My Pretty Colinn- Stork (OH) c1890 Eddy D
[From Ballads and Songs from Ohio, 1939 Eddy, version D. This version was sung her mother, Mrs. Sarah Bowser Smith, who was born near West Salem, Ohio. She died in 1935 at the age of 75. Assuming Smith sang the ballad to her daughter when the mother was 30 years old I've come up with a date of c.1890. It was be safe to assume this version was known at that date.
The opening stanza is misplaced and the beginning stanzas are forgotten. Colinn, usually Collin or Colin is a standard name for the girl- going back to the Irish 'cailin' which means girl, girlfriend or lover.
R. Matteson 2014]
Eddy's notes: Mrs. Stork is aware that "pony" in stanza 4, and "coach" in stanza 7 had better be "bonny" and "couch", but the song was really sung as printed. Mrs. Stork learned it from the frequent singing of her mother, Mrs. Sarah Bowser Smith,
who was born near 'West Salem, Ohio. She died in 1935 at the age of 75. Mrs. Srnith's grandmother came to America from Wales. Mrs. Stork's girlhood home was in Somerset County, Pa.
D. MY PRETTY COLINN- From Mrs. William Stork, Canton, Ohio.
1. . . .
. . . .
For here you drownded six king's daughters,
And the seventh one drownded you. [1]
2. "Turn your face around about,
With your face to the leaves of the tree,
For it is not fit for a false-hearted lover
A naked woman for to see, see, see,
A naked woman for to see."
3. He turned his face around about,
With iris face toward the leaves of the tree,
And she picked him up so manfully
And she plunged him into the sea.
4. She mounted on her pony[2] young brown,
And led the dapple gray,
And she rode, and she rode
Three long hours before day.
5. Then out warbled her pretty little parrot
From behind the cage where it lay,
"Oh, what is the matter with my Colinn
That you ride so long before day?"
6. "Oh, hold your tongue, fly pretty little parrot,
Don't you tell no tales on me,
And your cage shall be made of the bright shining gold,
And shall hang beneath the willow tree."
7. Out spoke the old king himself,
From behind the coach[3] where he lay,
"Oh, what is the matter with my pretty little parrot
That she warbles so long before day?"
8. "The old tom cat came to my cage door
And was disturbing me,
And I only called for my pretty Colinn
For to drive this here old cat away."
1. this should follow stanza 3.
2. bonny
3. couch