Painting by Richard L. Matteson Jr. C 2009
[Here's some brief info on Banks of the Ohio. I consider this to be an American murder ballad although it is related to the 'Knoxville/Wexford Girl' family which includes the 'Lexington Murder' mentioned in the notes below.
OTHER NAMES:
Old Shawnee
On the Banks of the Old Peedee
Wedding Day
On the Banks of the Ohio (Monroe Brothers)
Down on the Banks of the Ohio (Blue Sky Boys)
I'll Never be Yours (Whitter and Grayson)
On the Banks of the Old Bayou
On the Banks of the River Dee
It was first published in Louise Pound's 1922 book, "American Ballads and Songs." Her two versions were collected in 1915 ('The Old Peedee' obtained from Lillian Gear Boswell at Junction, Wyoming, 1915) and 1916 ('The Old Shawnee' from a manuscript from the Southern highlands).
Banks of The Ohio (Video-Bluegrass Mesengers) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Tj660ADq0
Learn to play Banks of the Ohio (instructional video Richard Matteson): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hczntFIkXI]
66. On the Banks of the Ohio
Besides sharing the same theme, this ballad is closely related verbally to 'The Lexington Murder.' Stanzas 1 and 4 of A and H, stanzas 1 and 3 of B C D E, stanzas 1 and 2 of F, are taken with little if any change from that ballad. Indeed, it might be reckoned a form of 'The Lexington Murder' except for the technique of the killing (A3, B C D E2, H3) and the presence in seven of the eight texts of the "banks of the Ohio" chorus— which seems to have been taken over from a song of the pioneers. Version H lacks this chorus, but is otherwise clearly a text of the same song. The texts vary little. The fullest is given first. For texts from Arkansas and 'Missouri and references to its appearance elsewhere, see Randolph, OFS 11 136-8. Mrs. Steely found it in the Ebenezer community in Wake county.
A. 'On the Banks of the Ohio.' Obtained from the manuscripts of Obadiah Johnson of Crossnore, Avery county, in 1940.
1. I asked my love to take a walk
Just to be alone with me.
And as we walked we'd have a talk
About our wedding day to be.
Chorus: Only say that you'll be mine,
Happy in my home you'll find
Down beside where the waters flow
On the banks of the Ohio.
2. I asked your mother for you, dear,
And she said you were too young.
Only say that you'll be mine,
Happy in my home you'll find.
3. I drew a knife across her breast;
In my arms she dearly pressed.
Crying, 'Oh, please, don't murder me,
For I'm unprepared to die.'
4. I took her by her pale white hand.
Led her to the river bank,
There threw her in to drown ;
Stood and watched her float on down.
5. Goin' home between twelve and one,
Thinking of the deed I'd done;
I murdered the only girl I love
Because she would not marry me.
B. 'On the Banks of the Ohio.' From Effie Tucker; time and place not given. The same as A except that it lacks stanza 2.
C. 'On the Banks of the Ohio.' From Virginia Hartsell, Stanly county; date not given. The same as B except that it has "throat" instead of "breast" in its second stanza.
D. 'Down on the Bank of the Ohio.' From Evelyn Moody, Stanly county; date not given. The same text as C.
E. 'On the Banks of the Ohio.' From Gertrude Allen (afterwards Mrs. R. C. Vaught), Taylorsville, Alexander county, probably in 1927. This has "chest" instead of "breast" in stanza 2.
F. 'On the Banks of the Ohio.' From Miss Bonnie Ethel Dickson of Watauga county; date not given. This lacks the knifing scene, consisting only of stanzas 1, 4, 5 and the chorus of A.
G. 'On the Banks of the Ohio.' From Miss Addie Harden, Rutherwood, Watauga county, in 1922. Music with fragmentary words — only the last two lines of the chorus :
Where the waters flow
On the banks of the Ohio.
H. 'I Asked My Love to Take a Walk.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection. This differs from the other texts in that it lacks the chorus, having instead this:
2 'Just only say that you'll be mine,
And in our home we'll happy be.'
And the words that she did say;
'No man on earth shall marry me!'
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66. On the Banks of the Ohio- Music
G. 'On the Banks of the Ohio.' Sung by Miss Addie Hardin. Recorded as ms score at Rutherwood, Watauga county, in 1922. Although the ms gives only the last two lines of the chorus, it was possible to recapture the stanza and complete chorus from a cylinder record. Another title given is 'The Wexford Girl'.
For melodic relationship cf. ***BMFSB 44.
Scale: Hexatonic (6), plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aba1a2aba1a2 (2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2) = aa1aa1 (4,4,4,4).