Mathy Grove- Trivette (TN) 1966 Recording- Paton
[From: Folk-Legacy Records: Cassette C-2, 1999. Sandy Paton's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
MATHY GROVE (Tennessee version)
From Sandy Paton Date: 25 Feb 99);
Here's a rustic Appalachian version that I recorded in Tennessee, 38 years ago.
Joseph Able Trivett was an 82-year-old mountain farmer and sometime logger living in Butler, Tennessee, when I "discovered" him. I simply asked at a rural crossroads general store for "anyone who knows and still sings the old song 'ballets'" and was told that I ought to look up Abe Trivett. He lived 'way up a dirt and gravel road (mostly dirt) in what he called "Pogey." Pogey, it seems, was considered to be the far end of nowhere in that part of the country, and he was right proud of living there with his wife, Addie.
When he sang this ballad for me, he explained that he had learned it from hearing it "just one time." I thought to myself, "Yeah, I'll bet! This thing has about twenty-two verses." He went on to say he had learned it from a nephew of his, Will Harmon, who lived over on the other side of nowhere. The next time I was down in that neighborhood, I picked up a disreputable old geezer who was wobbling along by the side of the road, not really hitchhiking, but looking a bit hopeful. "What are you doin' down in these here parts?" he asked. "I'm going to get some more of Abe Trivett's songs on my tape recorder," I told him. "Abe Trivett? Abe's my uncle! Hell, I know as many songs as he does. Why, I taught him that old song about Mathy Grove! D'you know, he learnt that 'un just hearin' it the one time!" I had just picked up Will Harmon himself.
Drunk as he was, he agreed to sing some of his songs for me if I would come to his place the next day. I showed up and found him suffering from intense DTs, pleading with me for some whiskey to ease his pain. I had a small amount of store-bought lubricant with me, just in case I found some singer who needed it as starter fluid, so I let him have a bit of it. Wasted effort. Wild Will (as he was known locally) was too drunk to remember the words to anything. I gave up after awhile and went on over to Abe's place, where I recorded another dozen songs or so from that wonderful old singer and mountain raconteur. Rough as a cob, he was, with a great sense of humor and a warehouse full of songs, several of which were satirical pieces of his own making. Here's his "Mathy Grove."
MATHY GROVE (Child #81)
Sung by Joseph Able Trivett of Butler, Tennessee. September, 1961.
Collected by Sandy Paton. Available on Folk-Legacy Records: Cassette C-2.
The first come down was dressed in red,
The next come down in green.
The next come down was a pretty fair maid,
Dressed finer than any a queen, queen,
Dressed finer than any a queen.
She stepped up to little Mathy Grove,
Said, "Come and go with me."
"I'll swear by the ring that's on your hand
That you're Lord Daniel's wife, wife,
That you're Lord Daniel's wife."
"Oh, it matters not to the ring on my hand,
Nor whose wife I am.
My husband he is not at home,
He's in some distant land, land,
He's in some distant land."
Little foot-tate (page) was a-standing by,
Heard every word that was said;
"If I should live (die) before daylight,
Lord Daniel shall know of this, this,
Lord Daniel shall know of this."
He had about fifteen mile to go;
Ten of them he run.
He run till he came to a broken down bridge;
He fell to his breast and swum, swum,
He fell to his breast and swum.
He swum till he come to the green grass growing;
He sprang to his feet and run.
He run till he came to Lord Daniel's gate;
He tingled at the bells, they rung, rung,
He tingled at the bells, they rung.
"Oh, is my castle a-burning down,
Or what's a-going to be done?"
"True love's in bed with another man,
And both their hearts are one, one,
And both their hearts are one."
He got him up about fifty good men;
He done it with a free good will.
He put his bugle to his mouth;
He blowed it loud and thrill, thrill, (shrill)
He blowed it loud and thrill.
"I'd better get up," said Mathy Grove,
"I'd better get up and go.
Lord Daniel he is coming home;
I heared his bugle blow, blow,
I heared his bugle blow."
"Lie down, lie down, my little man,
Lie down and go to sleep.
It's nothing but my father's shepherd
A-calling for a sheep, sheep,
A-calling for a sheep."
So they lay down, went to hugging and kissing,
And soon fell off to sleep.
But when they awoke it was broad daylight;
Lord Daniel was standing at their feet, feet,
Lord Daniel was standing at their feet.
"Oh, how do you like my pillow, sir?
How do you like my sheet?
How do you like my pretty fair maid
That lies in your arms and sleeps, sleeps,
That lies in your arms and sleeps?"
"Very well do I like your pillow, sir,
Very well do I like your sheet;
Much better do I like your pretty fair maid
That lies in my arms and sleeps, sleeps,
That lies in my arms and sleeps."
"Get up from there, get up from there,
And put you on some clothes.
I never liked it to be said
A naked man I slew, slew,
A naked man I slew."
"Oh, give me a chance, oh, give me a chance,
Give me a chance for my life.
You're standing there with two swords by your side,
And me not as much as a knife, knife,
And me not as much as a knife."
"I'm standing here, two swords by my side,
They cost me deep in purse;
I'll give to you the best of them,
And I will take the worse, worse,
And I will take the worse.
"I'll give to you the very first lick;
Use it like a man.
I will take the very next lick;
I'll kill you, if I can, can,
I'll kill you, if I can."
Little Mathy Grove took the very first lick;
It made him wonderfully sore.
Lord Daniel took the very next lick;
He killed little Mathy on the floor, floor,
He killed little Mathy on the floor.
He took his lady by the hand,
He set her on his right knee.
Said, "Which of us do you like best,
Little Mathy Grove or me, me,
Little Mathy Grove or me?"
"Very well do I like your red rosy cheek,
Very well do I like your chin,
But I would not give little Mathy Grove
For you and all your kin, kin,
For you and all your kin."
He took his lady by the hand
And led her through the hall.
He snapped a pistol in her breast;
She fell by a fatal ball, ball,
She fell by a fatal ball.
"Go dig my grave, go dig my grave,
Dig it wide and deep,
And bury little Mathy Grove in my arms,
Lord Daniel at my feet, feet,
Lord Daniel at my feet."
The second verse here is obviously a condensation of two verses, the last half of the first one and the first half of the next one being missing. But don't be critical! How would you do, hearing it only once? If you want to sing this one, you might choose to fill in the blanks from other vesions in the DT. I was just happy to collect the ballad at all!
Sandy Paton