As I Walked Out- Eden Hash
[[From Memory Melodies- A Collection of Folk-Songs from Middle Tennessee- McDowell; 1947. The editor's notes follow the text. This is one of the border-line related songs but clearly related. Stanzas 2, 3, 6 and 7 are part of the "Died for Love" group. The opening stanza is similar to the 1st of the "Constant Lady and False Hearted Squire" broadside while the 4th has the same sentiment. The 5th which is the "heart's-ease flower stanza definitely comes from "Constant Lady," a broadside that share stanzas fairly frequently with the "Died for Love" songs.
Cf. Sharp II, 1932. No. 190 "I Love my Love" for other vague floating stanzas that are part of this family of songs.
R. Matteson 2014, 2017]
I WALKED OUT
1. As I walked out one morning fair,
To view the fields and take the air;
To view the fields and meadows 'round,
I thought I heard a silent sound.
2. You love some other; you don't love me,
Care nothing for my company---
My company: the reason why,
That girl she has more gold than I.
3. If I had gold I'd give you part,
As I have no gold I'll give my heart ;
But gold will waste and silver fly,
But love like mine can never die.
My true love to me did say,
That he would marry me some day
But now he's gone, I'm left alone,
Poor lonesome girl, to weep and moan.
There is a flower, l've heard some say,
They call heart's-ease; from day to day
If this flower I could only find,
Would ease this broken heart of mine.
I wish - - I wish But, all in vain
I wish that he would come again,
I wish I wish but will never be
Until green grass grows over me.
Away down yonder ln London town
Where my true love's sitting down
With another girl upon his knee:
Oh, don't you know that is grief to me?
Both these versions were obtained from Mrs. Eden Hash. The first version without a heading except the first line. Mrs. McDowell remembers well hearing her mother sing parts of this song, and her memory of the tune is corroborated by Mrs. Hash.
The similarity of the two texts is apparent; and each has striking similarities to the "Butcher Boy", found also in this collection.