John Willow, My Son- Crawford (VA) 1915 Davis A; Davis FF
[From Davis, Traditional Ballads of Virginia, 1929. His notes follow. This version included the verses about the dogs eating his left-overs (leavings) and dying and ascertains the fact that he is poisoned and is dying. Davis revisits this version in 1932, with music. The entire ballad from 1932 appears below.
R. Matteson 2011, 2014]
LORD RANDAL (Child No. 12)
The famous old story-bearing dialogue between a mother and her son who is poisoned masquerades in Virginia as "John Willow, My Son," "Johnnie Randolph, My Son," "Johnny Rillus" (or "Rilla" or "Rolus" or, "Riller" or "Reynolds"), "Ransel, My Son," "McDonald," "John Elzie," "Billy Randall or A Rope and a Gallows," and "Where Have You Been to, My dear Son?," seldom as "Lord Randal."
In "Johnnie Randolph, My Son," the fame of a distinguished Virginian, John Randolph of Roanoke, has penetrated into ballad tradition. Cox finds the same title in West Virginia. One is glad to find in Bruce's Life evidence that Randolph was himself a ballad fancier and that therefore he may be considered worthy of the ballad's tribute to him, Writing to a niece, February 20, 1820, Randolph says: "Do you know a ballad that used to be sung to me when I was a child by a mulatto servant girl of my cousin Patsy Banister, called Patience, about a rich suitor offering 'his lands so broad' and his golden store to a girl of spirit whose reply was somehow thus?
What care I for your golden treasures?
What care I for your house and land?
What care I for your costly pleasures?
So as I get but a handsome man.
I pray thee get me that ballad. I can give you the tune."
The fame of still another John may be linked with this ballad. Scott's preface to this ballad in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border quotes a manuscript chronicle of England which recounts the death of King John of England in a manner not unlike the ballad account of Lord Randal's death.
Most of the Virginia variants belong with Child A or B, but some show relations with other versions, notably D. Most of the texts here given prefer the "hell and fire" ending of A to the "rope and gallows" idea of B (one substitutes "a keg of powder to blow her sky-high"), but all except two follow B in eliminating the death of the dogs, which elsewhere serves as an indication that the master, too, is poisoned. A general verbal similarity with Child D is to be noted.
Two very interesting survivals among the archives have been excluded as not strictly Virginian. One, "as sung by boys from the East Side of New York City," has the son o' Henry" (cf.Child C) answer that he has been down at grandma's, (cf. Child I, K, R), and finally leave the rope, etc., not to his sweetheart, but to his brother. The other, which comes from Oklahoma and is known as "Durango," indicates the grandmother as the poisoner (cf. Child I). They appear as Appendices A and B.
For American texts, see Barry, No. 10; Brown, p. 9 (North Carolina); Bulletin has 2-5, 7-11; Campbell and Sharp, No. 6 (North Carolina, Georgia); Child, 1, 163 (Massachusetts), 499; Cox, No. 4; Hudson, No. 4 (Mississippi); Journal, XIII, 115 (Newell, Ohio, New York, New Brunswick, Scotch variant obtained in America); XVI 258 (Barry, Rhode Island, Masschusetts, five texts and four melodies); XVIII 195 (Barry, Rhode Island, Maine, text and melody, Massachusetts, nine texts and seven melodies, Connecticut, text and melody, Vermont), 303 (Barry, Vermont, text and melody: XXII, 77 (Barry, Pennsylvania, melody only), 375-(Barry, Maine, text and tune; XXIV,345 (Barry, Maine); 157 (Tolman, fragment); XXX 289, Kittredge Indiana, fragment, New York, fragments, Missouri, fragment and melody), XXXV, 338 (Tolman and Eddy, Illinois, fragment and melody), XXXIX (Whiting, Maine); McGill, p: 19; Pound, Syllabus, p.9 (fragment) Pound, Ballads, No. 1; Shearin, p. 4; Shearin and Combs, p. 7; Shoemaker p. 139; C. A. Smith, p. 79 (New York fragment, Oklahoma, and Great Britain, melodies only), Reed Smith, No. 2; Reed Smith, Ballads, No. 2; Focus, December, 1913; February and March 1914 and The Crimson Rambler Tonkawa, Oklahoma), vol. 8, No. 4. For additional references see Journal XXIX, 157; XXX, 289.
A. "John Willow, My Son." Collected by Miss Juliet Fauntleroy, sung by Mrs. James B. Crawford, of Altavista, Va. Campbell County. September 9, 1915. With music.
1. "Oh where have you been, John Willow my son,
Oh where have you been, my dear little one?"
"I've been to my sweetheart's. Mother make my bed soon,
There's a pain in my heart and I want to lie down."
2. "What did you have for your supper, John Willow, my son?
what did you have for your supper, my dear little one?"
"Eels fried in batter. Mother, make my bed soon;
There's a pain in my heart, and I want to lie down."
3 "What did you do with your leavings, John Willow, my son?
what did you do with your leavings, my dear little one?"
"I gave them to my dogs. Mother, make my bed soon;
There's a pain in my heart, and I want to lie down."
4 "Where are your dogs, John Willow, my son?
Where are your dogs, my dear little one?"
"They lay down and died. Mother, make my bed soon;
There's a pain in my heart, and I want to lie down."
5 "I'm afraid you are poisoned, John Willow, my son,
I'm afraid are poisoned, my dear little one?"
"Oh yes, I poisoned. Mother, make my bed soon;
There's a pain in my heart, and I want to lie down."
6 "What do you will to your father, John Willow, my son,
What do you will to your father, my dear little one?"
"My house and my land. Mother, make my bed soon;
There's a pain in my heart, and I want to lie down."
7. "What do you will to your mother, John Willow, my son,
What do you will to your mother, my dear little one?"
"I wish you a home in heaven. Mother, make my bed soon;
There's a pain in my heart, and I want to lie down."
8. "What do you will to your sister, John Willow, my son,
What do you will to your sister, my dear little one?"
"My horse, saddle, and bridle. Mother, make my bed soon;
There's a pain in my heart, and I want to lie down."
9. "What do you will to your sweetheart, John Willow, my son,
What do you will to your sweetheart, my dear little one?"
"Hell-fire and brimstone, to scorch her so brown:
She's the cause of this pain, and I want to lie down."
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FF. "John Willow, My Son." phonograph record (aluminum) made by A. K. Davis, Jr., sung bv Mrs. J. B. Crawford, of Altavista, Va. Campbell County. August 4, 1932. Text transcribed by P. C. Worthlngton. Tune noted by Winston Wilkinson. This version is the same as TBVa A, with the exception that a stanza relating the death of the dogs has been dropped. The tune, here faithfully transcribed from phonographic singing, may be compared to the earlier notation from the same singer in TBVa, p. 1S6.
1 "Oh, where have you been, John Willow, my son,
Oh, where have you been, my dear little one ?"
"Been to my sweetheart's, Mot-her make my bed soon,
There's a pain on my heart and I want lie down."
"What'd you have for your supper, John Willow, my son,
What'd you have for your supper, my dear little one ?"
"Eels fried in batter, Mother make my bed soon,
There's a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
"What'd you do with your leavings, John Willow, my son,
What'd you do with your leavings, my dear little one?"
"Gave them to my dogs, Mother make my bed soon,
There's a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
"I believe you are poisoned, John Willow, my son,
I believe you are poisoned, my dear little one,"
"Yes, Mother, I'm poisoned, Mother make my bed soon,
There's a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
"What do you will to your father, John Willow, my son,
What do you will to your father, my dear little one ?"
"My house and my land, Mother make my bed soon,
There's a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
"What do you will to your mother, John Willow, my son,
"What do you will to your mother, my dear little one?"
"Wish a home in heaven, Mother make my bed soon,
There's a rill[1] in my heart and I want to lie down."
"What do you will to your sister, John Willow, my son,
What do you will to your sister, my dear little one ?"
"My horse and my saddle, Mother make my bed soon,
There's a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
"What do you will to your sweetheart, John Willow, my son,
What do you will to your sweetheart, my dear little one ?"
"Hell fire and brimstone, Mother make my bed soon,
There's a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
1. The singer seems to say "rill" clearly here.