139
Sweet Lily
This piece is puzzling, partly because the story that seems to lie
behind it is obscure and partly because it is made up of fragments
that occur elsewhere in other connections. From Tennessee, Henry
(JAFL XLii 292-3, FSSH 2-j(i-'j) reports a song that has the "foot
in the stirrup" stanza and "Willie" instead of "Lily" in the chorus
but throws no light on the story that seems to be implied in our text ;
and from North Carolina (JAFL xlv 99-100, FSSH 277) another
connected therewith but that has nothing to do with our text beyond
the name "Willie" in the chorus — it drifts away into the song 'I'm
Going to Georgia.' Perrow (JAFL xxviii 177) reports a song
from Tennessee that begins with the opening stanza of our text
but then passes to other matter. A 'Rye Whisky' song from Colo-
rado (JAFL Liv 38) has the "foot in the stirrup" line. Randolph
(OFS IV 205) reports two fragments from Missouri. None of
these throws any light on the story implied in our text. The
Archive of American Folk Song has a record of 'Sweet Lily' from
Tennessee and many records of 'Sweet Willie' which may or may
not be our song.
'Sweet Lily.' Contributed by Cousor from Bishopville, South
Carolina — so that this item is not strictly speaking from North Carolina.
But the regional tradition may not be greatly different.
My foot's in the stirrup.
My whip is in my hand,
I'm going to see sweet Lily
And marry if I can.
Chorus:
Lily, sw^eet Lily,
So fair, fair to me.
And oh, oh, Lily,
If only, sweet Lily, you my wife will be !
374 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 I carried Lily riding
Down by the surging sea
And there sweet Lily
Promised to marry me.
3 So I met sweet Lily at the altar
On a beautiful summer noon ;
And there my sweet Lily
Seemed to have a look forlorn.
4 It wasn't but a few days later
A voice said to me —
And I knew that voice was Lily's —
'Why did you marry me?
5 'You've broken your old promise,
You've been unfair to me.'
And then my sweet Lily
Turned as white as white could be.
6 She worried all the morning
And wandered by the sea ;
And then my sweet Lily
She went away from me.