Johnnie Randolph, My Son- Steele (VA) 1902 Davis H; Davis CC
[From Davis, Traditional Ballads of Virginia, 1929. His notes follow. This version is missing the standard second line. Davis revisits this singer in 1931, recording this version again. He prints the version with music in More Traditional Ballads, 1960. Music upcoming. The only variant of the text is the last line, "I've a pain in my heart. . ."
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 chlld by a mulatto servant girl of mv 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, Cornecticut, 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.
H. "Johnnie Randolph, My Son." Sent in by Miss Martha M. Davis. Sung by Mr. Edgar J. Steele. Rockingham County. January 20, 1914. "This ballad was taught me by a domestic whose home was in the mountains of West Rockingham" (Edgar J. Steele). "Edgar J. Steele is one of our high school boys. The woman from whom he learned 'Johnnie Randolph' about twelve years ago could scarcely read and write" (Miss Davis, January 20, 1914).
1. "What did you have for your supper, Johnnie Randolph, my son?"
"Eel fried in butter, mother make my bed soon,
I have a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
2 "What did you will to your mother, Johnnie Randolph, my son?"
"My love and my kindness; mother, make my bed soon,
I have a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
3 "What did you will to your father, Johnnie Randolph, my son?"
"My horse, saddle, and bridle; mother, make my bid soon,
I have a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
4 "What did you will to your brother, Johnnie Randolph, my son?"
"My boots and my clothes; mother, make my bed soon,
I have a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
5 "What did you will to your sister, Johnnie Randolph, my son?"
"A sweet stay in heaven mother, make my bed soon,
I have a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."
6 "What aid you-will to your true love, Johnnie Randolph, my son?"
"Hell-fire and brimstone; mother, make my bed soon,
I have a pain on my heart and I want to lie down."