John Gobillips- Johnson (VA) 1939 Halpert REC
[From Bronson, Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads 1 p.384-402 (version 26). Collected Herbert Halpert, LC/AAFS rec. 2760 A3. Also under the title John G. Billups; WPA Collection, Univ. of Virginia, Charlotteville, No.1433 -Collector Emory L. Hamilton.
R. Matteson 2014]
John Gobillips- Mrs. Polly Johnson, Wise Virginia, 1939
John Gobillips, go take my fine shirt
And tear it from gore to gore
And wrap my bleeding wounds in hit
That they may bleed no more.
John Gobillips he tuck his fine shirt
And he tore it from gore to gore
And he wrapped his bleeding wounds in hit
But they still bled more and more.
John Gobillips, go dig my grave
And dig it both wide and deep
And bury my Bible under my head
And my bow or knife at my side
That I may sleep the more.