83
As I Stepped Out Last Sunday Morning
This is an English folk song, most often called 'The False
Young Man.' It is known in Scotland (Christie i 198-9, Ord 174),
Essex (JFSS 11 152, FSE 11 16), and in this country in Virginia
(SharpK 11 55-6, SCSM 271-2, FSV 91), Kentucky (SharpK 11
53-4, FSKM 65, TKMS 50-3), Tennessee (SharpK 11 51-2), North
Carolina (SharpK 11 51-3, 58), and Illinois (JAFL xl 126-7).
The Archive of American Folksong lists many items having the
same or a like opening line, some of which are probably this song.
*As I Stepped Out Last Sunday Morning.' Communicated by Vir-
ginia Hartsel! of Stanly county. Here the singer is the girl ; in many
texts the singer is a third person who overhears the meeting of two
lovers. Some nonsignificant slips in spelling have been silently corrected.
1 As I stepped out last Sunday morning
To hear the birds sing sweet,
I leaned against the parlor door
To hear my love speak.
2 'Come in, come in, my own true love,
And seat yourself by me.
I will tell you what I have already done
And what I intended to do.*
3 He would not come in or he would not sit down.
And I can tell you the reason why.
He promised to be some other girl's man
And now he's no longer mine.
284 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
4 I will never believe another young man,
Let his hair be dark or light,
Unless he's up some high glorious^ tree
And I'm sure he can't come down.
5 There's many a star up in heaven above,
There's many a sin below.
There's many a curse upon a young man
For treating a poor girl so.
6 I have but a few more days on earth
To spend with you, my dear.
But I have always prayed for you, my love.
That we may meet in the heavens above.
'I Walk Out Last Sunday Morning.' From Eva Furr, also of Stanly
county. The grammar is somewhat chaotic, but is left as in the
manuscript.
1 Just I walk out last Sunday morning
To let thy birds sing sweet.
I laid my head in the parlor room door
To hear my, true love speak,
2 'Come in, come in, my own true love,
And sit yourself by me.'
And he would come in nor he wouldn't sit down ;
I can tell you the reason why.
3 Because he promised to be some other girl's man
And his heart is no longer mine.
But never de less I believe another young man.
Let his hair be dark or brown.
4 Until he climbs some hight gladies tree
And swear he never come down.
I wish to God I never had been horned
Or died when I was young.
5 There's many a star in heavens above,
There is many a sin below ;
There a many a crust to a poor boy's soul
For treating a poor girl so.