Shady Grove
One of the fragmentary or detritus lyrics so often found iti folk
song — at least in America. It is known also in Kentucky (JAFL
XLix 220-1. XXVIII 182-3, Shearin's Syllabus) and Tennessee
(JAFL XXVIII 182). In our text, which is described as "Negro
song," the last two lines of each stanza are repeated as shown here
for the first stanza.
A
'Shady Grove.' Obtained, some time in the years 1921-24, from Miss Jewel! Robbins of Pekin, .Montgomery county (later Mrs. C. P. Perdue). With the tune.
1 Come on, girls, and yes^ go home,
Put on yo' Sunday clothes,
Wash yo' face and comb yo' head,
Go down to Shady Grove.
Go down to Shady Grove, my love,
Go down to Shady Grove,
Wash yo' face and comb yo' head,
Go down to Shady Grove.
2 When you hear dat lonesome dove
Goin' whoo-whoo-whoo.
He's mournin' for his own true love
Just as I mourn for you.
Just as etc.
3 Come along, girls, and listen to me
And 'member what I say ;
You are the ones that I'll love best
Until my dying day.
Until etc.
There is in the Collection a somewhat haphazard agglutination
of folk-song fragments which may be entered as a version of
'Shady Grove.' The second stanza is a form of the second stanza
of 'Weevily Wheat' A; the third stanza belongs with the song here
dealt with.
B
'God Bless the Ocean.' Contril)uted by William B. Covington in 191.3
as among the "reminiscences of my early youth spent in the country on
the border of the sand hills of Scotland County."
I (jod bless the ocean.
God bless the sea,
God bless the pretty little girl —
She turned her back on me.
'Is this miswritten for "les," i.e., "let's"?
2 Ciet up in the uioniiiig.
The ground all covered in snow.
Got no shoes to go on my feet,
Frost's gona hitc my toe.
3 Wash your dirty face and hands.
Put on your Sunday clothes ;
Come on. gals, and go with me,
Goin' to Shady Grove.
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48s
Shady Grove
'Shady Grove.' Sung by Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county,
1921-24. The last four lines of the first stanza, slightly modified, form the
chorus of III 341, No. 286 D. Cf. also JAFL xlix 220.
F-444
Come on . girls, and le's go home, Put on yo' Sun-day clothes,
Wash yo' face and comb yo' head. Go down to Sha - dy Grove.
Go down to Sha - dy Grove, my love. Go down to Sha - dy Grove,
Wash yo' face and comb yo' head, Go down to Sha - dy Grove.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: abaica2ba3c
(2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2) := aa^a^a^ (4,4,4,4).