6. Lord Randal

OLDER BALLADS MOSTLY BRITISH

6. Lord Randal (Child 12)

Though not old, at least in English, Lord Randal is very widely known and sung; see BSM 24-5, and add to the references there given Cumberland (ETSC 96-9), Massachusetts (FSONE 191-3), North Carolina (FSRA 14), Tennessee (SFLQ xi 120-1), Florida (FSF 247-8), Arkansas (OFS i 64), Missouri (OFS i 64-7), Indiana (BSI 51-2), and Michigan (BSSM 35-6). There are four texts in the present collection.

A. 'Tiranti, My Son.' Contributed by Miss Amy Henderson, of Worry, Burke county, in 1914. The name "Tiranti" (more often spelled ("Tyranty") is interesting because otherwise it is restricted to the New England tradition of the ballad. That the poisoner is the grandmother instead of the sweetheart is unusual but not unexampled, being found in Child I (from New England) and K (from Scotland). "Faint to" in the refrain is of course a misunderstanding of "fain to."

1 'Where have you been to, Tiranti, my son?
Where have you been to, my sweet little one?'
'I've been to grandmother's; mother, make my bed soon,
I am sick at my heart and faint to lie down.'

2 'What did you have for your supper, Tiranti, my son?'
What did you have for your supper, my sweet little one?'
'Eels fried in soap-grease; mother, make my bed soon.
I'm sick at my heart and faint to lie down.'

3 'W^hat'l! you leave to your father, Tiranti, my son?
What'll you leave to your father, my sweet little one?'
'My houses and land ; mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick at my heart and faint to lie down.'

4 'What'll you leave to your mother, Tiranti, my son?
What'll you leave to your mother, my sweet little one?'
'My jewels and silver; mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick at my heart and faint to lie down.'

5 'W'hat will you leave to your grandmother, Tiranti, my son?
What will you leave to your grandmother, my sweet little one?'
*A halter to hang her; mother, make my bed soon,
I am sick at my heart and am faint to lie down.'
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B. 'Lord Randall.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton, but without notation of time or place or singer. The stanza structure is as in A ; it is given here only for the first stanza, but the repeats are the same throughout.

1 'Oh, where have you been, Lord Randall, my son?
Oh, where have you been, my handsome young man?'
*I have been to the greenwood; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm weary with hunting and I want to lie down.'

2 'Who cooked you your dinner?'
'My true love she cooked it.'

3 'What had you for dinner?
'Eels fried in fresh butter.'

4 'She's fed you snake poison.'
'Oh, yes, I am dyin'.'

5 'What leave you your mother?'
'My lands and my houses.'

6 'What leave you your brother?'
'My hounds and my horses.'

7 'What leave you your true love?'
'A rope for to hang her.'

C. 'Willie Ransome.' Another text contributed by Mrs. Sutton, this time from the singing of Myra Barnett (Mrs. J. J. Miller) of Caldwell county in 1928. Observe that here there is no mention of the sweet-heart until the last stanza. The stanza structure is as in A and B; given here only for the first stanza.

1 'Where you been, Willie Ransome, Willie Ransome, my son?
Where you been, W'illie Ransome, my own darling one?'
'Been a-ramblin' and a-gamblin'; mother, make my bed down,
For Fm sick at the heart and Fd fancy lie down.'

2 'What'd you have for your supper?'
'Eels and eel broth.'

3 'What d' you will to your father?'
'My house and my home.'

4 'What d' you will to your sister?'
'My trunk and trunk keys.'

5 'What d' you will to your brother ?'
'My horn and my hounds.'

6 'What d' you will to your sweetheart?'
'A cup of cold p'isen.'

D. 'Lord Randal.' Contributed by Mrs. R. C. Vaught; in pencil in a child's hand, probably set down by one of her pupils in the school at Taylorsville, Alexander county. The last four stanzas only.

1 'What do you will your father, Lord Randal, my son?
What do you will your father, my own dear one?'
'My land and my living; mother, make my bed soon.
For I am sick-hearted and fain would lie down.'

2 'What do you will your mother '
'Ten thousand gold guineas."
3 'What do you will your brother?'
'My coach and six horses.'

4 'What do you will your true love?'
'The rope and the galleries.'*

*For "gallows," of course. Probably a child's confusion of the two words.


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Lord Randal (Child 12)

A detailed discussion of the relationship of this ballad with European, particularly Italian versions, and others can be found in BBM 64-5.

'Tiranti, My Son.' Sung by Mrs. N. T. Byers. Contributed by Miss Amy Henderson of Worry, Burke county, in 1914. The MS score gives the place as Silverstone, Watauga county, and the date as 191 5.

For melodic relationship cf. our version, measures 2 and 6, with *BBi2, version B, measures 3-4 and 15-16. In the A version this same progression occurs only once, measure 2.

Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: abab (2,2,2,2) = aa (4,4)

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'Lord Randall.' Sung by anonymous singer. Contributed by Mrs. Sutton without indication of singer, place, or date.


Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: a-flat. Structure: aba1b1 (2,2,2,2) aai1 (4,4).

B(I) 'Lord Randall' Sung by Miss Pearle Webb. Recorded at Pineola, Avery county, September 6, 1941.


Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center : d. Structure : abed (2,2,2,2). The second measure of d is related to that of b.

B(2) 'Johnny Randall.' Sung by Mrs. Nancy Prather, the aunt of Frank Proffitt. Recorded at Milam, Ashe county, August 5, 1939.
Our text is most certainly not the first stanza.

For melodic relationship cf. *BB 51, version D, measures 2, 4, and 8. Scale: Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: aa^bc (2,2,2,2), possibly aa1b (2,2,4) or in Alfred Lorenz' terminology mmnn = barform.

'Willie Ransome.' Sung by Myra Barnett (Mrs. J. J. Miller). Recorded by Mrs. Sutton in Caldwell county in 1928. Note the simple "I want to lie down" for "I'd fancy lie down" of the printed text.


Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: abb1b2 (2,2,2,2). A C(I) 'Willie Ransome.' Sung by Mrs. Rebecca (Aunt Becky) Gordon, July 19, 1939. Place is not given. Other titles quoted : 'Lord Randal' and 'Lord Ransome.'


Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aa1aa1 (2,2,2,2) = aa