208
Springfield Mountain
The history of this song, probably the oldest piece of purely
native American balladry, has been carefully worked out by Barry
in successive numbers of the Bulletin of the Folk-Song Society of
the Northeast. (Cf. also JAFL lix 530.) Originally a quite
serious memorial to a young man who died of a snake bite in the
490 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
eighteenth century, its wide currency is doubtless due to its having
been taken up about a hundred years ago by two impersonators of
the stage Yankee, George G. Spear and George H. Hill, and turned
into a comic variety-stage piece. All of our North Carolina texts
are of this character, A the least evidently so.
A
'On Springfield Mountain.' Reported by K. P. Lewis of Durham from
the singing of Dr. Kemp P. Battle of Chapel Hill in 1910.
1 On Springfield Mountain there once did dwell
A likely youth, as I've heard tell,
Lieutenant Curtis, only one,^
A likely youth, now twenty-one.
2 Now this young man one day did go
Into the meadow for to mow ;
And as he mow-ed he did feel
A pisen sarpent bite his heel.
3 He threw his scythe upon the grass.
'Ah me,' he cried, 'ah me, alas.
To think that my life should break
Because of the bite of this pizenous snake,'
4 His mother then to him did go ;
She sent for Dr. San Grado.
He cut him deep with lancet cruel
And gave him a dose of water gruel.
5 Now this young man gave up the ghost.
To the land of spirits he did post,
A-singing, as along he went,
'Oh, cru-el, cru-el, cru-el sarpent.'
'The Serpent.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton from the singing of Myra
Barnett (Mrs. J. J. Miller) of King's Creek in the Brushies, Caldwell
county. Mrs. Sutton remarks that "This ballad is a great favorite with
children," and that the tune, "played on the banjo, has lots of pep, a
great spirit ; it never fails to raise a laugh, and the comments on the
story show that John and the 'pizen ole sarpint' are very real to the
kiddies."
1 'John,' said Sal, 'why don't you go
Away down yonder in the meadow for to mow ?'
Li toddle dink a daylight,
Li toddle dink a daylight,
Li toddle dink a toddle dink a do dal day.
2 John hadn't mowed more'n half around the field
When a pizen old serpent bit him on the heel.
* This third line should read "Lieutenant Curtis' only son."
NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS 49I
3 'John P dear, what made you go
Way down yonder in the meadow for to mow ?'
4 'Sal I dear, I 'lowed you knowed
It was Dad's hay and it had to be mowed.'
4 Now John is dead, give up the ghost,
In Abraham's bosom he departs^ ( reposes ).-
6 Come all ye men of Adam's race
And shun the bite of a great big snake.
c
'Rattle Snake.' Contributed by Miss Pearle Webb of Pineola, Avery
county, in 1939. This is the stuttering form of the song found in many
other places.
1 A nice young ma-wa-wan
Lived on a hi-wi-will
A nice young ma-wa-wan
For I knew him we-we-well.
Refrain:
To my rattle to my roo rah ree
2 This nice young ma-wa-wan
Went out for to mo-wo-wow
To see if he-we-we
Could make a show-wow-wow.
3 He had not mow-wow-wowed
Half round the fie-we-wield
When up jumped a come a rattle come a sna-wa-wake
And bit him on the he-we-weel.
4 He laid right dow-wow-wown
Upon the grow-wow-wownd
And shut his ey-wy-eyes
And looked all arou-wow-wownd.
D
'The Serpent.' A single stanza (identical with the first stanza and
refrain of B) which seems to have been sung by H. C. Martin of
Lenoir. At least it is on the same sheet of music with another sone that
IS certainly his.
E
'Sarpint.' A single stanza copied oflf from a record made by W E
Poovey of Marion, McDowell county, in June, 1924.
' This T represents the long final syllable of "Johnny " and in the
next stanza "Sally."
These two guesses seem to show that the reporter here has forgotten
how the line runs. The A text shows how the rhyme should run- "To
Abraham s bosom he did post."
492 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
I took my scythe one Sunday, you know,
And went down to the meadow to mow.
I scarcely had mowed across the field
Till a dog-ged old blacksnake bit my heel.
Sing humble drumble sticherei bum
To me lick to me resom doo
'Oh, Molly, Dear.' Again a single stanza, contributed by Bell Brandon
of Durham.
Oh, Molly, dear, why did you go
Into the meadow for to mow?
As you went walking through the field
A black snake struck you on the heel
And away you did go.
'Hi O, Qiarleston Row.' Contributed by Charles R. Bagley of Moyock,
Currituck county, in 1913, as heard from his grandparents. Only one
stanza, and that seems to have drifted somewhat away from the original
story. The refrain also is different.
As gwine through the farmer's field
A black snake bite me on my heel.
I jumped up and run my best.
Shoved my head in a hornet's nest.
Chorus:
Hi O, Charleston row
Hi O, Charleston row
I spend my money and spend it free
'Cause the Charleston gals are the gals for me.
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NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS
208
Springfield Mountain
B
'The Serpent.' Sung by Mrs. Myra Barnett Miller. Recorded as MS score at
Lenoir, Caldwell county ; no date given. This tune is identical with another
recording credited to H. C. Martin (208D). For other texts and references
cf. MSFSH 1 16-17; FSoA 64; SHP 44; BMFSB 4; FSUSA 28; BSSM 121;
FSF 112; SharpK 11 166; OFS iii 167-70; FSS 292; BSO 248-52; NGMS 159;
FSONE 285-6; BSM 299-300; BSI 322; JAFL xliv, No. 171 and ABFS 356
(identical).
Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: c. Structure: aa^bccc^d (1,1,1,1,1,1,2) = ab
(3,5).
'Rattle Snake.' Sung by Miss Pearle Webb. Recorded at Pineola, Avery
county, in 1939. This ballad in its text as related to the tune illustrates the
English dislike for slurring two tones on one syllable. Rather, they insert non-
sense syllables : "hi-wi-will" = hill ; "we-we-well" = well. The variations
given in the second stanza may serve as an example for the great variety of
combinations making up the remaining stanzas.
Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: g. Structure: mm^n (2,2,2) = barform.
The 'epode' here is unusually short.
'The Serpent.' Sung by H. C. Martin. Recorded as ms score at Lenoir, pos-
sibly at Forest City, in 1927. The tune is identical with that of 208B.
'Sarpint.' Sung by W. E. Poovey. Recorded at Marion, McDowell county, in
June 1924. Known also as 'The Serpent,' and 'Springfield Mountain.'
For melodic relationship cf. *SharpK 11 166-7, No. 132A, general melodic
line, not rhythmically, however. Measure 9 is identical in both versions. Meas-
ures 9-10 are almost the same as those of No. 132B.
Scale: Irrational, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aa^aS (4,4,4).