George Collins- Presley (NC) 1915 Campbell
[From: Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at VWML) (CJS1/11/49). This was a MS given to Sharp from Campbell, whether she collected it is unknown. She is listed as the collector.
The beginning is confused and combines incorrectly several verses with partial verses. The first two lines, for example, are missing.
R. Matteson 2015]
George Collins- Sung by Mrs. Presley, 1915 Haywood County, North Carolina. Collected by Olive Dame Campbell?
Last Wednesday night George Collins came home
Took down sick and died.
His own true-love in the next door-yard,
Was sewing her silks so fine,
When she heard George Collins was dead,
She laid her silks aside.
She fell down on her bended knew,
She weep[ed], she mourned, she cried.
Oh Mary ! Oh Mary! get up from there,
Why are you weeping so,
There's many young men a-standing around,
For to see you weep and mourn.
Oh Mother! Oh Mother! I know there are t'other young men,
To see me weep and mourn.
But I've followed George Collins day by day,
And I'll follow him to his grave.
God pity the dove that mourns for love,
And flies from pine to pine,
May they be as true to their own true loves,
As I have been to mine.