Fair Flowers in the Valley- Gainer(WV) 1968 Gainer
[From: Folks Songs from the West Virginia Hills, 1975. In the late 1960s Patrick Gainer was asked by Marie Boette to submit folk songs for her book, Singa Hypsy Doodle. The book was publish in 1971 and includes about a dozen of Gainer's folk songs and ballads. Gainer also began recording the Child ballads (singing unaccompanied) about that time for West Virginia University and a number of them are available on-line-- it looks like he made it to Child 13 before he stopped- for whatever reason.
Occasionally I'd notice that same ballad he published with Boette, he published in his Folk Songs from the West Virginia Hills by a different informant. He sang and has published some of the ballads he collected with Carey Woofter when he was a student (c.1924) that were ballad recreations based on the Child ballads with obvious changed names and often fantastic attributions. In my opinion, (much of this is provable) Gainer has continued recreating ballads with no thought about the effect it may have on the respectability of his work and family (since some of attributions involve family members). For me, he has now entered the realm of folk re-creators like John Jacob Niles, Carey Woofter and Thomas P. Smith (and brother R.E. Lee Smith)-- we can't be sure if the ballad is authentic or a recreation.
This ballad, Babylon, has never been collected in this form[1] in the Appalachian region- not in the last one hundred years yet-- Gainer just happened to collected it from his Aunt Polly Gainer, who at this point was surely dead (Gainer was 70 when his book came out). The only thing left to say is--caveat emptor! Gainer's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
FAIR FLOWERS IN THE VALLEY
(CHILD 14, "BABYLON")
Ballad's are often known by a line of the refrain, as is this one, or by the first line of the song. One does not usually ask a singer for a ballad by title but by telling a summary of the story. As of this writing, this ballad, has neaer before been recorded in West Virginia. Sung by Aunt Polly Gainer, Gilmer County.
1. There were three sisters in the wood.
O fair flow'rs in the valley,
And there they met a robber bold,
And the birds they sing so sweetly.
2 He showed the eldest a weapon knife,
O fair flowers in the valley,
"Will you go with me or lose your life?"
And the birds they sing so sweetly.
(The refrain is repeated with each stanza)
3 "O I'd liever that I'd lose my life,
Before I'll be a robber's wife."
4 Then with his knife so keen and sharp,
He pierced that maiden through the heart.
5 He showed the second his weapon knife,
"Will you go with me or lose your life?"
6 "O I'd liever that I'd lose my life,
Before I'll be a robber's wife."
7 Then with his knife so keen and sharp
He pierced this maiden through the heart.
8. He showed the youngest his weapon knife,
"Will you be mine or lose your life?"
9. "O I will never be your wife,
Nor do I fear to lose my life.
10. "For I have a brother in these woods,
For many years an outlaw bold-
11. "Before he'd let me be your wife,
He'd quickly take away your life."
12. "O sister dear, what have I done?
For now I know I'm your brother John-"
13. He put his knife against his heart,
And from his sister he did part.
1. I don't not have copies of two of the ballads from the Appalachian region.