Dis Gallus Tree- sung by negroes (BA) Parsons 1918; Bronson
62.
[From Parsons, MAFS, XIII (1918), P. 152.
[Dis Gallus Tree] Maid Freed- Sung by some negroes, Andros Island, Bahamas.
Now, dis was a king had one daughter. He sen' her to school in anoder countree, an' enchanted lan'. He (she) been deah to school. Fall in love wi' a schoolboy name of Jack. Jack belongin' to dat same place. After get through her edication, she went back home. Now, she become a beeg woman, time to beco' engaged. De princess son want to be engaged to her. She won't accep' to her (him). All de high majorities she would accep' to none. One day more'n all, she went out for a walk. In walkin' she pick up a gold watch. She turn back home, she say, "O mommer! look what a beautiful present I picked up!" So her mother didn't stan'. She make de alarm. She say that she steal it. Dat de revenge 'cause she wouldn' cote (court) none of dese high people. In dose days dey don' put you to jail. for stealin', dey hang. Dey make dc gallows ready to be hung. Dey took her down where dey had de gallers rig. An' deah she stud up.
[The tune is embedded in the following text.]
"Moder, moder, is you brought me any gold an' silver too
To take me off dis gallus tree?"
"Oh, no! my dear daughter I brought you no gol',
I brought you no silver too;
For I came from home to see you hang
An' hand you mus' be hang."
Den she sing out for de fader. She axed de fader if he brought any gol' an' silver to take her off de gallus.
"Fader, fader,is you brought me any gold an' slver too
To take me off dis gallus tree?"
"Oh, no! my dear daughter I brought you no gol',
I brought you no silver too;
For I came from home to see you hang
An' hand you mus' be hang."
Den she say, "Hol' on, hol' on for a while!"
I see my truelove coming down the path."
Den she sing,--(repeat the first two musical phrases to the words following )
"True love, true love,
Is you brought me any gold or silver too
To take me off dis gallus tree?"
No answer, he was too far. [Repeat as before.]
"True love, true love,
Is you brought me any gold or silver too
To take me off dis gallus tree?"
No answer [Repeat music from third phrase onward]
"Yes, yes, my dear belov', I brought you some gol'
I brought you some silver too;
For I come from home to saw you save.
An' save you mus' be save."
An' when he got to de place where was de gallus rig, he roll down one bag of gol'. He has two double-team, one wi' gol',
one with silver. An' he took her down an' pay her one bag o' gol'. An' as she jump in de carriage, I was right alongside, an' I dart, knock me right here to tell you dat little lie.