92. A Pretty Fair Maid down in the Garden

 


92

A. Pretty Fair Maid down in the Garden

The opening line is perhaps the best means of identifying this
favorite embodiment of the returned disguised lover theme. It is
also called 'A Sweetheart in the Army,' 'The Single Sailor,' 'The
Returning Soldier,' and by other names. Its range is sketched in
BSM 148; to the references there given should be added Florida
(SFLQ VIII 165-6), Virginia (FSV 45-9), Missouri (OFS i 2^8-
61), Ohio (BSO 152), and Wisconsin (JAFL lii 8). Mrs. Steely
found a fragment of it in the Ebenezer community in Wake county.
The texts in the North Carolina collection are so nearly alike that
it seems sufficient to give but one of them. The texts reported are
listed here :

A 'The Single Sailor,' 'Gay Young Sailor.' From Thomas Smith of

Zionville, Watauga county, in 1914 and again in 1915.

B 'The Returning Soldier.' From I. G. Greer of Boone, Watauga

county, in 191 5 or 1916. The same text, under the title 'A Pretty Fair

Maid All in a Garden,' from W. A. Abrams in 1935 or 1936.

C 'The Rugged Soldier.' From Miss Isabel Rawn's collection, received

in 1915 or earlier.

D No title. From P. D. Midgett, Jr., of Wanchese, Roanoke Island,

in June 1920.

E 'Edward.' From Mrs. Sutton. "Heard in Madison county."

F 'The Single Soldier.' From Mrs. Sutton, as sung by "Miss Nita

Gahagan of Madison county, who learned it from a Mrs. Tweed who

lived on the forks of Ivy." Differs slightly from E.

G 'A Sailor's Sweetheart.' Secured by L. W. Anderson from Alva

Wise, a pupil of his at Nag's Head, Dare county.

H 'Pretty Fair Maid in the Garden.' From Frank Proffitt of Sugar

Grove, Watauga county.

I 'Pretty Maid.' Communicated by J. C. Knox in 1923 or thereabouts.

J 'Seven long years he has kept me waiting.' From Mary Strawbridge

of Durham, in July 1922. Only two stanzas reported.

K 'Pretty Fair Maid.' From Mrs. Daisy Jones Couch of Durham. She

set down one stanza only, saying that her text is like that in JAFL

XXII 67.

A single stanza of this was sung by Miss Jennie Belvin of Durham
in 1922.

I have a true love o'er yonders ocean.
For seven long years he has been gone.
And if he stays for seven years longer,
No other man shall marry me.

Another fragment, from Miss Amy Henderson of Worry, Burke county,
which she knew as 'The Broken Sixpence,' belongs to the same general
tradition :

I sit on my creepie and spin at my wheel

And think o' the laddie who lo'ed me so weel ;

He had but one saxpence; he broke it in twa.

He gi'ed me the half o' it when he ganged awa.'

Sufficiently representative is the D text, from the seacoast.

 

OLDER BALLADS — MOSTLY BRITISH 2^^$

1 A pretty fair maid all in a garden,

A brisk young sailor came passing by.
He stepped up to her as if he knew her
And said, 'Fair maid, can you fancy 1?'

2 'O no, sir. A man of honor,

A man of honor I take you to be,
Imposing on a fair young lady
Unfitting for your bride to be.

3 'I have a true love on the ocean.
Seven long years have gone to sea ;
And seven more I'll wait upon him,
And if he's alive he'll return to me.'

4 'Suppose your true love he is drownded,
Suppose's he's in some battle slain,
SupiX)se he's to some fair girl married ;
His face you'll never see again.'

5 'O, if my true love's slain or drownded
I hope his soul has gone to rest ;

And if he's to some fair girl married
I love the girl that he loves best.'

6 He pulled his hand out from his pocket,
His fingers being slim and small,

Saying, 'Here's the ring we broke between us.'
She fainted at his feet did fall.

7 He picked her up, gently embraced her,
Gave her kisses two by three.

Saying, 'Here's your poor old single sailor
Coming on shore to wed with thee.'
--------------------
 

92
A Pretty Fair Maid Down in the Garden

 

'Gay Young Sailor.' Sung by Mrs. Grogan. Recorded as ms score, but no date
or place given. Our text is very similar to that of SharpK 11 71, No. 98B.

 

For melodic relationship cf. **SCSM 423, version A; SharpK 11 71 No 98B
only the musical equivalent of 'A pretty fair maid.' ' ' ^ '

Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: c. Structure: abak (2,2,2,2) = aai (4,4).

 

A(I)
'Gay Young Sailor.' Sung by Mrs. N. Prather. Recorded at Milam Ashe
county, August 8, 1939. The words given correspond to stanza 2 in 11 305.

 

For melodic relationship cf. **SCSM 424-5, versions D and E; FSF 346
No. 186A ; SharpK 11 70, No. 98A.

Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: a. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).

3 I have a true love on the ocean,
Seven long years been gone from me ;

make no alteration,

But seven more makes none with me.

4 Supposin' he's in some river drownded,
Supposin' he's on a battlefield slain,
Supposin' he's married to a foreign young lady.
That you'll never see his face again.

5 If he's dead, I'm

And if he's married, I love his lady,

And if return again,

 

A(2)
'The Single Sailor.' Sung by Miss Ada Wilson. Recorded as ms score, either
1914 or 1915. No place given. The melodic variations given below are from
two other recordings, B(i) and B(2). The first stana of B(2) reads:

I A pretty fair maid out in the garden,
A gallant soldier riding by,
And in these words he did address her,
Saying, 'Pretty fair maid, won't you marry me?'

 


Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: f. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).

 

B(I)

'There Was a Lady in the Garden.' Sung by anonymous singer. Recorded as
MS score, but no date or place given.

 

 

For melodic relationship cf. **OFS i 258, No. 55A.

 

Scale: Hexatonic (4), plagal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: abak (2,2,2,2)
= aai (4,4).

 


B(2)

 

'Pretty Fair Maid in the Garden.' Sung by H. R. Eggers. From a previous
recording of Dr. W. A. Abrams, probably 1940. This tune resembles a cowboy
song more than anything else. The third measure of the variations brings back
memories of 'When You and I Were Young, Maggie.'

2
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: c. Structure: aba^bi (2,2,2,2)
aai (4,4).

 

B(3)
*A Pretty Fair Maid.' Sung by Aunt Becky Gordon. Recorded July 19, 1939.
No place given. Mrs. Gordon learned her songs from her mother, who was born
and reared near Tuxedo, Henderson county. This melody is very similar to
92K and 92L.

 

 

For melodic relationship cf. **SCSM 424-5, versions D and E; SCB 162
No. XV ; FSF 346, No. 186A; SharpK 11 70, No. 98A.

Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).

 

B(4)
The Returning Soldier.' Sung by Mrs. Thomas, grandmother of Edith Walker
Recorded at Pmeola, Avery county, August 24, 1939. Other titles given are
Pretty Fair Maid,' and 'The Broken Token.' Considerable similarity (meas-
ures 4-6) with 92B as well as with 92L.

 


For melodic relationship cf. **BSM 150, version D. There is a surprising
similarity in the basic melodic line.

Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: a. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).

3 I have a true love in the army.

And he's been gone for seven long years ;
And if he stays there for seven years longer
No man on earth can marry me.

 

 

'The Rugged Soldier.' Sung by Miss Hattie McNeill. Recorded as ms score,
but no date or place given. The beginning is similar to 92L and 92D(2).

 

For melodic relationship cf. **ASb 68; SCB 162, No. xv; FSF 346, No.
186A ; The melodic idiom for 'Miss all in the garden' is the same as in SharpK
II 70, No. 98A.

Scale: Hexatonic (4). Tonal Center: c. Structure: abab^ (2,2,2,2) = aa^
(4,4).

 

'Pretty Fair Maid.' Sung by C. K. Tillett. Recorded at Wanchese, Roanoke
Island in June 1920.

 

 

Scale: Hexatonic (4). Tonal Center: c. Structure: abac (2,2,2,2) = aa^
(4,4). The b in the smaller subdivision is somewhat related to a.

D(I)
'Pretty Fair Maid.' Sung by Mrs. Ephraim Stamey. Recorded at Altamont,
Avery county, July 14, 1940-

 

 

For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK ii 70, No. 98A, measure i with up-
beat.

Scale : Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center : {. Structure : aaibfai (2,2,2,2) = ab
(4,4). Circular Tune (V).

 

D(2)
'Pretty Fair Maid in a Garden.' Sung by Mrs. Ewart Wilson. Recorded at
Pensacola, Yancey county, in September 1929. This tune is very similar to 92L.

 

Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: a-flat. Structure: aa^bc (2,2,2,2) =
ab (4,4).

 

 

'Pretty Maid.' Sung by anonymous singer. Recorded as ms score, but no place
given. In 1923 or thereabouts. The first measure with up-beat is like that of
92J. The melodic standard for "all in a garden" is used here also.


For melodic relationship cf. **ASb 68, measures 1-2.

Scale : Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center : g. Structure : abed (2,2,2,2) . The
c is slightly related to a.

 

'Seven Long Years He Has Kept Me Waiting.' Sung by Mary Strawbridge.
Recorded, but no date or place given.

 

For melodic relationship cf. *FSF 349, No. 187, first four notes and last two
measures ; ASb 68, measure i with up-beat.

Scale: Mode HI. Tonal Center: b-flat. Structure: aa^aSb (2,2,2,2) = aa^
(4.4).

K

'Pretty Fair Maid.' Sung by Y. F. Church. Recorded at Heaton, Avery county,
July 30, 1939. This tune likewise is almost identical with 92L.

 

For melodic relationship cf. **SCSM 424, version D ; SharpK 11 70, No.
98A, as in most of the other versions, measures 1-2 with up-beat.

Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: b-flat. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).

 

"Pretty Fair Maid.' Sung by Mrs. B. Greene. Recorded at Zionville, Watauga
county, September 11, 1939. F. C. B. says in a note: "She had not simg this
song in 35 years." Other titles given are 'Seven Years Song,' and 'The Broken
Token.' The singer does not sing 'I,' but 'me' for the last word of the first
stanza. This text resembles that of version D.


For melodic relationship cf : **SharpK 11 70, No. 98A, first two measures
with up-beat only.

 

Scale : Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center : g. Structure : aaH^a.^ (2,2,2,2) = aa^
(4.4)-

2 You're not the man of noble honor,
You're not the man I've taken you to be.
Or you would not impose on a single lady.
No man on earth can marry me.

3 I have a true lover in the army.
He's been gone for seven long years.
And if he's gone for seven years longer,
No man on earth can marry me.

4 Perhaps he's in some river drowned,
Perhaps he's on some battlefield slain,
Perhaps he's to some foreign girl married,
Then your love is all in vain.

5 If he's in some river drowned.
If he's on some battlefield slain,

If he's to some foreign girl married,
I love the girl who married him.

6 He pulled his hands out of his pocket,
His fingers being very long.

The engagement ring was on his finger.
Seeing it, at his feet she fell.

7 He picked her up all in his arms.
And kisses gave her, one, two, three,
'I am your sweet way-faring stranger,
Just returned to marry thee.'