The Sister's Murder- Hammons (W. Virginia) late 1960s , early 1970s
[My title, replacing Gainer's title. From West Virginia University Library online. I assume and am fairly certain that Maggie Hammons is Maggie Hammons Parker of the famous WV Hammons family. It's not clear whether this was collected by Patrick Ward Gainer (1904-1981) or whether Hammons was recorded by the University. Gainer published a version with the same title sung by Jack Hamrick in his 1975 book, Folk Songs From the West Virginia Hills.
The online material was done by Gainer in the late 1960s and early 1970s as he was preparing his book.
R. Matteson 2011, 2014]
[Daughters Three]- Maggie Hammons [Parker] (W. Virginia) c.1960s; Transcription R. Matteson (incomplete)
[Listen: Hammons (copy and paste into browser)]
https://www.libraries.wvu.edu/collections/patrickgainer/media/Sng10iSistersMurder.mp3
1. There was an old woman lived on the sea shore,
With a bow down,
With a bow and ever to me. [1]
There was an old woman lived on the sea shore,
And daughters she had three or four,
Oh I'll be true to my love,
My love will be true to me.
2. Well the youngest one she had a beau,
With a bow down, with a bow and ever to me.
The youngest one she had a beau,
And the oldest one she had none,
Oh I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.
3. Well, the first he bought her was a beaver hat,
With a bow down, with a bow and ever to me.
The first he bought her was a beaver hat,
And the eldest got mad at that,
Oh I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.
4. Well the next thing he bought her was a diamond pin,
With a bow and down, with a bow and ever to me.
The next thing he bought her was a diamond pin,
He never bought the oldest nary a thing
Oh I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.
[upcoming]
1. usually "with a bow and balance to me."