Awake, Awake- Hattie Presnell (NC) 1966 Burton
[From Folksongs II, Burton and Manning, 1969. See her father-in-laws version (Lee Monroe Presnell) on which this is based. Hattie obviously added from other versions but the changes are minor. She also called her version "Katie Dear" which is not found in Lee Monroe's text.
R. Matteson 2016]
"Awake, Awake, My Old True Lover" sung by Hattie Presnell of Beech Mountain in 1966.
1 Awake, awake, my old true lover;
Awake, arise, it's almost day.
How can you bear those thoughts of[1] sleeping,
And your true love going away?
2 "Oh, who is that a-knocking at my window?
I pray you'll tell to me."
"It's me, it's me, your old true lover;
Awake, arise, come pity me."
3 "Katie dear, go and ask your father
If this night you could be my bride.
If he says no, so return and tell me;
[It will] be my last time ever bother thee."
4 "I can't go and ask my father,
For he's in his room takin' a rest,
And by his side there lies a wheapon[2],
To kill the one that I love best."
5. "Oh, Katie dear, go and ask your mother
If this night you could be my bride.
If she says no, so return and tell me;
[It'll] Be my last time ever bother thee.
6 "I can't go and ask my mother
For she's on her bed a-takin' a rest,
You may go and court some other
And whisper soft-lie in her ear.
7 "I will go to some wide river,
Spend my days, my months my years;
Eat everything but the green growing willow,
Also drink my flowing tears.
8 "Come back, come back, my old true lover
And stay a little while with me.
I will forsake my dear old mother
And go along by the side of thee."
1. Lee Monroe sang, "soft, soft"
2. Burton's spelling