Death of Molly Bender- Murphy (VA) c.1931 Scarborough
[My date. From: "A Song Catcher" by Scarborough 1938; some of her notes follow. Text appears as published with additional capital words and incorrect spelling.
R. Matteson 2016]
The air is Lough Sheeling of Moore's song, 'Come Rest on This Bosom,' but a different version." Campbell and Sharp give it as " shooting of His Dear." Here is a tragedy, but not the double one that the preceding ballads relate. Ballads do not invariably insist upon the unhappy ending.
Death of Molly Bender- Sung by Squire R. D. Murphy of Lynn Branch, Buchanan County, Virginia about 1931.
Come all you True Lovers and Hear Me Relate
The Story of Mollie Bender Whose Beauty was Great.
Molly Bender was Walking, the Evening Came On,
But She Thought Not of Danger Before She Returned.
But Jimmy Randum Was Hunting, a-hunting in the Dark,
He Shot at Moily Bender and missed Not his Mark.
So When he Run to her and found She was Dead,
a Fountain of Tears in her Boosom He Shed.
Saying, Mollie, O Dear Mollie, You are the Choice of My Life,
I have always Intended to Make You My Wife.
Then up Stepted his Old Father with Locks very gray,
Saying Stay at Home, Jimme Random and don't run away'
for it was not Your Purposes and That You will Swear
and by the laws of our Country You Shall Come clear.
On the Day of the Trial Mollie's face did appear,
Saying to the Jury, Jimmy Randum Goes Clear.
The Jury with Sympathy and More So with Fears
Returned with Their Answer, Jimmy Random Comes Clear.