Constant Farmer's Son- Annie Syphers (ME) 1933 Flanders
[From "Irish Songs From Old New England" Folk Legacy CD132 (2003); taken from the Flanders collection by Louis Killen. Liner notes follow.
R. Matteson 2016]
Louis Killen sang The Constant Farmer's Song on the 2003 CD Irish Songs from Old New England. Dan Milner commented in the liner notes:
Sam Henry, the Irish folk song collector who corresponded extensively with Helen Hartness Flanders, included a text of The Constant Farmer's Song in his weekly newspaper column in 1939 calling it a “universal favourite”. The Flanders singer was Annie Syphers of Monticello, Maine. Singing now is Louis Killen who was born in Gateshead, Co. Durham, England, of Irish parentage. Lou is widely regarded as a ballad singer of the highest stature. He lived for many years in Maine and Massachusetts and sang for seven years with the Clancy Brothers.
The Constant Farmer's Son- from Annie Syphers of Maine; arranged and sung by Louis Killen.
There was a fair damsel in London Town did dwell.
She was proper, tall and handsome; her parents loved her well.
She was admired by lords and squires but all their hope was vain
For there was one old farmer's son who Mary's heart did gain.
A long time they courted and appointed the wedding day.
Her parents they consented but her brothers they did say,
“A wealthy lord has pledged his words and him she shall not shun.
We'll first betray and then we'll slay the constant farmer's son.”
There being a fair all out of town her brothers went to play:
They invited young William with them to spend the day.
When mark—returning home again—they said his race was run
And with a stake the life did take of the constant farmer's son.
As Mary on her pillow lay she dreamed a dreadful dream,
She dreamed she saw her William dear down by a flowery stream.
She then arose, put on her clothes to seek her love did run
There dead and cold she did behold the constant farmer's son.
She gazed on his rosy cheeks all mangled in his gore.
She kissed his ruby lips and she kissed them ten times o'er and o'er.
She pulled the green leaves from the trees to shade him from the sun,
While night and day she spent her way with the constant farmer's son.
Hunger came on this poor girl, she wept with grief and woe;
To find out his murderers, she straightway home did go.
“Oh, parents dear, you soon shall hear of a dreadful deed that's done,
In yonder vale lies cold and pale the constant farmer's son.”
Her brothers they confessed their guilt and for the same they died
While Mary on her pillow lay and never ceased from crying.
“Oh, parents dear, you'll soon find the glass of life has run!”
And Mary cried and in sorrow died for the constant farmer's son.