Georgie- O'Bryant (KS) c.1959 Hunter B
[From The Max Hunter Collection. Joan O'Bryant surely collected this version of Georgie, there's no information of her source. She made some recordings for Max Hunter in 1959. I'll assume this recording was made at that time, since no date is given on Hunter's site. This is another example of the Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas versions similar to Parler's 1954 version and the other Hunter 1969 version (not Strayer's Missouri version which is a cover of Doc Watson).
Bio: Joan O'Bryant was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1923. She attended Wichita University, where she graduated with of Masters of Arts in Creative Writing in 1949. After graduation she worked on plans for a folklore studies class. Soon after she was teaching folklore studies classes at the university, as well as in Pittsburg, Kansas and Gunnison, Colorado, during the summers. Joan O'Bryant was also an accomplished singer and guitar player and released two records of authentic folk music on Folkways Records in the late 1950s. O'Bryant was killed in an automobile accident near Ouray, Colorado in 1964.
The Joan O'Bryant Kansas Folklore Collection is housed at The Wichita Public Library.
R. Matteson 2013]
Georgie - As sung by Joan O'Bryant, Wichita, Kansas c. 1959
Listen: http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=1389
VERSE 1
As I was crossin' London's bridge
One misty mornin' early
There, I spied a pretty fair Miss
A lamenting for her Georgie
VERSE 2
She said, go saddle me my black
An' bridle him most gaily
And I will ride this live long night
An' pleed for the life of Georgie
VERSE 3
She rode, she rode, till she came there
Was in th mornin' early
And on her bended knee, she fell
Saying, spare me the life of Georgie
VERSE 4
She pulled out a purse of gold
Said, lawyers, money plenty
Just, fee yourselves an' think on me
And pleed for the life of Georgie
VERSE 5
Georgie's lawyer, he rose up
Said, I've nothin' at all against him
By his own confession, he must die
O, the Lord, have mercy on him
VERSE 6
Th Judge, looked over his left shoulder
He looked both sad and sorry
Said, my pretty fair Miss, you've come too late
Georgie's t' be hung tomorrow
VERSE 7
Georgie walked up an' down th hall
A bidding adieu to many
But when he come to his own true love
That grieved him worse than any
VERSE 8
Georgie was hung with silken rope
Such ropes there were not many
Georgie was of a noble race
And was loved by virtous lady
VERSE 9
Georgie was buried in Holland State
And over him grew a willow
With a marble stone to his head an' feet
An' his true loves arm for a pillow