Lady Gay- (KY) 1923 Raine/Sharp book
[No informant named. From: Raine & Sharp, Mountain Ballads for Social Singing (1923) pp.26-27. This is not one of texts published (it somewhat resembles Sharp I) so I assume it's one from James Watt Raine, likely from a student or it's a compilation- although it seems to be too short to be a compilation. The tune is Sharp I, from Mrs. L. K. Flannery collected while Sharp was in Beree at Raine's office.
R. Matteson 2015]
LADY GAY
1. There was a lady and a lady gay,
And children she had three;
She sent them away to the North Amerikee
For to learn those grammaree.
2 They had been gone but a little time,
Three months perhaps and a day,
When sickness swept all over the land
And took those babes away.
3. She prayed if their was a king in heaven
Who chose to wear a crown,
That he would send them home that night
Or in the morning soon.
4 It was about old Christmas time,[1]
The nights being long and cold,
She dreamed she saw her sweet little babes
Come running to their home.
4 She spread for them a milk-white cloth,
And on it put bread and wine.
Come sit you down my pretty babes,
Come eat and drink of mine.
5 We may not eat of your bread, mother,
Nor drink none of your wine,
For yonder stands our Savior dear,
And to him we must join[2].
6 Awake, awake, said the eldest one,
Now soon the cock will crow,
I see our Savior smiling down,
And to Him we must go.
8 Cold clods of clay lie over our heads
Green grass grows at out feet,
You've shed tears enough for us, mother,
To wet our[3] winding sheet.
1. On Old Christmas, January 6, the spirits communicate with friends. [Raine]
2. pronounced "jine."
3. originally it has "a" instead our "our"