Little Margaret- Ramsey (NC) 1957 Recording
[From the recording- Blue Ridge Banjo by Obray Ramsey; 1957. Certainly this could be a cover of Bascom Lamar Lunsford's version, however the banjo style is Ramsey's. Ramsey recording his version at least three times: [Listen: Obray Ramsey 1957 Recording]
Notes from Traditional Music in Madison County, NC follow,
R. Matteson 2014]
On the Road — Byard Ray & Obray Ramsey [From Traditional Music in Madison County, NC]
"I was lucky enough to be discovering music at a time when Byard was living in Sodom Laurel because he loved to take young folk under his wing and show them how to play different musical instruments and sing the local ballads." Interview with Joe Penland, July 2010
One of the Mitchell Wallin descendants who was “discovered” during the resurgence of interest in folk music in the 1960s was Byard (pronounced Bard) Ray (1910-1988) whose great uncle was Mitchell Wallin (the fiddler who played for Cecil Sharp).
Byard Ray grew up in the area known as Sodom Laurel surrounded by the tradition of music, stories, and ballads being passed along orally among family members and friends in the community, playing the fiddle from the age of seven. He recorded some albums with his cousin, Obray Ramsey, in the 1960s and a few more as a solo musician, as a studio musician, and with groups (Laurel Mountain Boys and Appalachian Folk) in later years. In his career, he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant and also taught banjo and fiddle at Berea and Warren Wilson College. When a New York producer discovered Byard and Obray, they became the first musicians from Madison County to travel all over the world playing our traditional Madison County music. Byard lived long after he recorded and toured and Joe Penland wrote a song about Byard called “After the Fame is Gone” which describes some of his memories of this great talent after he retired from touring.
Obray Ramsey, cousin to Byard Ray also grew up in the fertile Madison County land with talented musical relatives. He learned the guitar at a young age but became most famous for his style of banjo playing. He played, toured, and recorded with Ray as White Lightnin’ and, like his cousin, played with many other groups and on his own.
Little Margaret- Obray Ramsey (NC) 1957 Recording
[Listen: Obray Ramsey 1957 Recording]
Little Margaret* is sitting in her high hall chair,
Combing back her long, yeller hair,
She saw Sweet William and his new-made bride
Riding up the road somewhere.
She threw down her iv'ry comb,
She threw back her long yellow hair,
Said, "I'll go out and bid him farewell,
And never more go there."
It was so late, late in the night
When they were fast asleep,
Little Margaret appeared, all dressed in white,
Standing at their bed feet.
[banjo break]
"How do you like your snow-white pillow
"How do you like your sheet?
How do you like your fair little maiden
That lies in your arms asleep?"
"O well do I like my snow-white pillow,
"O well do I like my sheet,
Much better do I like that pretty little maiden
That stands at my bed feet."
He called on his serving man to go,
And saddled his dappled roan.
Then He went to her father's house at night,
And he knocked at the door alone.
"Is Lady Margaret in her room,
Or is she in the hall?"
"Little Margaret's in her coal-black coffin,
With her face turned to the wall."
Unfold, unfold those snow- white robes,
Be they ever so fine.
Let me kiss them cold cold lips,
For I know they will never kiss mine.
Once he kissed her little-white hand,
Twice he kissed her cheeks,
Three times he kissed her cold cold lips
And fell in her arms asleep.
And fell in her arms asleep.
*Mar'gret