128. William Riley

128

William Riley

This is to be found in Joyce's Old Irish Folk Music and Song
230-2 and in Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs ii 144-5, where it
is said to be taken from Will Carleton's IVilly Reilly and His
Colleen Baum, published in 1855. For its occurrence as traditional
song in England and America, see BSM 289, and add to the ref-
erences there given Arkansas (OFS i 419), Michigan (BSSM
483), and Indiana (BSI 260-1).

'William Riley.' Reported in 1939 by James York from Iredell county.

1 It's of a brave young couple
That I am going to sing,

Way over high hills and mountains
Our company to refrain.

2 His^ father followed after her
With his vile armied men,
And so taken was poor Riley
And his pretty Polly Bann.

3 Then taken was this lady
And in her closet bound,
And taken was poor Riley
And in cold iron bound.

4 Just like some thief or murderer
Chained down unto the ground ;
It was for nothing else

But stealing Polly Bann.

5 Then early the next morning
The jealous son^ went down,
Saying, 'Rise up, William Riley,
And put your clothing on.

6 'For at the bar of justice
Your trial you must stand.
I'm afraid you'll suffer sorely
For stealing Polly Bann.'

7 Then up speaks her old father
With courage very bold :
'He's robbed me of my money,
He's robbed me of my gold ;

* For "his" read "her."

* For "jealous son" read "jailer's son."

 

364 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

8 'Likewise my silver buckles
And rings with him I've found.
I'll have the life of Riley

If it costs ten thousand pounds.'

9 Then up speaks this young lady,
With courage, you may see.
'The fault is not in Riley,

The blame I lay all in me.

For I have loved him out of measure

And he caused my destiny.

10 'I gave those rings to Riley
In token of my love.

But if you have them, Riley,
Return them back to me.'
'I will, my loving lady,
With many thanks to thee.'

11 'There is one ring among the rest
I allow yourself to wear.

It's decked all around with diamonds
Like unto the morning star.

12 'And when you wear it, Riley,
Wear it on your right hand.

It'll make you think of me, my love,
When you're in a foreign land.'

13 Then up speaks the old lawyer Fox:
'You may let your prisoner go.
This lady's oath has cleared him,
And that the jurors know.

14 'She saved her own true lover,
Likewise renewed her name.'
'I'll marry her,' says Riley,
'And that you all shall see.'

15 Then up gets William Riley
All dressed in green so bold.
His hair hangs over his shoulders
In glittering locks of gold.

16 He is quite tall and handsome
And rare for to be seen.

He deserves Squire Poleon's daughter
If she's as fair as any queen.
------------------
 

128

William Riley
'William Riley.' Sung by Mrs. James York. Recorded at Olin, Iredell county,
in 1939. The seventh stanza omits four measures (11-14). The musical struc-
ture requires the stanzas as printed in II 363 to be grouped in pairs.

 


For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK 11 81, No. 104A, main melodic points
of first four measures only; *OFS i 419, No. 115.

Scale : Mixolydian, plagal. The b natural is omitted in all other stanzas. This
would justify the above classification. Tonal Center: c. Structure: abca^
(4,4,4,4). The c is slightly related to a.

 

128(1)
'William Riley.' Sung by Mrs. Nora Hicks. Recorded at Mast's Gap, Watauga
county, August 28, 1940. As very frequently, the recording begins after the

 


singer has started. Sometimes the last seven measures are repeated; at one
time, the first four measures are repeated twice, thus filling one complete stanza.
At other times, measures 5-8 are repeated, with an altered ending for the last
line. The text given in OFS i 419, No. 115 seems to supply nicely the missing
words at the beginning, but our version omits the third line found in the former.
There is some melodic similarity with the preceding version.

 


For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK 11 81, No. 104A. Our melody is,
however, shortened four measures.

Scale: Hexatonic (6), plagal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: aba^ (4,4,4)-

2 His poor old father followed after her
With forty bright armed men.
This lady she was taken back
And in her closet bound.
Poor Riley he was taken back
And chained down to the ground.