170
The Homesick Boy
The A text, though it appears in the Collection without any indi-
cation of source, is probably a genuine item secured by Dr. Brown,
who neglected or forgot to indicate whence he had it. Combs
(FSKH 14-5) gives a text and tune from Kentucky, noting that
he has not found it elsewhere. His text is of three stanzas and
chorus. His stanza i is stanza i of our A, his stanza 2 is stanza
3 of our A and 2 of our B, his stanza 3 is stanza i of our B, his
chorus is stanza 2 of our A and 3 of our B ; the chorus of our ver-
sions does not appear in the Kentucky text.
A
'Homesick Boy.' An anonymous sheet in the collection.
I Away on a lonely river.
Ten thousand miles away,
I have an aged mother
Whose locks are turning gray.
434 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Chorus:
Then I wish I were a little bird;
I would fly so far away,
I would fly to the Roanoke River,
Ten thousand miles away.
2 Oh, blame me not for weeping,
Oh, blame me not, I pray,
For I want to see my dear mother
Whose locks are turning gray.
3 Last night I had a letter ;
'Twas *from my sister Mae.
She told me of my dear mother
Whose locks were turning gray,
B
'I Wish I Were a Liule Bird.' Contributed by Miss Jewell Robbins
(afterwards Mrs. C. P. Perdue) of Pekin, Montgomery county, some
time between 1921 and 1924. The tune was recorded in 1922.
1 Last night while I was sleeping
I dreamed a happy, happy dream.
I dreamed I saw my mother
A-praying to God for me.
Chorus:
I wish I was a little bird, a little bird ;
I'd fly, I'd fly far away,
I'd fly beyond the river.
Ten thousand miles away.
2 Today I had a letter.
It was from sister dear ;
It spoke of my dear mother.
How I wish that she were here !
3 Then blame me not for weeping,
Oh, blame me not, oh, then I say,
For I would see my mother,
Ten thousand miles away.
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170
The Homesick Boy
'Homesick Boy.' Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Recorded at Turkey Creek.
Buncombe county ; no date given. Another title given is 'Roanoke River.* After
the traditional regularity of the first eight measures, those making up the chorus
seem strangely confused ; and this is also the impression one has on hearing the
song. Judging from internal evidence, there seems to be no doubt but that some
arbitrary handling is at the root of the apparent unbalance.
Scale: Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: aba^b^cd (2,2,2,
2,3,3) = aa^b (4,4,6) = mm^n = barform.
T Wish I Were a Little Bird.' Sung by Miss Jewell Robbins. Recorded at
Pekin, Montgomery county, between 1921 and 1924.
Scale: Hexachordal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: ababicbSab^ (2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2)
= aa^bai (4,4,4,4) = Reprisenbar.