195
Common Bill
This pleasantly humorous song, presumably of English origin, is
reported from Leicestershire (ECS 52-3), Maine (FSONE 187-8),
Virginia (FSV 176-7, SCSM 309-10), Kentucky (Shearin 29),
North Carolina (SCSM 308-9), Florida (FSF 372-3), Mississippi
(JAFL XXVIII 173-4, XXXIX 158-9, FSM 173-4), Arkansas (OFS
I 427), Missouri (OFS i 428), Ohio (JAFL xxxv 363-4, ASb
62-3, BSO 160-2), Indiana (JAFL xxix 171), Michigan (BSSM
430-1), Iowa (ABS 214-15, MAFLS xxix 90), Nebraska (Pound
61), and is included without location in ABES 325-6. Kittredge
(JAFL xxxv 364) has a note on its appearance in songbooks. The
texts in our collection are so nearly alike that it will not be neces-
sary to give them all.
'Silly Bill.' In an anonymous penciled manuscript on faded blue paper
in an old hand and dated May 26, i860. How it came into the Collection
does not appear.
1 Oh, I'll tell you of a fellow,
Of a fellow I have seen,
Who is neither white nor yellow
But is altogether green.
His name it is not charming
For it's only common Bill,
And he urges me to wed him —
But I hardly think I will.
Chorus:
Oh, Bill ! Silly, silly Bill !
He urges me to wed him
But I hardly think I will.
2 He has told me of a cottage.
Of a cottage among the trees.
And don't you think the blockhead
Fell down upon his knees,
While the tears the creature wasted
Were enough to turn a mill !
And he urges me to wed him —
But I hardly think I will.
470 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 Oh ! he whispered of devotion,
Of devotion pure and deep,
But it seemed so very silly
That I almost fell asleep.
And he thinks it would be pleasant.
As we journey down the hill,
To go hand in hand together —
But I hardly think I will.
4 He was here last night to see me
And he made so long a story^
I began to think the blockhead
Never meant to go away.
At first I learned to hate him.
And I know I hate him still ;
Yet he urges me to wed him.
But I hardly think I will.
5 I am sure I would not choose him.
But the very devil is in it,
For he says if I refuse him
That he could not live a minute.
And you know the Blessed Bible
Says we must not kill.
So I have thought the matter over
And I rather think I will.
'Silly Bill.' From the collection of Miss Isabel Rawn (later Mrs. T. L.
Perry), contributed before 1915. The matter is almost identical with
that of A but the order is different. The first half of stanza 2 is the
last half of stanza 3 of A and the stanza is completed by repeating the
chorus ; stanza 3 is stanza 2 of A ; and at the end the chorus is repeated
with variation :
Bill, Bill, dearest, dearest Bill,
I've studied the matter over
And I rather think I will.
c
'Silly Billy.' From I. G. Greer, Boone, Watauga county, probably in
191 5. Five stanzas, no chorus. Does not diflfer significantly from the
preceding two.
'Silly Bill.' From the manuscript songbook of Miss Lura Wagoner of
Vox, Alleghany county, in which it was probably entered about 1912.
Does not differ significantly from A.
E
'Bill.' Collected from James York of Olin, Iredell county, in 1939.
No significant differences from other texts.
* Evidently miswritten for "stay."
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195
Common Bill
'Silly Bill.' Sung by Mrs. N. J. Herring. Recorded as ms score at Tomahawk,
Bladen county; no date given. The first two measures are like those in the
following i95A(i).
For melodic relationship cf. **FSONE 187-8, first two measures ; also 'Old
Black Joe,' measures 2-4 and 10-12.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: c. Structure: aba^bi (4,4,4-4) =
aai (8,8).
A(I)
'Silly Bill.' Sung by anonymous singer. Recorded as ms score; no date or
place given. This version omits the entire chorus as given in the A version (II
469). In its place it uses the last four lines of the first stanza as given there.
For melodic relationship cf. **FSONE 187, first two measures.
Scale: Heptachordal. Tonal center: d. Structure: aa^bai (4,4,4,4) = Re-
prisenbar.
'Silly Bill.' Sung by Miss Isabelle Rawn. Recorded as ms score in igiS-
Another title is 'Common Bill.' The interval sequence of the melodic line is
practically the same as that of the A version of 'Little Brown Jug,' No. 33 in
III 62 f.
For melodic relationship cf. **SCSM 437 ; ABFS 325.
Scale: Hexatonic (2). Tonal Center: c. Structure: abab (2,2,2,2) = aa (4,4)"
'Silly Bill.' Sung by Dr. I. G. Greer. Recorded as ms score at Boone, Wa-
tauga county in 1915 or 1916. Another title given is 'Common Bill.' There is
no chorus in this version, but the last four lines of the stanza are repeated.
There is another (anonymous) version which, however, is almost identical with
this tune. The few minor variations which do occur are, therefore, given here,
following the score below.
Scale : Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center : d. Structure : aba^bicda^b^ (2,2,2,
^,2,2,2,2) = aa^ba^ (4,4,4,4) =1 Reprisenbar.