203
No Sign of a Marriage
The "five hundred pounds" in A and the general tone of this piece
suggest an origin in the British stall press. But if that is its source,
the original has not been found. Nothing resembling it appears in
any of the collections of folk song available to the editors.
A
*No Sign of a Marriage.' Collected from James York of Olin, Iredell
county, in 1939.
1 Av^^ay in the north country there lived a yottng couple,
A man and a maid both gallant and gay.
A long time a-courting and no sign of a marriage,
No sign of a marriage to be.
2 At length this young maid began for to speak :
'Come, come, kind sir, it's what do you mean,
A long time a-courting but no sign of a marriage,
No, no sign of a marriage to be?'
3 He made her a very unlovingly answer :
'As soon as a man is married his joys are all fled ;
He's freed from all liberty, bound down to hard slavery:
So I've a mind to go free — and goodnight.'
4 And while she was sitting lamenting and mourning,
Up stepped a young squire all ready to wed.
Saying, 'Here's five hundred pounds if you will marry me.*
They quickly agreed to marry with speed.
5 She sat down and wrote her old lover a letter
To come to her wedding the ninth day of June,
To come as a waiter instead of a better
To wait on the table and on the bridegroom.
6 And when he did get it he sadly groaned,
Saying, 'Have I so foolishly lost her at last?'
He bridled and saddled and rode to the station.
Expecting to see her before she was wedded.
7 Saying, 'Get up behind me and leave him alone.'
'But don't you remember those words you told me,
As soon as you're married your joys are all fled.
He's freed from all liberty, bound down to hard slavery;
So I've a mind to go free — and goodnight?'
'Pretty Polly.' From J. B. Midgett of Wanchese, Roanoke Island. The
manuscript is not divided into stanzas, but as it seems to be stanzaic in
structure the editor has attempted the division.
482 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 All down in yonder country where a couple was dwelling,
All down in yonder country where a couple did dwell,
Long they had tarried but never had married.
'Oh say, pretty William, ain't you going to wed?'
2 'Indeed, pretty Polly, I once loved you dearly
And in your sweet company I took great delight ;
But when a man is once wed his joy is all fled,
He is free from all liberty, bound down to hard slavery.
We are both free, love, and I bid you goodnight.
3 'Though indeed, pretty Polly, there is one thing yet to tell
you,
That is to ask me to your wedding, love, and I will do the
same.
For you need never mind, a husband you'll find
If there's any such a thing in this world to be had.'
4 She wrote him a letter to come to her wedding
On the ninth day of June. This letter he reads.
His poor heart did bleed, crying, 'I've lost her,
I've lost her, I've lost her indeed.'
5 With his bridle and saddle he rode to her station,
He rode to the place where pretty Polly did dwell ;
And when he got there through his trouble and snares
The bride and bridegroom was out on the floor.
6 'Oh, indeed, pretty Polly, if I only had have known it.
If I only had have known, love, that you wedded so soon,
We would have got married, no longer have tarried ;
So step up beside me, love, and leave him alone.'
7 'Oh, indeed, pretty William, I once loved you dearly
And in your sweet company I took great delight;
But remember, you said when a man he was wed
He was freed from liberty, bound down to hard slavery ;
So we are both free, love, and I'll bid you goodnight.'
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203
No Sign of a Marriage
'Xo Sign of a Marriage.' Sung by Mr. and Mrs. James York. Recorded at
Olin, Iredell county, in 1939. There are two more recordings of the same
singers. The second begins with the fourth measure of the second stanza and
stops before the end. The third contains all of the tune and is identical with
that given below. Structurally, this tune shows a very interesting u.e ot the
melodic material. The first four measures of the second stanza bring new
material. The second half consists of the last four measures of the first stanza.
The fourth stanza reverses this procedure. It uses the first four measures of
stanza i and concludes with the first four measures of stanza two. What, in
the printed text, II 481, is given as stanza 2 is, at least musically, without ques-
tion the chorus. Otherwise, two stanzas as given would have to be taken as one,
in order to fit the tune.
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: ababicc^aibi (2,2,2,2,
2,2,2,2) = aa^bb^ai (4,4,2,2,4). As this song shows a particularly interesting
use of the melodic material, the structure content of all seven stanzas is given:
aa^ ; ba^ ; aa^ ; ab; a^a^ ; ba^ ; ba^a^ (4,4; 4,4; 4,4; 4,4; 4,4; 4,4; 4,2,4).
'Pretty Polly.' Sung by C. K. Tillett. Recorded at Wanchese, Roanoke Island,
probably in 1922. Although the second stanza as given below shows only slight
rhythmical differences in the first half of the tune, the second is considerably
changed and internally incremented.
Scale: Hexatonic (4), plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: first stanza— abcb^
(4,4,4,4) ; second stanza — abdcib^ (4,4,4,4,4) ; d is slightly related to c.