Early In the Spring- S. C. (MA) 1908 Barry
[From Folk-Songs of the North Atlantic States, from S. C, Boston, Mass., native of Co. Tyrone collected by Phillips Barry. Reprinted in JAF, Vol. 22 on October 1, 1909 by Phillips Barry in Irish Come-All-Ye's.
"Early in the Spring" is an anomaly of Yon Green Valley that was sung from the male perspective. It was collected by Phillips Barry from a native of County Tyrone, Ireland known only by the initials: S.C.. It was reprinted in Vol. 22 of the JAF on October 1, 1909 in Barry's article, "Irish Come-All-Ye's" and Barry, a renown musicologist from Harvard, offers only a single reference for the tune, and no information about the text. His version was not identified as a version of Yon Green Valley until recently[1].
"Early in the Spring" sung by S.C. of Boston, Mass. a native of County Tyrone.
1. Early early all in the spring,
When gentle small birds begin to sing,
Changing their notes from tree to tree,
As the sun arose over yon green valley.
2. For six long months my love she did prove kind,
And then six after, she changed her mind,
Saying "Farewell, darling, I must away,
You know my parents I must obey!"
3. He held her fast, he would not let her go,
Saying, "Mary, Mary, my mind you know,
Fulfil those vows you made to me,
As the sun arose over yon green valley!"
4. "It was on a book, love, you made me swear,
If you read these few lines, you'll find it there,
That I can't marry, nor no one take,
Nor when you're dead, love none for your sake!"
5. "I'll think no more of her yellow hair,
Her two black eyes are beyond compare,
Her cherry cheeks, and her flattering tongue,
It was it beguiled me when I was young!"
6. Down in yon valley all closed around,
There's nothing there, but the small birds' sound,[2]
[Changing their notes from tree to tree,
As the sun arose over yon green valley.]
7. I sing one verse, and I sing no more,
Since the girl has left me that I adore!
I change my mind like the waving wind,
And I'll dote no more on false womankind!
Clearly two lines are missing in 6th stanza which echos the 1st so I've added them. The 7th stanza is not marked and now begins: "I sing one verse." Both A and B are clearly from the 1800s with B being learned in Ireland-- I'm guessing-- a number of years before the year 1900. The following opening stanza of Winnie Ryan's "Alehouse[3]" begins with a first line like Sailor Boy and is similar to the version from County Tyrone collected and published by Barry:
Oh, it is early, early all in the spring
When the small birds whistle and cheerfully sing,
When they change their note, love, from tree to tree,
And they loudly sung over our valley.
A similar stanza is found in some versions of the traditional Irish ballad, "The Croppy Boy."
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1. I posted Barry's version on Mudcat Forum in February 2017.
2. I've added the next two lines which correspond to several versions-- the closest is William Gilkie's.
3. Originally titled "Early, early in the Spring."