Jimmy Randall- George Test (NJ) 1936 Halpert C
[From: Some Ballads and Folk Songs from New Jersey by Herbert Halpert; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 52, No. 203 (Jan. - Mar., 1939), pp. 52-69. His notes follow.
Cf. Halpert version A, B
R. Matteson 2016]
SHOOTING OF HIS DEAR
I have secured several variants of this interesting ballad. The two texts I include in full are obviously closely parallel. They show the amount of minor variation possible to the same song in a limited area. The melody and its variant come from members of the same family and exhibit a similar tendency in a more restricted sphere. For other versions and references see Sharp-Karpeles I, No. 50; add Hudson, Folksongs of Mississippi, No. 32; Scarborough, A Song Catcher in Southern Mountains, p. 117; BFSSNE No. 10, p. 12 (see also for an interesting discussion of the swan-fawn motifs.).
C. JIMMY RANDALL- Sung by George Test, near New Egypt, N. J., March 26, 1937. Mr. Test is a brother of the previous singer (Version B). He did not recall additional verses, but his variation of the tune is quite interesting. His brother was not present at the recording of the tune.
[music upcoming)
1. Oh Jimmy Randall went fowling one evening of late,
When he shot his own true love and her beauty was great.