2A. There Was An Old Farmer- McCue (WV) 1925; Child 10
[From Cox, 1939, pp. 6-7. Bronson 69.
R. Masttson 2014]
"There was an Old Farmer"- Sung by Jessie McCue, Hookersville, W.Va., November 10, 1925, learned from a family named Hamricks. p I/Ly, ending on VI
1. There was an old farmer lived out in the West,
Oh dear to me,
There was an old farmer lived out in the West,
He had two daughters and one was the best.
Tum a la lee, tum a la lee.
2. There was a rich merchant went courting there,
He chose the youngest for his share.
3. The first thing he bought her was a beaver hat,
And the older she thought hard of that.
4. And the next thing he bought her was a diamond ring,
The older, she got not a thing.
S. The older says, "Sister, let's walk out,
And see the ships as they go tossing about."
6. As they were walking on salt sea brim,
The older shoved the younger in.
7. "Sister, oh, sister, reach down your hand,
And you may have my house and land."
8. "I'll neither reach down my hand nor glove,
But I'll go back home and take your love."
9. As she was floating down the stream,
She floated into the old mill dam.
10. "Miller, oh, miller, here's five gold rings,
If you'll only take me home again."
11. The miller took those five gold rings,
And pushed her back into the stream again.
12. The older was hung for her sister's sake,
The miller was hung on the old mill gate.