Charming Billy- Barnes (AR) 1961 Wolf Collection
[From Wolf Folklore Collection online. The informant was born in the 1800s so this is much older than 1961- poor quality version.
Listen to the original recording:
http://web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/barnescharming1265.mp3
R. Matteson 2014]
CHARMING BILLY- Sung by: Mrs. Nettie Huddleston Barnes
Billy boy, Billy boy, charming Billy,
Can you make a cherry pie, charming Billy, charming Billy?
Can you make a cherry pie, charming Billy?
Yes, I can make a cherry pie,
Quick as cat can wink its eye,
But I'm young thing and cannot leave my Mama.
How tall is she, Billy boy, Billy boy?
How tall is she, charming Billy?
She's as tall as a pine, and as crooked as a pumpkin vine,
But she's too young to leave her Mama.
(Comment by Mrs. Huddleston: "Now, I forgot the rest of it. But there's more verses, and she may know the rest of that, too.")