[Upcoming- this page is storage for texts until I start working on this section]
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"Old Granny Wales," undoubtedly the title of the original song, appeared as the first song in the original Green Mountain Songster published by the Unknown Soldier of Sandgate and dated April 8, 1823. I am not certain whether these are the original words. The Green Mountain Songster is a rare pamphlet printed in 1823, giving the traditional songs known to a certain "Revolutionary Soldier" of Sandgate, Vermont. This pamphlet is part of the Vermont collection of Mr. Harold Rugg, formerly of Proctorsville, Vermont, now a librarian at Dartmouth College Library. It was his copy of The Green Mountain Songster which the editors of Vermont Folk Songs and Ballads used to publish the texts of certain songs."
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BFSSNE 11, p.18
American Ballads
THE COWBOY'S LAMENT
(Addenda to Bulletin 7, 16-18;8, 16-17)
Mr.Franz H. Blanchard, North Brewer, Maine, informs us that the Girl's Lament which he first heard sung in 1897,
by a Province man named Rogers is rather well known to Maine woodsmen. On June 14, 1934, we took a dictaphone record of Mr. Blanchard's singing of the air, which we here print as transcribed:
It now aPpears that the Norah McShane-Lake Chemo air to which the
Cowboy's Lament is now commonly sung, was traditional farther East than Maine. No other known version of The Bad' Girl's
Lament is sung to it, but the evidence of
Mr. Blanchard's version is significant. It
not only strengthens the case for the eastern source
of the air as current in the
West, but shows that the replacement of
lhe Unfortunate Rake air by the Noroh
Mcshane-Lake Chemo air in the tradition
of The Cowboy's Lament was by direct
transfer from the Bad Girl's Lament, by
some singer who observed, the close similarity of the two songs.
The Cowboy's Lament, revamped, military funeral and all, as The Wild Lumberjack, is said to be popular in Potter
Co., Pennsylvania lumbercamps (Shoemaker Pennsylvania Mountain Min'strelsy, 2nd Ed"', PP. 196-7.) P' B'
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Anecdotes, Poetry, and Incidents of the War: North and South : 1860-1865 By Frank Moore 1866
[Sweet Sailor Boy] William H. Landreth:
1. Father father bild Me a Boat
and put it on the ocean that I may float
her father was welthy he bilt her a Boat
an pot it on the oason that
She Mite float She Stopte on the Boat She eride out Goy
Now I'll find my sweet salar Boy.
2. She handent Bin Snilcn far on the Main
She Spide three Ships come in from Spain
She hailed each captain as ho drew nigh
An of him She did in quire of her swee Salar Boy.
3.' Captain Captain tell now true
if my sweet william is in your crew
II tell you far lady II tell you My Dear
your Sweet William is not hear.
4. At the head of rockeyilent as we past By
Will was taken Sick an thare did die
She stove her boat a gains a rock
I thaut in my Soal her heart was Break
She rong her band She toar her hair
Jest like a lady in dis pair.
5. go bring me a Chair for to set on
a pen and ink for to set it down at the end or ever line she dropt a tire at the end of ever virs it was o My dire.
6. go dig my grave booth Wide an deep
poot a marvel Stone at my head an feet an on my breast you may carv a dove too let the world no that I dide for love. Wm. H. Landbeth
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BFSSNE- Vol. 8,
THE TRUE LOVERS BOLD.
I. Sung by Mrs. Guy R. Hathaway, Mattawamkeag, Maine, June 13, 1932. Air transcribed from phonograph record by P. B. Note slight variants in the Text, as sung for record.
"It's adieu to lovely Flora," one morning he did say,
"I am forced, I am called to go away
Unto some foreign shore, where the cannons loud do roar,
In battle when the stormy winds do blow."
Like a maiden in despair, she tore her yellow hair,
Saying, "Along with you I will go
Unto some foreign shore, where it's loud the cannons roar,
In battle when the stormy winds do blow."
"Oh, no, my lovely Flora, I am sure you must be mad,
To venture your sweet life upon the deep;
Instead of going aloft, upon your pillow soft
Contented at home you might be."
"Oh, you need not persuade, for I am not afraid;
Alone with you I'll go
Unto some foreign shore, where it's loud the cannons roar
In battle when the stormy winds do blow,"
Ye true lovers bold, come listen unto me;
A story I'm going to unfold;
Young Flora was a damsel both virtuous and kind,
And young James was a "galliant" sailor bold,
And young James was a "galliant" sailor bold.
Six years lovely Flora she sailed o'er the sea,
Respected by all her ship's crew;
And it never yet was said that young Flora was a maid,
In her trousers and jacket so blue.
On occasion she would fight from morning until night,
Hard-to to the battle she would go;
She would stand by her gun, do her duty like a man,
In battle when the stormy winds do blow.
At length they were discharged, and they both were enlarged;
Straightway unto the captain he did go,
Saying, "Here behold a maid that never was afraid,
In battle when the stormy winds do blow."
Now the captain he did stare when those words he did hear,
He looked on her with surprise;
And he shouted with delight as he gazed on her so bright,
And the tears fell in torrents from his eyes.
"Ye true lovers bold, here is fifty pounds in gold,
To see you get married I will go;
And you can in joy be blest; upon your pillow rest,
Stay at home when the stormy winds do blow."
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[From: Maryland Folk Legends and Folk Songs, Carey; 1973
pThe LonelY Life a ShePherd Leads
The Lonely Life of a Sheperd
From the singing of spearman Lancaster, Rock Point, Maryland;
collected by Themus Boyd, May, 1971. Mr. Spearman is a sheep-
herder himself and cla"ims the song is very old. Initial research has not
turned uP any other versions of the song'
1. Oh the herdin' man he's a lonely one,
For he alwaYs has to roam'
He spends his nlghts out wlth his flock;
The barnYard ls hls rome,
Oh, the barnYard ls his rome'
2. Wind and rain and cold and snow,
He alwaYs has to go'
He has few frlends,
But a corral his home,
Hets a lonelY so and so'
3. He never has a reg'lar bed,
Just moldY 'aY or straw'
No Ptace tb taY tris Poor wearY head'
Sut that lonelY sheePhouse floor,
But that lonelY sheePhouse floor'
4. Sometimes he'll drlnk his whlskey stralght'
Sometlmes he'll kneel and PraY'
But he can't escape tbat 'orrible tate,
Oh, he's a lonelY man I saY,
Oh, a lonelY man I saY'
5. Sometlmes he'll take an honeet bath'
Sometlmes he'll rub wlth snow'
;;t;iiii h"'ll smell worse than the barnvard of hell;
My Poor wife will tell You so,
My Poor wtfe wtll tell You so.
6. Sometimes he'd 'ave a bit of love
To warm his lonelY soul'
But ehe gives hlm sass'
And she scalds hls Poor leg'
And she drlves hlm back tn the cold.
?. He can't eccape that 'orrible smell,
It lasts untll the grave'
Poor bloke's aone trad hls ehare of hell'
We iust know hle soul is saved,
Oh, we know his soul is saved.