Georgie Jeems- Carlisle (Ark.) c.1912 Randolph G
[Fragment of the older ballad from: Randolph; Ozark Folksongs, Illinois Press, Urbana; 1946 Vol. 1. Notes by Randolph follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
The old ballad "The Lass of Roch Royal" (No 76 in Child's collection) has been reported somewhat rarely from the United States, although twice it was found in West Virginia, by Cox (1925), and Combes (1925). Even here, according to Cox's headnote, it seems to derive from print. But the "who will shoe my foot" line, evidently derived from this ballad, is common in many songs of lovers' parting. A. K. Davis (1929), found several of these pieces in the Virginia collection, but does not admit them to the full status of variants of Child 76. The same is true of Belden (1940), who gives a very full discussion of this question.
Georgie Jeems- Sung by Irene Carlisle, Fayetteville, Ark., Dec 9, 1941. She calls it "Georgie Jeems" and learned it from her grandmother about 1912.
"Oh, who will shoe my narrow, narrow foot,
And who will glove my hand,
And who will wrap my narrow, narrow waist
With a new-made London band?
"Oh who will comb my yellow, yellow hair,
With a new-made silver comb,
And who will father my pretty little babe
Till Georgie Jeems comes home?"
Fair Annie she stood at her true love's door,
And tirled the drawling-pin.
"Rise up, rise up, young Georgie Jeems,
And let your true love in."
"Oh, don't you remember, young Georgie Jeems,
When we two sat to dine,
You taken the ring from off my hand
And changed your ring for mine.
"And yours was good and very, very good
But not so good as mine;
For yours was of the good red gold
But mine the diamonds fine."