Lamfin- Shelton (GA) c.1936 Niles
[No date given. From The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles; 1961. Niles comments (notes) are hilarious (Lamfin, a brick mason was from Philadelphia) and astounding (this was sung in the Louisville school system). Those remarkable tidbits are somewhat believable.
This doesn't assuage the feeling that the ballad is a recreation. That feeling starts in the first measure when he rhymes brick with kick- two words not traditionally found in any traditional version.
R. Matteson 2015]
Lamfin (Niles No. 38) -sung by Aunt Annie Shelton of Cleveland, Ga. before 1936.
1. Young Lamfin laid a many a stone,
He laid a many a brick,
But when he asked for his bricklaying pay,
All he got was a kick,
All he got was a kick.
2. The landlord started to London,
To buy rings one, two, three.
"Beware if Lamfin knocks the door
And makes you think it's me."
(repeat last line of each verse)
3. The tower bell, hit struck a twelve,
Young Lamfin he did come,
And none was so gay as the false nurse herself
To run and let him in.
4. "How can we get her down the stair,
So cold and dark the night?"
"We'll stick her baby full of pins,
And he'll cry with pain and fright."
5. "Go feed my child with breast-milk,
Feed him a little pap.
Rock him in his cradle
Or rock him in your lap."
6. The landlady came running down the stair,
Not thinking any harm,
When Lamfin struck upon her
And held her in his arm.
7. "I'll give you of my daughter,
I'll give you all your pay,
And you shall have all the gold
Your horse can haul away."
8. He would not have her daughter,
He would not have the fee.
The false maid and young Lamfin
Has killed the landlady.
9. Oh, bonny was the blackbird,s voice
With many a tune and trill,
And high was Lamfin's scaffold
That stood upon the hill.
10. Oh, sweetly sang the wild birds
As music they did make,
And see the false maid dyin',
Burn-ed at the stake.