George Collins- Keever (GA) 1910 Campbell/Rawn
[From: Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at VWML) (CJS1/11/48). Credited as collected by Olive Dame Campbell. This version was not collected by Sharp but was sent to him from Mrs. Campbell's collection which was a collaboration with other members of the Council of Southern Mountain Workers, in this case it was Isabel Rawn of the Martha Berry School of Georgia who sent the text to Campbell.
R. Matteson 2015]
George Collins- Mollie Keever, 1910, Rabun County, Georgia
Last Wednesday night George Collins rode on,
He rode so slow and fine,
Last Wednesday night George Collins rode on,
And then took sick and died.
His loving little Mary was in the hall,
Sewing her silk so fine,
But when she heard that George had died,
She threw it all aside.
"Oh daughter, oh daughter don't take it so hard,
there is more young men than George."
"Oh mother, he is all my heart,
And now I'm left alone."
Just look up yonder at that lonesome dove,
It's flying from pine to pine,
It's weeping for its own true love,
Oh why not I for mine.
Set[1] the coffin down[2], take off the lid,
Spread back the sheet so fine.
Let me kiss those clay cold lips,
I know they'll never kiss mine.
She followed him up, she followed him down,
She followed him to his grave.
And kneeling low on bended knee,
She mourned, he cried, she prayed.
1. originally "Sit"
2. Originally "dawn"