108
Green Beds
This expression of the sailor's resentment at the greed of land-
ladies and their "daughters" is widely known, and is by no means
confined to seagoing folk. See BSM 160, and add to the references
there given Scotland (Christie i 250-1), Virginia (FSV 159-60),
Missouri (OFS i 250-3, Hoosier Folklore v 29-30), Ohio (BSO
95-7), Indiana (BSI 188-92), Michigan (BSSM 91-3), and Wis-
consin (JAFL Lii 45-6). It is more often called 'Young Johnny,'
but the more distinctive title seems preferable. In our North Caro-
lina texts the tavern keeper seems to be rather a man than a
woman; the pronoun "he" is used in text C, and in the others the
sex is not indicated.
A
'Young Johnny.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton, with the tune, from the
singing of Myra Barnett, her nurse from King's Creek in the Brushy
Mountains of Caldwell county, with whom it was a great favorite. Mrs.
Sutton says she has heard it only in Caldwell county and there only
from two singers, Myra and another. But, as our other texts show,
it is known also in Durham, Watauga, and Iredell counties.
MOSTLY BRITISH 335
1 'What luck have you, young Johnny,
What kick have you at sea?'
'Oh, I have nothing extry
But what you see on me.
2 'Since I was in this country
I've roamed o'er land and sea.
To^ bring your daughter Polly
And set her on my knee.'
3 'My daughter she is absent.
She ain't been seen today.
And if she were here, young Johnny,
She'd cast you fur away.
4 'Fur she is very rich
And you are very pore ;
And if she were here, young Johnny,
She'd cast you out the door.'
5 Young Johnny being weary,
He hung down his head
And called for a candle
To light him to bed.
6 'All my beds is full of strangers
And 's been fur weeks and more,
And you must find your lodgin'
On some furthering shore.'
7 He first began to draw.
And then began to hold.
And out of his pockets
Pulled handfulls of gold,
8 'Oh, you're welcome here, young Johnny,
You're welcome home with me.
My daughter Polly's
Been longin' fur thee.'
9 Down stepped pretty Polly,
The beautiful miss ;
She first began to hug him
And then began to kiss.
10 'Oh, you're welcome here, young Johnny,
You're welcome home with me.
All my father's beds are empty;
There's lodgin' here for thee.'
* Should apparently be "Go."
336 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
II 'When I had no money
My lodgin' was on sea.
'Now I have money plenty
I'll make the tavern roar
With a bottle of peach brandy
And an Alabama girl.'
'What Luck, Young Johnny?' Reported by D. W. Fletcher of Durham
county, probably about 1915-16, from S. T. Faulkner, who learned it
"during the Civil[?] War." The text is substantially the same as A,
but it has the "green beds." The last three stanzas run :
6 'Now you're welcome here, young Johnny,
You're welcome here to stay.
My green beds are all empty
And nothing and nothing for to pay.'
7 'Before I'd lie on your green beds
I'd lie out in the street;
For when I had no money
My lodging was to seek.
8 'But now I've plenty of money
I'll make the tavern ring,
With a bottle of French brandy
And a glass of good old gin.'
c
'Young Johnny.' Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionville. Watauga
county, with the note: "Sung in 1899 by R. G. Vanney, also in 1915 by
Bennett Smith. The last named singer says he heard it sung over 40
years ago by some women of the name of Watson, also by a Mr.
Church." It is a somewhat abbreviated text (T. S. notes that "there
are some other verses which have been forgotten"), but does not other-
wise difTer significantly from A,
D
'Young Johnny.' Contributed by James York of Olin, Iredell county,
in 1939. A fairly full text, 11^ stanzas, with only minor variations
from A. The first two stanzas and the last four run :
1 Young Johnny's been to Earlham,
Young Johnny's been to shore,
Young Johnny's been to Earlham ;
He's been there before.
2 'Come hasten home, young Johnny,
Come hasten home from sea;
OLDER BALLADS MOSTLY BRITISH 237
Last night my daughter Polly
Was dreaming of thee.'
9 Pretty Polly she came tripping {or twinkling ^
Down the winding stair :
'What news do you bring, young Johnny,
What news do you bring for me ?'
10 Saying, 'You're welcome home, young Johnny,
You're welcome home from sea.
The green beds are waiting
For you and for me.'
11 'Before I'll lay in your beds
I'll lie in some street;
For when I had no money
No lodging could I meet.
12 'And now I've got the money
I'll make the taverns roar ;
The bottles and the glasses
I'll dash against the door.'
'Young Johnny.' One of the songs collected by Professors W. Amos
Abrams and Gratis D. Williams in 1945 from the singing of Pat Frye
of East Bend, Yadkin county — concerning whom see the headnote to
'Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight' G. Since it presents some striking
instances of mishearing or misunderstanding oral tradition it is given
here verbatim ct literatim (but not piinctatim ; the pointing is the
editor's).
1 I have been to Easton,
I have been to shore,
I have been to London
Where I have been before.
2 'What luck, what luck, Young Johnny?
What luck did you have on sea?'
'Very endeferent,'
Young Johnny says to me.
3 'Call up your daughter Polly
And place her down Lo me ;
We will get married
And dround all cholerie.'
4 'My daughter has exemption
And she ain't been seen today.
She has got married
Since you went away.'
338 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
5 He helt down his head
And he looked very sad.
He called for a candle
To light him to bed.
6 'My beds are full of strangers
And there ain't no room for you.
You'd better seek your lodging
On some other shore.'
7 He held up his head
And he looked around the wall,
And loudly for a wrecked it^
Young John began to bawl.
8 Was thirty years a young man
And forty years an old.^
Young John he pulled out
His two hands full of gold.
9 Down run the daughter Polly
And stared him in the face
And throwed her arms around him
And him she did embrace.
10 'You're welcome here, Young Johnny,
You're welcome here to stay.
My grand beds are empty ;
No money for to pay.'
1 1 'Before I lay on your grand beds
I'll lay out in the street;
For when I had no money
My lodging I do seek.
12 'But now I have money aplenty
I'll make this tavern ring
With glasses good old brandy
And bottles of good old gin.
13 'Come all you jolly sea boys
That plows the ridging rows,
That gathers up your money
And colds stands of snow.
14 'Oh, when you get your money
God lay it up in store ;
' Read "his reckoning"— the bill. _
* The reading of Missouri A gives an indication of what is meant here:
Here's fifty guineas of the new
And forty of the old.
OLDER BALLADS — MOSTLY BRITISH 339
Without companion
You turned out of door.'