Lord Batesman- Couch (KY) c.1840 collected in 1952 Roberts; In the Pine
[From Roberts; In the Pines, 1978, with music. Roberts and Agey's notes follow. Their contention that more versions have been collected in Kentucky may be correct, rivaled only by Virginia and North Carolina. They don't mention some versions from Kentucky that are in my collection.
Jim Couch was born in 1902 and died in 1978. His father Thomas was born in 1867, his grandfather John was born in 1840. According to Roberts (information from the informant), this incomplete version is quite old as sung by Thomas Couch's grandfather, Anderson (Couch/Cauch). Listen: http://dla.acaweb.org/cdm/ref/collection/berea/id/196
Harlan County borders Virginia and areas of the county were settled before the Revolutionary War.
R .Matteson 2012, 2014]
More texts have been found in Kentucky than in any other state. There are five in SharpK, five in my collection, and one or more in KySyll, DD, BB, KMFS, and LT. The present one was sung with banjo in 1952 by Jim Couch, age about 50, Harlan County (printed in TSCF, no. 2).
SCALE: Pentatonic (g a b d e). MODE: III. Plagal. RANGE: d'- e' (Major 9th). TONAL CENTER: G. PHRASE STRUCTURE: A B C A1 (2,2,2,2). MELODIC RELATIONSHIP: Opening phrase is reminiscent of the "Come all ye" tunes. See "Silvet Dagger" and "Some have Fathers Gone to Glory" in this collection for melodic similarity.
Lord Batesman- Jim Couch (KY) 1952 Roberts
1. There was a man in England born,
He was of some high degree;
He lived the life and was contented,
And he took his voyage on the sea.
2. He sailed the east and he sailed west
He sailed over to the Turkish shore,
And there he was caught and put in prison
And he never expected his freedom any more.
3. That Turkish had a lovelie[1] lady,
She was of some high degree,
She stoled the keys from her father's castle
And said, "Lord Batesman, I'll set you free."
4. "Have you houses and rich land?
Are you of some high degree?
Will you will it all to the Turkish lady
If out of this prison she'll set you free?"
5. "I have houses and rich land
I am of some high degree
I'll will it all to the Turkish lady
If out of this prison she'll set me free."
6. She took him down to her father's hall
She drew a glass of the strongest wine
And there she gave and drink unto him
And said, "Lord Batesman, you are mine."
1. as sung, written "lovely."