George Collins- Shiflett (VA) pre-1936 Scarborough B (and C)
[From: A Song Catcher, Scarborough, 1937. All versions are pre-1936 when Scarborough died. Bronson usually give a date of 1931, without documentation.
I've supplied a standard last two lines to the missing lines in stanza three. The Shifflet's are a well known ballad family from Brown's Cove, VA-- documented by Barry Foss in the early 1960s.
Scarborough's version C is also from Shifflet and sung wit ha different melody- only the first stanza is given
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
B. George Collins- Ethel Mae Shiflett (Charlottesville, VA) w/music pre-1936 Scarborough B
George Collins rode home one cold winter night,
George Collins rode home so fine,
George Collins rode home one cold winter night,
Was taken sick and died.
Little Mary was in he parlor room,
Sewing her silks so fine,
And when she heard poor George was dead,
She hung her head and cried.
"Oh daughter, oh daughter what makes you weep so,
There's plenty more boys beside George?"
["Oh mother, George has one my heart,
And now he's dead and gone."]
Oh mother don't you see that dove,
Flying from pine to pine?
It's mourning for his own lost true love
Just like I mourn for mine.
Look up, look down that lonesome road
Hang down your head and cry.
The rest of the friends have had their time,
So now it's you and I.
_________________________________
C. George Collins- sung with a different melody by Ethel Mae Shiflett (Charlottesville, VA) w/music
George Collins rode home one cold winter night,
George Collins rode home so fine,
George Collins rode home one cold winter night,
And then taken sick and died.