Lord Randal- Eva Case (MO) 1916 Belden C
[From Ballads and Songs collected by the Missouri Folk-Lore Society, 1940, ed. Belden. An excerpt of his notes follow. Despite what Belden says in his notes, this version as given by Eva Warner Case is exceptional and complete. It has the fairly rare stanza about the dogs (hounds). The date is earlier circa 1905 but I don't have a bio on Case available. Case was an avid collector and singer, especially from 1915-1917 for the Missouri Folk-Lore Society.
A version of this was recorded by Brian Peters, his text is below- it's missing some details and changes others- plus two stanzas are missing.
R. Matteson 2014]
The name of the poisoned one varies greatly; one name, Tyranty, belongs exclusively, so far as the record goes, to New England. The poisoner is commonly the victim's sweetheart, but may be his stepmother, his grandmother, his sister, his wife, or even (BBM version N) himself.[1] The poison is commonly snake venom (often described as 'eels' or spotted, striped, or speckled fish caught in a hedge or ditch ) but may be simply 'bread and poison' or 'a cup of cold poison'; in Child M it is apparently and in the Cumberland version listed above it is specifically toads. Altho there is little if anything that is distinctive in the Missouri versions, it seems best to give them here for the benefit of future students of this particular ballad story.
1. In a text from family tradition in Vermont given me in 1920 by Mr. P. G. Perrin the poisoner is 'grandpa'!
C. 'Lord Randal.' Contributed in 1916 by Mrs. Eva Warner Case (now Mrs. J. B. Lichtenberg) from recollections of her childhood in Harrison County, where, she says, the settlers were of Virginia and Kentucky stock, with a sprinkling of Tennesseeans, and many of the songs had been in the family since the time of their coming from England.' Printed in part in JAFL XXX 290.
1. 'Oh, where have you been, Randal my son?
Oh, where have you been, my handsome young one?'
'Oh, I’ve been to the wildwood, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I fain would lie down.'
2. 'And who did you meet there, Lord Randal my son?
And who did you meet there, my handsome young one?'
'Oh, I met with my true love, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I fain would down.
3. 'What got you for supper, Lord Randal my son?
What got you for supper, my handsome young one?'
'I had eels boiled in broth, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I fain would lie down.'
4. 'And who got your leavings, Lord Randal my son?
And who got your leavings, my handsome young one?'
'I gave them to my dogs; mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I fain would lie down.'
5. 'And what did your dogs do, Lord Randal my son?
And what did your dogs do, my handsome young man?'
'Oh, they stretched out and died; mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I fain would lie down.'
6. 'Oh, I fear you are poisoned, Lord Randal, my son,
Oh, I fear you are poisoned, my handsome young man.'
'Oh, yes, I am poisoned; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart and I fain would lie clown.'
7. 'What will you leave your mother, Lord Randal, my son?
What will you leave your mother, my handsome young man.'
'My house and my lands; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart and I fain would lie down.'
8. 'What will you leave your sister, Lord Randal, my son?
What will you leave your sister, my handsome young man.'
'My gold and my silver; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart and I fain would lie down.'
9. 'What will you leave your brother, Lord Randal, my son?
What will you leave your brother, my handsome young man?'
'My horse and my saddle; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart and I fain would lie down.'
10. 'What will you leave your true-love, Lord Randal, my son?
what will you leave your true-love, my handsome young man?'
'A halter to hang her; mother, make my bed soon,
For I'm sick at my heart and I want to lie down.'
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Brian Peter's cover of Lord Randal, using the approximate Eva Case text:
1. Where have you been, Randal my son?
Where have you been, my handsome young one?
I’ve been to the wildwood, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I want to lie down
2. Who did you meet there, Randal my son?
Who did you meet there, my handsome young one?
I met with my true love, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I want to lie down.
3. What had you for supper, Randal my son?
What had you for supper, my handsome young one?
Eels boiled in broth, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I want to lie down
4. Where are your greyhounds, Randal my son?
Where are your greyhounds, my handsome young one?
They stretched out and died, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I want to lie down."
5. I fear you are poisoned, Randal my son?
I fear you are poisoned, my handsome young one?
Yes I am poisoned, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I want to lie down.
6. What will you leave your sister, Randal my son?
What will you leave your sister, my handsome young one?
My gold and my silver, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I want to lie down
7. What will you leave your brother, Randal my son?
What will you leave your brother, my handsome young one?
My horse and my saddle, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I want to lie down
8. What will you leave your true love, Randal my son?
What will you leave your true love, my handsome young one?
A rope for to hang her, mother make my bed soon
For I’m weary of hunting and I want to lie down