I Bought My Love A Cherry- Chase (VA) 1954
[American Folk Tales and Songs; Chase 1954. Melody taken from Horton Barker, text is a compilation, the third line is from Susan Reed. One of Barker's versions "Perri Merri" was collected in 1941 by Brown (NC Folklore), I assume he also knew this version as well.
R. Matteson 2014]
I Bought My Love A Cherry
1. I bought my love a cherry that has no stone,
I bought my love a chicken that has no bone
I told my love a story that has no end,
I bought my love a baby and no cryen.
2 How can there be a cherry that has no stone?
How can there be a chicken that has no bone?
How can there be a story that has no end?
How can there be a baby with no cryen?
3 A cherry when it's blooming it has no stone,
A chicken in the egg, it has no bone,
The story of our love, shall have no end,
A baby when it's sleeping, there's no cryen.