[How Came This blood?] Edward- Jean Ritchie (KY) pre1920- pub.1965
[My title, replacing the generic Edward. Learned by Jean Ritchie from her sisters, Una and May, who learned it in the early 1900s at Hindman school, KY published with music in 1965. Since Una Ritchie was a 1920 Hindman School graduate, the date would be pre-1920.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
How Came This Blood? (Edward)- Jean Ritchie
"How came this blood on your shirt sleeve,
Oh dear love, tell me?"
"It is the blood of that old gray mare
That ploughed the field for me, me, me.
That ploughed the field for me."
"It does look too pale for the old gray mare,
That ploughed the field for thee, thee, thee,
That ploughed the field for me."
"How came this blood on your shirt sleeve,
Oh dear love, tell me?"
"It is the blood of my old gray hound
That chased the fox for me, me, me,
That chased the fox for me.'
"It does look too pale for that old gray hound,
That chased the fox for thee, thee, thee,
That chased the fox for thee."
"How came this blood on your shirt sleeve,
Oh dear love, tell me?"
"It is the blood of my brother-in-law
That went away with me, me, me,
That went away with me."
"And its what will you do now, my love,
Oh dear love, tell me?"
"I'll set my foot into yonders ship,
And sail across the sea, sea, sea,
Sail across the sea."
"And its when will you come back my love,
Oh dear love, tell me?"
"When the moon sinks yonder in the sycamore tree,
And that will never be, be, be,
And that will never be.