Lamkin- Carter (KY) 1917 Sharp C
[Title probably should be Old Lamkin for Bold Lamkin. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians; collected by Cecil J. Sharp and Olive Dame Campbell; Edited by Maud Karpeles; 1932, Volume I. Notes from 1932 edition follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
No. 27. Lamkin.
Texts without tunes:—Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads y No. 93. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xiii. 117; xxix. 162.
Texts with tunes :—Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, i. 61. E. M. Leather's Folk-Lore of Herefordshire, p. 199. Journal of the Folk-Song Society, i. 212 ; ii. 111; p. 81. Gavin Greig's Last Leaves, No. 34. Folk-Songs of England, iv, p. 38 (also published in English Folk Songs, Selected Edition, ii. 24, and One Hundred English Folk-Songs, p. 62). Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxxv. 344. British Ballads from Maine, p. 200. Davis's Traditional Ballads of Virginia, pp. 354 and 583.
Sharp diary 1917 page 259. Saturday 8 September 1917 - Beattyville
Go off to Proctor again in the morning and pay Mrs Carter another visit to very good purpose. She sings me seven or eight more, all well worth taking down. This has been one of the richest weeks we have had, though a short one because of travelling 2 days. We draw other houses but get nothing else of value. As we intend to leave for Jackson tomorrow we begin packing in the afternoon, arranging about our transport & making other preparations in which we get no help, merely supercilious interest from the egregious Mrs Jones & Co. Make friends with Rev Alex Patterson the Episcopal minister who takes great interest in what I am doing. Everyone here very nice & friendly barring the hotel people. We are both nearly starved. I am eating nothing and Maud very little, partly because of the heat which is stifling but mainly because of the indifferent food.
C. Lamkin. Sung by Mrs. FRANCIS CARTER at Beattyville, Lee Co., Ky., Sept. 8, 1917
Pentatonic. Mode 3 (Tonic Bb).
1. Old Lamkin was as good a mason
As ever laid a stone.
He built the fin est cas tie,
And payment he had none.
2 Then at such an hour
The king rode from home,
Saying : Beware of old Lamkin,
He'll be here at noon.
3 What cares I for Lamkin,
Or any other man?
My doors are all locked
And my windows pinned down.
4 At twelve o'clock at night
Old Lamkin come,
And no one so ready
As the false nurse to let him in.
5 How could we get her downstairs
On such a dark night?
Why, we'll stick her little baby
Full of needles and pins.
6 What a pity, what a pity,
Cried old Lamkin.
No pity, no pity,
Cried the false nurse to him.
7 Pretty Betsy coming downstairs
Not thinking any harm,
And there stood old Lamkin
To catch her in his arms.
8 O spare my life, Lamkin,
0 spare it, I pray.
You shall have as much gay gold
As my horse can carry away.
9 What cares I for your gay gold,
Or any other thing?
1 have got my desire,
That's all I do crave.
10 O spare my life, Lamkin,
O spare it, I pray.
You shall have my daughter Betsy,
My own blooming flower.
11 Keep your daughter Betsy
To wade through the blood
And scour the silver basin
That catched your own heart's blood.