Molly Bander- George Gibson (KY) 1917 Sharp C
[My title. From: English Folk Songs From The Southern Appalachians (1932) by Olive Dame Campbell, Cecil James Sharp, ed. Maud Karpeles. The 1932 notes follow.
R. Matteson 2016]
1932 Notes: No. 50. Shooting of his Dear.
Texts without tunes :—Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxii. 387 ; xxxix. 136.
Texts with tunes: Journal of the Folk-Song Society, ii. 59; vii. 17. Journal of the Irish Folk-Song Society, iii. 25. Songs of the West, 2nd ed., No. 62. Folk Songs
from Somerset, No. 16. ' Molly Ban (pronounced Van) so fair/ Petrie's Collection of Irish Music, Nos. 724 and 1171 (tunes only). Joyce's Ancient Irish Music, p. 20.
Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxx. 358, Cox's Folk Songs of the South, pp. 339 (see also further references) and 529.
C.[Molly Bander] Shooting of His Dear. Sung by Mr. GEORGE W. GIBSON at Oneida, Clay Co., Ky., Aug. 21, 1917
Hexatonic. Mixolydian influence.
1. Come all you young people who handle the gun,
Be a wore of those shooting between moon and sun.
I've a story to tell you that's happened of late
Concerning Molly Bander whose beauties were great.
2 Molly Bander were a-walking and a shower came on.
She stopped under a beech-tree tho' shower to shun.
Jimmy Randal were a-hunting, he were a-hunting in the dark;
He shot his own true love, and he missed not her heart.
3 And then he run to her and he found her quite dead,
And in her own bosom finding tears he had shed.
He took his gun in his hand, to his uncle did go,
Saying: Uncle, dear uncle, I've killed Molly Ban[1];
I shot her and killed her. She was the joys of my life.
I always intended for to make her my wife.
4 Up stepped his old father with his head all so grey,
Saying: Randal, Jimmy Randal, don't run away.
Stay in your own country till your trial comes on;
You shall not be hanged; I'll spend my whole farm.
5 On the day of his trial her ghost did appear,
Saying: Randal, Jimmy Randal, Jimmy Randal, go clear.
He spied my apron pinned around me, he killed me for a swan.
He shot me and killed me: My name's Molly Ban[1].
1 Many versions start the name with an "-er" attached but shorten it at the end.