.
Pharaoh's army got drownded.
O Mary, don't you weep.
546
Oh, They Put John on the Island
White, in ANFS 96, prints a slightly different text of this song
from the same informant, noting that the informant "has heard it
in eastern North Carolina, near the Dismal Swamp, as early as
the eighteen-eighties, and since." White's headnote also observes
that stanzas 6, 7 (lacking in our text), and 8 (corresponding to our
text, stanza 7) occur constandy in the 'Ship of Zion' songs; that
stanzas 7 and 8 of his text occur in some of the songs dealing with
the chariot ; and that "John is evidently a composite of the Apostle
John and John the Baptist."
No title. From H. E. Spence, Trinity College, Durham, August 2, 1922.
In this text only the first stanza is written out in full. The handling
of stanza 2 follows White. It is assumed that stanzas z-7 follow a similar
pattern of repetition.
1 Oh, they put John on the island
When the Bridegroom comes.
They put John on the island when he comes.
They put John on the island.
They put John on the island.
They put John on the island
\\dien he comes.
2 They put him there to starve him
[When the Bridegroom comes.
Oh, they put him there to starve him
When he comes.
They put him there to starve him,
They put him there to starve him,
They ])ut him there to starve him
When he comes.]
3 But you can't starve a Christian
4 They fed In'm on milk and honey
5 ( )h, look down Jordan river
6 You'll see that ship come sailing
7 King Jesus is the captain
K E I. 1 c I () r s s () \ c s 605
547
Rock of Ages
This is related to No. 30 in White ANFS 89-90. Botli are free
adaptations, with ad(Htional details, of the idea of the familiar hymn
'Rock of Aj;:es.' The first line is close to the first line. of some
versions of "Florella (The Jealous Lover),' Vol. II, No. 250.
.\
'Way Down \'()ndcr in tlie Lonesome Valley.' From Miss Jewell Kob-
hins, Pekin. Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue, Gastonia).
There is a phonograph recording dated Pekin, N. C, 1921.
1 Way down yonder in the lonesome valley
Clef' for me, clef for me,
Way down yonder in the Icjnesonie valley,
Clef' for me, clef for me.
Way down yonder in the lonesome valley,
Let God's bosom be my pillow.
Hide me over the rock of ages,
Clef for me. clef for me.
2 What you gon" do when the wcnd's on fiyer,
In dat day, in dat day?
What you gon' do when de worl's (jii fiyer,
In dat day, in dat day?
What you gon' do when de worl's on fiyer?
Let God's bosom be my pillow.
Hide me over the rock of ages,
Clef for me, clef for me.
B
No title. With music. From an anonymous contrilnitur ; without ad-
dress or date. One stanza, fairly close to No. 30 in White ANF.S 89;
also to Jackson WNS cix.
(3 my lovin' mother, wlien the world's on fire.
Don't you want God's bosom to be your pillow?
O lie me over and the Rocks of Ages,
And the Rocks of Ages that was cleft for me.
c
No title. From E. D. Cavenaugli, a Trinity College student (A.B.
1921) ; on the same sheet with 'Johnny Was a Baptist,' No.^ 540. One
stanza, differing from B only in "loving" for "lovin'," "hicle" for "lie,"
"rock of ages" for "Rocks of Ages," and "clif " for "cleft."
There Is No 1*l.\ce in the IIeigiit of He.wen
White prints the son^ as below in ANFS 129, with an analysis
of it as "A curious mixture of secular and relig'ious sonj^ traits"
('Jerusalem, My Happy Home,' 'Home, Sweet Home,' and other
spirituals).
6o6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
A
'Tim of Tliis." Reported from Durham, December 1919, MS of W. A.
Ellison. Jr., of Belhaven, Beaufort county. "Heard from a colored
preacher."
There is no place in the heit^^ht of Heaven,
There is no place like home,
Home, home, sweet home,
There's no place like home.
Kind friends, I hid you all farewell.
I leave you in God's care.
And if I never more see you
Go on, I'll meet you there.
Home, home, sweet home.
There's no place like home.
Sometimes I'se up.
Sometimes I'se down.
Sometimes I'se almost on de ground.
Glory to his name.
Oh ! glory hallelujah.
B
Reported by R. B. Edwards, probably from Beaufort county.
1 There is no place in the height of heaven.
There's no place like home.
C lionis:
Home, home, home, sweet home,
There's no place like home.
2 Dear friends, I'll bid you all adieu.
I leave you in God's cause.
And if I never more see you,
Go, and I will meet you there.
549
Ain't Goin' to Worry My Lord No More
Stanza 2 of this corresponds in part to 'If You Get There before
I Do'; stanza 3, to lines in White ANF.S 132. Compare the chorus
with that of White ANFS 118 (without music). (A text of the
latter song is in the Frank C. Brown Collection, as "Heard in
Marlboro county, S. C." ; it has been omitted on account of its
provenience. )
From Louise Lucas, White Oak, Bladen county, July 1922. Phonograph
recording, same place and date.
k V. I. 1 c 1 () r s s 0 N c s 607
1 I'se ,i;wiiU' to lu'a\fn, 1 'sr t;\viiR' to lifavni.
I'se gwiuf to liea\en 011 cuLilc's winj^s,
I'se yvvine to heaven on eaj^le's wings.
Them that don't see nie gwine to hear me sing —
Ain't gwine to worry my Lord no more,
Ain't gwine to worr\- mv Lord no more.
2 If you get there he fore I do.
If you get there l)eft)re 1 do,
If you get there he fore I do,
Punch a httle hole and pull me through.
Ain't goin' to worry my Lord no more.
Ain't goin' to worry mv Lord no more.
3 Went down in \alle}' to watch and pray.
Went down in valley to watch and pray,
Went down in valley to watch and ])ray.
Jesus washed my sins away.
Ain't goin' to worry my Lord no more.
Ain't goin' to worry my Lord no more.
550
All God's Chillun Got Shoes
White, in ANFS 69-70, gives references to several i^riiited col-
lections containing traditional texts of this delightfully naive spirit-
ual. He remarks that it is sung by college glee clubs, as well as
in the traditional way by Negroes, and that a version of it was
"even featured in Ziegtield's Follies, opening in 1927." It was
quoted and sung gleefully by white people during the economic de-
pression of the 1930s, in response to a somewhat untactful remark
by Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor under Franklin D. Roose-
velt, to the etTect that the South should be an attractive market
for shoe manufacturers since so large a jiroportion of its people
went barefoot. For good settings of traditional versions, see
'Gwine to Shout All over God's Heaven' in Emily Hallowell, Cal-
houn Plantation Songs (Boston, 1901), p. 58; and W. A. Fisher,
Se-i'cnty Negro Spirituals (Boston, 1926), pp. 41-5.
A
'All God's Chillun Got Shoes (1 Got Slioes).' From Newman 1. White.
Durham, February 20, 1945, with this note : "I have known this song
since about 1913. I set it down here to accompany the record of Riddick
(T-VIII), for which text is missing."
1 I got sh(;es, you got shoes,
All ( jod's chillun got shoes ;
When I get to Heah'n gomia i)ut on m\- shoes,
Gonna walk all oher God's Ileah'n.
Ileah'n. Heah'n —
6o8 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Ever'body talk about Heab'n ain't goin' there,
Heab'n, Heab'n, gonna walk all ober God's Heab'n.
2 I got a robe, etc.
3 I got a harp, etc.
4 I got a crown, etc.
B
No title. From Lucille Cheek, Chatham county ; undated. A fragment.
You got shoes, I got shoes.
All God's children got shoes.
We all are going to walk over God's Heaven.
No title. From William B. Covington, of Norfolk, Virginia (Trinity
College A.B. 1914), November 17, 1913: "Reminiscences of my early
youth spent in the country on the border of the sand hills of Scotland
County" (N. C). "A Negro song." After the opening phrase of stanza
3, the informant notes, "Verses unlimited."
1 You got a ring. I got a ring.
All God's chillun got a ring.
If your ring don't fit like mine
We'll march all around God's Heaven.
Heaven, Heaven.
March all around God's Heaven.
2 You got a shoe. I got a shoe.
All God's chillun got a shoe.
If your shoe don't fit like mine.
We'll march all around God's Heaven.
Heaven. Heaven.
March all around Ciod's Heaven.
3 You've got a coat. etc.
D
No title. From Lucille Clieek, Chatham county ; undated. Fragment.
When I get to heaven I going to have shoes on, shoes on ;
When I get to heaven I going to have shoes on, etc.
551
All My Sins Been Taken Away
The chorus is coninion to many spirituals, e.i:^., those in White
ANh'S (>2 and Perkins JAFL xxxv 233-4. Stanza 3 corresponds
in i)art to 'As I Went Down in the Valley to Pray' (q.v.). Other
deuK'nts are Biblical and spiritual connnonplaces. Cf. Chappell
F'SRA 151 (from North Carolina; ,
R K I. 1 (i 1 () r s s () N (; s 609
"Negro fragment." Frmn an aiiiniynKius. uiulated i)rinte(l program,
enclosed in a letter dated Durliam, X. C. July 2(), igjj, to Dr. llrown
from Mrs. .Mattie Southgate Jones, wiio explained that the printed song
thereon was one of the songs which a Deacon S. Harris used to print
for his colored congregation in Durham.
1 1 have a .soiio- j Jove to sing,
1 have a soiiij^ I love to sing,
I have a song I love to sing,
(jlory hallelnjah, praise His name,
All my sins hecn taken away.
Chorus:
All my sins been taken away,
All my sins been taken away.
All my sins been taken away.
Glory hallelnjah, praise His name.
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
2 I'm going home on the morning train,
I'm going home on the morning train,
I'm going home on the morning train.
Glory hallelujah, praise His name.
All ni}' sins been taken away, taken away.
3 I went down in the valley to pray,
I went down in the valley to pray,
I went down in the valley to pray.
My soul got happy and I stayed all day.
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
4 Christ went in the temple at twelve years old,
Christ went in the temple at twelve years old,
Christ went in the temple at twelve years old,
They asked him could he cure a sin-sick soul,
All my sins been taken away, taken away.
5 1 know the day, remember the time,
1 know the day. remember the time,
I know the day, remember the time.
When God Almighty changed this heart (if |mine,
All my sins been taken away, taken awa\- 1 .
552
Angels Roll Dkm Stones Aw.\y
Lines 2 and 4 cjf stanza 2 have their counterjian in hynni 173
in North Carolina Sonnets, or a Selection of Choice Hyiinis for
the Old School Baptists: Compiled by the Recommendation of the
Keliiikee Association, bv lames Osbourn, \'.D.M., of Baltimore Citv
6lO X n R T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
(Baltimore: Published by James Osbourn, 1844J. (Pagination and
numbering very inconsistent and irregular.)
"Xegro fragment." From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Josa Dixon,
a pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
1 Sister Mary she come weepin',
Just abotit de break o' clay,
Lookin' for my Lord,
And he's not there, say !
2 He's gone away to (ialilee.
Angels rolled dem stones away.
It was on one Sunday mornin'.
Angels rolled dem stones away.
553
As I Went Down in the Valley to Pray
Songs corresponding to parts of the following are to be found
in White ANFS 71, 132: Jackson WNS 166-7: L. L. McDowell,
Songs of the Old Camp Ground (Ann Arbor, 1937), p. 44; and
Perkins lAFL xxv 233-4. Cf. The Good Old Wav,' in Allen SS,
p. 84.
'Down in the Valley to Pray.' With music. From Mrs. Maude Minish
Sutton; undated, but the following note indicates 1917-18. From the
note it is also to be observed that Airs. Sutton's version is not a Negro
song.
"We went to a foot-washing. It isn't a bit funny ; it's like the cere-
mony the King of Spain performs on Christmas Day. The service was
held at the Elk Valley church, and we were sure we'd laugh, but we
were sobered, and even reverent, when we came away. Nobody could
fail to be impressed by the earnestness, the dignity, and the deep sincerity
of those old men. The minister read, in the tone he always uses, the
story of the Last Supper, and then girding his waist with a towel he
went around and washed the feet of five old men. As he did so, the
congregation sang the song that follows. There was much emotion.
The air was full of it. I felt it and responded to it as I would if I
had been at a play.
"The old lady who sat next to me might have posed for the peasant
woman in Millet's The Angcliis, and yet I should have chosen her for
a typical North Carolina woman. She looked understandingly at the
service star I wore. 'Your feller?' she inquired. 'My brother, with
the 30th,' I answered. 'My boy's in the 30t]i,' she said. I talked with
licr after tlie service.
"The old preacher did a pretty thorough job. He washed one pair of
feet to a verse. I believe if more elders or deacons, or whatever the
honorees were, had l)een present more verses would have been forth-
coming.
"The old lady can't write, and neither can her boy. I must tell
Ralph to look him up and tell me something about him to tell her. She
'ain't shore' who his captain is — poor old woman !"
K K 1. I (; I 0 u s s o N c; s 6i i
I O sisters, le's go down, k-'s go down. k''s go down,
< ) sisters, le's go down, down in llie valk-v to i)ray.
As 1 went down in the valley to i)ra\-,
Studyin' about that good old way,
And who should wear the starry crown ;
{ lood Lord, show nu- tlie way.
J ( ) brothers, etc.
3 ( ) mothers, etc.
4 O fathers, etc.
5 O children, etc.
15
No title. From Jennie Belvin, Dvn-ham ; c. 1920-21. Plionograpli re-
cording July 1922.
As I went down in the valley to pray,
Studying about that good old wa}'.
Who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord, show me the way.
Chorus:
Oh, sinners let's go down,
Let's go down, let's go down.
Oh. sinners let's go down,
Down in the valley to pray.
Oh, mourners, let's go down.
Let's go down, let's go down,
Oh, mourners, let's go down,
Down in the valley to pray.
No title. From Miss Aura Hohon, Durham; c. 1924. "I know the air —
may he able to get words."
As 1 went down in the valley to pray,
Studyin" 'bout de good ol" way.
As I went down in de valley to pray.
Oh. Lawd. show me de way.
Chonis:
Oh, sinner, yo' better go down.
Yo' better go down, you better go down,
Oh. sinner, you better go down.
Down in de valley to pray.
6l2 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
554
Babe of Bethlehem
This is most of the first stanza of 'Babe of Bethlehem,' reprinted
in full, with music, by Jackson SFSEA 82-3, from William Walk-
er's Southern Harmony (compiled at Spartanburg, S. C, printed
at New Haven, Conn., 1835). Dr. Brown's note "(Cut off)" may
refer to the last two lines of stanza i, which read
As was foretold by prophets old,
Isaiah, Jeremiah.
The part of the stanza remembered by his informant has two errors :
"Come view this sacred ration" for "Come hear this declaration"
and "loyal Jews" for "royal Jews."
'Ye Nations All.' From MS in Dr. Brown's hand, on rough paper, evi-
dently taken down from a record or from dictation. At the end he has
written: "(Cut off)."
Ye nations all, on you I call.
Come view this sacred ration.
And don't refuse this glorious news,
And Jestis and salvation.
To loyal Jews came first the news
Of Christ the great ^Messiah.
555
Baptist, Baptist Is My Name
A variant of the first four lines is to be found in 'Hard Trials,'
J. B. T. Marsh, The Story of the Jubilee Singers; zvith Their Songs
(Boston, 1881), p. 207, which also has a stanza, "Oh, Methodist,
Methodist is my name," etc. In 'Jesus Lock' De Lion's Jaw' in
Emily Hallowell, Calhoun Plantation Songs (Boston, 1901), p. 19,
two lines resemble the first two of 'Baptist, Baptist Is My Name.'
'Roll, Jordan, Roll.' With music. From Mrs. Alice Cooke, Boone,
Watauga county; undated, but about 1922, when a phonograph record-
ing was made at Boone.
Baptist, Baptist is my name.
And Baptist till I die :
When I am dead it can he said
You've laid one Baptist hy.
Come along to the meeting in here tonight.
Come along to the meeting in here tonight.
To the meeting in
Roll, Jordan, roll. roll. Jordan, roll;
I'm going to Heaven when I die.
k 1", I. I C I () II S S () N C S 613
BVK AM) U\K
No title. From Julian 1'. Boyd, as collected from Catlioriiie Bennett, a
pupil of the school at Alliance, Pamlico comity; undated, l)nt about
1927-28. Dr. P>ro\vn marked it "Negro fragment."
Bye and bye. (hjn't yoti grieve after nie.
Bye and l)ye. don't you grieve after nic.
Tote your witness, don' you grieve after nie.
Bye and bye, don't you grieve after me.
When I'm gone don' you grieve after me.
557
Cain and Abel
With music. From Newman I. White, Durham; undated. "I sang this
for F. C. B. in 1923 or 1924. The te.xt is in his hand, marked 'N. I. W.,
duplicate.' Published in my ANFS, without the music. See ANFS 86
for my note and text."
Well, The Good Book says that Cain killed Aliel.
Yes, Abel,
That he hit him in the liead with the leg of a table.
Yes. Good Lord.
Didn't Daniel in the lion's den
Say unto dem cullud men.
Get yer long white gown
And pass 'em a-round
And be ready when de great day comes.
Oh Lord. Lse ready,
(Jh Lord, I'se ready,
ni be readv when the great dav comes.
Oh glory Hallelujah !
558
Can't Cross Jordan
The song i^ related, in i)art, to 'You Got to Cross It for Vohself,'
Jackson WNS 183, and it is composed largely of s])iritual com-
monplaces.
'Can't Cross Jordan.' From Miss Pearle Webb, Pineola, Avery county,
August 1922. Recording, Pineola, N. C, 1922. With stanza 4 compare
'As I Went Down in tiie \'alley to Pray,' No. 553.
I Can't cross Jordan and you can't go around.
Can't cross Jordan and you can't go around.
6l4 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Can't cross Jordan and you can't go around,
If you've got no Jesus you'll be sure to drown.
Chorus:
They've taken my Lord away, away, away,
They've taken my Lord away, away.
Oh. tell me where you've laid him.
2 What kind of shoes does a Christian wear? (trcs)
Slippin' and a-slidin' through the air.
3 ni tell you how them hypocrites do, ( trcs)
They serve the Lord and the devil too.
4 As I went down in the valley to pray, {tres)
I met old Satan upon my way.
5 I've done been down and I've done been tried, (trcs)
I've been to the river and I've been baptized.
6 Oh, don't you hear them horses' feet, (tres)
A-rambling down the golden street?
7 Ezekiel was a man and free from sin, (tres)
Heaven's door was open and Ezekiel walked in.
B
No title. From Miss Jennie Belvin, Durham, July 1922. Recording,
Durham, 1922. Contributor notes: "Negro." One stanza (with no
textual indications of repetition) and chorus.
Can't cross Jordan, and can't go around ;
If you ain't got grace you sholy will drown.
Chorus:
Uh — they done taken my Lord away — ay,
Uh, they done taken my Lord away.
Show me where to find Him.
559
Christ Was a W'eary Traveler
With music. Words written down by Dr. Brown as sung to him by
Will ("Shorty") Love, Negro janitor at Trinity College and Duke Uni-
versity, c. 1920-24. Compare tlie last four lines with stanza 2 of 'William
Shackleford's Farewell Song,' Vol. II, No. 294, p. 682.
I Christ was a weary trav'ler,
He went from door to door ;
His occupation in life
Was a-minist'ring to the poor.
My work'U soon be ended.
K K 1, I I, 1 () U S S O N C. S 615
My race is alniosl run.
Mv work'U soon 1)C ended. '
And dien I'm goinj^ home.
_• Christ told his (Hsciples :
'After I'm riz and gone.
\'()u'll meet with many erosses,
But their ahuse you'll scorn.
Ahuse me all you want to,
lUit I'm traveling home to God;
I'm well ac(|uainted with crosses,
And all my ways are hard.
3 "I thank (iod for none hut the pure in heart
llefore His face shall stand,
W hen dis ol' world shall reel ahout
Like a drunken man.
I'm strivin' hard and faithful.
When de trumpet shell soun'
My soul shall shout like Izral shouted
\\ hen de jekkel walls fell down.
4 "Xo difference whar 1 travel,
It's no matter whar I'll be.
There's someone always ready
To point de finger of scorn at me ;
But to heaven my soul shall onward move
Like lightin' aroun* the throne ;
My soul shall shout like Izral shouted.
5 A\'hen I get to heaven
W ant you to be there too.
W'hen I cry out "Amen"
Want you to say so too.
(kxl bless thuh Roman Catholics
An de Presbyterians too
And dub gool old shoutin' Methodists
And de ])rayin' Baptists too.'
560
CiTV OF Refuge
White, in .\NF.S 90, prints a quite different version of this song,
with notes. Stanza 3 of his text and the chorus of a song in Scar-
borough TNFS 256-7 allude to Paul and Silas in jail. White's
version, too, has the refrain "He had to run."
From an anonymous contributor ; without date or address.
6l6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 There is coming" a time and it won't be long,
You will attend to your business and let mine alone.
The time is coming, is coming very soon,
For the graveyard land is all in bloom.
You better run.
2 Old Paul he prayed and he did prevail.
They caught him in Jerusalem and put him in jail.
He stood his trial in the name of the Lord,
Because he had a building not made with hands.
But he had to run.
3 Go on. I'll forgive you for what . . .
561
Come All You Friends and Neighbors
No title. From W. Amos Abrams, Boone, Watauga county ; undated.
1 Come all you friends and neighbors.
For you know that you are born to die.
Come view my situation.
As helpless here I lie.
2 Long time have I been striving.
Dear Lord, remember me.
And in my weakened condition
Never let me seek in vain.
3 There we'll all join together
Dear Savior to adore.
There sickness and consumption
And fevers is no more.
562
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Jackson, who prints several settings of 'Come, Thou Fount' in
DESO, says (p. 94) that the poem is by Robert Robinson (1735-
1790) and that it "is found in practically all the shape-note song
books." Dr. Brown notes: "The new thing is the chorus."
From E. Myers, Route 6, Concord, Cabarrus county, 1924. Dr. White
notes : "This, and three other songs . . . were sung by two or three
people, apparently at Mr. Myers' house. This one 'sung by negro.'"
C horns:
We will walk through the streets of the city,
AX'here our friends have gone before ;
R E L I c; I O U S SONGS 6lJ
We will sit on the hanks of the river,
Where we meet to i)art no niort-.
1 Cdnie. thou tuunt of every blessing.
Time my heart to sing thy grace.
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise.
2 Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above ;
I'raise the mount. I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of thv redeeming love.
563
Dar'll Be No Distinction Dar
A desire for the abolition of racial discrimination and climatic
variability constitutes the theme of this unusual song.
"Negro fragment." From Julian P. Boycl, as collected from Bryan
Banks, a pupil of the scliool at Alliance, Pamlico county, 1927.
1 Up in Heben, so dey say,
Dar ain't no snow ;
All through de winter day
De watermillions grow.
For by de laws of de just.
And de laws of de right,
\\ e'U all be white in Heben's delight.
Chorus:
Dar'll be no distinction dar,
Dar'll be no distinction
On dat beautiful shore,
Dar'll be no distinction dar.
2 For by de laws of de just.
And de laws of de right.
We'll all be white in Heben's delight,
Dar'll be no distinction dar.
564
Didn't It Rain?
Variants of this song have been published by H. W. Odum, The
Negro and His Songs (Chapel Hill, 1925), pp. IJ9-30, and by
White in ANFS 141.
A
"Negro fragment." With music. From Julian P. Boyd, as collected
from Kuby Casey, a pupil of the school at Alliance, Pamlico county ;
undated.
6l8 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
It rained forty clays and forty nights
Without stoppin' no mo'.
Didn't it rain, didn't it rain?
I heard de angels when dey moaned.
Lord, didn't it rain?
As published by White in ANFS 141, without music. "Reported from
Durham, N. C, 1919, MS of Thomas Litaker, as from Cabarrus County,
N. C. 'Heard sung by negro on father's place.' "
C
'Didn't It Rain?' From "Hodgin, Northeastern N. C." ; undated.
Didn't it rain ?
Children mighty didn't it rain ?
Oh, my Lord, didn't it rain?
Rained forty days and forty nights vvithotit stopping.
"Negro fragment." From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Ruby Casey,
a pupil of the school at Alliance, Pamlico county, c. 1927-28.
It rained forty days,
And it rained forty nights ;
Sinner come a-floatin' by Noah's do'.
'Go way, man, you done and sinned ;
De Lord tol' me not to let you in.
De do' is locked and de key is gone.'
I heard de angels when dey cried ;
'Make haste, my Lord,'
Dey cried, 'Make haste.'
565
An English Orphan
Two variants of this song appear in the Frank C. Brown
Collection.
'An English Orphan.' From Miss Pearl Webb. Pineola, Avery county,
without date. Dr. Brown notes: "'My Heart's in the Highlands' and
'Apprentice.' " Dr. White adds : "It does sing to the tune of 'My
Heart's in the Highlands.' "
I My home is in ICngland, my home is not here.
Rut why should I murmur when trials appear?
The woman that took me, (iod has taken away ;
She's gone to join the angels and with jesus to stav.
K K 1. 1 (; 1 <) I' s s () N (; s 619
2 They l)r(nij:;in mv in my cliildlKidd. they never th()Uf,dit
that 1 knew ;
But it comes to nie so clearlw and 1 know 'lis all just so.
I have no friends, no relations, no one to take ni\- ])art;
lUu if I live a Christian we'll meet to never part.
3 When 1 teel so sad and lonely and ni\- friiMuU thev seem
so few.
I take it all to Jesus: I know he'll hear me throuf^h.
But 'tis sad to he an ori)han. without a mother's care.
But it's sweet to know that Jesus loves his children every-
where.
4 Although I'm poor and homeless, without a friend to love,
1 i,''lory in the one grand hope: There is a home ahove,
Home, home, sweet, sweet home.
Prepare me, dear Savior, for Heaven ahove.
Xo title. From MS book of Mary Martin Copley. Route 8, Durham;
obtained by Jesse T. Carpenter. R.F.I).. Durliam ; undated. MS incom-
plete. With a few verbal variations, follows A through stanza 3, but of
stanza 4 has only the opening clause, "Although I'm poor and home-
less. . . ."
566
Down by ue Ribberside
The song resembles the refrain in 'Down by the River.' in T. P.
Fanner. Religious Folk Songs of the Negro (Hampton, Va., 1916),
p. 167. The chorus and first stanza are close to part of a song in
Utica Jubilee Singers Spirituals as Sung at the Utica Xormal and
Industrial Institute of Mississippi (New York, 1930), pp. 16-17. 1"
pattern and diction, the whole resembles 'Down by the Riverside,'
in Fauset JAF"L XL 297. Cf. .Sandburg, ASb 480-1, and '(iwine-a
Study War No Mo'!' in W. A. I-'isher, Sc-c'enty Negro Spirituals
(Boston, 1926), pp. 60-2.
From W^ J. Andrews, Raleigh (?). witiiout datf. Dr. Brown's cor-
respondence with Mr. Andrews contains four l(.•tte^^, dating 1927-42, l)ut
no reference to this text.
1 Down hy de rihherside,
Down hv de rihherside.
Ain' gwine ter study 'hout war no mo';
Down hv de rihherside,
Down hv de rihherside,
Ain' gwine ter study 'hout war no mo'.
2 Down hv de rihherside,
Down hy de riljlierside,
X.C.F., Vol. III. (42)
620 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Ain" gwine ter study 'bunt peace no mo";
Down by de ril)berside,
Down by de ribberside,
Ain' gwine ter study 'bcnit peace no mo'.
3 Down by de ribl^erside,
Down by de ribberside,
Ain' gwine ter study 'bout nothin' no more ;
Down by de ribberside,
Down by de ribl:)erside.
Jest goin' ter study 'Ijout beaben some more.
567
Gwine Down to Jordan
Refrain and chorus are related to 'I Never Will Turn Back Any
More,' in this collection, and stanza 3 to White ANFS 59 (A),
p. III.
Contributed by Otis Kuykendall, Asheville, 1939.
1 I'se gwine to Jordan on de wheels ob time;
Death's a gwine to shake dis frame of mine.
And I never will turn back no more.
Chorus:
No more, my Lawd, no more, my Lawd,
And I never will turn back no more.
2 Hypocrite, hypocrite God despise.
Tongue so keen and he will tell lies.
And I never will turn back no more.
3 If you get there before I do,
Look out for nie — I'm comin' too.
And I never will turn l)ack no more.
568
God Is at de Pulpit
"Negro fragment." From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Ruby Casey,
a pupil of the school at Alliance, Pamlico county, c. 1927-28.
(jod is at do pulpit,
(iod is at de do',
God is always over me.
While 1 le is in de middle of de flo'.
K E L 1 (i 1 O U S S 0 N c; S ^21
Cliorifs:
Ciod is a CjocI ;
Clod don't iiebcr cliant;c.
'Cause lie always will be king.
569
("lOiNc, TO IIkavkn hv tuk Light of tiik Moon
Concerning the origin of the song, Dr. White conjectures: •'Very
possibly connected with early minstrel song books, like 'Golden
Slippers.'" Cf. Steely 242-3 (i935)-
From Mrs. Alice Cooke, with imisic. A phonograph recr>rcling was made
at Boone in 1922.
Going to Heaven bv the light of the moon,
Halle, halle, halle. halle-lu-jah,
Up to meet them darkies soon.
Halle, halle, halle, halle-lu-jah.
In the morning, in the morning by the bright ligbt.
When Cabriefblows his trumpet in the morning.
Go Dowx, Moses
The text of this, one of the most stately and beautiful of the
Negro spirituals, is close to that of the first two stanzas m J. B. T.
INIarsh's The Story of the Jubilee Singers, with Their Songs (Bos-
ton. 1881), p. 142.
I-n.ni Miss Clara Hearne. Principal of Central School, Roanoke Rapids,
Halifax county. October 20. 1923, as sung by Negroes m Chatham county.
1 Leader: When Israel was in Egypt's land.
Chorus: Let my people go!
Leader: Oppress'd so hard they could not stand.
Chorus: Let my people go!
Chorus and Leader:
Go down, Moses,
W'av down in Egypt's land ;
Tell old Pharaoh.
Let my ])eople go!
2 Leader: 'Thus saidi the Lord." bold Mo.ses said.
Chorus: Let my people go !
Leader: If not I'll smite your first-born dead,
Chorum: Let my people go !
622 N f) R T II CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Churns and Leader:
Go down. Moses,
AVay down in Egypt's land ;
Tell old Pharaoh,
Let my people go !
571
Golden Slippers
White ANFS 106 gives details of the history of the song and a
text from Alabama. He notes: "Walking the golden streets is a
phrase from the early-nineteenth-century religious songbooks." cit-
ing Zion Songster (1827) ; and records testimony that 'Golden Slip-
pers' was sung in the 1870s as a minstrel song. It was printed by
Auner of Philadelphia as a penny song, and included as "Dein
Golden Slippers. Words and music by James A. Beard," in The
Celebrated. Original and Only Madame Renty's Songster (New
York, 1880 ). p. 45. ANFS 107 gives further comparative refer-
ences and a text from Durham, somewhat like the following.
'Going Up.' From Mrs. Sutton, as sung by her sister Pearl. Phono-
graph recording, Lenoir, 1922.
1 \\'hat kind of shoes are you going to wear?
(iolden slippers.
\\ hat kind of shoes are you going to wear ?
Golden slippers.
Golden sli])pers, Pni a-going away, a-going away,
Agoin" away.
Golden slippers, I'm a-going away, going up
To live with the Lord,
(ioin' up, goin' up. goin' up. goin' up. gcjin" u]).
Goin' up. goin" up. goin" up, goin' up. goin" u]),
Goin" up. goin" u]).
Goin up to live with the Lord.
2 What kind of robes are you goin' to wear?
Long white robes.
AX'hat kind of robes are you goin' to wear?
Long white robes.
Long white robes. I'm a-goin' away, goin' awav.
Long white robes. I'm a-goin' awav. goin' uj)
To live with the Lord.
Goin' u]). goin" up. goin' uj). goin' up. goin' up,
(ioin' u]). goin' u]), goin' up. goin' up, goin' up,
(join' UJ). goin' up.
Goin' up to live with the Lord.
3 What kind of gates are you goin' through ?
Pearly gates.
[Repetition after pattern of stanzas i a)id j.\
R E 1. I (i I () L' s s () X (; s 623
4 What kind of strcct.s arc nou i^<>in' in walk?
Golden streets.
[Repetition after pattern of stan:zas 1, 2, ?.J
(iooi) Xi:\vs — Chariot's Comix'
C'f. White ANFS 73 and 120; Jackson WNS Ixviii B. p. 19.:;:
WilHani Henry Sniilh, lU)ok of Spiriiuals ( C'hicatio, 1937 I, I'l*- '^-lO.
I'Tdiii Newman I. White, Durham, Deceml)er lO, 1944, witli this note:
■'There are several "good news' and 'cliariot' songs in my Amcr'nan
.\'t\(ir<) 1-olk Songs, l)ut not this one. Omitted, probably l)ecanse 1 had
only a very fragmentary text for it and no definite source. All I now
remember — if I ever knew more — is:"
Good news — chariot's coniin',
Good news — chariot's coniin',
Cjood news — chariot's coniin',
And I (k)n't want it to leave me hehind.
S7i
Good Lordv, Rocky Alv .Soul
The chorus corresponds in part to 'O Rocka My .Soul,' Jackson
WN.S 22";. There are closer resemblances to a spiritual in j. Rosa-
mond Johnson, Nailing Along in Song (New York, 1937), PP- ^>o-i.
From A. J. and J. H. Burrus, Weaverville, Buncombe county. August
1922, with the note: "This is only a fragment of an old negro's planta-
tion song. An old negro slave by the name of Sam Clemmons, who was
hired by my father to plow corn, would sing the song all day long."
Chorus:
Lorfl. I want you to rocky niv soul
In the hosoni of Ahrahani.
Lord. I want you to rocky ni\- soul
In the hosoni of Ahrahani,
Lord. I want you to rocky my soul
In the hosoni of Ahrahani.
(jood Lord, rocky my soul.
If it wa'n't fur me the rich would li\c
And the poor would die.
(iood Lordy. rocky my soul.
If it wa'n't for me the rich would live
And the poor would die.
CjOod I.ordw rock\- m\' soul.
624 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
574
Good News Coming from Canaan
"This song is a perfect pattern of many I have found in early
19th century books of white spirituals, like Zioji Songster," writes
Dr. White.
Cf. 'Good News Chariot's Comin',' above.
From the Reverend R. A. Swaringen, KannapoHs, Cabarrus county, July
31, 1922.
I thought I heard my mother say,
Good news coming from Canaan.
I want to hear my children pray.
Good news coming innn Canaan.
575
Go Wash in the Beautiful Stream
This song alludes to the story of Elisha's curing the Syrian cap-
tain Naanian of leprosy, as related in II Kings 5. Chappell FSRA
169 prints a stanza with music from Tom Forbes, Old Trap, Pas-
quotank county, taken down in 1938. It is identical in text with
the following, except that it has "hallelujah" after "stream" in 1. i.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Jeannette Tingle, a pupil of the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county, c. 1927-28.
Go wash in the beatitiful stream,
Go wash in the beautiful stream,
Oh, Naaman. oh. Naaman,
Go down and wash.
Go wash in the beautiful stream!
576
GwiNE DOWN Jordan
This song is similar to No. 96 in Jackson WNS 214.
From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P.
Perdue). Phonograph recording, Pekin, 1922. Each stanza has the
repetitions indicated in stanza i.
I Oh. l)rothers. won't you meet me,
( )li, brothers, won't yoti meet me.
( )]i, brothers, won't you meet me?
I'm bound for Canaan's happy shore.
Chorus:
I'm gvvine down b"'dan,
I'm gwine down Jordan,
K K I. 1 c I (I r s s () N c s 625
I'm i^wiiK' (Idwii J(M"(l;in, halk'lo.
I'm i^wine down Jtirdan,
I'm y^wine down Jordan.
I'm i^winr down Jordan, hallclo.
2 ( )li. sisters, won't vou meet me, etc.
3 ( )]). mothers, etc.
4 ( )li. fathers, etc.
5 ( )li, sinners, etc.
577
Hkar That Rumblixc; (I IIkard a AIic.htv Rumri.ing)
The following are apparently ditYerent versions of this song. It
resemhies stanza 5 of a copyrighted song, 'I've Got a Home in the
Rock. Don't You See,' in Carl Diton, Thirty-Six Soittli Carolina
Spirituals (New York, 1928), pp. 16-19.
A
'Hear That Rumliling." With musii.-. From G. S. Bhick of ^^)llngs-
towii. Ohio. May 14. iy20. There is a phonograph recording, dated 1920.
1 Hear that rumhling down under the ground.
Hear that rumhling down under the ground.
Hear that rumhling down under the ground ?
Oh, why don't you pray for me?
CJwnis:
You pray for me and I'll ])ray tor you.
You pray for me and I'll pray for you.
Yoti pray for me and I'll ])ray for you.
Oh. whv don't vou pray for me?
2 I helieve it's (jid Satan a-walkin' around,
I believe it's old Satan a-walkin" arouiid,
I believe it's old Satan a-walkin' around.
Oh, why don't you pray for me ?
B
Xo title. With music. Text from Miss Ella Smith, Pitt county; tune
by Mary Barbour, Raeford, Hoke county. Recording, Raeford. 1922 (?).
The last two lines are matched by a song from North Carolina rcp<Trtcd
by Henry JAFL XLiv 445.
I heard a mighty rumhling up in the sky.
Must 'a' been Jehovah from on high.
I heard a mighty rumhling under the ground.
Must 'a' been the devil a-turning around.
626 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
C
'I Heard a Mighty Lumbering." From Julian P. Boyd, as collected
from Jeannette Tingle, a pupil of the school at Alliance, Pamlico county ;
undated, but c. 1927-28.
1 I heard a mighty himbering in the ground ;
I thought it was Satan turning around.
Oh, you know, oh, you know.
You know. Sinner, we got to go.
2 I heard a mighty lumbering in the sky ;
I thought it was Jesus drawing nigh.
Oh, you know, oh, yoti know.
You know. Sinner, we got to go.
3 Look back yonder, what I see?
Two pretty angels coming atter me.
Oh, you know, oh, you know.
You know, Sinner, we got to go.
4 Listen at dem horses' feets
Poppin' on dem golden streets.
Oh, you know, oh, you know.
You know, Sinner, we got to go.
578
He Never Said a Mumbling Word
Versions of the song are to be found in John W . Work, American
Negro Songs and Spirituals (New York, 1940), p. 103 (as noted
by Dr. Brown ) ; in R. Emmett Kennedy, Mellows (New York,
1925), pp. 127-8; and in J. Rosamond Johnson ct al.. The Book of
American Negro Spirituals (New York, 1925), pp. 174-6. The text
in the last-named is most nearly like Judge Winston's, having two
stanzas in common with stanzas 3 and 4 of his.
From Judge Robert W. Winston (1860-1944), who lived in Chapel Hill
at various times in his life and died there on October 14, 1944. The
text is without date or Judge Winston's address at the time he con-
tributed it, but it has the following headnote : "During one of the cam-
paigns to sell war savings stamps [c. 1917-20], I was at a colored church
in my county and heard the congregation croon most weirdly the fol-
lowing." Dr. Brown adds : "Heard at Windsor. Bertie County. Cf. the
song in Kennedy's Mellon's."
1 ()h, didn't Jesus die?
And he never said a nnnnbling word.
He never said a word.
He never .said a word,
.\nd he never said a nnnnbling word.
Not a word.
R E L I (i I () r S so N G S 627
2 He died on Calvary.
And he never said a niunihlinm word.
He never said a word.
He never said a word.
He never said a iininihliiig word.
Not a word.
3 They nailed him to the cross.
And he never said a nuinil)hng word,
He never said a word.
He never said a word.
He never said a inunihiiui; word.
Not a word.
4 He bowed his head and died.
And he never said a muniblins^^ word,
He never said a word.
He never said a word,
He never said a munibhn!:,^ word.
Not a word.
579
Heaven* Is a Beautiful Peace
A song with the same title, from Kentucky, in Mary A. Gris-
som's The Xcgro Sings a Xcw Heaven (Chapel Hill, ig.^o), has
the following similarities: same opening, except that the first line
is not repeated and "Ain't no . . ." lines follow; "plumh the line";
stanzas devoted to "lyuhs," "drunkards," "troubles"; last line of
each stanza repeating "Heaven is. . . ."
a
W'itli music. From Will ("Shorty") Love, janitor in Trinity College and
Duke University; undated, hut c. 1920. MS in hand of Dr. Ilrown.
Chorus:
Heaven is a beautifnl place. 1 know.
Heaven is a beautifnl ])lace. I know.
li you want to ,^0 to Heaven on time,
Sure got to plumb de line.
Heaven is a beautiful place, I know.
I Ain't no sorrow in Heaven. I know.
Ain't no sorrow in Heaven. 1 know.
H you want to go to Heaven f)n time.
Sure got to plumb de line. ,
Ain't no sorrow in Heaven, I know.
Chorus
628 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 Ain't no murders in Heaven, I know.
Ain't no murders in Heaven, I know.
If you want to go to Heaven on time.
Sure got to plumb de line.
Ain't no murders in Heaven, I know.
Chorus
3 Ain't no gamblers in Heaven, I know.
Ain't no gamblers in Heaven, I know.
If you want to go to Heaven on time.
Sure got to plumb de line.
Chorus
4 Loving union in Heaven, I know.
Loving union in Heaven, I know.
If you want to go to Heaven on time,
Sure got to plumb de line.
Loving union in Heaven, I know.
Chorus
5 There's shouting in Heaven. I know.
There's shouting in Heaven. I know-.
If you want to go to Heaven on time,
Sure got to plumb de line.
There's shouting in Heaven, I know.
Chorus
B
'Heaven Is a Beautiful Place, I Know.' From Julian P. Boyd, as col-
lected from one of his pupils. Rosebud West, in the school at Alliance,
Pamlico county, c. 1927-28. Dr. Brown notes: "Negro fragment. See
air in Shorty's list" (referring to Will Love, communicant of A text).
1 Elisha has done and seen the beautiful place.
Heaven is a lovely place, I know, I know ;
I have started out for Heaven,
I am praying as I go.
If I make it my journey,
I won't come here anv mo'.
Chorus:
Heaven is a beautiful place, 1 know.
Heaven is a beautiful ])lace. I know.
2 * If you want to get to Heaven on time.
You got to sho' plumb de truth [line].
Heaven is a l)eautiful |)lace, 1 know, 1 know.
K K 1. I c; 1 0 I" s s o X G s 629
3 l''lisha dciiK' Sfc llie siijlu
And said hv didn't uvv(\ any lis^ht.
He has gone on to llt'aM-n to rest.
Heaven is a heantitul i)lace, 1 know.
Oh, yes. Heaven is a beantiful place, 1 know.
5S0
1 h'SIl. LlTTl.K li.M'.V
This has tlie first lino in cnninion with a soni;- in Dorothy (l. Px)!-
toii, ()/(/ Soiujs Hytniuil ( Xcw York. igjg).
'Hush. Oh, Baliy, Duii't You Cry.' From JuHan P. P.oyd, as C(illi.rk-(1
from CatlK-rine ' Bennett, a pupil of the school at Alliance, Pamlico
county; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro fragment."
1 Hush, htlle hahy, and don't you cry ;
Yo' niudder an' fader is ho'n to die !
Jesus done taken my driftin' han'.
Good Lord. Lord, Lord!
Over de hills bright shinin' Ian'.
( )h, niv jesus done taken my driftin' han'.
(iood Lord, Lord, Lord!
2 Aiind out. Sister, hows you step on de cross;
Yo' right foot shppin' — you'll .sho' be los' !
Jesus done taken my driftin' han'.
Good Lord, Lord, Lord!
Over de hills bright shinin' Ian'.
Jesus done taken my driftin' ban'.
Good Lord, Ijnxl, Lord !
3 If you see my Mudder won't you tell her fo' me
Lm on my bosses in de battleheld.
Jesus done taken my driftin' ban'.
Good Lord. Lord, Lord!
Over de hills bright shinin' Ian'.
Jesus done taken my driftin' ban'.
Good Lord, Lord, Lord!
1 Am r>()uxi) FOR THE Promised Land
Jackson in DESO 11V16 states that the text is by Samuel Sten-
nett (17 '7-9^) and remarks that the tmie he prints, "practically
identical with the old Scottish 'The Boatie Rows,' " was a favorite
of the blackface minstrels and appears in 'Kingdom Coming iq.v ).
The followim? text lacks 11. -:.-^2, 25-32 of the text reprinted by
Jackson hut has a chorus not in the Stennett te.xt. Jackson WMb
630 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
208 gives the first stanza and a chorus practically identical with the
following. This version, he savs, is found in The Sacred Harp
(1844).
From the John Biirch Blaylock Collection.
1 On Jordan's stormy bank I stand,
And cast a wistftil eye ;
To Canaan's fair and happy land
Where my possessions lie.
Chorus:
1 am hound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land.
Oh, who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.
2 All o'er those wide extended plains
Shines one eternal day ;
There God. the Sun, forever reigns,
And scatters night away.
3 No chilling winds, nor poisonoits breath,
Can reach that healthful shore ;
Sickness and sorrow, pain and death.
Are felt and feared no more.
4 When shall I reach that hai)py place.
And be forever blest?
When shall I see my Father's face.
And in His bosom rest?
582
I Am Going Where the Blood Flows Stronger
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Rosebud West, a pupil of the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, hut c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment."
1 1 am going where the blood flows stronger,
I am going where the blood flows stronger.
Way over yonder in the j^romised land.
2 I wonder where is my dear old mother.
Way over in the j^romised land.
Who will rise and go to my father.
Way over in the promised land?
3 ^^li< g'^^O'- gloO'' ballelujah !
Oh, he's way over there in the j)r(imise(l land.
I am going where the blood flows strt)nger.
R E L I C. I () r S S O N G S 63 1
Oh. yes. I am s^oiii^; wIumc the lilood flows stronger,
Oh, Lord!
4 I know those anj^els are ha\in|^ a jjjood time.
J'lating of honey and drinking of wine.
\\ a\- over there in the ])romised land!
5 1 le is hca(Hng them with his mi^dit\- hand.
\\ ay over there in the promised land.
Oh, I am going wliere the hhiod flows stronger.
I Rklong to That Band
The chorus is identical with two lines in a song of the same title
included in L. L. McDowell. Songs of the Old Camp Ground (Ann
Arhor, Mich., 1937), p. 39. The editor of this collection notes:
"This song, in very different form, hoth as to words and music, is
in the revised Sacred Harp . . . published in 191 1 under the title
of Original Sacred Harp. It is there credited to Mr. S. M. Denson.
who is still living in Alabama. INIy father told me positively that
he heard this sontj . • . about 1845."
From a MS marked "Hodgin, Southeastern N. C." ; without date.
1 I never saw the like since I heen horn —
People keep coming and the train done gone.
Chorus:
I belong to that hand,
Hallelnah. halleluah, hallekiah,
I belong to that hand,
Hallelnah.
2 Some come crippled and some come lame.
Some come hobbling in Jesns' name.
3 Clonds look heavy and it looks like rain.
Sun's drawing water from ICmanuel's vein.
I Dox't Love Old Satax
A
From Ella Smith. Pitt county ; undated. "Negro fragment."
I I don't love old Satan.
(Jld Satan don't love me.
And under the circumstances
Me and old Satan don't ajrrce.
632 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
C horns:
I'se gwine to Mount de Zion,
^ly beautiful home.
2 1 stepped in de water.
And the water was cold ;
Got a free body,
And I want a free soul.
B
Another copy from the same informant, in which the order of stanzas
I and 2 is reversed, and the chorus reads :
I'm gwine to ]\Iount Zion, my beautiful home.
I'm gwine to Mount Zion. my beautiful home.
585
I Don't Sing Like I Used to Sing
From JuHan P. Boyd, as collected from Catherine Bennett, a pupil of
the school at Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment."
1 I don't sing like I used to sing,
Jesus done changed, changed, changed
Dis heart o' mine, dis heart o' mine,
Dis heart o' mine, dis heart o' mine,
Jesus done changed dis heart o' mine.
2 I don't pray like I used to pray,
[Remainder exactly as in stanza i.]
3 I don't shout like I used to shout, etc.
4 I don't talk like I used to talk, etc.
5 I don't walk like I used to walk. etc.
6 I don't moan like I used to moan, etc,
7 I ain't going to do like I used to do, etc.
586
I Do Wonder Is My Mother on That Train
'Sinner, You Better Take Heed.' With music. From an anonymous,
undated MS. Dr. White notes: "Taken down in pencil by F.C.B., evi-
dently from dictation. May have come from Shorty Love [Will Love,
janitor at Trinity College and Duke University]. It resembles other
MSS that do. See my note on Gospel Train in American Ncijro Folk
Songs, p. 64." Cf. 'The Gospel Train' and 'Little Black Train' ( witli
notes) in this collection.
R K I. 1 (i 1 () I' s s o N c; s 633
I do woikUt is inv niotluT on thai train.
1 do woiukr is n\\ ukiIIut on that train.
Train is uh-coniin' roun' dc cnrvc,
An' she's strainin' t"\cr' ncrxc.
I d(» wonder is niv mother on that tr.ain.
Well, sinner, you hetter take heed;
Jes' listen to what I say:
You walk with the Christian rou-n".
But still you will not pray.
God with his an-ger-y frown
Some day will call you down.
I wonder is my mother on that train.
W hen the train rolls u]) to the station
All the saints will hegin to shout.
Christ the * * * * Conductor.
All ahoard for the Gospel Train.
You hetter be at the station
\\ ith your ticket in your hand.
1 do wonder is my mother on that train.
The day of the Resurrection
Poor sinner will be lost.
You see the good old Christian
Come a-wogging [walking?] roun' uh duh Cross,
Crying. 'Lord. 1 been uh redeemed.
With a garment white and clean.'
I do wonder is my mother on that train.
Just one moment in glory
Will satisfy my mind,
Sitting down with Jesus.
Eating honey and drinking wine.
We'll march around uh the throne
With Peter, James, and John.
I do wonder is my mother on that train ?
Let the uKjther take the daughter
And the father take the son,
Take them to the Sabbath school
And point them to the Lord.
That's the way good Christians do
To gain the heavenly Ian'.
1 do wonder is mv mother on that train.
634 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I Got de Key of de Kingdom
This song resembles T Got a Key to the Kingdom' (from Ala-
bama) in Mary Allen Grissom's The Negro Sings a Neiv Heaven
(Chapel Hill, 1930), pp. 98-99.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Elsie Rawls. a pupil of the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, hut c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment."
1 Preacher, I got de key of de kingdom.
De world can't do me no harm,
De world jus' can't do me no harm.
Watch yotir secret keeper,
Always bringin' you news,
Tell a lie upon you
And keep you all confu.se'.
2 Some people borrows money,
Promise to pay,
When dey see you comin'
Dey turn de oder way.
Oh, I got de key of de kingdom.
Dis world can't do me no harm,
Dis world jus' can't do me no harm.
3 When you think you got a friend,
You had better watch yotir way,
For you can never tell ;
You may get fooled some day.
Oh, I got de key to de kingdom,
De world can't do me no harm,
Dis ol' world jus' can't do me no harm.
588
1 Have Long Since BeEx\ Learned
From Mrs. Norris, without date or address. .\ Mrs. Norris
whose early address was Raleigh, N. C, contriliuted c. 1924. Tlie
repetitions indicated in the first two stanzas continue throughout.
I 1 have long since been learned
Dal de trumpets will be soundin',
Dat de trumpets will be scnuidin' in dal day.
Oh, de trumi)ets will be soundin' in dat day.
O Sinner, whar will vou stand in dat day?
K V. I. I (I 1 () U S S O N C S 635
C'honis:
He can able de blind to see,
He can able de lame to walk.
He can raise de dead from nnder de o;r()und.
() Sinner. i)ray on. pray on. pray (in;
jesns is knockin' at de door.
2 1 liave l(nig since been learned
Dal King jesus will be comin',
Uat King Jesus will be comin" in dat day,
( )li. King Jesus will be comin' in dat day.
() Sinner, wliar will you stand in dat day?
3 I bave long since been learned
Dat de dead will be a risin'.
4 1 bave long since been learned
Dat de mourners will be weepin'.
3 1 bave long since l)een learned
Dat de Christians will be sboutin'.
6 1 bave long since been learned
Dat de sisters will be sboutin'.
7 I bave long since been learned
Dat de brotbers will be sboutin",
589
I Am Standing in the Shoes of John
Nu title. With music. From Miss Jessie Hauser, whose early addresses
were in Forsyth county and Durham county, July 1923. Phonograph
recording, Durham, N. C, 1928.
1 I am standing in the sbcjes of John.
1 am standing in the shoes of John,
I am standing. 1 am standing.
I am standing in the shoes of John.
2 If thev fit me. 1 will wear them on,
If they fit me. I will wear them on.
If they fit me. if they fit me.
If they fit me. I will wear them on.
590
I Don't Know When ( )li) De.\th"s (iwiNK ter C.\li. Me
No title. I'Vcjm -Mrs. N. J. Herring, Tomahawk, Sampson county:
undated.
N.C.F., Vol. Ill, (4.^)
636 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I don't know when old death's gwine ter call me ;
He's ridin' every day,
He don' let nobody stay.
My heart is full of sorrow, my eyes is full of tears.
Old death is gwine ter call me 'fore many more years.
591
I'm Goin' to Ride in Pharaoh's Chariot
No title. From S. M. Helton, Jr.. Principal of Bain Academy, Alatthews,
Mecklenburg county; undated, but probably 1938-39.
1 I'm goin' to ride in Pharaoh's chariot,
I'm goin' to ride in Pharaoh's chariot ;
One of these days God knows that
I'm goin' to ride in Pharaoh's chariot,
I'm goin' to ride in Pharaoh's chariot one of these days.
2 I'm goin' to cross the river of Jordan, etc.
3 I'm goin' to walk dem golden streets, etc.
4 I'm goin' to play dat golden harp, etc.
5 I'm goin' to wear dem golden slippers, etc.
6 I'm goin' to sing in de angel choir, etc.
7 I'm goin' to talk with Paul an' Silas, etc.
8 I'm goin 'to eat at Peter's table, etc.
592
I Mean to Go to Heaven Anyhow
In phrasing and structure this resembles 'Going to Heaven Any-
how,' No. 1009 in Songs of the People, edited, compiled, and
arranged by Max T. Krone (Chicago, 1937).
"Negro fragment." From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Rosebud
West, a student in the scbool at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, but
c. 1927-28.
I I mean to go to heaven anyhow.
Anyhow, anyhow, anyhow !
My Lord, I mean to go to heaven anyhow !
Jesus died, oh, he died on the cross,
To set every sinner free.
Oh, yes, dear Lord,
I mean to go to heaven anyhow.
RELIGIOUS S 0 N C. S 637
^■()U toKl luiillu'i- wlii'ii she was liviiii;
Wtu wimld treat Ikt chilluns i^oud. yuu know,
lint >iiK-f she has hcen dead
\'(nr\e (h-i\en u> t'roin your door.
lUit anyhow, J mean to ,i;(> to hea\en,
Oh, yes, my L.ord,
I mean to go to heaven an\how !
Ydu know that Jesu^ (hed on the eross,
And 1 mean to go U) heaven anyliow.
( )h. ve>, lie died on the cross,
And 1 mean to go to heaven and meet my mother,
( )h, ves. 1 mean to go to heaven.
(_)h, ves, 1 mean to go to heaven anyhow!
593
Indian Song: Ah. Pork Sinner
I ocil titk' With music. From Mrs. Maude' Minuisli Sutton, sun^ ''.v
her sister. Pearl; undated. Dr. White notes: "Really a Negro spiritual,
tliough Indians may have sung it." Stanza 4 of 'In Dat Day m \\ . A.
Fisher, Seventy Xcgro Spirit mils (Boston. 1926), pp. (j6-8, has an image
of the moon resemhling that in line 2 below.
Ah, pore sinner, under the rock.
Till the moon goes down in hlood.
You can hide yo'self on the mountain top.
To hide your face from God.
Um, ah, ta-alk ahout Jesus!
Halle, halle, lu, there's glory in my soul.
594
1 Picked My B.'\nj() Too
From MS book of songs lent to Dr. Brown in August 1936 l)y Miss
Lura Wagoner, Vox, Alleghany county. Several of the songs are dated,
some 191 1, some 1913-
1 Come all you sons of freedom.
Come listen unto me ;
ril tell you all my conditions
And what they used to be.
2 1 used to be a rebel,
I wandered from the Lord;
I never took his counsel
Nor read his holy word.
638 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 The conflict between two parties,
The gray coats and the bhie —
I vokniteered for freedom,
And I picked my banjo too.
4 I was born in North CaroHna
And raised up as a slave.
And no one ever told me
I had a soul to save.
5 Until I had the fever
It brought me near my grave,
And many a Christian told me
I had a soul to save.
6 I went to hear the gospel.
To see if it was true ;
I laughed and mawked the preacher,
And 1 picked my banjo too.
7 Until he called for mourners
And tears stood in my eyes,
I bowed beneath the altar,
And I laid my banjo by.
8 I prayed for sovereign mercy.
And Jesus filled my cup.
I went home rejoicing.
And I burned my banjo up.
9 Brother, will you meet me
On that delightful shore?
We will praise the Lord forever
W'here banjos are no more.
595
I'sE GwiNE Land on Dat Shore
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Frederick Liverman, a pupil of
the school at Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, l)ut c. 1927-28.
I I don't like old Satan ;
(Jld Satan don't like me,
'Case I believes in Jesus,
And he sot me free.
Chorus:
I'se gwine land on dat shore,
I'se gwine land on dat shore,
I'se gwine land on dat shore.
k K 1. I i; I (1 r s s o N t; s 639
I'll l)t.' blessed forexornuire,
When 1 gits to 1 leheii ;
I want yon to be dar too;
When 1 cries ont holy,
1 wants yon to cry so too.
When 1 gits to 1 leben.
Who shall 1 see dar ?
Alary, Martha, Lnke, and John,
Waitin' dar t\)r nie.
I Shall Not P.k Blue
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Minnie Lee, a pupil of the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, hut c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment."
1 I've got religion. I shall not be blue.
I've got religion, 1 shall not be blue.
It's like a tree that's planted by the waters,
And 1 shall not be blue.
Clionts:
1 shall not, 1 shall not be blue.
It's like a tree that's planted by the waters,
And I shall not be l)lue.
2 I love my Jesus ; 1 shall nut be blue.
I love my Jesus ; I shall not be blue.
It is like a tree that is planted by the waters,
And I shall not be blue.
3 I love my neighbors ; 1 shall not be blue.
I love my neighbors; I shall not be blue.
it is like' a tree that is planted by the waters,
And 1 shall not be blue.
B
'I Shall Not Be Moved.' From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from B. D.
Banks, pupil of the school at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, hut c.
1927-28. "Negro fragment."
I Sanctified and holy ;
I shall not be moved.
Just like the tree planted by the water.
Chorus:
(ilory. Hallelujah, I nIiuH not be moved,
lust like the tree planted by the water.
640 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 I want to go to Heaven,
Where 1 shall not be moved.
Just like the tree planted by the water.
3 If your mother forsakes you,
I shall not be moved,
Just like the tree by the water.
4 I am on my way to Heaven,
And I know I shall not be moved,
Just like the tree of Jesus Christ.
597
It's Good fuh Hab Some Patience
From Miss S. O. H. Dickson, Winston-Salem, Forsyth county, in a
letter dated November 5, 1913, enclosing this and a version of 'Roll
Jordan, Roll' (see C in this collection), with this note: "The tunes of
both were spirited, and they were sung with accompaniment of the oars
often as they rowed on the river." She indicates that the provenience
of both songs was the Sea Islands.
Chorus:
It's good fuh hab some patience, patience, patience ;
It's good ftih hab some patience
Fuh ter wait upon de Lawd.
1 My brudder. won't you rise en' go wid me.
My brudder, won't you rise en' go wid me,
My brudder, won't you rise en' go wid me
Fuh ter wait upon de Lawd?
2 My sister, etc.
3 My fader, etc.
4 My mudder. etc.
598
I Waxter Jine de Ban'
From Mrs. C. C. Murphy, Ivanhoe, Sampson county, "as sung by her
father, J. N. Corbett, who learned it after the Civil War near Bain-
bridge, Ga." ; undated. Cliorus as in Allen SS, p. 95.
Chorus:
Oh. I wanter jine de l*)an'!
Oh. I wanter jine de 15an' !
I Two togedder ! .\\\ I wanter jine de P.an' !
Put on de er new shoes.
RELIGIOUS S 0 N C. S
641
(1(1 up in hcahfii and talk alxml llic news!
C)h, 1 wanlcT jinc dc Uan' !
Argy \vi(l dc l""a(l(k'r an' er chalter wid df Son
And' talk alxnU dc w^yV what y<iu jcs" conic funi.
2 Oh. vou iMoscs, don' you get los' ;
Stretch dat rod an' come along across.
( )h. 1 wanter jine de Ban'!
1 got an ol' aunty in de i'romiscd Land!
She went over dere to feed deni laniljs.
An' I wanter jine de Ban' !
( )h, 1 wanter jine de Ban'!
El)r)-hody !
An' 1 wanter jine de Ban' !
599
1 Was Once ix a Dark and Lonesome Valley
Fruni lulian P. Bovd, as collected from Ruby Casey, a pupil of the
school "at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment."
I was once in a dark and lonesome valley,
And Satan led with trouble on de way.
But de devil tryin' hard to stop me,
And dey laugh at me whatever dey hears me say.
Chants:
Here's a light, chillun;
Here's a light, chillun ;
Here's a light where de angels led before us.
600
I Wonder As I Wander*
Thousli this song has much of the quality of the old English car-
ols it has been reported as folk song only from North Carohna
ami onlv recently (Songs of the HUlfolk 8-9). And wUh reason;
for (as 'he himself has informed Professor H. I\L Belden, m a letter
dated June 12, 1947J it is the work — except for the opening hues,
which he heard in Cherokee county in 1933— of the distinguished
student and practitioner of folk song John Jacob Niles. Mr. Niles's
text, with his own modifications of the tune, was copyrighted in
1934 by Schirmer and lias been widely sold and sung. Mr. Niles's
singing of 'I Wonder As 1 Wander,' with dulcimer accompaniment.
♦Copyright, 1934, by G. Schirmer, hic. Permission to reprint Mr.
Johnson's text and tune has been granted by G. Schirmer, Inc., and Mr.
John Jacot) Niles.
642 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
is recorded in liarly American Ballads, Arranged by John Jacob
Niles, Victor Album M 604.
From Obie Johnson, Crossnore, Avery county ; text undated. Phono-
graph recording made by Mr. Johnson at Crossnore in 1940.
1 I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.
How Jesus the Saviour could come for to die
For poor hon'ry^ people like you and like I.
I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.
2 W^hen Mary birthed Jesus, 'twas in a cow's stall.
With wise men and shepherds, and farmers and all.
And high from the heavens a star's light did fall,
And the promise of ages it then did recall.
3 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" ve had it, for he was the King.
4 I wonder as I wander, out under the sky,
How Jesus the Saviour could come for to die
For poor hon'ry people like you and like 1.
I wonder as I wander, out imder the sky.
601
Jekkel Walls
From Will ("Shorty") Love, janitor in Trinity College and Duke Uni-
versity, about 1920, in the hand of Dr. Brown, as taken down from
"Shorty's" singing.
1 When Jekkel walls fell down.
It's no diiTerence whar I stand.
It's no matter whar I'll be,
Dere's someone always ready
To point de finger of scorn at me.
2 So, to heaven my soul shall onward move
Like lightnin' aroun' de throne.
My soul shall shout like Israel [?],
Thank God, I'll soon end at home.
3 When I get to heaven
Want you to be there too ;
When I cry out 'Amen'
Want you to cry out.
^Written "hon'ry" in the manuscrii)t. Mr. Nilcs states that this is
for "o'n'ry." The editors take "o'n'ry" to be for "ornery," i.e.,
"ordinary."
R E L 1 1; I o u s s o N c; s 643
602
Jksus Christ I Want to I-'ind
"Negro fragment." Collected by Julian I*, lioyd from Catherine Ben-
nett, a pnpil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county, c. 1927-28. The
stanza beginning "Tell me whicii way my Redeemer's gone" is not desig-
nated in the MS as a chorus, but since it is regularly repeated, it evi-
dently is. and is designated thus by the editors.
1 Jesus dirist 1 want to tind ;
Pfay tell me where he is.
'Cause him alone can ease m}- mind
And give my conscience peace.
[Chorus: |
Tell me which wa\- my Redeemer's gone,
Tell me which way my Redeemer's gone,
'Cause him alone can ease my mind
And give my conscience peace.
2 If you go down in yonder fold
And search among the sheep,
You will find there, so I was told,
A home he loves to keep.
3 What signs shall 1 tell him hy ?
For many another man
Wears salvation on his brow.
And in his arms a lamb.
4 I thank you for your advice ;
I'll find him if I can ;
And if 1 do I will rejoice
In Christ, a friend to man.
603
Jesus S.\ys, 'You Goes and I Goes Wid You*
"Negro fragment." From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Minnie
Lee. a pupil of tiie school at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, but c.
1927-28.
1 Jesus says. 'You goes and I goes wid you;
Preach de Gospel and I'll preach wid you.'
Lawd. efen you goes, tell us's what to say.
For dev won't believe on me.
2 When 1 started out to pray.
.\xt my Lawd whut mus' I say;
Turned to see what could I see —
Mv ITebenl\- leader was a-talkin' to me.
644 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 Alah hands wuz tight and mah feet wuz bound,
De elements opened and de Lawd come down.
De voice I heard, it sound so sweet ;
De elements opened to de soles of me feet.
604
John He Baptized Jesus
From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county ( later Mrs.
C. P. Perdue), July 1922. Recording made at Pekin in 1922.
John he baptized Jesus ;
'Twas all through his command.
The Holy Bible tells us
That John was a righteous man.
Little children, our lodging's here tonight.
Little children, our lodging's here tonight,
Little children, our lodging's here tonight.
1 know you by your little garments.
Our lodging's here tonight.
605
John Jasper
Famous during the last half of the nineteenth century as a Negro
preacher, the Reverend John Jasper is the subject of at least two
biographies: E. A. Randolph's The Life of Rev. John Jasper, Pastor
of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., from His
Birth to the Present Time, zvith His Theory of the Rotation of the
Sun (Richmond, 1884) ; and William E. Hatcher's John Jasper, the
Unmatched Negro Philosopher and Preacher (New York, c. 1908).
His death was noted in a paragraph in TJic International Year Book
for ipoi.
Born a slave in Fluvanna county, Virginia, July 4, 1812, lie
worked on farms, in tobacco factories, and at various other menial
employments in and around Williamsburg, Petersburg, and Rich-
mond, (luring his childhood and early manhood. In bis youth, witb
the help of a fellow slave be learned to read and spell in The Neiv
York Spelling Book. In 1839, during a Fourdi of July celebration
in Richmond, be was "deeply convicted of bis sins" and fortbwitb
began preaching. He is said to have "preached in every city in
the State of Virginia and two tbirds of its counties" (Randolpb,
op. cit., p. 14). During tbe Civil War bis audiences often included
the sick and wounded in Richmond hospitals. Shortly after tbe
war he visited \\'el(lon, N. C, and organized a Negro Baptist
church there. Most of tbe remainder of bis life be spent as pastor
of tbe Sixth Mount Zion Cburcb in Ricbmond. Meanwhile, he
preached or lectured in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and
some of the New Jersey cities. His most i)opular sermon was en-
R E I. I C. 1 O U S S () \ C. S 645
tilled "Dc Sun l)(i Miivc" (alleged trxl in I latclirr, of^. cil., pp.
133-40). AccDrdinj; to Randoli)!) ( i*]). 10341, "Mr. |MattlR'w?|
Arnold expre.'^scd a j^rcat dosirc tn lu-ar .\lr. |a>i)(.T preach his
famous sermon on "The Sun Do Move,' " and "It is no exajT^s'era-
tion to say that Rev. John jasper has a j^reater rei)Utation in ICurope
than any other Southern man since the war. llis sermon was puh-
lished in one of the French pa])ers, and was diNCUs^ed in the London
L'luh." When jasjier died, in Richmond, .March 30, njoi, the Rich-
jiioihI Tiiinw- Pisf^iilch said ot him (as (iUoted hy llatcher, pp.
12-14) :
"He was a national character, and he and iii^ philosopiiy were known
from one end of the land to the other. Some people have the impres-
sion that John Jasper was famous simply because he flew in the face of
scientists and declared that the sun moved, hi one sense, that is true,
hut it is also true that his fame was due, in great measure, to a strong
personality, to a deep, earnest conviction, as well as to a devout Chris-
tian character. Some preachers might have made this assertion about
the sun's motion without having attracted any special attention. The
people would have laughed over it, and the incident would have passed
by as a summer breeze. But John Jasper made an im])ression upon his
generation, because he was sincerely and deeply in earnest in all that
he said. . . . His implicit trust in the Bible and everything in it, was
beautiful and impressive. He had no other lamp by which his feet were
guided. He had no other science, no other philosophy. He took the
Bible in its literal significance; he accepted it as the inspired word of
God ; he trusted it with all his heart and soul and mind ; he believed
nothing that was in conflict with the teachings of the Bible — scientists
and pliik)sophers and theologians to the contrary notwithstanding."'
Cf. the following John Jasper songs with one in White ANFS 128-9.
'John Jasper.' With music (two copies). From an anonymous con-
tributor. Apparently this was part of the material Dr. Brown was pre-
paring for publication in 1916-18.
1 [dhn lasper was a man, as yoii all do inulerstaiid.
And he preach-ed lu de j)C'o])K' with a \eii^^cance.
He preach-ed in de church, and ])rcach-ecl out (d' doors,
And he preach-ed to de jjeople dat de sun do move.
Chorus:
Because de sun do move. ])ecause de sun do move.
Dear John Jasper was a preacher.
He preach-ed in de church, and he preach-etl out (jf
doors,
And he ])reach-ed to de jK'ople dat de sun do move.
2 And de wise men com-uh from a lon^' ways (dl.
And dey took down de hooks dat com-uh from «k' i,ord.
^ For some details concerning John jasper, the editors of this collection
are indebted to Mary M. Watt, Questions and Answers Department, the
Richmond Times Pist'atch.
646 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And dey took down de Bible and dey splain-ed de truth.
And dey prov-ed to de people dat de sun do move.
B
No title. From an anonymous contributor, without date or address ;
probably c. 1920-25. A fragment.
The wise men came from a long way off,
An' they took down the book dat came from de Lord,
An' they took down the Bible,
An' set about to prove,
An' dey proved to de people
Dat de sun do move.
606
Judgment Day Is Comin'
"Negro fragment." From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Rosebud
West, a pupil of the school at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, but
c. 1927-28.
1 Judgment day is comin',
Time is drawin' near.
Don't you hear God callin' you ?
Judgment day is comin'.
For the time is drawin' near.
He is callin' you by the thunder.
For the time is drawin' near.
Oh, yes. he is callin' you by the lightnin',
For the time is drawin' near.
Judgment day is comin'.
Oh, yes. judgment day is comin' !
2 I am goin' away to leave you.
Oh. Lord, time is drawin' near ;
Judgment day is comin'.
When 1 was a sinner just like you,
I fasted and prayed till it come true !
Oh, Lord, judgment day is comin',
For the time is drawin' near.
Oh, sinner, don't you want to go to heaven ?
Time is drawin' near !
Oh, yes. judgment day is coming.
Oh, yes, judgment day is coming.
607
Lii.v White Robe
From Mrs. Maude M. Sutton, Forest City, July 30, 1928, as sung by
Mrs. Becky Gordon, Sainda Mountain, June-July 1928; with tiie fol-
lowing notes :
relic; lous SONUS 647
"She sings every song I have tieeti able to collect heretofore, and then
some ! . . .
"I never heard a negro spiritnal with as ricli, tuneful, and moving
air. It is a typical mountain spiritual and is beautiful. Miss Rlackstock
is at work on harmonizing the air now. The first verse is repeated and
the second goes on and on with no changes except 'mothers,' 'brothers,'
'sisters,' 'Christians,' etc.. are substituted for 'fathers.' Mrs. Gordon
thought her niotlier had learned it from a book, and at a cabin on 'Big
Mungry' near Sugar Mountain. They told us there was a book with
tile words and tune. It isn't in The Southern Haniiony. This song is
used for all funerals in that section. They start singing it when the
grave is lieing filled and sing it till it is finished. Mrs. Gordon said,
'Hit's a song to sing over a corpse.' "
1 There's a lily white rohc' in Hea\eii fur me;
I'm a-goin' where my trouhles will he over;
Glory, glory, glory, hallelujah ;
I'm a-goin' wliere my trouhles will he over.
2 Oh. come, my lovin' fathers, and go along with me ;
I'm a-goin' where my trouljles will he over ;
Glory, glory, glory, hallelujah ;
I'm a-goin' where my trouhles will Ije over.
608
Little David
The song resembles one published by Anna Kranz Oduni in
JAFL xxvii 263. from Tennessee. It seems related to 'Little
David, Play on Your Harp.' but lacks tlie chorus characteristic of
that song.
Xo title. From H. F. Shaw, eastern North Carolina; undated.
1 ( )h. David was a [xjor shepherd hoy. don't vou see?
Oh. David was a poor shepherd hoy. don't you see?
Oh. David was a poor shepherd hoy.
He killed a lion and shout for joy.
He got a home in the rock, don't you see?
2 Judas was a 'ceitful man. don't you see?
Judas was a 'ceitful man. don't \()u see?
Judas was a 'ceitful man ;
He hetrayed an innocent man.
He lost a home in der rock, don't \<)U sec?
609
LiTTi.K David. Plav ox Your I1.\ri'
This version is more elaborate than those in White ANF'.S 66-8
and Jackson WN.S 226-7. f" stanzas i and 2 it picks up figures
from 'All God's Chillun Got Shoes,' just as Jackson's No. cxiv
attracts a figure from 'Go Down, Moses.' (Both White and Jack-
648 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
son cite otlier traditional appearances.) Cf. Chappell FSRA 143
(from North Carolina).
Text from Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Catherine Bennett, a pupil
of the school at .Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, but c. 1927-28.
"Negro fragment." Music by Newman I. White, Durham, N. C. As
copied by Mr. Boyd, it is not clear whether the first four lines of stanza
I are repeated at the beginning of each succeeding stanza ; it is assumed
that they are.
1 ]\Iath and Mark, and Luke and John ;
Jeremiah, Malachi, Stephen, and Tom ;
EH and Closes, Zachariah and Joseph :
When we git up in Heben
I'm goin' to march around.
Have on a robe come flowin' down.
Cho7'i(s:
Little David, plav on vour hari^ !
Hallelujah, hallelujah f
2 Den I will move at God's command,
\\'\d a golden harp in my hand.
3 I will acknowledge and I do say so,
Talkin' wid de prophets gone on befo'.
4 \\''ith Paul and Cephas. Stephen and John ,
(Jid brother Noah, and Ten Thousand more.
5 Some join the church for to sing and shout ;
Before six months they's all turned otit.
6 Fo' six months rolled around again.
Come back a-gigging,^ 'Take me in!"
7 Deacon stops and studies a while.
Asks dat sinner has he reconciled.
8 I've been tempted and I've been tried;
Devil have tried me on every side.
9 Feet been fettered, and my hands been crossed.
But dungeon been shaken and my chain fell ofif !
610
The Little Family
Belden FSIM 447 describes "The Little Family' as "A Inblical
narrative of a type that goes back at least to the seventeenth century
and is exemplified by the Resurrection ballad in Roxburghc Ballads
I 388 and a later stall print by Barr of Leeds in one of the British
Museum collections." He has found it "only in America and there
^ Thus in typescript — for "a-jigging"?
K E 1. I c; 1 () I' s SON c. s 649
only as a collector's item." Study of the ])rinted texts sugj^i^csts to
him tluit "it has been subjected to tlie fortunes of oral transmis-
sion." He cites reports of it from Virj^inia, West Virginia, Ken-
tucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Ohio. To his references, add:
lackson WSSU 195-7 -"kI SFSE.\ 36; Henry FSSH 417-18; Eddy
BSO -'95-7; Gardner and Chickering BSSM 366-7; Davis FSV
295-6 (title and first line}.
.\
'Tile Little Family." From Mrs. .Maude M. .Sutton, Lenoir; undated
(c. 1933?). Accompanying the te.\t i.s the following- headiiote, amount-
ing to a little essay on the spirituals in the North Carolina mountains :
"This ballad is found in a songbook that was printed at Catlettsburg,
Kentucky, in 1871. There were probably earlier versions. This book
is A A'cti' and Choice Selection of Hyunis and So)u/s for the Use of the
Reijular Baptist Church and was edited by Elder E. D. Thomas. The
ballad is very popular in the mountains now, and this version was col-
lected on Fall Creek in Avery County. It is typical of the ballad hymns,
and when 'lined out' by the minister and sung by the congregation, they
have a strange and somber beauty that is indescrii)able.
"My own collection of the spirituals is not nearly as large as I wish
it was. There really isn't any reason, except that I started too late, why
I shouldn't have a collection as large as anyone, for when I was a little
girl there was a small church near Setzer's Gap in the lower end of the
Blue Ridge, where all of the best old white spirituals were sung. I
have heard them sung by members of my family who went to the church
to hear them, and anyone [no one?] who heard Babylon Is I-'allcu,
Zion's Ship Is on the Ocean, Moses Smote the IVaters, Douti in the
J 'alley to Pray, The Lily White Robe, and scores of others, could fail
to realize that the white spirituals were the originals of the Negro
spirituals that are our most distinctive contribution to folk music.
"These spirituals are not used as much now as they were only a few
years ago. They are found now largely as concessions made to the older
church members at singing conventions and revivals. In the remotest
sections they are used at funerals. One place in Henderson County I
beard The Lily White Robe [included in this collection] at a funeral
aliout six years ago. That was the last time I heard one except at
'singing conventions,' where they were sung as curiosities ; the younger
members of the group at the singing preferred Billy Sunday's type of
Gospel Hymns to the ancient spirituals.
"Many of the spirituals are based on Bible stories. I have a good
many that relate, in some fashion, the Red Sea miracle, as :
I want to go to Heaven and I want to go right.
Red Sea.
I want to go to Heaven all dressed in white.
Red Sea.
Oh, turn back Pharaoh's army, army, army,
Oh, turn back Pharaoh's army from the Red Sea ;
or :
In ancient days when Israel's host in darkest bondage lay.
The mighty power of God was shown ; he rolled the sea away.
He rolled the sea away. He rolled the sea away.
With Jesus ever near, no foe I have to fear ;
He rolls the sea away ;
or :
Moses smote the waters and the children they passed over,
650 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Moses smote the waters and the sea gave way.
Oh, children, ain't you glad you left that sinful army?
Oh, children, ain't you glad the sea gave way?
"I went to a foot washing once, way up in the Blue Ridge, at a little
slab church. I went for curiosity, and, perhaps, for amusement ; but the
service was impressive. The minister was an austere man. His sermon
was delivered in a high, monotonous singsong, and it was full of hellfire
and damnation. It presented the theology as harsh as that of the Old
Puritans, and the songs he selected were of the same type."
(Here follows an account of "the song with the sermon," substantially
as given in the headnote to the A text of 'As I Went Down in the
Valley to Pray,' after which Mrs. Sutton continues.)
"As a closing song that day, the minister clapped his hands and started
Old-Time Rcliyion. On the verse 'It was good for Paul and Silas,' a
woman shouted, and the fervor of the emotion in the church was very
intense. The songs were moving, and the unfamiliar time and queer
gaps in the airs were very impressive.
"There were only a few books in the church, and the songs in tliem
were written in the old shaped note music.
"I have found only a few of the traditional carols of the early English
church. The Wife of Usher's Well, or The Romish Lady,^ is commonly
known. The Cherry Tree Carol, The Tweh'e Blessings of Mary, and
The Twelve Days of Christmas are the only ones I have, li'hen Mary
Went a-Journeyin' has been found in this section, but I wasn't the lucky
discoverer. That legend is commemorated in this county with the super-
stition about 'Mary goes over the mountain.' "
(Here Mrs. Sutton digresses in a paragraph on weather signs, which
is omitted. She resumes.)
"Elliott Daingerfield commemorated that legend in his exquisite paint-
ing The Madonna of the Hills, that hangs over the altar of the Episcopal
church at Blowing Rock. It shows the Virgin on the crest of Grand-
father w'ith a mountain lily in her hand and the rhododendron in bloom
at her feet.
"The white spirituals and ancient carols are more nearly done than
any other type of folksong. The very fine work that has been done by
the churches in mountain communities has destroyed them. Collectors
have been less interested in them than in any other type of folksong.
Only a very few of the older people recall them. I have an old friend
in this county who will sing Red Sea and The Lone Pilgrim for me
[the latter in this collection].
"There is a regular 'all-day-singing-and-dinner-on-the-ground' in
Caldwell County every summer. I shall plan to go this summer and
ask some of the older singers to sing some of the spirituals. I know
of three copies of The Southern Harmony and one of The Missouri
Harmony in the county. They contain some of the better-known spirit-
uals, and it is interesting to know that Anne Rutledge and Abraham
Lincoln sang out of these books at singing sciiools when they were
courting.
"When art music is composed from American folk music, as sometimes
it will be, then the 'White Spirituals from the Southern Uplands' will
come into their own." It is possible that the influence back of them is
' The Wife of Usher's Well (Child, No. 79) and The Romish Lady
(in Belden BSM 450-5, Hudson FSM 137-9, and many other collections)
are not, as Mrs. Sutton seems to imply, alternative titles for the same
ballad; thev are quite different pieces, hardly carols at all, especially
the second." [A. P. H.]
"This may be an allusion to George Pullen Jackson's Jl'hite Spirituals
in the Southern Uphuids, ])ublished in 1933. [A. P. H.]
R K I. I c; 1 () V s s () N (; s 651
more tK-rinanic than luij^lisli. l)iit one of tlie most interesting and dis-
tinctive pliases of American life was tiie old singing school, and the
songs that were used in it are intensely interesting.
"I remember an old minister who used to come to our home when I
was a little girl. He would ask my mother to play and sing his favorite
hymn. He had an old Ixjok (1 do not know what it was) with the
hymn in it. I recall only one verse of the hymn, hut it told a story. It
began, '1 saw a wayworn traveler.' I wish I had copied it down, for it
was illustrative of a type of hymn that is no longer used in the churches,
and a type that iuHuenced very deeply the life of our folk."
On Mrs. Sutton's headnote to 'The Little Family' Professor White
comments : "I remember this hymn, with the music, from childhood,
somewhat vaguely, as follows :
"I saw a wayworn traveler;
His shoes (clothes?) were . . .
A-toiling up the mountains ;
His life was almost gone."
(Four more lines, then Chorus:)
"Then palms of victory,
Robes of glory.
Palms of victory
I shall wear."
Mrs. Sutton's version of 'The Little Family' is as follows:
1 Thei-e was a littlt- family that lived in Bethany ;
Two sisters and one hrother composed this family.
At morning and at evening they raised their voices high,
With praying and with singing like angels in the sky.
2 And while they lived together, so pure, so kind, and good.
Their hrother was afflicted and duly thrown in l)ed.
Poor Martha and poor Mary stood weeping by his side.
But still he grew no better, but lingered on and died.
3 When Jesus heard the tidings while in a distant land.
Right quickly did He travel to join the lonely band.
The news came to his sisters. 'Put Lazarus in the tomb,'
While swiftly Jesus hurried to wipe away their gloom.
4 When Martha saw Him coming, she met Him on the way.
And told Him how her brother had died and passed away.
He charged her and He blessed her and begged her not to
weep.
For in Him was the power to wake him from the sleep.
T When Mary saw Him coming, she ran and met Him too.
And at His feet a-weeping she told her tale of woe.
When Jesus saw her weeping, lie fell a-weeping too.
And wept until she showed Him where Lazarus was in
tomb.
6 He rolled away the stone and looked upon the grave.
Then prayed iinto His Father His loving friend to save.
N.C.F.. Vol. 11. (4-1)
652 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Then Lazarus in full power came from the gloomy
mound ;
With full strength and vigor he walked upon the groimd.
7 Now if you love Jesus and do His holy will.
Like Martha and like Mary, and always use Him well.
From death He will redeem you and take you to the skies.
Where you will live forever and pleasure never dies.
B
'The Little Family of Bethany.' From W. Amos Abrams, Boone ; un-
dated. Eight stanzas as follows : i corresponding to A i with 11. 3 and 4
reversed ; 2 as copied below ; 3 corresponding to A 2 ; 4 as copied be-
low ; 5, 6, 7, 8 corresponding to A 4, 5, 6, 7, respectively, with slight
verbal variations.
2 They lived in peace and pleasure for many a lonely years,
And laid away their treasures beyond this vale of tears.
Though poor and without money, their kindness never
ends ;
Their house was ever open to Jesus and His friends.
4 The Jews came to the sisters and laid Layasers in the
tomb
And tried for to comfort and drive away their gloom.
When Jesus heard the tidings far in a distant land.
So swiftly did He travel to see that lonelv band.
'Martha and Mary." Phonograph recording by Mrs. Cynthia Aloody,
Spear. Avery county, 1939.
611
Mary Bowed
Lines 3 and 4 of stanza i are related to 'Lay This Body Down,'
Jackson WNS Nos. 34 and xxxiv (pp. 170-1 ). The second stanza
is from Nahuni Tate's Christmas carol beginning "While shepherds
watched their flocks by night." It is included in The J^irginia
Harmony (Winchester, Va., 1831 ), No. 53.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Catherine Bennett, a pupil of
the school at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, but c. 1927-28.
I I wonder where Sister Mary's gone ;
She has been gone so long.
She's gone to some new buryin' ground
For to lay her feeble body down,
To moulder in de clay.
RELIGIOUS SONGS 653
Marv bowed so low. Mary bowed so low,'
]\lar\' bowed so low. and so low.
2 Tlie shei)lierds watclu'd tbe flock by uii;bt.
All seated on tbe ground;
An angel of tbe Lord came down,
And glory sbined all 'round.
612
AIosES Smote the \\'.\ters
With music. From Mrs. Maude M. Sutton, Lenoir; undated. I'rom
"A group of religious songs sung by some people in the southern part
of the Bhie Ridge. I got these songs from hearing my auiits and my
father imitate tliem. I never went to the little chapel of Shiloh, wlierc
they learned them. The tunes arc much like negro tunes." The text is
given in Mrs. Sutton's long note accompanying her version of 'The
Little Family,' above.
613
And Must I Be to Judgment Brought?
Jackson DESO -213-14 includes the whole song, attributing the
text to Charles Wesley. He indicates that it was printed in Walk-
er's Christian Harmony (1866), which was a popular hymn book
in the South.
From Mrs. Maude M. Sutton, Lenoir; undated. One stanza with chorus
in Dr. I')r(iwn's hand, as taken from Mrs. Sutton.
And must I be to judgment brougbt.
And answer in tbat day.
For every idle deed and tbougbt.
And every word I say?
CJiorus:
We are passing away, we are passing away,
We are passing away, to the great judgment day.
614
The New Burying Ground
A version of this song, from Georgia, appears in Sandburg ASb
473. It is related to 'Let's Go to de Buryin' ' in Lawrence Gellert,
Negro Songs of Protest (New York, 1936), pp. 46-7.
^ The informant indicates "So low Wsry bowed" as an alternative
reading of the repeated clause.
654 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
A
'Hus Keep uh-RoUin'.' With music. From the Misses Andrews (no
address). October 1922. "Negro fragment."
1 Hits [Hearse] keep uh-rollin",
Hus keep uh-rollin'.
An' uh hus keep uh-rollin'.
Oh, me ! Oh, my !
2 Peops [People] keep uh-dyin',
Peops keep uh-dyin'.
An' uh peops keep uh-dyin'.
Oh, me ! Oh, my !
3 Hus keep uh-rollin'
Somebody to de grabeyard,
An' uh hus keep uh-rollin'.
Oh. me ! Oh, my !
4 Hus keep uh-rollin'.
Peops keep uh-dyin',
An' uh hus keep uh-rollin'.
Oh. me! Oh, my!
B
'The New Burying Ground.' From Miss Fannie E. \'ann, Clinton,
Sampson county : undated. The repetition indicated in stanza i con-
tinues in 2 and 3.
1 The hammer keeps a-knocking,
And somebody's dying.
The hammer keei)s a-knocking,
And somebody's dying.
The hammer keeps a-knocking.
And somebody's dying
Way oyer in the new burying ground.
2 The hearse keeps a-roUing.
And somebody's dying, etc.
3 The clods kee]) a-f ailing
On somebody's coffin, etc.
c
'New Burying Ground.' From G. B. Caldwell, Monroe, Union county ;
undated. The informant's arrangement of the text does not seem clear
and consistent.
I Come on, come on, let's go to heaven.
Come on, come on, let's go to heaven.
Come on, come on, let's go to heaven.
R E L I c; 1 0 u s s o N c; s 655
W ay over, over in de new burying gjround.
2 I hear a niiglity rumbling.
Lawd. Lawd. I bear a mighty rumbling.
3 Hammer keeps a-ringing on.
On somebody's coffin,
Lawd. Lawd. de hammer keeps a-ringing on,
On somebody's coffin.
4 De hearse keej) a-rolling —
Somebody's dying.
De hearse keep a-rolling —
Somebody's dying.
De hearse keep a-rolling —
Somebody's dying.
Lawd. Lawd. over in de new burying ground.
5 De hearse keeps a-rolling
My mudder to de graveyard.
The hearse keeps a-rolling
IVly mudder to the graveyard.
615
Nobody Knows
The song appears in Allen S.S 55; Marsh, The Story of the
Jubilee Singers; Jackson WNS 159; and many other printed col-
lections— with variations.
Collected by I. T. Poole, Burke county ; undated.
1 Nobody knows the trouble I seen ;
Nobody knows but Jesus.
Nobody knows de trouble I seen.
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
2 Sometimes Ls up, sometime's Ls down,
Oh, yes, Lord ;
Sometimes Ls almost to the groun'.
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
616
No Hidin'-Place
A
From Newman I. White, Durham, July 1922, as learned from Lucius
Chai)in, Richmond, Virginia, in 1919. Phonograph recording, Durliam,
1922. The following text, witli two additional stanzas, was published
656 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
without music in White ANFS 121-2. W'liite's headnote points out that
stanza 3 has been imported from 'Mary Wore Three Links of Chain'
(q.r. in the present collection), calls attention to commonplaces from
other spirituals in the song, and cites several printed collections con
taining versions of it.
1 \\'ent (Idwn the rocks to hide my face,
Went down the rocks to hide my face,
Went down the rocks to hide my face.
The rocks cried otit no hidint,^-place.
No hiding-place down there.
2 Pharaoh's daughter lookin' for roses,
Pharaoh's daughter lookin' for roses,
Pharaoh's daughter lookin' for roses,
Stumps her toe and discovers Moses.
No hiding-place down there.
3 Sister Mary wears a golden chain,
Sister Mary wears a golden chain.
Sister Mary wears a golden chain.
And every link's in heaven's name.
No hiding-place down there.
4 Sinnaman sitting on the gates of hell,
Sinnaman sitting on the gates of hell,
Sinnaman sitting on the gates of hell ;
The gates f\e\v open and in he fell.
No hiding-place down there.
From an anonymous contributor ; without date or address. Defective
text.
1 Judgment day is not far away.
Sinner man, what you goin' to do that day ?
O rocks in the mountains, rocks in the mountains.
Fall on lue.
2 Go on to the rocks for a hiding-place.
O . . . .
3 Rock cried out no hiding-place;
Sinner man, you can't hide here.
O . . . .
4 Sinner man, what voti goin' do that day?
O . . . .
R E L I c: I () r s SONGS 657
6.7
No Mori:! No More!
This or a variant seems to be the basis of 'I'll Never Turn Back
No More,' arranged by \V. C Handy (New York, 1935), a copy-
ritjhted song.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Mary Price, a pupil of the school
at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro frag-
ment."' Cf. "I Never Will Turn Back ,\ny More.' in this collection.
1 Xu more! Xo more!
My Lord, I will ne\er turn l)ack
No more.
A fisherman was Peter on the sea.
I'll never turn hack.
2 Your time is whirlin" round;
Got no time to tarr\- ;
Got no time to wait for you ;
My home is over Jordan ;
I am on my way.
618
Oh, I Used to Drink Beer
No title. From Mrs. Norman J. Herring, Tomahawk, Sampson county ;
undated. "Negro song." The repetition indicated in stanza i continues
in stanzas 2 and 3.
1 Oh. I used to drink beer.
But I throwed it all away,
But I throwed it all away,
But I throwed it all away.
Oh, I used to drink beer,
Bitt I throwed it all away,
And now I'm free at last.
2 Oh, I used to chew tobacco.
But I throwed it all away, etc.
3 (Jh, I used to love sin.
But I throwed it all away, etc.
4 Oh, I gave hell a shake
\\ hen I came out de wilderness,
When I came out de wilderness.
When I came otit de wilderness.
Oh, I gave hell a shake
When I came out de wilderness.
658 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
619
Oh. Lord, I'se Steppin' Higher
From Helen Fraser Smith (no address), 1923. "I would like to repeat
our cook's favorite song."
Oh, Lord, Lse steppin' higher;
Doan' let de ladder break.
Saint Peter, open up de do'
An' gib mah ban' a shake !
620
Oh, the Heavens Shut the Gates on Me
From K. P. Lewis, Durham, c. 191 5, as set down from dictation of Dr.
Kemp P. Battle, Chapel Hill, in November 1910.
Oh, the heavens shut the gates on me,
Oh, the due time, shut the gates on me.
Sometimes I weep, sometimes I mourn,
Sometimes I do nary one.
Oh, the heavens shut the gates on me,
Oh, the due time, shut the gates on me.
621
O Lord. Won't You Come by Here?
The refrain, "Oh Lord, won't you come by here," is shared with
a song having the same title in Madelyn Sheppard, Eight Selected
Spirituals (New York, 1926), pp. 18-20.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Minnie Lee, a pupil of tlie school
at Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro frag-
ment." The repetition indicated in stanza i continues through stanzas
2 and 3.
1 Somebody's sick ; Lord, come by here.
Somebody's sick ; Lord, come by here.
Somebody's sick ; Lord, come by here.
O Lord, won't you come by here !
2 Somebody's dying; Lord, come by here.
3 Somebody's in trouble; Lord, come liy here.
622
Oh. See Mv Father Lavin' There
'Wlien de Wind Blows East and de Wind Blows West." From Julian
P. Boyd, as collected from Catherine Bennett, a pupil of the school at
Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro fragment."
The repetition indicated in stanza i continues in the remaining stanzas.
K !•: I. 1 c 1 () r s s () N i; s 659
1 ( )li. >(,'(■ m\- t'atluT layiii' there.
Oh. see my father layiii* there.
Oh. see my fatlier layin' there.
1 cannot stay here hy myself!
Chorus:
Lord. 1 cannut stay here hy myseh'.
Lord. I cannot stay here hy myself.
When de wind hlows east, and de wind hlows west,
Lord. I cannot sta\- liere ])y nnself !
2 ( )h. see my mother la}in' there,
3 ( )li. see my hrother layin" there,
4 ( )h, see my sister layin' there.
5 Oh, the sycanKjre tree, shade of all,
623
The Old Ship of Zion
In ANFS 93-96. White g;ives an extensive account of Sliip of
Zion songs, a common type in the old liynins and spirituals. His
references include a large number of published collections contain-
ing it. dating from the 1830s on. Jackson WNS 148-9, 201 reprints
some of the older versions with music and notes offshoots of the
song. Ethel Park Richardson's American Mountain Songs ~i gives
a version with music.
A
'The Old Ship of Zion.' With music. From Will ("Shorty") Love,
Trinity College and Duke University janitor, c. 1924; text in hand of
Dr. Brown, with fair copy and rough draft taken down as sung. Fairly
close to White's C text (also from North Carolina) in ANFS 95. The
somewhat incongruous third stanza shows the influence of 'She'll Be
Coming Around the Mountain.' which, according to Sandburg ASb 372,
developed out of another old spiritual. 'When the Chariot Comes.'
1 The old Slii]) of Zion when she comes, when she comes,
The old Ship of Zion when she comes, when she comes.
It's the old Ship of Zion. the old Ship of Zion.
The old Ship of Zion when she comes.
2 She rocks so level and steady when she comes, when she
comes.
She rocks so level and steady when she comes, when she
comes.
She rocks so level and steady, sh.e rocks so level and
steady,
She rocks so level and steady when she comes.
66o NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 She's comin' roiin' de mount'in when she conies, when
she comes.
She's coniin' roun" de mount'in when she comes, when
she comes.
She's comin' roun' de mount'in, she's comin' roun' de
mount'in.
She's comin' roun de mount'in when she comes.
4 Have your lamps trimmed and iDurning when she comes,
when she comes.
Have your lamps trimmed and hurning when she comes,
when she comes.
Have yotir lamps trimmed and hurning. have yoiu" lamps
trimmed and hurning.
Have your lamps trimmed and l)urning when she comes.
5 Have oil in your vessels when she comes, when she comes.
Have oil in your vessels when she comes, when she comes,
Have oil in your vessels, have oil in your vessels,
Have oil in your vessels when she comes.
6 It'll be the old Ship of Zi()n when she comes, when she
comes,
It'll be the old Ship of Zion when she comes, when she
comes.
It's the old ship of Zion. the old Ship of Zion,
It's the old Ship of Zion when she comes.
'Old Ship of Zion.' From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery
county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), 1921-24. Given as "a black mammy's
song." Phonograph recording, Pekin, 1921-23.
'Tis the old Ship of Zion
Come a-sailing across the ocean.
Heavy-loaded with bright angels.
True believers in that band.
Come along, my mother, and go with me.
Come along, my mother, and go with me.
Come along, my mother, and go with me,
And remember your dying day.
c
'The Old Ship of Zion.' From the same informant, same locality, and
the same period. Phonograph recording. A quite different song from
A and B, belonging to the Ship of Zion group, but using the figure for
the purixjse of arousing zeal for missionary effort.
I 'iliere's a wail from the islands of the sea;
There's a \()ice that's a-callin' you and me.
K I. I. 1 (, 1 () I' S SONGS 66l
I'l'din across the widi' waters.
See Africa's dark (lau,L;lUers.
0 Shij) of Salvation, hither fly.
2 'Come over and hel]) iis' is the cry;
'Come over and help us ere we die.'
In the old Ship o' Zion,
The strong hand of Zion,
The good news o' Zion carrv ye.
3 There's a niom-n from the Clanges full of pain;
There's a sigh over Africa's sunn\- ])lain.
1 hear India calling.
I see the idols falling.
O Ship of Salvation, hear the cry.
624
( )ld Satan's Mao
The following; piquant songs about Old Satan borrow their choral
elements from perhaps more serious spirituals. White, in ANFS
117, points out that one recurrent rhyme, "Old Satan's mad and I
am glad," appears in "the teasing rhyme of wliite cliildren," and
also in printed spirituals reported by Perrow JAFL xxvi 154 and
others. Jackson WNS 307 (juotes it as one of the 'Wandering
Rhyme Pairs' of the old spirituals. Stanza 2 of 'I'll Meet You
Way Up Yonder' in Emily Hallowell, Calhoun Plantation Songs
(Boston, 1901), p. 18, resembles stanzas 2 of the B text and i of
the C text of 'Old Satan's Mad.' Cf. also the copyrighted song
'Satan's a Liar an' a Conjur Too,' collected and arranged by David
W. Guion (New York, 1918).
a
'Old Satan.' From Airs. Maude M. Sutton, Lenoir, c. 1920. witli the
following note : "Old Sativi is as wild as its name. When I heard it first
'Bunk' Sanders played it, down on Little King's Creek, at the foot of
the Brushies. 'Hit sounds jes' like a painter (panther) yellin',' he said.
'I learn hit from a feller Forester over in Wilkes.' I'd like to trace it.
The hauntingly wild strain is exactly the same as a Roumanian folk
dance I heard Elnian play on a violin once. I thought of our Caldwell
fiddlers then. I wonder if they picked up this dance from a wandering
Romany fiddler, or if the Transylvanian .Mps have awakened the same
response in the soul of their folk that the Blue Ridge has in ours? 1
should like for Elman to hear 'Bunk' play it. .And I'd like to give
'Bunk' Elman's Strad violin and see what he'd dcj. He's a real genius,
no question about that. But he looks like a movin:^-picture mountaineer,
and he's a famous blockader. I commented to him on the beauty of the
Slick Rocks. 'Best place fur a still in the county,' was his answer."
Cf. the refrain with 'I Never Will Turn Back Any More' and 'No
More ! No More.' Cf. also Howard W. Odum, Relii/ioiis I-'olk-Songs
of the Southern Xegrocs, reprinted in the American Journal of Religious
Fsycholngy and Education (July 1909), iii, 23.
662 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 What's old Satan grumblin' about?
He's in Hell and can't git out.
And I never will turn back no more,
No more, my Lord, no more, my Lord ;
And I never will turn l)ack no more.
2 Old Satan is a liar and a conjurer too;
If you don't look out he'll conjure you.
And I never will turn back no more,
No more, my Lord, no more, my Lord;
And I never will turn back no more.
'Old Satan's Mad.' From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery
county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), July 1922. Phonograph recording.
Cf. White ANFS 1 17-18. Cf. refrain and chorus with 'Down by the
Riverside' and songs cited in the headnote.
1 Old Satan wears a slippery shoe
Down by de ribber.
An' ef you don' min' he'll slip up on you,
Down by the riverside.
Chorus:
We'll end dis warfare,
Down by de ribber ;
We'll end dis warfare,
Down by de ribberside.
2 Old Satan's mad and I am glad,
Down by de ribber ;
He lost dis soul he thought he had,
Down by the ribberside.
3 Old Satan wears a long-tailed coat,
Down by de ribber ;
An' ef you don't mind he'll cut yo' throat.
Down by the ribberside.
'I'm Climbing up Zion's Hill.' From Miss Jennie P.elvin, Durham,
July 1922. Phonograph recording. Cf. refrain and cliDrus with 'Climli-
ing up Zion's Hill.' Jackson WNS 183.
Old Satan's mad and 1 am glad.
Lm climbing up Zion's hill ;
Lie missed one soul he thought he had.
I'm a-climbing up Zion's hill.
K K L 1 (I 1 () I' S S () N (; S 663
Chants:
I'm a-clinil)in<j^, I'm a-oHml)illJ,^
I'm climbing, bless (iod.
I'm climbing up Zion's bill,
I'm climbing, I'm climbing,
I'm a-climbing, bless (iod.
I'm climbing u\) Zion's bill.
i)
'(^1(1 Satan Made One Grab at Mc' From tlie same informant, same
locality, same iieriod. Phonograph recording. Informant's note : "Negro."
Old Satan made one grab at me.
I belong to ibe band, ballelujab !
He mis.sed my soul and grabbed my sins.
I belong to tbe band, ballelujab.
Clionis:
Sing ballelujab, sing ballelujab!
I belong to tbe band, ballelujab !
'Satan's Sad and I Am Glad.' From Thomas T. Neal. Trinity College
student from Laurinbiirg, N. C, December 5, 1919. Phonograph record-
ing. "Negro fragment." As in White ANFS 117, without music.
Satan's sad and I am glad,
'Cause be lost a soul be thought he had.
I know the Lord laid His hands on me.
625
One of Tonight
This looks like a "shout" song (i.e., one used in a religious ring-
dance), of the sort described in Lydia Parrish's Sla-c'C Songs of the
Georgia Sea Islands (New York, 1942), pp. 54-6.
'\\'e Will .All Pray Together.' From Julian P. Boyd, Alliance, Pamlico
county; undated, but c. 1927-28.
1 ( )ne of tonight !
We will all pray together.
Like de one of tonight!
2 Moan, oh, moan !
We will all moan together.
Like de moan of tonight.
Ninety and nine and de ninety-ninth.
\\'e will all moan together.
Like de one of tonight.
664 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 Shout, oh, shout !
W'c will all shout together,
Like (le one of tonight.
Ninety and nine and de ninety-ninth.
We will all shout together,
Like de one of tonight !
4 Bow. oh, how !
We will all how together.
Like de Israelites how.
One of tonight, one of tonight,
We will all how together,
Like de one of tonight.
5 Pray, oh, pray !
We will all pray together,
Like de Israelites pray.
We will all pray together.
Like de Israelites pray.
One of tonight.
Ninety-nine and dt- ninety-ninth.
6 Cry, oh, cry !
We will all cry together.
We will all cry together.
Like de Israelites cry.
One of tonight.
Ninety-nine and de ninety-ninth.
We will all cry together.
Like de one of tonight.
626
On a Dark and Doleful Night
This is a Negro adaptation of a hymn attributed to Isaac Watts,
included in many of the old books of hymns and spirituals, e.g..
A. S. Kieffer's Glad Hosannas, A Collection of Nciv Sabbath Scliool
and Rei'h'al Music (Singer's Glen, Rockingham, Va., 1871), p. 85.
See Jackson SFSEA 132-3.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Elsie Rawls, a pupil of the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment."
I 'Twas on dat dark and doleful night,
When power of hell and earth arose
Against de Son of God's delight,
An' friends betrayed Him to his foes,
R E L I c; 1 O U S SONGS 66^
2 Uefo' de niiiuniful .sclu'iiif begun.
He tut)k (Ic bread and bust and broke.
W'bat kn-e tbrougb all de action run.
What wondrous words of grace lie spoke!
3 'This is my body broke tor sin;
Receive and eat the livin' food' —
And took the cup and blessed de wine :
'"fis the new covenant in niv blood.
4 "Dd this." lie cried, "till the end.
In memory of yo' dyin" f rien' ;
Meet at my table an' record
"Pile l(i\e of vo' departed Lord.'
627
Our Fathers They'll P.e There
From E. Myers. Route 6, Concord, Cabarrus county, 1924. Phonogra])li
recording. The repetition indicated in stanza i continues througli tiie
remaining stanzas.
1 Our fathers, our fathers they'll be there.
Yes, our fathers they'll be there.
When we all meet around (lod's bright thron?.
Clionis:
\\ hat a meeting, what a meeting that will be.
Yes. what a meeting that will be.
When we all meet around (jod's bright throne.
2 Our mothers, our mothers they'll be there, etc.
3 Our brothers, our brothers they'll be there, etc.
4 ( )ur sisters, our sisters they'll l)e there, etc.
628
Poor Old Lazarus
This song corresponds to stanzas 2 and 3 of 'Pvc Got a Home,'
in Wings over Jordan. Fai'orite Spirituals of /pjy, arranged by
Worth Kramer ( Pliiladelijhia. 1939). pp. 22-4.
'Don't ^'ou See (Poor Old Lazarus).' With music. I-'rom K. D. Ware,
Trinity College student ; undated.
Poor oP Lazarus, pocjr as I,
Don't you see ?
When he had a home on high,
Don't vou see?
666 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Rich man, rich man hve so well,
When he died he had a home in ,
Don't vou see. don't vou see?
629
Red Sea
From Mrs. Maude M. Sutton, Lenoir, 1922. This is a variant of a
song included in Mrs. Sutton's long headnotc to her version of 'The
Little Family,' No. 610, the first stanza being the same as that given
there. With the second stanza, compare the second stanza of the A ver-
sion of 'Old Satan's Mad,' No. 624.
1 [As in headnote to 'The Little Family']
2 (jr Satan's a liar and a conjurer too,
Red Sea.
If vou don't look out, he'll conjure vou.
Red Sea.
Oh. turn hack Phar'oh's army. army. army.
Oh, turn hack Phar'oh's army from the Red Sea.
630
Rolled the Stone Away
Resenihles hymn 202 —
When Israel out of Egypt came,
.And left the proud oppressor's land, etc.
— 5 stanzas, 6 lines 8s., in Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal, an
old edition of c. 1845, title page missing, in the Duke University
Lihrary. "When Israel Out of Egypt Came' also appears in The
U'esleyan Hymn and Tunc Book . . . by L. C. Everett (Nashville,
i860), p. 218, and in A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and
Domestic Worship (Nashville, 1881 ). hymn number 54, by Charles
Wesley. The chorus resembles that of a song in Joe Dax'is' Folio
of 50 Favorite Negro Spirituals (New York, ig32). p. 40.
From Mrs. .Maude -M. Sutton, Lenoir; undated. MS of Dr. Brown.
In ancient days, when Israel's host
In darkest hondage lay.
The mighty power of God was shown ;
He rolled the stone away.
He rolled the sea away.
He rolled the sea away.
With Jesus ever near.
No foe have I to fear.
He rolls the sea away.
k K 1. I c; I (1 us so N c; s 667
631
Ivdi.L, JORDAN, Roll
In ANFS 87 White cites evidence that "'sonj^s about Jordan,
which were common among the camp-meetinf^ song-s of the whites
and are still to be found in any hymn-book, were among the first
Negro spirituals developed." He cites numerous collections con-
taining them and (p. <SS ) prints one from Alabama and one from
North Carolina.
Jn the present collection, some lines from the song are incorpo-
rated in "Baptist, Baptist Is My Name.'
A
'Roll, Jordan, Roll.' With music. Phonograpii recording. From Eu-
gene C. Crawford, Trinity College student, Durham, December 3, 1919.
"Negro fragment." Partly published, without music, in White AXFS
00.
1 Yes, my Lord. 1 want to be there,
I want to be a-settin' in the kingdom
To listen to old Jordan roll.
Chorus:
Roll, Jordan, roll,
Roll. Jordan, roll.
1 want to go t(j Heaven when I die
To hear old Jordan roll.
2 Yes. my Lord. Saint Pete is there,
There settin' in the kingdom,
A-listenin' to old Jordan roll.
'Roll, Jordan, Roll.' From W. B. Leake, Rich Square, Halifax county
undated. "I know this as a refrain only." "Negro fragment."
Roll, Jordan, roll.
I want to go to Heaven when I die.
Roll, Jordan, roll.
'Roll, Jordan, Roll.' From Miss S. O. H. Dickson, Winston-Salem, For-
syth county, in a letter dated November 5, 191 3, enclosing this and an-
other song. 'It's Good fuh Hab Some Patience' (q.v.), with this note:
'The tunes of both were spirited, and they were sung with accompani-
ment of the oars often as they rowed on the river." She indicates that
the provenience of both songs was the Sea Islands. This version of
'Roll, Jordan' is close to the text in Jackson WXS 181.
Roll, Jordan, roll !
Oh, roll, Jordan, roll !
My hrudder, you orter been dere,
N.r.K., \-„i. in, (-45)
668 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
My brudder, you orter been dere.
Lawd. he orter been dere.
You orter been in de kingoni
To yerry (hear) w'en Jordan roll!
632
Rough, Rocky Road
A
As printed by White ANFS 113.
'Rough, Rocky Road.' From Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin. Montgomery
county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue), IQ21-24. Phonograph recording.
With this cf. White ANFS 113. (Directions for repetition are the
informant's.)
1 It's a rough, rocky road.
And I'm most done strugglin'.
(Repeat three times.)
I'm bound to carry my soul to the Lord.
2 My father's on the road.
And he's most done strugglin'.
( Repeat three times. )
I'm bound to carry my soul to the Lord.
Chorus:
I'm bound to carry my soul to Jesus,
I'm bound to carry my soul to the Lord.
3 My sister's, etc.
4 My brother's, etc.
c
'Most Done Suffering.' As printed by White ANFS 1 12-13.
633
Shout Along and Pray Along
With music and phonograph recording. From Mrs. W. L. Minnish,
Lenoir, Caldwell county ; without date ; with the following note : "There
are three more verses just like this, except that for 'sisters' in the third
line are substituted, in the order named, 'fathers,' 'mothers,' 'children.'
This is a negro song that Papa learned at Warrior Gap."
Shout along and pray along, ye Heaven-bound soldiers!
Shout along and pray along. I'm on my way !
Pray on, sisters, and don't you get w[e]ary;
R K 1. I (i 1 () L" S S () N (1 S 669
Never get tired of serxiui; \\\c l.nrd.
Shout along and pray along, yc Heaven-hound soldiers!
Shout along and pray along, I'm on my way!
634
Somebody's All dk Timk Talkin' 'bout Me
From Julian P. Boyd, as cnllcttccl from Catlicrine l'>rniK'tt, a pupil of
tile school at Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, hut c. \()2j-2H. "Negro
fragment."
1 Somehody's all de time talkin' 'hout me,
L)Ut that's all right.
Somehody's all de time talkin' 'hout me,
But that's all right.
2 Talk ahout me just as mueh as you please ;
I'm goin' to tell it to Jesus down on my knees.
Somehody's all de time talkin' 'hout me,
But that's all right.
3 Talk ahout my Jesus here helow,
Talkin' 'bout me wherever you go.
Somehody's all de time talkin' 'hout me.
But that's all right.
635
Someb()dy'.s Knockin' at Your Door
III idea, phraseology, and pattern, this song resembles songs in
R. N. Dett's Religious Polk-Soiigs of the Negro (Hampton Insti-
tute, Va., 1927), p. 144; John W. Work's American Negro Songs
and Spirituals (New York, 1940), p. 192; the opening of 'Some-
body Knocking at Yo ' Do' ' in Emily Hallowell, Calhoun Plantation
Songs (Boston, 1901 ), p. 12; and W. A. Fisher, Seventy Negro
Spirituals (Boston, 1926), pp. 164-5.
Contributed by O. Kuykendall, Asheville, 1939.
1 Somebody's knockin' at your door,
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
Go, Mary, go, Martha ;
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
2 It's your mother ;
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
It's your father ;
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
Go. Mary, go. Martha ;
Somebody's knockin' at vour door,
6/0 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 In the churchyard,
Somebody's knockin' at your door ;
In the churchyard.
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
Go, Mary, go, Martha :
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
4 It's the preacher ;
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
It's the preacher ;
Somebody's knockin' at }'our door.
Go, Mary, go, Martha ;
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
5 Come to tell you
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
Come to tell you
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
Go, Mary, go, Martha ;
Somebody's knockin' at your door.
636
Soon as My Foot Struck Zion
Two variants of the song, from Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery
county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue).
A
Text and phonograph recording, 1921-24. Submitted as a Negro spiritual.
Soon as my foot struck Zion.
And de lamps all lit on de shore.
Bid dis world a long farewell.
And de lamps all lit on de shore.
And de lamps all lit on de shore, shore, shore.
And de lamps all lit on de shore ;
Bid dis world a long farewell.
And de lamps all lit on de shore.
B
Text and phonograph recording, July 1922.
Soon as my foot struck Zion,
An de lamps all lit on de sho'.
Bid dis worl' a long farewell.
An' de lamps all lit on de sho'.
Chorus:
Oh, you better walk study,
Jesus a-Hs'nin' ;
K K 1. 1 i; 1 () r S SONGS 6/1
( )h, you better walk study,
Jesus died ;
Oh, you l)etter walk study,
Jesus a-lis'uin' all day long.
637
Standing in thk Nkkd of Prayer
A variant of this song, entitled 'It's j\Ie,' appears in John W.
Work's AmcricLUi Negro Songs and Spirituals (New York, 1940),
p. 70. The chorus is the same, hut in Work's text the stanza key-
words, "hrother," "sister," "mother," "elder," are arranged differ-
ently. White, in ANFS no, prints two versions (both from North
Carolina), with citation of other collections containing the song.
See also A. E. Wier, Songs of the Sunny South (New York, 1929),
p. 104. There is a version close to it in W. A. Fisher, Sez'entx
Xegro Spirituals (Boston. 1926). pp. 168-9. The song under the
same title appears in Rodeheaver, Sixty-Tzco Southern Spirituals
(Winona Lake, Ind., 1946), No. 39.
A
'Standing in the Need of Prayer.' With music and recording. From
Miss Kate S. Russell, Roxboro, Person county, c. 1923.
1 It's not my mother, nor my father,
But it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
Chorus:
It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord ;
Standing in the need of pray ;
It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of pray.
2 It's not my brother, nor mv sister,
P>ut it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of pray.
3 It's not my uncle, n(u- my aunt, etc.
B
'Standing in the Need of Prayer.' Text as published by White ANFS
1 10. from MS of W. Q. Grigg, "sung by Negroes at a big meeting" (in
western North Carolina). Phonograph recording as sung by Newman
L White, Durham, N. C.
'Standing in the Need of Prayer.' From Julian P. Boyd, .-Mliance,
Pamlico county ; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro fragment." The vari-
ant readings of the first line of each stanza are as supplied by informant.
672 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 'Tain't ( It ain't) the preacher, or the deacon,
But it's nie. ( ) Lord.
Standing in the need of prayer.
Chorus:
It's me. it's me. O Lord.
Standing in the need of prayer.
It's me. it's me. O Lord.
Standing in the need of prayer.
2 'Tain't (It ain't) your father, or your mother.
But it's me. O Lord.
Standing in the need of prayer.
3 'Tain't ( It ain't) your sister, or your hrother,
But it's me. O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
4 'Tain't (It ain't) your friend, or your neighbor,
But it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
638
Sweet Heaven
Cf. White ANFS 109, who points out thenies and conventions of
spirituals parodied in this song and gives a text of two stanzas. He
indicates that tlie idea of going to heaven "all dressed in white."
found in many of the spirituals which he cites, may be traceable to
"the Millerite excitement of the eighteen-forties," when "white
robes somewhat resembling nightgowns were sold by the thousand."
From Miss Duo K. Smith, Houstonville, Iredell county ; undated.
1 I want to go to Heaven and I want to go right ;
How I long to be there.
I want to go to Heaven all dressed in white ;
I low 1 long to l)e there.
Chorus:
Sweet Heaven, sweet Heaven, sweet Heaven,
Oh. hcnv I long to be there !
2 When I was a mourner just like you
( H(jw I long to be there).
I rolled and I tumbled till I came through
(Ilf)W I long to be there).
3 I had a little book, 1 read it through
( I low I long to be there) ;
R E L 1 (; I () u s s 0 N c; s 673
Then I had jcsus as well as you
( llow 1 long to be there).
4 ( >1(1 Satan canu' into my tent
(How I long to be there) ;
1 gave him a biscuit and out he went
(How 1 long to be there).
5 As I went down the turnpike road
( How 1 long to be there ) ,
1 met a terrapin and a toad
( How 1 long to be there).
6 1 run old Satan round the stumj)
(liow I long to be there) ;
1 gave him a kick for every jiuup
(How I long to be there.)
7 Old Satan thought he had me fast
(How 1 long to be there).
I broke all Satan's chains at last
(How 1 long to be there).
639
Talk About Jesus
The second stanza is a free adaptation of the hymn by Horatius
Bonar (1846), beginning "I heard the voice of Jesus say" and in-
cluded in most hymn-books (e.g., that of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the United States, 1916, pp. 220-1). The second stanza
corresponds to the first stanza of 'Jesus Christ I Want to Find,'
above.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from B. D. Banks, a pupil of the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, but c. 1927-28. It seems
probable that what appears as the first stanza is really a chorus, but it
is not so designated by the informant.
1 Talk about Jesus^ie has blessed my soul ;
And he is gone.
Must Jesus bear the cross along [alone?] ?
For there's a cross for everyone.
And there's a cross for me.
2 I hear the voice of Jesus saying,
'Come unto me and rest ;
Lie down like everyone lies.
Your head upon my l)reast.'
3 'Tis Jestts Christ 1 want to hear;
Pray tell me where he is.
'Tis him alone can tender ( ?) my mind.
And give my conscience rest.
674 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
640
That Old-Time Religion
Lonj^ a canip-nieeting and revival favorite, "That Old-Time Re-
ligion' has been included in many published collections of religious
folk songs; e.g., R. N. Dett, Religions Folk-Sougs of the Negro
(Hampton. Va.. 1927), p. 200: Jackson, W'NS 184-5; White, ANFS
91-2.
With music. From Will ("Shorty") Love, Negro janitor at Trinity
College and Duke University, Durham, as sung c. 1922. Order of sing-
ing: stanzas i, 2, 3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 6, 3, 7.
1 \\ ell. a gimme dis ol' time religion,
Yes, a gimme dis ol' time religion.
Yes. a gimme dis ol' time religion ;
It's good enottgh for me.
2 It's good when I am dyin'.
It's good when I am dyin'.
It's good when I am dyin' ;
It's good enough for me.
3 But-a I need dis ol' time religion.
I need-a dis ol' time religion,
I need-a dis ol' time religion ;
It's good enough for me.
4 l>ut-a some says gimme silver,
Some say gimme gold.
But I says gimme Jesus,
'Tis preciotis to my sotil.
5 'Twas-a good for Paul and Silas.
'Twas-a good for Paul and Silas,
'Twas-a good for Paul and Silas ;
It's good enough for me.
6 ^\'ell-a gimme dis ol' time religion,
Yes-a gimme dis ol' time religion.
All I want is dis ol' time religion ;
It's good enough for me.
7 It'll save you when you're dyin'.
It'll save you when you're dyin'.
It'll save you when you're dyin' ;
It's good enough for me.
R E I, I 0 I O U S SONGS 675
641
Thkre's a Little Wheel A-Turning
C f. Augustine T. Sniythc, ct at., Society for the Preservation of
Spirituals, The Carolina Low Country (New York, 1932), pp. 274-
5: A. E. Wier, Songs of the Sunny South (New York, 1929). p.
93; R. N. Dett. Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro (Hampton, Va.,
ig2j). p. 168; and W. A. Fislier, Sezrnty Negro Sf^irituals (Boston,
1926), pp. 104-7.
With music. Phonograph recording. From T. G. Neal, Trinity Col-
lege student, from Laurini)urg, N. C, c. 1920.
There's a little wheel a-tiiriiing in my heart,
In my heart, yes, Lord, in my heart.
There's a little wheel a-turning.
Oh, for you, yes. Lord, for you.
There's a little wheel a-turning in my heart,
Des a little wheel a-turn-ing jus' for you, Lord,
Des a little turn all my days, yes, Lord,
Oh. dere's a little wheel a-turn-ing, a-turn-ing in my heart,
A-turn-ing, Lord, for you.
642
Through the City Where He Rode
The chorus, "1 shall know him by the prints," etc., has been
familiar to one of the editors of this collection since his boyhood
in Mississippi, in the early 1900s.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Rosebud West, a pupil of the
school at Alliance. Pamlico county ; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment."
1 Through the city where he rode
Was spotless white.
He will lead me where
No tears won't never fall.
Oh, yes, he is leading me,
For I feel his hands on mine.
Chorus:
I shall know him hy the prints
Of the nails in his hands.
Oh, yes, I shall know him
By the prints of the nails in his hands.
2 Through the gates, through the city, where he rode
Was spotless white.
Oh, yes, he will lead me where
No tears won't never fall.
\\'here no tears won't never fall.
6/6 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 When I shall reach the other side,
He will lead me where
No tears won't never fall,
Oh, yes, where no tears won't never fall.
643
Tossed and Driven
From MS book of songs lent to Dr. Brown in August 1936 by Miss
Lura Wagoner, Vox, Alleghany county. Several of the songs are dated,
some 191 1, some 1913. The repetition continues as in stanza i.
1 Father said to nie when dying.
\\ hen his hreath was almost gone,
'Dear daughter, live for Jesus ;
This world is not my home.'
Chorus:
Sometimes I'm tossed and driven.
Sometimes I know not where to roam.
I've heard of a city called Heaven ;
I've started to make it my home.
2 Mother said to me when dying, etc.
3 Sister said to me when dying, etc.
4 Brother said to me when dying, etc.
644
Tree in Paradise
Spirituals about a tree in Paradise appear to be rare in printed
collections. The nearest to this in our collection seems to be one
in A. E. Perkins' "Negro Spirituals from the Far South," JAFL
XXXV 233-4, which has this stanza:
The tallest tree in Paradise [/re.?].
The Christians call it the tree of life.
All of my sins are taken away.
Taken away.
Cf. Howard W. Odum, Religious Folk-Soiigs of the Southern
Negroes, reprinted from the American Journal of Religious Psy-
chology and Education (July 1909), iii, 36:
Dere's a tree in Paradise,
Christians call de tree ob life.
See also 'Wrastling Jacob,' Emily Hallowell, Calhoun Plantation
Songs (Boston, 1901), p. 41; and W. A. Fisher, Scc'cnty Negro
Sf>irituals (Boston, 1926), pp. 8-11.
R K L I C. 1 0 U S SON C. S 6/7
No title. From Miss Jewell Kohhins, Pekin, Montgomery county (later
Mrs. C. P. Perdue), July 1922. Phonograph recording, Pekin, 1922.
1 There's a green tree standing; in ranulise.
Yes. my Lord.
And the Christians call it the tree of life.
Oh. yes. my Lord.
I'll pitch my tent on that camij^round.
Oh. yes. my Lord.
And give old Sjatan] a few more rounds.
Oh. yes, my Lord.
Chorus:
And it's over Jordan River Lm hound to go,
Yes, my Lord.
2 We'll shout in glory around that throne.
Oh, yes, my Lord,
When we give old Satan a few more rounds.
Oh, yes, my Lord.
There's a union in Heaven where I helong,
Oh, yes, my Lord.
B
'There's a Long, Tall Tree in Paradise.' From Julian P. Boyd, as col-
lected from B. D. Banks, a pupil of the school at .Alliance, Pamlico
county; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro fragment."
There's a long, tall tree in Paradise.
I'll go down and die.
Christians call it the tree of life.
I'll go down and die.
Oh, spare me the body.
I'll go down and die.
I redeem my people. Lcjrd.
Oh. spare me the body. Lord.
And I'll go down and die.
c
'Never Mind.' From an anonymous contributor, without date or address.
With music. "Negro fragment."
Never mind, never mind, never mind,
Never mind, never mind.
Never mind, never mind.
For 'twon't always be so, never mind.
There's a tree in Paradise ;
Christians call it the tree of life.
Never mind, never mind, never mind.
678 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Never mind, never mind, never mind ;
For 'twon't be always be so, never mind.
645
Two White Horses Side by Side
White, in ANFS 88, prints some variants of tlie couplet.
No title. From H. F. Shaw (date and address not given), as from the
eastern part of North Carolina.
Two white horses side by side.
None can ride but the sanctified.
Hallelujah ! I belong to that throng.
646
W'AY Over in the Promised Land
"This is a 'white' spiritual," says Dr. White. "See The Hebrew
Children, Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1847), and
quoted in ANFS 429." See also Jackson WNS 202-3, \\'ho prints
versions with nmsic and cites several other collections containing
the song, among tliem the Georgia Sacred Harp (1844 ed. ) ; and
Southern Plantation Spirituals, collected by Betty Kendall, Musical
Settings by Mildred K. Schulze (Washington, D. C, 1929). pp.
6-7. Cf. also Sandburg ASb 92-3.
From Miss A. Henderson, Worry, Burke county; undated, but c. 1914-15.
1 Where, oh, where is the prophet Daniel,
Where, oh, where is the good old Daniel,
Who was cast in the den of lions ?
Way over in the promised land.
Chorus:
By and by we'll go to meet him,
By and by we'll go to meet him,
By and by we'll go to meet him,
Way over in the promised land.
2 Where, oh, where is the good Elijah,
Where, oh, where is the good Fdijah,
Who went to heaven in a chariot of fire?
Way over in the promised land.
3 Where, oh, where are the Hebrew children.
Where, oh, where are the Hebrew children,
Who were cast in the fiery furnace?
Way over in the promised land.
RELI(. lOUS SONGS 6/9
647
We Are Marching On
In plan and phrasing this song resembles 'We Are Ciuing Home'
l)y Ida L. Reed in The Jeweled Croivn, A Choiec Collection of
Original Hymns and Tunes for the Sunday School by Asa Hull
(New York. 1891 ), p. 12.
From Mrs. Asa L. Wilson, Silvcrstone, Watauga county, with music
by .Miss Eula Wilson. Phonograph recording, Silvcrstone, 1921-22.
1 W c arc marching on.
We are marching on.
To the land of light.
To the land of love.
\\ e are marching on.
Chorus:
Where the angels wait
At the golden gate.
To condtict us there
To a mansion fair.
We are marching on.
2 We are marching on,
Happy pilgrim band.
We are marching on
To the heavenly land.
We are marching on.
3 To the Eden clime.
To the stmny shore,
To the happy place
Where the Savior dwells
We are marching on.
4 To the home so bright.
To the home so fair.
To the home prepared
For the pilgrim band.
We are marching on.
648
We Have Loved Ones Over Yonder
From a copy enclosed in a letter of R. D. Ware, Trinity College stu
dent, dated August 3. 1922, to Dr. Brown. ".As recalled from childhood
by his father. Rev. W. R. Ware." At the end of his copy of the text,
the informant states, "Kindred and friends can be named indefinitely,
followed by the chorus."
68o NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 We have loved ones over yonder, we have loved ones over
yonder,
We have loved ones over yonder, over yonder ocean.
By and by we'll go and meet them, by and by we'll go
and meet them.
By and by we'll go and meet them, over yonders ocean.
Chorus:
Won't that be a happy meeting, won't that be a happy
meeting.
Won't that be a happy meeting, over yonders ocean ?
2 I have a mother over yonder, I have a mother over yonder,
I have a mother over yonder, over yonders ocean.
By and by I'll go and meet her, by and by I'll go and
meet her.
By and by I'll go and meet her, over yonders ocean.
3 I have a father over yonder, etc.
4 I have a sister over yonder, r(c.
649
W'hat You Gox'er Do That Day?
From Miss Mary Morrow, Greensboro, Guilford county, January 29,
1928.
1 \enus, Venus, beautiful star.
Beautiful star, beautiful star.
Venus. Venus, beautiful star.
Oh, what yoti gon'er do that day?
2 Rocks in the mountains fall on me,
Fall on me. fall on me.
Rocks in the mountains fall on me,
Oh, what you gon'er do that day?
3 Some to the right, some to de left,
Some to de left, some to de left.
Some to the right and some to de left.
Oh, what you gon'er do that day ?
650
Wr'll Roll the Old Chariot Along
No title. From Ethel Hicks Buffaloe, Granville county ; without date.
The repetition indicated in stanza i continues in stanzas 2 and 3.
K E L 1 i; 1 O IT S SONGS 68l
1 We'll roll the old ehariot along,
We'll roll the old chariot along,
W e'll roll the old chariot along,
And we won't lag hehind.
2 If a Baptist comes along we'll take him up with us,
3 It a Methodist comes along we'll take him uj) with us,
4 If Satan comes along we'll roll it over him.
If Satan comes along we'll roll it over him.
If Satan comes along we'll roll it o\er him.
So he can't jump on hehind.
651
We'll Sail Away to Heaven
This spiritual with a fresh and daring simile corresponds to a
copyrighted song, 'I Want to Go to Heaven Like a Feather in the
Air. a Negro Spiritual with Cliorus ad Libitum by Rev. Paul Sykes,'
adapted by Thurlow Lieurance (Philadelphia. 1918). According
to a note at the top of the sheet music, the original of Mr. Lieu-
ranee's adaptation was "dictated to the present writer by the Rev.
Paul Sykes. a quaint and kindly old minister living in a remote
village in Arkansas." Correspondences and differences between the
North Carolina and the Arkansas versions may be suggested by the
following indication of tlie essential structure of the latter:
1 I want to go to heaven like a feather in the air.
2 My Brudder went to heaven like a feather in the air.
3 My Sister, etc.
4 My Father, etc.
5 My Mother, etc.
6 My Jesus, etc.
With music. From Mrs. Morris. Raleigh, c. 1920. "Negro frag-
ment." Tlie repetition indicated in stanza i continues in the remaining
stanzas.
Chorus:
We'll sail away to heaven like a feather in de wind,
Feather in de wind. Lord, feather in de wind ;
We'll sail away to heaven like a feather in de wind ;
We'll sail away to heaven hy me hy.
1 O sisters, don't he weary, weary. Lord, weary,
C) sisters, don't he weary ;
\\ e'll sail awav to heaven l)y me by.
2 O brothers, don't be weary, etc.
3 O fathers, don't be weary, etc.
4 C) mothers, don't be weary, etc.
682 north carolina folklore
When 1 Was Lost in the Wilderness
Contributed by H. S. B. (no other information).
1 King Jesus handed the candle down.
An' 1 hope dat trumpet goin' er hlow nie home
Ter de New Jerusalem.
2 When Moses smote de water wid his shepherd's rod,
De waves r'ared back en' we crossed dry shod.
3 An' when I 'scaped from de Red Sea flood,
I loked en' dar King Jesus stood.
4 When Joshua ordered dat de sun stan' still,
King Jesus stood smilin' on de highest hill.
5 En' when I sink in de watery grave,
King Jesus'll come stridin' on de biggest wave.
653
W^HEN THE World Is on Fire
Related to what Jackson WNS 164-5 describes as a "very fluid
song." He prints two versions and cites numerous collections con-
taining others. White ANFS 282 prints a parody of it used as a
work song in North Carolina. Cf. Steely 243-4 (1935).
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Rosebud West, a pupil of the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county ; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment."
1 The world is on tire.
What are you going to do?
What are you going to do
\\ hen the world is on fire ?
2 I am going to fly,
I am going to fly,
When the world is on fire.
I am going home when the world is on fire.
I am going to shout,
I am going to shout
When the world is on fire.
3 Sinners wants to pray.
Sinners wants to pray
When the world is on fire.
I am going to fly,
I am going to fly
When the world is on fire.
RELIGIOUS SONGS 683
WiiKKii x\lv l.DRD Went tu Trav
The first stanza owes something to 'He Never Said a Mumbling
Word,' above. Stanzas 2 and 3 are a free treatment of Luke
22 04-62 and 23 :26.
Contributed l)y the State Prison Camp at Boone, Watauga county, July
18, 1936.
1 \\ av over yonder behind the niuuiitaiii,
Where my Lord went to pray,
They dressed my Lord in a long, white robe,
An' he never said a mumblin' word.
2 He hewed him out a cross about thirty feet long.
And he went waggin' along;
He wagged on down abotit the foot of the hill,
And he sent for Peter and Simon Cyrene :
3 "Come and help me to bear this old cross along.
You can't do me no good, you can't do me no harm' ;
Cryin', 'Oh Lord, oh, Lord,
Yo' can't do me no harm, yo' can't do me no good.'
Refrain:
1 done sold it to my Lawdy, Lawdy,
1 done scjld it to my Lawd.
4 Amazin' sight, the Savior stands
And knocks on every door,
Ten thousand blessings in his hand
To satisfy the poor.
Refrain :
I done sold it, etc.
655
What Kind of Crowns Do the Angels Wear?
Cf. 'What Kind of Shoes Are You Goin' to Wear' (from North
Carolina) in White ANFS 107; also, a parody, ibid., 297-8.
From Julian P. Boyd, as collected from Luther Belangia, a pupil of the
school at Alliance, Pamlico county; undated, but c. 1927-28. "Negro
fragment." The repetition indicated in stanza i cimtiiuies in the re-
maining stanzas.
I What kind of crowns do the angels wear ?
The angels wear the golden crown, the golden crown.
I'm bound to rest, I'm bound to rest,
N.C.F., VoL III, (46)
684 ^M) R T H CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I'm l)ound to rest, the golden crown.
I'm bound to rest, bound to rest with God.
2 What kind of robe do the angels wear?
3 What kind of slippers do the angels wear?
656
Wrestlin' Jacob
The chorus corresponds to 'Wrestle On, Jacob.' in Allen SS 4.
Cf. also JAFL xli 580 (one stanza of a song from South Caro-
lina ) and Thomas P. Fenner, Religious Folk Songs of the Negro
(Hampton, Va., 1916), p. 131. In chorus and plan, the song re-
sembles "Wrastling Jacob' in Emily Hallowell, Calhoun Plantation
Songs (Boston, 1901), p. 41.
From Miss S. O. H. Dickson, Winston-Salem, Forsyth county, in a
letter dated November 15, 1913.
1 Wrestlin' Jacob seek de Lawd.
I will not let thee go.
An' I wrestle all night till de break oh day,
An" 1 will not let thee go.
Chorus:
W'restle Jacob ; day is a-breakin' ; wrestle Jacob !
Lord, I will not let thee go.
An' I will not let thee go.
An' I will not let thee go ;
Till Jesus bless my soul
I will not let thee go.
Wrestle Jacob ; day is a-breakin' ; wrestle Jacob !
Lord. I will not let thee go.
2 Bredren, don't get weary,
Bredren, don't get weary,
Bredren, don't get weary,
Oh, bredren, don't get weary.
For de work is almost done.
Keep your lamps trimmed and burnin'.
Keep your lamps trimmed and burnin'.
Keep your lamps trimmed and burnin',
For de work is almos' done.
3 Sisters, don't get weary, etc.
4 Elders, don't get weary, etc.
5 Class-leaders, don't get weary, etc.
r e i, i c i o u s son c. s 685
'Zkkiki.'i.i. \\'i:f.i' and 'Zi:kii;i.'i.i. Mow
I-'niiii Mr. Fairlcy, 1 )ul<c University student; no address nr date.
"There is some more of tliis song, hut 1 can't roniemher it." Cf. Sand-
hurg ASh 44Q-50.
'Zckit'l'll weep and 'Zckicril nii»an,
Btit the flesh come creei)in' up 'Zekiel's bones.
And it just suits me.
I looked down the road and saw the train coming;
1 ho])ped on and the train kept running;
And it just suits me.
658
Cherokee Hymn
Cf. Ricliardson & Spaeth, p. 67, 'Safe in tlic Promised Land';
Samuel E. Asbury and Henry E. Meyer, Old-Time JVIiifc Camp-
Mcctiug Spirituals, BTFLS, No. 10 (1932), p. 177, 'We Have
Fathers Over Yonder'; White ANFS 1 14-15, 'I Got a Mother.' In
a headnote. Professor White quotes from a song copyrighted in 191 5
hy W. J. Ramsay ( Haiii-Rainsay RctIt'oI Hymus, Chattanooga, n.d.,
hut published between 1917 and 1925), beginning:
I have a father in the promised land
And I hope some day we'll all get there,
'Way over in the promised land.
"The remaining four stanzas," explains Professor White, "are the
same, except for 'father' read 'mother.' 'brother,' 'sister,' 'savior.' "
There is a somewhat similar "Indian" version oi 'The Promised
Land' from Missouri, in BSM 459.
Sung in April, 1935, by Mr. William W. Presley, who had learned
the hymn from his wife, Mary E. Barrett Presley, now deceased.
Mrs. Presley's grandmother was related to Chief Battle Axe of the
Cherokee Indians — a circumstance of which Mrs. Mary Couch, who
joined with her father, Mr. William W. Presley, as he sang, was
inordinately proud. "Prog ni lo" means "Promised Land" in Chero-
kee, according to Mr. Presley. The melody was sinuiltaneouslv
recorded.
From Mrs. Steely, witli her Jieadnote ; music; 1935.
I I have a father in the prog ni lo.
And you have a father in the prog ni lo.
And we all have a father in the prog ni lo.
Chorus:
Nee I ravy, Nee-shi, nee-shi ni-go.
Three I three-by an shce prog no lo,
686 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Three 1 threc-by an shee prog no lo.
Three 1 three-by an shee prog no long.
2 I have a brother in the prog ni lo.
And you have a brother in the prog ni lo,
And we all have a brother in the prog ni lo.
3 I have a mother in the prog ni lo.
And you have a mother in the prog ni lo,
And we all have a mother in the pro ni lo.
4 I have a sister in the prog ni lo.
And you have a sister in the prog ni lo,
And we all have a sister in the prog ni lo.
INDEX
Editor's titles are sIiozk'h in italics. Xiimhcrs jollo-wing semicolon re-
fer to paijes. ./ /t'li- titles of songs mentioned in headnotes are indi-
cated by parenthesized numbers. An asterisk before a title denotes that
the music for that ballad or song (or some form of if) iriV/ be found in
I'olume i^T^
Adam and Eve 53 H; 84
Adam Was the First Man 34il^;
402
* Advice to Sinners 64 ; 95
Ain't 1 Glad the Old Sovv"s Dead
461 I; 537
* Ain't Coin to Worry My Lord
No More 549; 606
Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo' 430E ;
518
Ain't Conna Raui .\'o More 430;
517
Ain't Cot to Cry No More 431 ;
519
All Around de Ring. Miss Julie
1 06 ; 1 40
.-/// Around the Mountain. Charm-
ing Betsy 256: 297
*AII God's Chillun Cot Shoes 550,
550A; 607
All My Sins Been Tahen .-iifay
551 : 608
* Alphabet of the Ship 22q: 259
Ananias 520, 520B ; 576 f.
*And Must I Be to Judgment
Brought? 613; 653
Angels Roll Dem Stones Away
55-2; 609
*Animal fair. The 180; 219
Apple Sauce and Butter 488 ; 554
Applesauce and Butter Spread out
on the Floor 488 ; 554
Arkansas Traveler (I) 330; 381
*Arkansas Traveler ill) 33i.33iA;
382
*As I Walked Out Last Christmas
Day 258B; 301
As I Went Down in the C alley
to Pray 553 ; 610
As I Went Cp the Sih'er Lake
188: 225
Away Out on the .Mountain 318;
371
Babe of Bethlehem 554; 612
Banbury Cross 140; 188
Banjo Sam 182A; 221
Banjo Tramp 362; 429
Baptist. Baptist /.v .My Name 555;
6l2
Barnyard .Song 124: 172
*Be Home Early 27 ; 53
l)eef steak When I'm Hungry
404B; 483
Bessie, or the Drunkard's Daugh-
ter 25A; 50
Big Black Nigger Black as Tar
467B; 540
Big Fine House in P.altiniore
iiiF; 145
Billie Boy 121 C ; 169
Billy 288 A B ; 342 f.
*Billv Boy 121, 121B, 307 A ; 166,
168, 361
Billy Coat, 'The 514; 568
*Billy Goat Was Feeling Fine, A
514; 568
Billy My Darling 288; 342
Bingo 137; 187
Bird Song 152D ; 200
Birds Courting 152; 199
Birds in the Cage 282C ; 331
Birmingham Jail 281 B; 330
* Black-Eyed Daisy, The 310 ; 366
Black-Eyed Susie 311, 311 A; 366
Black-Eyed Susv 311B; 366
♦Black Sheep. Black S h e e j) .
Where'd You Leave \' o u r
Lamb? 117B ; 153
688
INDEX
Blackbird and the Crow. The
1 56C : 204
Bluc-E\cd Box. The 2^7. 257AB ;
298
*Blue-Eyed Girl, The 286 D ; 341
*Blue Ridge Mountain Blues 401 ;
476
Blue Yodel 339B ; 396
Blue Yodel Number Five 508;
564
Blue Yodel Number Four 505 :
563
Boat, a Boat, .-leross the herry. A
225; 257
*Boating Song 222 ; 255
Bob IngersoU and the Devil 348;
408
Bobby Shaftoe 132; 183
*Boil Them Cabbage Dozen 432;
S19
Boll Weevil Blues 214, 214AB;
245 f-
*Bonnic Blue E\es 284, 284A-D ;
334 ff.
Bonny Blue Flag, The 379: 451
Bright Sherman Valley 260F ; 306
*Broder Eton Got dc Coon 433 ;
519
*Broom Field Town 49A ; 78
* Brother Green 393, 393AB ; 468 ff.
Buffalo Gals 81 ; 114
Bugle, Oh! 197; 234
Bury Me in the Garden 266; 313
Bury Me in the Garden, Mother
266; 314
Bushzvhaeker's Song 383 ; 458
By By, My Honey 306; 360
Bye and Bye 556; 613
*Bye Baby Bunting 112; 148
*Cain and Abel 557; 613
California Blues. The 505 ; 563
Call My Little Dog 138; 187
Calomel 334; 389
Camptozvn Races 419; 504
Can I Sleep in Your Barn To-
night, Mister? 356B ; 422
Can't Cross Jordan 558, 558A ;
613
*Captain Jenks S4; 119
*Card-Player's Song, A 50B ; 81
* Carolina Crezv, The 328 ; 380
Catfish. The 182, 182B-D; 220 f.
Charge to Keep, A ^22 ; 579
♦Charming Betsy 256B ; 297
Charming Betty 256A ; 297
*Charming Billy 121A; 167
Cherokee Hymn 658 ; 685
Chicken 434; 520
*Chickeii in the Bread Tray 158;
Chickens A-Crowing in the Sour-
wood Mountains 251H; 284
*Christ Was a Weary Traveller
559; 614
*Cindy 404, 404CD ; 482, 484
City of Refuge 560; 615
Civil War Song 378C ; 450
Clare de Kitchen 413; 494
*Clear the Kitchen 413B; 495
*Climb Up Jacob's Ladder 536B ;
594
Climbin' Up Jacob's Ladder S27A ;
585
Cobbler, The 149; 196
Coffee Grozvs on White Oak
Trees 78 ; no
Cold Frosty Morning 474; 543
*Cold Mou)itains 2//; 325
Colonel Harry. He Was Scared
371 ; 441
Come All Ye Extanded Fair
Ladies 254E ; 292
*Come All Ye Fair and Tender
Ladies 254D ; 292
*Come All You Fair and Tender
Ladies 254C ; 291
Conic All )'ou Friends and ,Yri(//;-
bors 561 ; 616
Come Away from That Old Man
208 ; 240
Come On, Chillun, Won't ^'ou
Come Along ? 499C ; 560
Come, Rain, Come 385; 460
Come. Says Harry 125E; 176
*Come. Thou Fount of Ez'cry
Blessing 572; 616
Come to Shuck F)at Corn Tonight
198; 234
Corn Husking Song 207 ; 240
Corn Shucking Song 202 ; 237
*Corn Shucking Song 194C. 197.
i()8. 201 ; 231, 234. 22,7
*Corn Shucking Song; I'luw, 1I(
Blow 1 96 A 233
Conihrcad ll'lioi I'm linn
21)1, 2yiA; 34(1
Court i>uj Cage. The 3; 10
Courting Case. The (10)
Courtiiu/ Song 15; 27
*Cradle Song 114. 117A; i4<),
Creation 523; 580
*C rip pic Creek 299, 299 1'.; 354
CVoii' ami the II' easel. The 1
205
Crow He Pecked at the Wca
The 157 ; 205
Cuckoo Is a Pretty Little H
248E; 273
*Cu}nherland Gap 329; 381
Cumberland Traveller, The 5
573
153
57'-
scl.
ird
15;
Daisy 78 A ; no
*naniel in the Lion's Pen 524: 581
*Dark and Stormy Night 20B ; 43
Dark is the Night 526B; 584
Dark Was the Night 526; 584
Darling Little Pink 287; 342
Darling. ]'ou Can't Lore but One
103; 137
Dar'll Be No Distinetion Par
563: 617
*Dearesf Mae 405 ; 485
Departed Loved Ones 525 ; 583
Dese Bones Gwine to Rise Again
523B; 580
Deserter's Song 384; 459
*Didn't It Rainf 564, 564C ; 617 f.
*Doctor Jones 90; 127
Dodgers. The 333: 387
Docs Your Mother A';u»n.' )'ou're
Out? 398; 473
Dogs in the Alley. I'he 127; 177
*Dolly-Play Song. The 9O ; 131
Don't Cry 71 ; 104
Don't Go Out Tonight. My Dar-
ling 26, 26A-C; 51 ff.
Don't Like a Rich While Man
Nohozv 481 ; 549
Don't Slav after Ten 16, 16A ; 28
♦Don't Teli Pa 307CDH : 362 f.
Don't ]'ou Grieve after Me 527;
585
INDEX 689
iiin, * Don't You Sec (Poor Old Laz-
arus ) 628 ; 665
*Diin-n by tie Ixihbcrsidc 566; 619
Down by tlie Weeping Willow
2C)7J : 317
Dozen by the Weeping Willozv
'Tree 268 ; 3 1 7
*Down in tlie \alley U> Pray
5 53 A : ()i()
*Do-wn in the I 'alley I IHrminghnm
Jail) 281, 281 A; 330
Dozen on the Farm 210, 210A-E;
241 f.
Down to Lynchburg Town 415D;
500
*Down under the Hill 41 ; 72
Drinking Song 38C ; 70
Drinking Jl'ine 48; 78
Drooping Souls, No Longer Griez'c
528: 586
Drunkard. A 28B ; 55
Drunkard's Courtship (10)
*Drunkard's Doom, The 21 ; 44
* Drunkard's Dream. The (I) 22.
22A-E; 45 ff.
Drunkard's Dream. The (Uj 23;
48
Drunkard's Hell, The 20, 20AD ;
42. 44
Drunkard's Lone Child. The 25 ;
50
Drunkard's Love Child, The 25C ;
51
Drunkard's Song, A 39A ; 71
♦Drunkard's Wife, The 28C ; 56
Duke of Buckingham, The 218;
250
*Duke of York, The 99: 135
*Dummy Line, The 435; 521
Durham Jail 354; 419
Dying frotn ILnne and Lost 61 ;
91
*J)vin(/ Llobo, 'Lhe 360, 360AC :
427 f.
*Larly One .\h>rning in the Month
of July 377 ; 499
Eastern Hobo, The 360B ; 428
Eli::a Jane (I) 436; 522
Hlica Jane (II ) 437 ; 522
Ella Rliee 412 ; 494
690 1 N
English Orphan. An 565, 565A ;
618
Everybody's Gal Is My Gal 438;
523
Eair Brown 486 ; 553
Fair Mona 499 A ; 559
False Truc-Lovcr, The 258; 299
Far Back in My Childhood 31 A;
60
*I-arc Yon Well. My Otcn True
l.ove 109; 142
Farmer Boy, A 17FS; 31. 36
Farmer Boy. The 88C ; 125
Farmer Boy for Me 17G; 32
* farmers Boy, The 88, 88ABD ;
125
Farmer's Wife I'll Be 17I: 33
Father, Dear Father, Come Home
with Me Now 24AB: 49
father, Dear father. Come ifith
Me Now 24 ; 48
Fishing Song 226 ; 257
flora MaeDonald's Lament 368:
437
/'7.V Around. My Blue-Eyed Girl
286; 339
Fly Around, My Pretty Little
Miss 286C; 340
foggy Mountain Top. The 365;
433
For Six Days 228; 258
for Six Days Do All That Thou
Art Able 228; 258
Forsaken Lover 248 A ; 271
Forty Years Ago 335C ; 392
Fox 129D ; 180
*fox and the Goose. The 129,
129AE; 178. 180
*Frail Wildwood Flower, The
263C; 311
*Free a Little Bird 255H ; 296
Frog and the Mouse 120I; 160
Frog Courtship 120Q; 162
♦Frog Went A-Courtin', A 120A,
120P; 154, 162
*Frog Went A-Courting 120BDE
FHJKMNOSTUWX; 155 f.,
158 f., 161 f.. 163 f.
Froggie Went A-Courting 120Y;
164
Froggy Went A-Courtin' 120G;
159
frog's Courtship, The 120; 154
Funeral Song of Uncle Ananias
520A; 576
Garden Gate. The 319; 3-2
*Georgia Buck 500, 500ABC ; 560 fiF.
Get Along Down Town 415; 499
Get Along, John, the Day's
il'ork's Done 160; 206
Get Along, Sindy 404E ; 484
*Get on Down to Richmond Town
415A; 498
Gideon's Band 544A ; 601
Git Along Down Town 415G;
501
Git Along Home, Cindy 402G
*Go Dozen. Moses 570; 621
Go Tell Aunt Patsy 128; 177
Go to Sleep 115C; (151)
Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep 115D;
151
Go to Sleep. My Little Pick-
aninny 116, I16B ; 151 f.
Go li'ash in the Beautiful Stream
575 : 624
Go 'li'ay from My Windon' 439;
523
God Bless the Ocean 485B; 552
God Is at de Pulpit 568 ; 620
*God Pity Bessie, the Drunkard's
Lone Child 25B ; 51
Going Back West 'fore Long 296;
353
Going Down to Town 415H; 501
*Going to Georgia 248 B ; 271
*Going to Heaven by the Light of
the Moon 569; 621
Going Up 571 ; 622
* Golden Slippers 571 ; 622
Good Lordy. Rocky My Soul 573;
623
*Good Nezi.'s — Chariot's Comin
572; 623
Good News Coming from Canaan
574: 624
*Good Old Rebel. The 391 : 464
Goodbye. Little Girl. Goodbye
271; 319
*Goodbye. My Blue Bell 395; 471
Goodbye, My Lover, Coodbyc 274,
274B ; Z22 i.
Gospel Pool, The 521 ; 578
Gospel Train, The 529; 588
♦Grandma Grunts 145; 194
Great Romni-Gp, The 516; ~,j:s
♦Green Grows tlic Wild Olive
280C: 329
*Groun' Hog. The 221 C; 255
♦Ground Hog 194F. 221 AB: 22,2,
253 f-
*Grouiid Hog, The 221 ; 253
*-Gumea Negro Song 472; 542
Guiiitree Ganoe, The 269; 318
*Gzcine Dozen Jordan 576 ; 624
Gzcine Dozvn to Jordan 567 ; 620
Had a Pie 89D ; 127
Hand Me Doini My Walking
Gane 363. 363AB; 430 f.
Hang John Brown on the Sour
Apple Tree 378B ; 450
Happy Goon, The 424; 510
Happy Little Negro 468; 540
*Hard Times 332, 332A-D. 480:
385 ff.. 549
Harness Gp Vo' Hosses 373; 442
Haul, Haul, Haul, Boys 226; 257
*Have a Little Banjo Beating 427 ;
514
*He Xezrr Game Back 394 ; 470
He Sez'er Said a Mumbling Word
578; 626
*Hear That Runibling (I Heard a
Mighty Kumbliixj) ^~~. 577A ;
625
*Heathen Ghinese. The 233; 261
Heaven Is a Beautiful Place 579;
627
♦Heaven Is a Beautiful Place. I
Know 579B : 628
Here Gomes Three Laziyers 68 ;
lOI
Here, Join, Here 207: 240
Here Lies de Body uv Po' Little
Ben 440; 523
Here We Go in Mourning 72; 105
Hi Vo Boat Rozi' 223; 256
Hic'.s' Farewell 530; 589
Hidden Still, The 41 ; 72
Hidi Quill LodI Ouili 206; 239
INDEX 691
Hii/h-Topped Shoes 301, 301 1?;
355 f.
Hills of Pan, The 403; 478
Homespun Press, The 380; 453
♦//()/> /./■(//;/. Ladies 85. 85A : 119 f.
♦Hop Up de Doodle 474B ; 543
* Housekeeper's I ragedy, A 312,
312A ; 367
*Hozv I Loz-e the Old Black Gat
147: 195
*Humble Tanner, The 213; 244
*Hung My Bucket on de White
Folks' Pence 475; 544
Hunks of Pudding and Pieces of
Pie 89C: 127
♦Hus Keep uh-Rollin' 614A; 654
Hush, Honey, Hush 118; 153
Hush, Little Baby 580; 629
Hush. Oh. Baby," Don't You Cry
580 ; 629
♦Hush-a-By 115A: 150
Hush-a-Bye, Don't You Gry 115:
150
♦/ Ain't A-Gonna Work a No
Mo' 242; 268
/ Am Bound for the Promised
Land 581 ; 629
/ .tni Going to Heaven 533; 592
/ .-/;;/ Going li'here the Blond
Tlozi's Stronger 582 ; 630
♦/ Am Standing in the Shoes of
John 589; 635
*/ Been a Miner 240 : 267
/ Belong to That Band 583; 631
♦I Bought Me a Hen 124ABC;
172 f.
/ Gouldn'f Live Without de h'lozi--
ers 442 : 524
I Do Like Sugar in My Cofifec
92 A ; 129
/ Do Love Sugar in My Goffee
O 92; 129
/ Do Wonder L<; My Mother on
That Train 586 ; 632
/ Pon't Knozv When Old Death's
Gzi-nne ter Gall Me 590; 635
/ Pon't Like a Nigger 484; 551
♦/ Don't Love Old Satan 584: 631
/ Don't Sing Like I Gsed to Sim/
585; 632
692 I N
*/ Got a Girl 448; 527
*I Got a Long. Tall Valler Gal
450B; 527
*/ Got dc Hcaotation Stockings
and dc Hczotation Shoes 507 ;
564
/ Got dc Key of dc Kingdom 587 ;
634
/ Got Mine 52 : 82
/ Had a Banjo Made of Gold
445; 525
I Had a Dog and His Name Was
Blue 220; 252
I Had a Little Hen 124D; 173
/ Had a Little Horse IVhosc
Xanic IVas Jack 176: 217
*I Had a Little Ship 35oH ; 415
/ Have a Father in My Native
Land 231 ; 260
*I Have a Ship on the Ocean
350G: 415
*/ Ha7r Long Since Been Learned
588; 634
*I Heard a Mighty Lumbering
577C; 626
/ Lay Around the Old Jail House
(John- C. Britton) 364; 431
*I Love Coffee, I Love Tea
91ABD; 128 f.
I Love Little Willie 307BF ;
361 f.
/ Love Little Willie. I Do,
Mamma 307 ; 361
/ Mean to Go to Heaven Auyhozc
592; 636
/ Never Will Turn Back Any
More 345 : 404
I Once Had a Sweetheart 280B ;
329
/ Picked My Banjo Too 594 ; 637
/ Sent My Love a Letter 282;
331
/ Shall Not Be Blue 596; 639
I Shall Not Be Moved 596B ; 639
/ W^anf to Go to Baltiinorc loi ;
136
*/ JVanter Jinc dc Ban' 598; 640
I Was Born About a Thousand
Years Ago 426C ; 513
/ Was Born About Ten Thousand
Years Ago 426. 426A ; 512
*I Was Born Ten Thousand Years
Ago 426B: 513
/ Was Once in a I}ark and Lone-
some J 'alley 599; 641
*/ Went Dozen to My Gul's House
Las' Night 451 ; 528
I Went Down to Suckie's House
123A; 171
/ JVcnt Dozen to the Loze Ground
187; 225
I Went to See My Susan 426D ;
513
I Wish I Had a Great Big House
41 4C; 497
I Wish I Had a Pig and a Pen
iiiD; 144
/ Wish I Was a Single Girl
Again 28; 54
*I Wish I Was Single Again
19BDEGI ; 38 f.
*I Wish I Were Single Again
28A: 54
*/ Wish My Captain Would Go
Blind 244 ; 268
*/ Wish That Girl Was Mine 298;
*I Wonder as I Wander 600; 641
/ Wondered and I Jl'andered 315;
370
I Won't Marry at All 17JK; 33 f.
I Would Not Marry an Old Man
17N: 34
*/ Wouldn't Marry 17, 17DEQR:
30 f., 35
I Wouldn't Marrv an Old Maid
17B
I Wnitc My Love a Letter 282 B ;
331
*/'(/ Rather Be Dead 443; 525
If iiiC ; 144
*If Amid the Din of Battle 390D ;
464
// / L)ic i)t 'Tennessee 495 ; 557
// / Had It )'ou Could Get It
494; 556
If Religion Was a Thing That
Money Could Buy 341C; 401
// the Seaboard Train IVrecks I
Got a Mule to Ride 237; 266
*// )'ou Don't Hclicve I'm Sink-
ing 447 ; 526
// )\>ii (,'.•/ Tlu-rr nch'rr I Do
531 : 5"!
*// )\>ii Mi-rt >i U'lniiiiii ill tin-
M oninui 446 ; ~,2U
If )'ot( li'aiif til (ill .l-Ci>urtin'
// ]'oi( Want III (,'11 III lli-aii'ii
444: 5-^5
*It You Will Only \W My I'.rick-
/'// /•')>.■ Pis 'I'l-ip 222; 255
*/•// //<;;/,</ .1/v //</r/i on a Willow
I'rcc 239. 259AI!: 304 f.
*/'// \crcr Get Drunk Any More
36. 36ACD; 65 ff.
♦I'll Put My Knapsack on My
Back 78G; 112
/'// Tell Your Daddy 100 ; 136
*rni Alone 31 B ; 60
I'm Alone. All Alom 31 ; 60
*Vn\ as Free a Little Bird as I
Can Be 255FG; 296
/';;; Bonn to Cross the Jordan
532: 591
I'm Climbing Up Zion's Hill
624C ; 662
*rm Determined to Be an ( )ld
Maid 17HL; 32, 34
*/'»( Cioin' to Ride in Pharaoh's
Chariot 591 ; 636
*/'»; Coiiig Douni the Road Teel-
iiui Bad 441 ; 524
*rm Going over Rocky Mountain
278B; 327
I'm Going to 73C ; 107
*/'»; Cwinc Azi-ay to Georgia 449;
527
I'm My Mammy's Youngest Child
107B; 140
*rm My Mammy's \'(iungcst Son
1 07 A; 140
/';» 'I'ired of Living Alone 2~2\
320
I'm Troubled 290B ; 345
In and Out the Window 76: 108
In the Merry (ireen Fields of
Ireland 125B ; 175
/;/ the Fines Where the Sun
Xe-i'er Shines 283 ; 332
*Iu the J 'alley 534; 592
Inconstant Lover, The 248; 271
INDEX 693
Indian HiDiter. 'the 270; 311)
* Indian Song: .Ih, Lore Si)iner
503: (^37
Indian Sont; : Let Me Cn> 270;
319
I'se (]\vine Down to Town 415F;
501
I'se Gieine Land on Dat Shore
595; 638
I'se (iwine to Live in de Harvest
39C; 71
*lt Ain't er Gwiiie ter Rain 43()A ;
517
It Ain't No Harm to Trust in
Jesus 529B ; 589
*It Takes a Long, Tall, Slim Black
Man 450C ; 528
*Italy iiiE; 145
It's All Night Long 170 ; 214
It's Good fuh Hah Some Patience
597; 640
It's Raining Here 508; 564
*rve Been Working on the Rail-
road 234A ; 262
*/'7r Bin to the 'Bama and I Just
Got Back 498; 558
I've Got a Brother in the Snozv-
IVhite Fields 535 : 593
I've Gut a Master and I .Im His
Man 148: 196
I've Got a New Sweetheart 307I ;
363
Jack-a-Maria 134; 185
*Jack of Diamonds so. soACD ;
80 f.
Jacob's Dream 536A ; 594
^Jacob's Ladder 536, 536C ; 594 f.
Jacob's Ladder 527 B ; 586
Jaybird. The 153 ; 201
*Jaybird and the Sparrow, The
89 F; 127
Jaybird Died with the Whooi)ing-
cough 1 53 AH ; 201
Jaybird Up in the 'Sinunon 'Tree
155. 1 55 A; 203
Jeff Dazns Rode a White Horse
387; 461
Jekkel Walls 601 ; 642
Jennie Jenkins 69, 69B ; 102
Jenny Jenkins 69C ; 103
Jesus Born in Bethlehem 537; 595
694
Jesus Christ I Want to find 602;
*Jesus Lover of My Soul 347 ; 408
Jesus Says, ')'ou Goes and I Goes
li'id You' 603 ; 643
Jigger, Rigger, Bumbo 471 ; 542
Jim Crack Corn 414, 414ABDE;
496 ff.
Jimmy My Riley 195; 232
Jinger Blue 496 ; 557
*John Brown Had a Little Injun
136, 136A; 186 f.
John Brown's Body 378, 378A ;
449 f-
*John He Baptized Jesus 604; 644
*John Jasper 605, 605A ; 644 f.
John, John, John 100; 136
*John Sazv de Hundred and Forty-
Four Thousand 539; 597
John Saiv the Holy Number 538 ;
596
*Johnny Was a Baptist 540; 597
*Johnson Boys 338. 338ABC ; 394 f.
*Johnson's Mule 512; 566
Johnston Boys They Went A-
Courting, The 338D ; 395
* J oily Soldier, The 367 ; 437
Jolly Thrasher 58; 90
Jonah 346E ; 407
* Jonah and the Whale 346, 346A-D ;
405 ff.
Jonah Fishing for a Whale 184;
222,
Josephus and Bohunkus 321 ; 372
Journeyman, The 49, 49C ; 78, 80
Judgment Da\ Is Cotnin' 606;
646
Judie My Whiskey Tickler 35; 64
*Julie Jenkins 69A ; 102
*Just Down to the Gate 319; 372
*Just Kick the Dust Over My
Coffin 40; J2
*Katy Kline 255CDE; 295
Keemo-Kinio 120 App. ; 166
*Kicking Mule, The 513; 567
*Kind Sir, I See You've Come
Again 3A ; 11
Kindling Wood 324; 375
* Kissing Song 313; 368
♦Kitchie Ki-Me-O 120 App.; 165
Kitten Is under the Sod, The 179;
219
Kitty Alone 114 ; 149
*Kitty Kline 255, 255AB; 293 f.
*Kitty Wells 409, 409A-M, 411,
411A-M ; 492 f.
Laura Lee 102A ; 137
Laurie Lee 17A; 30
Lavender Girl 245 ; 268
* Leather Breeches 322; 374
Leave for Texas, Leave for Ten-
nessee 339; 395
Like an Ozcl in the Desert 304 ;
359
*Li'l Liza Jane 436; 522
Lily White Robe 607 ; 646
Lips That Touch Liquor, The
30B; 59
Lips That Touch Liquor Must
Never Touch Mine, The 30; 57
Lips That Touch Liquor Shall
Never Touch Mine, The 30A ;
58
*Littlc Alabama Coon 116A; 151
Little Birdie in the Tree 146; 195
Little Black Train, The 541 ; 598
Little Black Train Is A-Coming
541 : 598
Little Brozen Hands 327 ; syy
*Little Broun Jug 2,;^, 33A-DF;
62 f.
Little David 608; 647
* Little David, Play on Your Harp
609 ; 647
Little Familv, The 610, 610A;
648 f.
*Little Family of l'>ethany, Tlie
610B; 652
/./'///(' Light in Mexico 79; 112
♦Little Johnny Miller 75C ; 108
Little Lonely Valley 260D ; 306
♦Little More Cider,' A 46ABDF:
75 f.
Little More Cider Sweet, A 46E ;
76
Little More Cider Too, .{ 46 ; 75
♦Little More Sugar in .My Coffee,
A 92B ; 129
Little Red Caboose lU-hind the
Train, The 235; 263
INDEX
69 =
*/.(///(' Sparrozc J54, 254AB ; 290 f.
i,ittlc Sparrow 248 1' ; 274
♦Little Turtle Dove 249: 274
♦Liza Jane 437; 522
Logging Song 494; 556
*Louc Pihirim. The 54^. 54-'A ;
599
*Loucsoinc Dove. The 305; 359
♦Lonesome Pine. The 283C ; 334
Lonesome Road 292. 292A ; 347
*l.o}ui IVIiite Rohe 518: 575
♦Look Up, Look Down That Lone-
some Road 292 B ; 348
*Lord. 1 Ne7'er Will Come luieic
No Mo' 349: 409
Lords of Creation, The 308; 363
♦Love Somebody 106C
Lovely Emma 250F ; 279
Lticindy. Won't )'ou Marry Me.^
6; 14
Litlii 183; 222
*L\nchbnry Total 415, 415CE;
498, 500 f.
Madam, I Am Come A-Courting
8: 17
Madam. I Have Cold and ."stiver
12; 23
MadamMozcllc.Tvc Come Court-
imi 4: 13
*Madam. Will ]'ou Walk? 2. 2AB;
9 f-
Mamma Don't Allow No Lozv
Doii'n Hanqinq Around 452;
528
*Mammy in the Kitehen 497; 558
♦Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn
216; 247
Man Who Wouldn't Hoe His
Com. The 216 ; 247
Marching round the Levee (109)
♦Marching round the Love-Ring
76; 109
Marster Had a Yallcr Gal 406B ;
487
♦Martha and Mary 610C; 652
.\fary Bozved 61 1 ; 652
♦Mary Wore a Golden Chain
543B; 601
*Mary Wore Three Links of Chain
543; 600
Massa Bought a ^'aller Gal 406A ;
487
Massa Had a ]'aller Cat 406; 487
Master Had an Old Black Hen
1 59 ; 206
May I Sleep in \'(iur Barn To-
night, Kind Mister? 356A ; 420
May I .S'leef> in ]'our Ham To-
niijht. Mister? 356, 356C ; 420,
422
*McDonald's Tarm 125, 125A; 174
♦Me and My Sister, We Fell Out
91 E; 129
Meditations of an Old Hachclor
57; 88
Meet Me by the Moonlight 350I5E ;
412, 414
♦Meet Me in the Moonlight 350A
DI; 411, 413, 415
Meet Me Tonight 350F ; 415
♦Merry Green Fields of the Low
Lands, The 125D ; 176
Mexican War 79; 113
Midniijht Dezv, The 285; a7
Miller Boy. The 74, 74AB; 108
Miss Jennia Jones (102)
*Miss Julie Ann Clozrr 410; 492
Miss. Will You Haz'e a Farmer's
Son? 5 ; 14
Mobilinc 283B ; 334
*Mole in the Cround 173; 215
Monkey Married a Baboon's Sis-
ter 181 C ; 220
Monkey Married the Baboon's
Sister. The 181. 181 AB; 219 f.
Moonshine 42 ; 73
Moonshiner's Dream 355 ; 420
*Moses Smote the Waters 612;
649. 653
Most Done Suflfering 632C; 668
Mother. May I Co Out to Sicim?
325; 376
Mr. Carter no; 142
Mr. Frog Went A-Courting
120V ; 163
Mr. Rabbit 167I ; 213
Mr. Revel 141A; 189
.\fr. Squirrel 171 ; 214
}fusf I Co to Old Virginia? 279;
327
696 INDEX
*My Darling Little Pink 78D.
287; III, 34^
My Father and Mother were
Irish 80B ; 113
My Father Was a Spanish Mer-
chant (25)
My Howe's Across the Smoky
Mountains 278. 278A ; 326
My Horses Ain't Hungry 250C ;
278
My Long Tail Blue 416; 502
*My Mammy Don't Love Me 314:
369
*M\ Mammx Told Me 316, 316A
BC: 370
My Martha Ann 300 ; 355
My Name Is Dinah 324A ; 375
*My Name Is Dinah from South
Carolina 324B ; 375
My Old Sow's Nose 177; 218
My Ole Mistus Promised Me
417; 502
*Xancy Till 409. 409AB ; 491
Napper 123B ; 171
*Needle's Eye, The 74; 107
Negro Cotton-Picker 211; 243
Negro Fragment 37C. 536D, 551,
552, 563, 564AD, 568, 592. 602,
603. 606; 68, 595, 609, 610, 617,
618, 620, 636, 643, 646
*Negro Hollow 487; 554
*Negro Song 141B, 462. 481: 189,
538, 549
Negro Yodel Song 453 ; 529
Neighbor Jones 144; I93
Nelly Bly 407 ; 488
*Never Mind 644C ; 677
Never Mind )'our Knal^saek 382;
457
*Nezv Bur\inq (irou)ul. The 614,
6i4BC;"653f-
*New River Train 103; 137
Nigger in the Woodpile 509 ; 565
Nightingale, The (24)
Ninety-Nine Blue Bottles 190;
226
*No Hidin Place 616; 655
No More! No More! 617; 657
*No, Sir 14. 14BD; 25, 27
Noah's Ark 544; 601
Nobody Knows 615; 655
North Carolina Hills, The 402;
477
O Brother Green, Come to Me
393C; 470
O Lord. Won't ]'ou Come by
Here/ 621 ; 658
O No, John 14A ; 26
O, Ship of Zion 460; 534
O, the Dogs in the Alley 127
*0 When I Die Don't Bury Me
Dce(y 455
*0 When I Die Don't Bury Me
Deep 38F ; 70
Obey 308 ; 363
*0h. Dot li'aterniilion 454, 454B ;
529
*Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter
Be? 122, 122AB ; 170
Oh, Don't Stay after Ten 16B;
29
*0h, Goodbye, Babe, Forever More
37B; 68'
*Oh, Grandma Had Some Very
Fine Geese 125C; 176
Oh. Honey. Where ]'ou Been So
Long? 317: 371
Oh. I Used to Drink Beer 618:
657
Oh, I've Got a Master and I Am
His Man 148; 196
Oh, Life Is a Toil! 312B ; 368
Oh. Lord, Tse Sfeppin' Higher
619: 658
*Oh, Lordy, Come This A-Way
342: 403
Oh. Loz'cly. Come This Way 98;
134
Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep
545A ; 602
Oh. Mr. Revel! 141 ; 189
*0h. Mourner 423FI ; 509 f.
Oh, Nigger, You Shall Be Free
478: 548
*0h. Pretty Polly 70; 104
Oh. See M \ Father Layin' There
622; 658"
*0h. Susanna! 408. 408ABI ; 488 f.,
491
Oh. the Heavens Shut the Cales
on Me 620; 658
697
♦Oh. the Old Grey Mare She Ain't
Wliat Slio Used to Be 1-4C:
_'iO
Oh. Tlu'y I 'lit JkIui on the Island
546 ; 004
Oh, We're All A-Singint> 05; 131
Oh! When a Man dct the lUiirs
506; 563
Oh. Where Is My Sweetheart.'
303. 303ABC; 357 f.
Oliio 77: iO()
Old Ahe Is Siek 388; 462
Old Aunt Dinah 487; 554
Old Aunt Kafy 323: 374
Old Hee .Makes de Ilnney Conil>
479: 548
Old Blaek Hen, The 159: 206
Old Black Sheep 117C; I53
Old Blue 220; 252
*Old Bob Ridley 194. 194D ; 229,
231
Old Boots 9DE: 19
Old Chishohn Trail. The 217; 248
Old Corn Licker 43 ; 74
Old Corn Song of Long Ago, The
205; 239
*Old Dan Tucker 82. 82ABCF;
114 ff.
Old Dan Tucker 458D
*01d Darkey Joe 421 B; 507
Old Gray Goose 128; 178
Old Cray Horse Came Tearing
through the Wilderness. The
174: 216
*Old Crey Marc. The 175; 217
*01d Grimes Is Dead 321A; 373
Old Horse, Old Horse 227 ; 258
*01d Jim Crow 413A; 495
*Old Joe Clark 86, 86ABDE;
120 f., 123
Old Maid, The 17P; 35
*01d Maid's Song 170; 35
*01d Man, An 17M ; 34
Old Man, Old Man 251 J; 285
*01d Man, The 9C ; 18
Old Man's Courtship. The 9; 17
Old Massa Married a Yaller Gal
404C
Old Molly Hare 167EGH; 212 f.
Old Molly Hare (Mr. Rabbit)
167 : 211
*01d Napper 123C; 171
Old Reuben 236B ; 265
*Old Rosin the Beau 32 ; Oi
Old Sam Fanny ( 181 )
*01d Satan 624A ; 661
Old Satan Made One Grab at Me
624D; 663
*Old Satan's Mad 624, 624 B ; 661 f.
*()ld Ship of Zion, 'The 623, 623 A
BC : 659 f.
Old Shoe Boots and Leggins 9A ;
17
*01d Skin and Bones 142F ; 192
*01d Smokey 253A ; 287
*Old Smoky 253. 253C-F; 287 ff.
*Old Sozc. The 178; 218
*01d Turkey Buzzard 105B; 139
*Old Turkey Hen. The 203; 238
Old Uncle" Joe Cut Off His Toe
96C
Old War Song 369 ; 440
Old li'oman All Skin and Bones
142, 142C; 189, 191
Old Woman and Her Pig. The
130, 130AC; 181 f.
*01d Woman's Little Pig, The
130B; 182
Old Zip Coon 418; 503
*01e Marse Robert 391 D; 466
Ole Massa in de Parlor 291 B;
347
Olc Massa's Going Aicay 215:
247
Ole Molly Har' 167F; 212
*01e Molly Hare 167BC; 212
Ole Molly Hare. What \'ou Doin'
There? 167 A ; 211
On a Dark and Doleful Xiglit
O26; 664
*0n a Dark and Stormy Night
20C ; 44
On the Tombigbee River 269.\ ;
318
On Top of Old Smokie 253B ;
288
On Top of the Smokies All Cov-
ered with Snow 253G ; 290
One Day We Went Rowing
269B: 318
One 'Lection Morning 340 P. ; 398
One More River to Cross 455 ;
530
698
*One Morning iu May 13, 13AB
CD ; 24 f/
One of Tonight 625 ; 663
One Two Three 120C; 156
*Our Fathers They'll Be There
627 ; 665
Over the Hills So Far Auvy 165 ;
210
*Over the River to Feed the Sheep
67A; 100
♦Owen's Fort 383; 458
*Owl in the Desert, The 304; 359
Paddle Your Ozvn Canoe 55; 87
*Page's Train Runs So Fast 104;
138
Pale Amaraiithus, The (309)
Pale li'ildwood I'lourr, The 263,
263B; 309 f.
Papa Has Got the Whooping
Cough 93; 130
* Paper of Pins. A i. lA-M; 6 ff.
* Pasquotank 189; 225
Pass Around the Bottle 34; 64
Peaches in the Summer Time 97 B ;
134
*Pharaoh's Army 545. 545CD ;
602 f.
Pharaoh's Army Got Drownded
545B: 603
*Pickin' Out Cotton 212, 212AB;
243 f-
Pickle Mm Bones in Alcohol 38;
69
Picnic, A 191 ; 226
Pig in the Parlor 80; 113
Pitty Patty Poke 119; 154
Plantation Song 46G, 405B, 471 ;
77, 486, 542
Po' Liza Jane 456 ; 530
Poor Johnny 250E ; 279
*Poor Little Kitty Puss 108; 141
Poor Little Lamb Cries 'Matnniy!'
117; 152
Poor Little Laura Lee 102; 136
*Poor Married Man 309, 309AB ;
364 f.
Poor Old Lazarus 628; 665
Poor Sinner, A 63 ; 95
Pop Goes the PVeasel 93; 130
Pore Little Kitty Puss 107
Possini Sits on 'Simmon Tree, De
164; 209
*Possu)ii Am a Cunning 'Thing, De
162, 162AB ; 208
Possum Ran from Under the Barn
165
*Possum Tree 194E ; 231
Possum Up a Gum Tree 161D;
207
*Possu>n Up a 'Simmon Tree 161,
194B ; 206, 230
* Possum Up de 'Simmon Tree
161 B ; 207
Possum Up the 'Simmon Tree
161 C; 207
*Preachcr and the Bear, The 425,
425B; 511 f.
Preacher in the Pulpit 342 ; 403
Preacher Song, The 511 ; 565
Preacher Went Out Hunting
425 A; 511
Preacher's in de Pulpit 343 ; 403
* Prettiest Girl I Ever Saw, The
47 ; 77
Pretty Little Pink 78CE ; in
Pretty Mary 250D ; 278
*Pretty Pear Tree, The 133; 184
*Pretty Peggy 381 ; 456
*Pretty Saro 252, 252AB: 285 f.
Prisoner's Song, The 350, 350C ;
4", 413
Privates Eat the Middlin'. The
389; 462
Pulling Hard Against the Stream
54; 86
Quack, Quack. Quack 126; 177
Quaker's Wooing, The 8; 16
Rabbit in the Log 166; 211
Rabbit Skipped, the R abb i t
Hopped. The 168: 213
Rabbit Song 166 ; 211
Rabbit Stole de Greens 169; 214
Raccoon Has a Bushy Tail, The
163 ; 208
♦Raccoon Has a Bushy Tail, De
I 63 A ; 209
♦Raccoon Is a Cunning Thing, The
1 62C ; 208
♦Raccoon Up de Tree 161E; 207
I N I) E X
699 V
Raccoon Wears a Busliy Tail
163B ; 209
*Railroad Dinah (iai 493 ; 556
*Ram Conic Wet Mc 490; 555
*Naisc a Ruckus Toniiiht 4g(),
499BD : 558 ff.
Ramblinii Soldier, The 369; 430
♦Raven Black Hair 263A ; 310
Red Bird Sitting in Jay Bird's
Nest 154H : 202
Red River I 'alley 260, 26oL"E ;
305 f-
/v(-</ Sea 629; 649. 666
*Red. White, and Blue 280, 280A,
375 B; 328. 446
Red. White, and Red 375. 375AC;
444 f-. 447
Redbird and Jaybird 154; 202
* Reuben's Train 236, 236 A ; 264
Rich Girl Wears the Ten Dollar
Shoes, The 477H ; 547
Rich Man Rides on a Pullman
Car 483; 551
*Ri7'er's Up and Still A-Risinf/
326; 376
Robert Ridley, Hoo 194 A; 230
Rock-a-Bye Baby in the Tree-Top
113; 148
Rock-a-Bye, Don't You Cry 115B;
151
Rock of Acjes 547 ; 605
♦Rock, Rock, Old Joe Clark 86C :
122
Rodybodysho 186; 224
*RoU Dozen Deni Bales 0' Cotton
243 ; 268
*Roll. Jordan, Roll 631, 631 ABC;
667
♦Roll, Jordan, Roll 555; 612
Roll, Riley, Roll 174A; 216
Rolled the Stone Away 630; 666
Rolling Neuse, The 366 ; 436
*Root Hoy or Die 372; 441
*Roui/h. Rocky Road 632, 632B ;
668
Round It L'p a Heap It I'p 201:
237
Round Town Girls 81 B; 114
Rovin' Gambler, The 49B ; 79
Ro2i' the Boat, Row the Boat -i-
73 A ; 106
Roxk' the Boat Ashore 186; 224
*Run Here. Hoctor. Run Here
(Juick 24() ; 2()t)
Run, Nigga, Run, or Padcn.le'll
Ketch You 457''" : 533
*Run, Nigijcr. Run 457, 437ADK :
531 i-
*Run. Sallie. My Cal 204: 238
Sad Parting, A 62B ; 03
*.V(//(/ the Blackbird to the Croic
156, 156AB; 203
♦Sailor's Chanty, A 231 ; 260
.S'(j/ and the Baby 44 ; 74
* Sally Coodin 89", 8gl'. ; 126 f.
Sally. Molly. Tolly 209; 241
*.S'ally ll'ent to Preachin' 458; 533
Sal's in the Carden Sifting Sand
22,2 ; 261
Sapsuck A-Sucking Up a Hollow
Gum Tree 156D; 204
♦Satan's Sad and I Am Glad 624E ;
663
*Saturday Xight and .Sunday Too
459: 533
Saw Noah When He Built dat
Famous Ark 426 K ; 514
*Scotland's Burning 150; 197
Seaboard Air Line 238; 266
See the Train Go Round the Bend
274A; 322
Seeing Nelly Home 289; 343
*Sei'en Long )'ears 351 ; 416
♦Seven Long Years 12; 23
*Set'cn Long Years /'tt fh'cn Mar-
ried 29, 29B ; 56 f.
Seventeen Come Sunday iiA; 21
*Shady Grove 485, 485A ; 552
*.S'hare 'Em 510 ; 565
She Loves Coffee and I Love Tea
91 ; 128
Sheep Shell Corn 196BC: 233 f.
Sheep Shell Corn by the Rattle of
His Horn 196; 233
*.She'll Be Coming 'Round the
Mountain 460 ; 534
♦Slierman X'alley 260AB; 305 f.
♦She's My Yaller Gal 406C ; 488
Shinbone Alley 422; 507
Shoot the Buffalo yj ; 109
*Shoot Your Dice and Hair Your
Pun 51 ; 81
Shortened Bread 461 A; 535
X.C.F.. \'ul. Ill (47)
700 INDEX
♦Shortenin' Bread 461 D; 536
*Shortening Bread 461CH; 536 f.
Shortnen Bread 461 F; 537
Shortnin" Bread 462E, 461EG;
537
Shori'llin' Bread 461 ; 535
*Should I Prove False to Thee
258D; 303
*Shout Along and Pray Along 633 ;
668
Show Me the Way to Go Home
37DEFH; 68 f.
Shoiv Me the Way to Go Home,
Babe yj ; 67
Shuck Corn, Shell Corn 200; 236
Shucking ob de Corn, De 199; 235
*Sindy : A Jig 404 A ; 482
Sing Pollx IVollv Doodle 462:
.538
Single Life, A 18; 36
Sixty Years Ago 335D ; 392
*Skin and Bones 142H ; 192
Skip o'er the Mountain 87 ; 124
Slighted Girl, The 262; 308
Slighted Szveetheart, The 261 ;
306
Snake Baked a Hoecake 185,
185ABC; 223 f.
Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry
Ale? 7B; 16
* Soldier, Soldier, Won't You
Marry Me? 7, 7ACDE ; 15 f.
Soldier's Epitaph 396 ; 472
*Soldier's Farezvcll, The 376, 376A ;
447 f-
Some Folks Say That a Negro
Won't Steal 423E ; 509
Some Folks Say That a Nigger
Won't Steal 423 ; 508
*Some of These Days 517, 517AB;
574 f-
*Some of These Days and It Won't
Be Long 241 ; 267
Some Say dat a Nigger Won't
Steal 423B ; 508
*Some Twenty Years Ago, or, The
First Old Cooking Stove 335B ;
391
*Somebody 275, 275B ; 323 f.
Somebody Is Tall and Handsome
275D; 325
Somebody's All dc Time Talkin'
'bout Me 634 ; 669
* Somebody's Knockin' at Your
Door 635 : 669
*Somebody's Tall and Handsome
275AC; 323, 325
Song 19H, 33E, 37A, 39B, 78B,
78F, 97A, iiiG, 25 1 K, 258C,
317, 423C, 489; 39. 63, 67, 71,
no, 112, 133, 146, 285. 302, 371,
509, 554
Song Composed During the Civil
War 390B ; 463
*Song of Jesus 537 ; 596
*Soon as My Foot Struck Zion
636 ; 670
^Sorghum Molasses 386 ; 460
*Sourwood Mountain 2Si, 251 A-G;
270 ff.
Southern Girl, The 380B ; 456
*Southern Jack, A 239; 266
*Southern Spy's Song 382 ; 457
Southern Wagon. 77;r 371, 371AB,
374. 374AB; 443 f.
Spanish Merchant 14C ; 27
*Standing in the Xeed of Prayer
637. 637ABC; 671
^Standing on the Street Doin' jVo
Harm 503; 562
*S tea III Ship 151 ; 197
*Stick My Head in a Paper Sack
463: 538
Sticks and Stones May Break My
Bones 39; 71
Storms Are on the Ocean 264,
264A; 311 f.
Sucking Cider Through a Strazc
47; 77
*Sugar Babe 482 ; 550
Sunday School Song 341A; 400
Susanna 408E ; 490
Susannah, Don't You Cry 408C ;
490
*Siisy Gal 320 ; 372
*Sweet Bird 295B ; 351
*Szccet Birds 295, 295ADEF; 350,
352
Szvect Cider 45 ; 74
Sweet Fern 291CG, 295CG ; 351,
353
Sweet Fields of Violo (174)
Sweet Hcazrii 638; 672
♦Sweet Lulur 350JK; 410
*Sn.'Cct Siiinty South. The 400: 475
*Swect Willie 3071''; 3()j
Taffy lids ti Welshman 123; 170
'Tain't A-(iiiin^ to Rain No More
43C)C ' : 5 1 8
*'Taiii't (iiiin' to Rain No More
430I) ; 318
*'Tain't Gun' Rain an' 'Tain't Gon'
Snow 430B; 517
Talc of a Tramp 358 ; 425
'Tallc .-ihout Jesus 639: 673
♦That Blne-Eyod Girl 286A ; 339
*'That Old-Time Rcligioii 640; 674
*That's Jl'here My Money does
464: 53^)
*Thcn We'll Have a Nezi' Coin'en-
tion 370 ; 440
There Comes a hello-u' with a
Derby Hat 265 ; 313
There Is A'o Phiee in the Ueif/ht
of Heaven 548 ; 605
There Was a Lady, Skin antl
Bone 142G; 192
*There Was a Ji'atenueloii 465;
539
♦There Was an Old Woman 142 A
DI; 189, 191 f.
♦There Was an Old Woman All
Skin and Bones 142BE; 190 f.
*There's a Hole in the Bottom of
the Sea 135 ; 186
There's a Little Hand Writinii on
the Wall 519; 576
*There's a Little Wheel A-Turnin(i
641 : 675
There's a Long, Tall Tree in
Paradise 644B ; 677
There's More Than One 383A ;
Thresherman, The 58; 89
Thirfy-Tzco Special on a Forty-
Four Frame, A 504; 562
♦Those High Topped Shoes 301A;
356
Through the City Where He Rode
642; 675
Tim of This 548A; 606
Tippecanoe 397 ; 472
Tommy Jones 73B ; 106
*T(iu lluo. Says de Owl 156E; 204
Too )'ouu(j to Marry 107; 140
Toolcy Wooley Iser 69U ; 103
'Tossed and Driven 643 ; 676
* Train . . . Run So Fast 466; 539
I'ramp Son,/. The 357; 423
Traveler in Arkansas, A 331 B;
384
*Trareltin(/ Coon. The 428; 515
*Trce ill /'(irmlise '>44 ; 676
'J'ree in the Wood (184)
Troubled in Mind 290; 344
*Turkey Buzzard 105, 105A; 139
^Turkey in the Strazv 94; 130
Turn, Young Men 65A ; 97
'Turtle-Dove, The 249; 274
Tzi'cnty (Forty. Sixty) ]'ears Ago
335; 390
♦Twenty Years Ago 335A ; 391
Tzi'cnty-One Years Is a Mighty
Long Time 352; 417
♦Two Fleas 192 ; 227
'Ai'o Little Fleas 192; 227
♦Va'o Little Xiggers Black as far
467; 540
Tico White Horses Side bx Side
645; 678
Cnclc Joe Cut Off His Toe 97,
97CE; 132, 134
* Uncle Ned 420, 420AC; 505 f,
Cnclc Sam's Farm 399; 474
Under the Weeping Willow Tree
267K; 317
Unreconstructed Rehel, The 391 A;
464
Up Roanoke and Down the Rii'cr
205; 239
Up the Lane and Down the Level
102B ; 137
J'eteran's Song. The 392; 467
*]'oodoo Man, The 429; 516
*rozirls. The 139: 188
♦Wagoner Lad, The 250B ; 276
*Wa(/o)ter's Lad. The 250, 250A ;
275 f.
Wait on de Lord 344; 404
Waiting for a Train 361 ; 428
*Walk in the Parlor 341, 341EF;
399, 402 f.
I folk Light. Ladies 469
*\\"alkin" Talkin' Jinger Blue 496 :
558
*\\'alking Up and Down One Day
149; 196
Wallflower, Wallflower, Growing
Up So High (106)
War Song 379A ; 452
irashtuh Blues. The 247; 269
]]'atcrmeIon Hanging on the J'ine
468; 540
Way Dozen Bclozv 492; 555
Way Dozen on the Old Pcedce
421 ; 506
W'ay Down Yonder a Long \\'ay
Off 153C; 201
W ay Dozift Yonder in Pasquotank
189; 225
*Way Down Yonder in the Lone-
some Valley 547A ; 605
*Way Dozen Yonder on Cedar
Street 469; 541
Jl'av Over in the Premised Land
646; 678
*We Are Marching On 647; 679
*We Have a New Pig in the Par-
lor 80C; 113
It e Have Loved Ones Over
Yonder 648; 679
We Live on the Banks of the Ohio
224 ; 256
We Loved, but \Ne Parted 248D ;
272
We Will All Pray Together 625 ;
663
Ji' easel and the L^at. The 172; 215
*Weeping Willoze. The 267, 267A
CI; 314 f- 317
Weeping Willow Tree. The 267B
D-G: 315 f.
*li'ee7'i!y Wheat 6y; 100
We'll Have a Little Danee To-
night. Boys 491 : 555
We'll Roll the Old Chariot Along
650; 680
*We'll Sail Azeax to Heaz'en 6^1 ;
681
*Went Dozen Tozen 502: 562
if'cnt to the River and I Couldn't
Get Across 193; 227
Jl'c're All A-Singing 95; 131
Ji'hat Are Little Girls Made Of?
143: 193
What Kind of Crozens Do the
Angels Wcar.^ 655; 683
What Shall I Do with My Old
Sow's Nose? 177; 218
What )'ou Gon'er Do That Day?
649 ; 680
*ll'hat ]'oH Gzt.'i)ia Do Whoi the
World's on Fire.'' 470; 541
What's the Lady's Motion:' 87;
124
*Whe)i Adam Was Created 53,
53A: 83 f.
W hen Colonel Died 38B ; 70
When I'irst I Seen This Lovely
Queen 294; 349
*When I Die 38ADE: 69 f.
When I Die Don't Wear So
Black 489; 554
When I Saw Sweet Nellie Home
^89: 343
When I Was a Little Box 131;
182
*Wheii I Was a ]'oung Girl 10;
20
When I Ji'as Lost in the Wilder-
ness 652; 682
*JYhen I Was Single 19, 19ACFJ-
Q: 37 ff.
W hen I Went Down to Sycamore
Town 154A ; 202
When de Wind Blows East and de
Wind Blows West 622 ; 658
When the World Is on Fire 653:
682
When This Cruel War /.s- Ozer
390, 390ACE; 462 ff.
*Whcn ]'oung Men Go Courting
337 ■• 394
Where Are You Going, My Pretty
Fair Maid? iiB ; 22
Where Are Yon Going. My
Pretty Maid 11 ; 21
Where M\ Lord Went to I'rax
654: 683
*Whip Jamboree 230; 260
Whistling Girls and Crozeing liens
145 : 194
White Folks Go to College 473;
543
1 X 1) K X 703
ll'hite Folks in tin- }\irlor 476; Cents a Day 234 B ; 263
;44 *ll'ork-iny on the Railroad 234,
*irititc (nil. Yallcr Cal. lUack (,al 234C, 500; 262 f.
477; 544 Write My Mother I'll />'<• Home
♦White Owl with tlic White Head, 353: 418
The 152A: 199 ll'rcstliu' Jacoh 656 ; 684
Hl'ho Is Mv Xcii/hhorf 60: 91
*Who Will Shoe My Pretty Little )allcr Cirl, The 450; 527
Feet? 258K: 303 *\v Nations All 554; 612
*ll'ho's (niHua Love Yon. Iluncy.' Yonder Comes a (ieori/ia (iirl
302; 357 ^3: 11^
//7iV Do You liol' Your Hair. )'ou Can h'lin <in a l.onn limebG;
Girls? 56; 88 97
ll'ieked (iirl. The 62; 92 )'<'/( Caused Me to Lose My Mind
♦Wicked Polly 62C; 94 296; 353
Wild and Reekless Hobo. I'he You Have Forsaken Me 258A ;
359: 426 300
*Wild Ashe Deer. I'he 219; 250 ) ou Lovers All. to ) on I L all
in Id Oats 65: gb 293: 348
*Will ]'ou Love Me When Tni You Say You Are of Xohle Raee
Old? 273. 273A-F; 321 59; 90
♦Willow Tree, The 267 H ; 317 *You Shall Be Tree 478; 547
Wish, A 254F ; 292 )'ou've Got Your Big Gun, and
Wish Fd Lived an Old Maid 2(>A ; /"ir Got Mine 501 ; 562
56 *)'ou. )'ou, ]'ou 276; 325
Wish I Had a Xeedte and I'liread ♦'S'oung Folks, Old Folks, Every-
III ; 143 body Come 341 B; 401
♦Wish I Had a Pig in a Pen *Young Girls, Take Warniiv^
iiiB ; 144 248C ; 272
Wood Llauler, The 340, 340 A ; 397 Young People Hark 62A ; 92
♦Woodman's Song, A 120L; 161
♦Won't You Walk Out Tonight? 'Zekiel'll Weep and 'Zekiel'lt
81 A; 114 .]Joan 657; 685
Workin' on the Railroad Forty Zigon Made a Wheel 445: 525
CONTRIBUTORS
TO VOLUME II AND VOLUME III
ILJERE are included, in one alphabetical list, the names
both of these persons who gave their contributions di-
rectly to Dr. Brown and to the North Carolina Folklore
Society — or to another collector whose materials have
been added to our collection — and of those from whom
they obtained their texts of the Ballads and Songs ; and
also, when known, the names of the singers. Thus for a
single text there may have been two or three or even
more "contributors." But the records are often unclear
or incomplete, proper names are variously spelled, and
many details which Dr. Brown's or Dr. White's memory
would have supplied are now missing. We hope, how-
ever, that any inaccuracies and omissions will l^e for-
given. When a contributor's name occurs in two forms,
before and after marriage, it is usually entered in the
latter form, with a cross-reference. The numeral fol-
lowing each name shows the number ( as accurate as we
can make it) of the contributions appearing in these
volumes.
A Supplementary List, printed below, contains the
names of those who sent in items which were not. for
various reasons, used by the Associate Editors of vol-
umes II and III. Many of the same names occur in both
lists.
A complete list of all contributors was earlier com-
piled and mimeographed by Dr. White, and may be con-
sulted in the Duke University Librarv.
Special mention should be made of Mrs. Sutton's numerous
contributions, often with lively and illuminating commentary of
her own; of the many texts collected by Julian P. Boyd (now
distinguished in quite different ways) from his old pupils in
Alliance; of the unusual number sent in by Thomas R. Smith,
by Miss Jewell Robbins (later Mrs. Perdue). ])y W. Amos
Abrams, by L. W. .Anderson, by K. P. Lewis, and bv Miss Ger-
trude Allen (later Mrs. V^aught) — to name only those with
fortv or more texts to their credit. Dr. IJrown and the North
C () X T R 1 I! r T () R S 705
Carolina l'\)lkl()rc Society aci|uirc(l not oiil)- .sinj^lc lexis hul also
whole collections. ( )n Dr. .\l)i"anis' nuinu.script book see III,
573. j. ]\. 1 Icnncnian's and 1. Cj. (ireer's collections came to
the Society throni^ii Professor C". Alphonso Smith. Miss lulilh
Walker and .Miss I .ura Wagoner generously lent Dr. lirown
their manuscri])t hooks to copy from. Dr. White borrowed in
1943 a similar book from Mrs. llarold (dasscock. In 1944
through the agency of Dr. Abrams the Blaylock Collection of
274 ballads and songs was presented to the Society, and from
it a large selection was made by Professor Hudson and J. W.
McCullough. Professor Hudson also made liberal use of the
unpublished Master's thesis at the University of North Caro-
lina by Mrs. Mercedes S. Steely. Details of these accpiisitions
and other pertinent information are to be found in the editorial
notes accompanying the texts. It hardly need be said lliat the
addresses given there are not correct for the present, and no
attempt has been made to bring them down to date.
Abrams, W. Amos 59; Abrams and Williams, Gratis D. 12;
Adams, Monta i ; Adams, Moses i : Aider, Leonora i ; Aiken, B. O.
i; Allen, Gertrude (sec Vaught, Mrs. R. C.) ; Anderson, L. W.
46 ; Andrews, George Lawrence i ; Andrews, The Misses i ; An-
drews, W. J. I.
Bagley, Charles R. 15; Ballentine, Mabel 2; Banks, Bryan D. 5;
Barbee, Mrs. J. W. 2 ; Barbour, Mary 2 ; Barlowe, Margaret 5 :
Barnes, Mrs. R. E. i ; Barnett. Myra (sec Miller, Mrs. J. J.):
Barnett, Mrs. O. D. i ; Barnwell. Lila Ripley i ; Barnwell, Mildred
G. I : Bascom. Louise Rand 17; Basetiekl, Phebe G. i ; Bast, Vivian
I ; Battle. Dr. Kemp P. 41 ; Baum, Rlioda i ; Beaseley, Antoinette
3; Beasley. Mrs. Lorena 1; Belair, Miss i: Belangia, Luther i ;
Belk. Henry i ; Belvin, Jennie 15; Bennett, Catherine 16; Bennett,
Louise 7; Best, Mrs. J. A. 3: Biggers, Caroline i; Bird. Dean
W. E. I : Black. Elizabeth Janet 5; Black, G. S. 3; Blacknall, Mrs.
R. D. 11; Blackstock. Vivian 2; Blackwell, Mrs. L. E. (Julia E.
Self) [X'irginia] i; Blades, Camden Charles 2; Blair, Col. W. A.
I : Blaylock, John Burch 75 ; Block, G. S. i ; Bobbitt, Emma i ;
Best, Mary 12: Bostic, Mrs. A. L. i; Bowers, Virginia 3; Bow-
man, Marvin 1; Boyd, Julian P. no; Boyd. Tom i; Brady, J. W.
i; Brandon, Bell 4: Bray. Cleophas i; Brim, Mrs. Kenneth M.
(Doris Overton) 11; Brower, R. Frank i; Brown, Mrs. 4; Brown.
Ethel 8; Buchanan. Mrs. Silas 4; Buckner, C. E. 2; Buffalo, Ethel
Hicks 4; Burleson, Clarice i; Burleson, Ethel i; Burns, 2;
Burrus, Rev. Andrew Jackson 6; Burrus, J. H. 8; Burrus, O. J.
l; Bushee. Isabel B. 3; Busl)ee. Jac(|ues i: Byers, Mrs. X. 'I". 8.
706 CONTRIBUTORS
Caldwell. G. B. 4: Canada, Mary i; Carpenter. Jesse T. 2~ \
Carniichael, M. K. 3; Carson, Mrs. Charles M. i; Casey. Ruby 4;
Cavenaugh. E. D. 2 ; Chamberlain. Mrs. J. R. 2 ; Chambers. M. R.
i; Chappelle. Iris C. (Mrs. H. C. Turlington) 2; Chase, Prof.
Richard i; Cheek, Lucille 22; Cheek, Mamie E. 5; Cherry. H. A.
3; Christenbury, Jane 2: Church. Mrs. Minnie },2\ Clarke. Eugenia
i; Clayton, i; Clayton. J. W. 2; Cobb. Lucy R. 3; Coble.
Cozette 3 ; Coffey, Mrs. Ann i ; Coffey, Betty i ; Coffey, O. L. and
Mrs. O. L. 24; Coley. Mrs. Will X. i; Coleman. Florence 4; Col-
lins. Prof. Fletcher, Jr. i : Colvord, Maude S. i : Combs, Jack i ;
Copley. Mrs. Mary ^L1rtin 22; Cook. Mrs. Alice 5; Cooper, Rev.
Bertram i; Corbett, Mrs. J. N. i; Corum. Clyde 2; Corum, John
2; Couch, Mrs. Daisy Jones 6; Cousor. 3; Covington. Cor-
nelia E. [S. C] i; Covington, William B. 16; Cox. Catharine 2:
Cox, Jeannette 2; Craig, Marjorie 2; Craven. Rev. Braxton i:
Crawford, D. C. 2; Crawford. Eugene C. 5: Cromartie. Mrs. Laura
^L 4; Crowell, Mrs. E. A. i ; Cumming. William C. 5.
Daulken. William C. 4; Davis. Junius i; Davis. S. ]\L 8: Day.
Ethel i; Dickson. Bonnie Ethel 13; Dickson. S. O. H. 4; Dilling.
Percy F. i ; Dixon. Josa i ; Dobson. Mattie i : Doering. J. F. i ;
Douglas. Clarence D. i; Downum, Rev. J. M. i; Doxey, Elsie 5:
Dudley, W. R. i : Duncan. John i ; Dunnegan. Lucy i.
Edwards, R. B. 4; Efird, Rosa 2; Efird. Ruth 4; Eggers, Mrs.
Sallie I ; Elliott, A. E. i : Elliott. Austin L. 6; Ellis, Mrs. A. J. i ;
Ellison, W. A., Jr. 2; Emerson. E. [Maine] i; Ericson. E. E. i.
Fairley, 4: Farrior, Minnie Bryan 4: Farthing. Mrs. 2:
Faucette, Miss i; Faulkner. S. T. i : Few. Kendrick 3; Fincher.
Lizzie i; Fish, Edith B. 10; Fitzgerald, W. S. i ; Fletcher. D. \\'.
6; Fletcher. E. T. i ; Fletcher, Lizzie i ; Folger, J. C. i ; Foreman,
Wilma I : Fonts, Mrs. Augusta i ; Fox. Mrs. ^L1e Smith i : Foy,
Miss 2; Frierson. W. C. 2; Fries. Adelaide L. 3: Frye, Pat 15:
Frisbie, Zilpah Rebecca 9: Fulton, Prof. ^L G. 7: Funderburk.
Beulah M. (Mrs. H. C. Trull) i; Furr. Eva 2: Fusscll. Tina (Mrs.
L. A. Wilson) 4.
Gahagan. Nita i; Gibson. Edwin P. i: Gill. T. J., Jr. 3: Glass-
cock, Mrs. Harold 24; Gordon, Mrs. Rebecca 11; Gosney, Mrs.
Minnie Stamps 4; Graham. Pearl i; Graybeal. Mrs. Estalena 2;
Green, Mrs. A. L 2; Green, Paul and Elizabeth i ; Greene. Manley
i; Greer, L G. 40; Greer, John M. 1; Grigg. W. Q. i; Grimes.
Minnie Bryan 2; Grindstaff, Mrs. Norma i; Grogan, Ben i; Gro-
gan, Fannie 8; Grogan. Mrs. Julia 9; Grogan, Sherman i.
Hagaman. Elsie 1: Hageman. Susie i; Hall, Virginia C. 3:
Hamlen, Annie {sec Swindell. Mrs. E. S.): Hampton, Belvia i:
C" () N T K I I! r T () R S 707
Hanchey. H. H. 2: Hardin. Addic J ; Hank-n, I-'.Ila 3: Harmon.
George D. 4; Harris, I'.dna 2; Harris, j. Wcu 1; Harris. Jim i ;
Harris, Loy \'. 3; Harris. Mildred i; Harris. W. K. 1; Harrison
Blake B. 5; Hartsell. Vir.c:inia 4; Harward, Harvey i: Haskett.
Katherine i: Hatcher, Howell J. K; Hauser. Jessie 6; Hawkins.
Lon i; Haymann, Rev. L. D. 10; Haywood, Delma 6; Haywood.
Mrs. H. G. i; Hearne, Clara -'f) ; IkMiderson. Amy 31 : Henneman.
J. B. 8; Herring, Mrs. Norman J. 3; Hicks. Mrs. Calvin i; Higgs.
Margaret i; Hill, Buck i: Hines. Lizzie 3; Hodges, Mrs. Martha
I ; Hodgin, 6; Holder, D. E. 2; Holeman. Jean 2; Holenian,
The Misses ( Hallie and Jean) 15: Holton, Aura 3; Helton, Carlos
2; Holton. Florence 7: Holton, S. M., Jr. 7; Horton, Mrs. I'rank
i; Houck. C. B. 6; Houck, Herman i; House. David T., Jr. 2;
Houston, 'Granny' i; Houston. Ida C. i; Howell. Dr. E. V. i;
Howard, Valeria Johnson 3 ; Huhbard, R. T. i : Hubbell, Prof. J.
B. i; Huckabee. W. T.. Jr. 2; Hudson, Prof. A. V. 8; Hughes.
Mrs. Arizona i ; Hull, Bessie Lou i ; Huskins, i ; Hutchins.
Louise I : Hutchings, C. M. 3.
Icenham. Mrs. Rebecca 3; Isenhour. Mrs. Rebecca i.
Jenkins. Frederica 3: Johnson. Anne i : Johnson. Bonnie i : John-
son, J. D., Jr. 4; Johnson. Lois 4; Johnson, Margaret i; Johnson.
Obadiah (Obie) 29: Johnson, Sadie i; Jones, Katlierine Bernard
6; Jones, J. P. i; Jones, Mrs. Mattie Southgate 4: Jones. Mrs.
Rebecca 2: Jones. Southgate 4: Jordan. Prof. A. C. i; Jordan.
Charles E. i : Jordan, Patsy i.
Keever, Homer M. i ; Kennedy, Fronde i ; Kirkland, E. C. i ;
Knox, Carl G. 1 1 : Knox. J. C. 3; Kuykendall. Otis 27.
Lambert. Autie Bell 2; Lambert, Elsie 2; Lancaster, Mrs. Nilla
15; Lane, Martha i; Leach, Floy i; Leake. W. B. 4: Leary.
Thomas F. 2; Lee, Minnie 16: Lewis. K. P. 41; Lewis, R. '!". t;
Lineberger, Nancy i; Litaker. K. W. 8; Litaker. Thomas 3: Little.
George C. 2; Liverman. Frederick i : Livingston. Jesse ^L i ; Love,
Will 7; Lovell, E. C. i; Lovill, Melba 2; Lucas, Louise 3; Luns-
ford, Basconi Lamar 3; Lvon, James E. 3.
MacRea, Mrs. Donald 2; Malloy. Katharine i: Mangum, Eura
10; Mann, Blanche i; Mansfield, Mamie 26: Marshbanks, Flossie
4; Martin, Averie M. 2; Martin, Miss Cooper i; Martin, H. C.
2; Massey, J. E. 4; Massey, J. W. 3; Massey. Lucille 6; Masten,
;\L I ; Matthews, Laura 2; Maxwell, Nancy 5: McAdams, J. G. 3;
McCauley. Clara J. i; McClusky. John i; McCotter. Clifton 2;
McDonald. Monnie Lou 2: McGee. Andy i; McKay, James A. 2;
McKinnon. 2; McLean, Mrs. John Allen i ; McNeill. Hattie
4: Meekins. Bob i ; Meckins, Irene i; Meekins. Mrs. Sallie 7:
708 CONTRIBUTORS
Meredith, Flora M. i ; Michael, Chloe i; Midgett, J. B. 7: Midgett,
P. D., jr. i;: Milam, Edna i; Miller, E. B. 3 ; Miller, Gaithe'r i;
Miller, "Mrs. J. J. (Myra BarnettJ 19; Miller, J. W. 2; Miller,
Mrs. Joseph i ; Miller, Lorenzo (Ranz) i ; Miller, Pauline 2; Miller,
Walter J. 3; Minnish, Maud {see Sutton, Mrs. ) ; Monteague,
Arnold i; Moody, Alice R. 3; Moody, Mrs. Birdie May i; IMoody,
Mrs. Cynthia i ; Moody, Evelyn 4 ; Moody, Fred i ; Moore, Arthur
2; INIoore, Mrs. M. M. i; Morris, Mrs. i; Morgan, Macie 9; Mor-
gan, M. F. I ; Morgan, Ruth 5 ; Moffitt. Mrs. E. E. i ; Morrow,
Mary 6; Mull, Bessie Lou 2; Murphy, Mrs. C. C. 4; Murray, Rob-
ert B. I ; Myers, E. 3.
Neal, J. G. i : Neal, T. G. i : Neal. Thomas T. i ; Neal, W. C. i ;
Nelson, J. L. 1 ; Newsom, D. W. i ; Newton, Jane Elizabeth i ;
Nichols, Madge 5; Nichols, Penelope i; Norris, Mrs. i; Norris,
E. J. I : Norris, Imogene i ; Norton, Mrs. Fannie i.
Olds, Fred A. i ; Overton, Doris (sec Brim, Mrs. Kenneth M.).
Page, Lida 2 ; Paisley, Jesse L. i ; Patten, Constance 2 ; Pearce,
Allie Ann; Pendergraph, Bertha (Mrs. J. S. Bowman) i; Pennell,
Laura i ; Perdue. Mrs. C. P. (Jewell R. Robbins ) 70; Perry, Arnold
i; Perry, Fred i; Perry, George i; Perry, Mrs. Lilly 2; Perry,
Mrs. Peggy 8; Perry, Mrs. T. L. (Isabel Rawn) 12: Perry, Mrs.
W. T. 2; Peterson, Jesse L. i; Peterson, Mildred 10 ; Pickens,
2; Pickens, M. L i ; Pool, Eliza A. i ; Poole, L T. 6; Poovey,
W. E. 2 ; Powles, Joe 2 ; Prather, Mrs. Nancy i ; Price, Mary 5 ;
Pridgen, Mrs. Loraine Iseley i ; Pridgen, Mrs. W. L. 9 ; Proffitt,
Frank 11.
Randall, Willard i; Rawls, Elsie 2; Rawn, Lsabel (see Mrs. T.
L. Perry); Rayfield, Mrs. Ada Miller i; Rayfield, Mrs. Polly 7;
Reavis, B. C. 2 ; Reese, Mrs. Ira i ; Reese, Wagner A. i ; Reid,
Mrs. I ; Reynolds, Letch i ; Riggs, Marguerite i ; Rig^bee, Mrs. i ;
Rhew, Estella i ; Rhinehart, Constance i ; Rhinehart, Lillie i ; Rob-
bins, Jewell (sec Mrs. C. P. Perdue); Robinson, G. S. 20; Robin-
son, Mrs. R. A. 1; Royall, Dorothy [Wis.] 2; Royster, Prof. James
F"". i; Royster, Dr. J. M. 2; Royster, V. C. 9; Russell, B. "s. i;
Russell, Kate S. 16; Rymer, i.
Sails, Dr. Alfred i ; Sails, Helen H. i ; Saunders, 2; Scar-
borough, Mary 4; Scarborough, Mildred i ; Scott, Duval 6; Sechrist,
Vernon 4; Shaffner, Etta i; Shaw, H. F. 6; Sheetz, H. E., Jr. i;
Shelton, W. R. i; Shunian, Florence L. (Mrs Mackenzie) i;
Shuma, Miss i; Simpkins, Mrs. Elizabeth 8; Simpson,
Eleanor l; Skinner, Charles Boyd i; Sloan, Louise W. 2; Smith,
Mrs. Anne 1; Smith, I^ennett 5; Smith. Bessie 2; Smith, C. II. t;
Smith, Duo K. 4: Smith, I'Llla 5; Smith, Ellen i; Smith, Mrs.
(• () N T K 1 H V T () K S /OQ
I'jimia 2; Sniitli, llck'n ['"rascr i; Sinitli, Mae 3: Sniitli. Mrs.
Mary 2: Smith. .Merle ;^ ; .Smitli, Robert i; .Smith. Tliouias K. 88;
Smith, W. (). i; Southi^ati'. James i; .S])ainh()ur. J. !•". i; .S])ence,
11. !■:. I ; Speuce, .Mrs. 11. l".. 1 : Si)ivey. K. G., Jr. i; Stack, N. L.
1 : .Stanley. l'4)h i; Starr. I'lol". !•'.. L. 4; .Stone, Alma Irene i ;
StovaU. Sidney 2; Straw hridije. .Mary 2; Stroupe, Carrie 2; Sum-
mer. Sam 1; Sutton, .Mrs. Dennis 11. 129; .Swariniien. Rev. R. A.
2; Swim. Airs. \V. 11. i ; Swindell, Mrs. K. S. 2.
Taylor. 1'^. (i. i ; Thomas. .Mrs. C". C. 4: Thomas, C". V. i ; Thoma^,
James i; Thomas. Mrs. Katherine i; Ticknor. 11. W. i ; Tingle.
James 6: Tingle, Jeannette 9; Tillett, C"harles K. 3: Tillett, Mrs.
Charles K. (Juanita) 20; Tillett, Maxine 12; Todd, Kula i; Trull,
Mrs. H. C. i; Tucker, Effie 9; Tugman, Alexander 6; Tuttle,
Emeth i.
Vance, Airs. Zebulon Baird 3: Vann, Dorothy McDowell 2;
\'aim, Fannie E. i; \\anney. R. G. i; Vaughan, W. N. 2; Vaught,
Mrs. R. C. (Gertrude Allen) 41.
Wagoner. Lura 39 ; Walker, C. L. 3 ; Walker, Edith 25 ; Walker,
Elizabeth 2: Walton, Beulah 4; Walz, H. O. i; Ward, Monroe i;
Ware, R. D. 7 ; Warf , Lena i ; Watkins, Louise i ; Watkins, Sarah
K. 4 ; Wayne, Graham 4 ; Weaver, Lizzie Lee i ; Weaver, Luna i ;
Weatherly, Mrs. C. T. 3; Webb, Pearle 26; West, Rosebud 7:
White, b'. N. i; White, Prof. N. I. 8; Whitley, Edna 6; Wil-
liams, Gratis D (sec Abrams and Williams); Wise, Alva 13;
Wise, Mrs. J. P. 2; Wilson, Mrs. Asa L. i; Wilson, C. A. i;
Wilson, Ida i ; Wilson, Mrs. Jim i ; Wilson. Mrs. Leander i ; Wil-
son. Mrs. Rhoda i ; Winston. Judge R. W. 2 ; Wiseman. Mrs.
Manas.sa i ; Wright, Prof. J. T. C. 4 ; Wyatt, Cora Lee i.
York, lames 18.
SUPPLEMENTARY LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
W. Amos Ahranis, Gertrude Allen (Mrs. R. C. Vaught), L. W.
Anderson.
Mabel Ballentine. Suzanne Bardin, Grace Barbee, Jennie Belvin,
Louise Bennett. Caroline Biggers, Janet Black, Rutb Black, Cam-
den Blades, Julian P. Boyd, Virginia Bowers, Bell Brandon, Ethel
Brown, H. Braisted, N. C. Buffaloe, C. E. Buckner, R. T. Byers.
G. B. Caldwell, M. K. Carmichael, Jesse T. Carpenter, S. Carter,
Mrs. J. R. Chamberlain, Lucille Cheek, Mamie E. Cheek, Mrs.
Minnie Church, Eugenia M. Clark, O. L. Coffey, Collier Cobb, Alice
Cooke, Mrs. M. M. Copley.
Bonnie Ethel Dickson. Elsie Doxey.
Austin L. Elliott, Fairley. E. T. Fletcher. Eula G. Fletcher.
Tina Fussell (Mrs. L. A. Wilson).
Thomas Gallop, George Gilbert, Mrs. Harold Glasscock, I. G.
Greer.
Susie Hageman, Virginia A. Hall, H. H. Hanchey, Deacon S.
Harris, Blake B. Harrison, Howell J. Hatcher, Clara Hearne, Mrs.
Norma J. Herring, The Misses Holeman, Aura Holton, Florence
Holton, S. M. Holton, C. B. Houck.
Jay L. Jackson, J. D. Johnson, Jr., Mrs. Kate Johnson, Lois John-
son, Obadiah Johnson, Katherine B. Jones, Mattie Southgate Jones.
Carl G. Knox, O. Kuykendall.
Autie B. Lambert, Mrs. Nilla Lancaster, W. H. Lander. Minnie
Lee, K. P. Lewis, Thomas Litaker, E. C. Lovell, Louise Lucas.
Blanche Mann, M. M. Mansfield, Jeanne McCauley, Mrs. J. J.
Miller, J. B. Midgett, Walter J. Miller, Macie Morgan. Ruth Mor-
gan, Mary Morrow. E. Myers.
Fred A. Olds, Doris Overton (Mrs. Kenneth M. Brim).
W. E. Poovey, Thomas E. Price, Mrs. Pridgen.
Jewell Robbins (Mrs. C. P. Perdue), G. S. Robinson, Miss K. S.
Russell.
Mary Scarborough, Duval Scott, \>rnon Sechrist, Eleanor Simp-
son, Arthur Smith, Ella Smith, Duo K. Smith, Mary .Smith. Lucv
Gray Smither, Miss Smithers, Annabel Snow.
Mrs. C. K. Tillett. Juanita Tillett.
Lura Wagoner, C. L. Walker, Edith Walker, Mrs. Weatherly,
Luna Weaver, Pearle Webb, N. I. WHiite, Edna Whitley, Elaine
Winchenbaugh.
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598.09756 D877F v. 3 618553
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