Over High Hills- Abie Shepherd (NC) 1923 Carter JAF
[From: Some Songs and Ballads from Tennessee and North Carolina by Isabel Gordon Carter; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 46, No. 179 (Jan. - Mar., 1933), pp. 22-50. Her notes follow.
R. Matteson 2016]
SOME SONGS AND BALLADS FROM TENNESSEE AND NORTH CAROLINA
ISABEL GORDON CARTER
During the summer of 1923, while collecting folk stories in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, the writer heard many songs and ballads and took down the words of fifty of them. During the past twenty years so much excellent work has been done in recording both the words and music of old songs in the United States that some hesitancy is felt in publishing these songs without the accompanying music.
See JAFL Vol. 20 p. 259; Vol. 29, p. 168; Vol. 35 p. 359; Vol. 45 P. 48; Journal of Folk-Song Society Vol. I p. 60o; Vol. 2 p. 42; Sharp, p. 4; Campbell and Sharp, p. 151; Cox, p. 305.
3. OVER HIGH HILLS AND LONELY MOUNTAINS - Recorded from Abie Shepherd, Bryson City, N. C.
1. In seaboard town there was a merchant,
He had two sons and a daughter fair;
And prettiest[1] boy was bounden to him
And to him he was the same.
2. Late one night they was silent a courting,
Her brother's heard what they did say;
"That long courtship shall soon be ended
By forcing you into your grave."
3. They rose next morning early starting,
Hunting these three men did go
Over high hills and lonely mountains,
And then into the place of woe.
4. Late that night while they was returning,
She asked, "Where is the servant man?
Oh Brothers, you seem to whisper lowly,
Oh, brothers, do tell me if you can."
5. "We lost him in some suits[2] of hunting,
The face of him you no more shall see;
What makes you seem so much affronted?
Why do you examine me?"
6. Late that night while she was returning,
His ghost to her bedside appeared;
His face was badly bruised and bleeding,
His cheeks all in his blood was smeared.
7. "Weep not for me, my dearest jewel,
To weep for me 'tis all in vain;
Go straight way to yon ditch of briars,
There you find me dead and slain."
8. She rose next morning early starting,
Hunting that dear boy of hers;
She went till she came to the ditch of briars,
And there she found him dead and slain.
9. His face was bloody as the butcher,
Tears in his eyes like salty brine.
She kissed his cold pale cheeks a crying,
Saying "This dear boy was a friend of mine."
10. "Now since my brothers have been so cruel,
As to force your dear sweet life away,
One grave shall serve us both together,
While I have breath with you I'll stay."
11. For three days she fasted o'er him,
Until her heart was filled with woe;
"I feel sharp hunger creeping o'er me,
Homeward, or die, I'm bound to go."
12. Late that night while she was returning,
Her brothers asked where she had been;
"Go way, go way, you cruel murderers
For this dear boy you have slain."
13. Now to get rid of the cruel murder,
Was to sail across the deep blue sea.
The wind did blow and it ain't no wonder
And they[3] blew them both into their graves.
1. An apprentice boy
2. sports
3. it (the wind)