21. The Gypsy Laddie (Folk-Songs of the South- 1925; Footnotes moved to the end of each version.)
21. THE GYPSY LADDIE (Child, No. 200)
Four variants have been recovered in West Virginia. They resemble Child J. B differs from A and from Child J in that the lady repents and goes back home. Cf. note by Kittredge, Journal, xxx, 323. Of the English versions they are most like Child G. Cf. The American Star Songster, New York, 185 1, p. 54.
For a list of American texts and for references, English and American, see Journal, xxx, 323. Add Campbell and Sharp, No. 27 (Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia) ; Sharp, Folk-Songs of English Origin collected in the Appalachian Mountains, 2d Series, p. 6 (compounded of Campbell and Sharp, No. 27, A and C); Minish MS. (North Carolina); Bulletin, No. 8, p. 7; No. 9, p. 7; No. n, p. 8.
A. "The Gypsy Davy." Contributed by the Editor of this volume; learned about 1880, from hired men, while living on a farm in Illinois. Reported, xliv, 428.
1 The Gypsy Davy crossed the plain,
He sang so loud and sweetly;
He sang till he made the green woods ring,
To charm the heart of a lady.
Tum-a-roe-eye ink-a-toodle ink-a-toodle-a
Tum-a-roe-eye ink-a-toodle-a-dy
2 The lord of the house came home at night,
Inquiring for his lady;
The servants all made quick reply,
" She's gone with the Gypsy Davy."
3 "Go saddle me up my milk-white steed,
The brown he ain't so speedy;
I 've rode all day and I 'll ride all night,
Or overtake my lady."
4 They saddled him up his milk-white steed,
His milk-white steed so speedy;
He rode all night and he rode all day,
To overtake his lady.
5 He rode till he came to the river side,
That runs so deep and shady;
The tears came trickling down his cheeks,
For there he met his lady.
6 "Have you forsaken your house and lands,
Have you forsaken your baby?
Have you forsaken your own true-love,
And gone with the Gypsy Davy?"
7 "Yes, I've forsaken my house and lands,
And I've forsaken my baby;
And I 've forsaken my own true-love,
And gone with the Gypsy Davy."
8 The lord of the house rode home that night,
Rode home without his lady,
For she remained by the river side,
In the arms of the Gypsy Davy.
B. "The Gypsy Daisy." Communicated by Miss Violet Noland, Davis, Tucker County, March 24, 1916; obtained from Mr. John Raese; learned in youth and copied down in 1880. Reported by Cox, xlv, 160.
1 Gypsy Daisy crossed the sea,
Sung a song so sweetly;
Sung a song so sweetly,
To charm his little lady.
Rattle O ding, O ding, O ding,
Rattle ding, Daisy;
Rattle O ding, O ding,
I am gone with the Gypsy Daisy.
2 The lord of the house when he came home,
Inquiring of his lady;
The servant made a quick reply:
"She is gone with the Gypsy Daisy."
3 He mounted on his bonny beast,
His bonny beast so speedy;
He rode all day and he rode all night,
And he overtook his lady.
4 "Have you forsaken your house and lands,
Have you forsaken your baby?
Have you forsaken your own true love,
And gone with the Gypsy Daisy?"
5 She mounted on her bonny beast,
Her bonny beast so speedy;
She rode all day and she rode all night,
Till she came to her home and baby.
6 "Last night I slept on the cold, cold ground,
With all the gypsies all around me;
To-night I sleep in my own feather bed,
With my husband and my baby."
C. "The Gypsy Davy." Contributed by Mr. N. E. Cogar, Berryburg, Webster County, January 12, 1922.
1 Gypsy came riding down this way,
He looked so neat and handsome;
He made such a sound to [1] the greenwoods roared,
And charmed the heart of a lady.
Raddle lol de ding, de ding, dol day,
Raddle lol de ding, de ding,, dol,
Raddle lol de ding,, de ding, dol day,
Saying, "I'm for the Gypsy Davy."
2 A lady came tripping down the stairs,
And in each hand a bottle,
Saying, "I will drink with all my friends,
And go with the Gypsy Davy."
3 At night the landlord he came home,
Inquiring for his lady,
And all the answer he could get,
"She is gone with the Gypsy Davy."
4. "Go saddle me up the gray," he said,
"For the black is not so speedy;
I've rode all day and I'll ride all night,
But I'll overtake my lady."
5. He rode till he came to the river's brim,
It being both deep and muddy;
The tears came trickling down his cheeks,
And there he beheld his lady.
6 "Have you forsaken your house and land,
Have you forsaken your baby?
Have you forsaken your old mother-in-law,
And gone with the Gypsy Davy?"
7 "Yes, I've forsaken my house and land,
Yes, I've forsaken my baby;
Yes, I've forsaken my old mother-in-law,
And gone with the Gypsy Davy."
8 "Last night I lay in my own feather bed,
By the side of my little baby;
To-night I'll lay in the mud and the rain,
By the side of the Gypsy Davy."
1 Error for till or that.
D. "Bill Harman." Contributed by Mr. A. C. Payne, Barclay, McDowell County, August, 1918.
Mr. Payne said that this song was made by Henry Mitchell about Billy Harman, whose wife had gone off with Tim Wallace, Harman's brother-in-law. Wallace was immensely ugly and the wife very pretty. She never came back; he did. "War" and "Barranshee" are names of local streams in the southern part of West Virginia.
1 Bill Harman came home at night,
Inquiring for Melindy, O !
Mandy made him this reply:
"She's gone with a spurlock laddie, O! "
2 "Go saddle me up old Tice's gray,
Go saddle me up old Brownie, O!
I plowed all day and I'll ride all night,
Or overtake Melindy, O!"
3 He rode till he came to the north of War,
The water seemed deep and muddy, !
He tucked up his bridle reins,
He forded it most steady, O !
4 He rode till he came to the mouth of Barranshee,
He stopped and studied, O!
He rode till he came to Bartley Rose's,
Inquiring for Melindy, O !
He here inquired if she had gone that road, but, receiving a negative reply, he returned home. The singer could not recall the last stanzas.