Recordings & Info: 7T. Bury Me Beneath The Willow
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Mudcat thread: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=80856
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Bury Me Beneath the Willow
DESCRIPTION: The singer has been abandoned by (her) lover. Tomorrow was to be their wedding day, but now he is off with another girl. The singer asks her friends to "bury me beneath the willow... And when he knows that I am sleeping, maybe then he'll think of me."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1909 (Belden)
KEYWORDS: separation infidelity love death
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW,SE,So,SW)
REFERENCES (16 citations):
Belden, pp. 482-483, "Under the Willow Tree" (2 texts)
Randolph 747, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (3 short texts, 3 tunes)
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 505-506, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 747B)
BrownIII 267, "The Weeping Willow" (3 texts plus 4 excerpts and mention of 4 more)
BrownSchinhanV 267, "The Weeping Willow" (2 tunes plus text excerpts)
JonesLunsford, "The Weeping Willow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Owens-1ed, pp. 144-145, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Owens-2ed, pp. 91-92, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Bronner-Eskin2 37, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow"; "Weeping Willow Tree" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Fuson, p. 126, "The Weeping Willow" (1 text)
Cambiaire, p. 85, "O Bury Me Beneath the Weeping Willow" (1 text)
Sandburg, pp. 314-315, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Neely, pp. 227-229, "Weeping Willow" (2 texts)
Abrahams/Foss, p. 58, "(Bury Me Beneath the Willow)" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 178, "Bury Me Beneath The Willow" (1 text)
DT, BURYWLLW*
Roud #410
RECORDINGS:
Burnett & Rutherford, "Weeping Willow Tree" (Columbia 15113-D, 1927; rec. 1926; on BurnRuth01)
Carter Family, "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow" (Victor 21074, 1927; Bluebird B-6053, 1935)
Jim Cole & his Tennessee Mountaineers, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (Crown 3122, 1931)
Delmore Brothers, "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow" (Bluebird B-7741, 1938)
Red Foley & the Andrews Sisters (!), "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (Decca 29222, 1947)
Kelly Harrell, "Beneath the Weeping Willow Tree" (Victor 20535, 1925; on KHarrell01)
Asa Martin, "Bury Me 'neath the Weeping Willow" (Banner 32426/Melotone M-12497 [both as Martin & Roberts]/Royal [Canada] 91402, 1932)
Lester McFarland & Robert Gardner, "Weeping Willow Tree" (Brunswick 199, 1928; rec. 1927)
Monroe Brothers, "Weeping Willow Tree" (Bluebird B-7093, 1937)
Holland Puckett, "Weeping Willow Tree" (Champion 15334/Supertone 9243, 1928)
Riley Puckett, "Bury Me 'Neath the Willow Tree" (Bluebird B-6348, 1936)
Red Fox Chasers, "Weeping Willow Tree" (Supertone 9322, 1929)
Lookout Mountain Revelers, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (Paramount 3143, 1928)
Almeda Riddle, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (on LomaxCD1707)
Shelton & Fox, "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" (Decca 5184, 1936)
Ernest V. Stoneman, "Bury Me Beneath the Weeping Willow" (CYL: Edison [BA] 5187, 1927) (Edison 51909, 1927)
Ernest Thompson, "Weeping Willow Tree" (Columbia 15001-D, 1924)
Henry Whitter, "The Weeping Willow Tree" (OKeh 40187, 1924; rec. 1923); "Go Bury Me beneath the Willow" (OKeh 45046, 1926)
SAME TUNE:
Carter Family, "Answer to Weeping Willow" (Decca 5234, 1936)
Karl & Harty, "We Buried Her Beneath the Willow" (Melotone 6-04-61, 1936) [I am guessing here, not having heard the record - but I'll betcha - PJS]
NOTES: According to Mark Zwonitzer with Charles Hirschberg, Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone: The Carter Family & Their Legacy in American Music, Simon & Schuster, 2002, p. 99, this was the very first song the Carter Family played for Ralph Peer at the "Bristol Sessions" in 1927. So this song has a very big place in the history of old time country.
Michael Orgill, Anchored in Love: The Carter Family Story, Fleming H. Revell, 1975, p. 98, claims the lyrics of this are "based on Psalms 137:2." Not exactly. Yes, the Carter version opens "We hanged our harps upon the willows," which resembled the King James version of Psalm 137:2: "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof." But the SONG is not based on the psalm, and most versions don't use this line anyway. It would appear that the Carter line floated in from the psalm. - RBW
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Lyr. Add: THE WILLOW TREE
1
O take me to your arms, love,
For keen the wind does blow,
O take me to your arms, love,
For bitter is my woe;
She hears me not, she cares not,
Nor will she list to me,
Whilst here I lie alone to die,
Beneath the willow tree.
2
My love has wealth and beauty-
The rich attend her door;
My love has wealth and beauty,
And I, alas, am poor!
The ribband fair, that bound her hair,
Is all that's left to me;
While here I lie, alone to die,
Beneath the willow tree!
3
I once had gold and silver
I thought them without end;
I once had gold and silver,
And I thought I had a friend.
My wealth is lost- my friend is false-
My love he stole from me;
And here I lie, in misery,
Beneath the willow tree!
Ballads Catalogue 2806 c 18(337), Bodleian Ballads, c. 1815-1855, J. Pollock, North Shields.
The Bodleian has some 24 sheets with this song, some variant, dated fron c. 1913-1855 or so. It must have been popular.
This sheet has a parody, "The Apple Tree," which follows.
THE APPLE TREE: parody)
Parody on "The Willow Tree"
1
Oh! take me to your arms, my love,
For bright the moon doth shine;
Oh! take me to your arms, my love,
Or I'll take you to mine!
She left her bed, popp'd out her head,
"Begone! you rogue," says she;
Come down, says I, or here I'll lie,
Beneath this apple tree.
2
My love had wealth and beauty,
But soon her cash run shy;
My love had wealth and beauty,
But she had lost one eye.
Her foot, so fair, trip down the stair!
Her auburn locks so red;
Then in I crept, where Judy slept,
Beneath her tester bed.
3
Next morn I woke quite early,
And sat me up on end;
Next morn I woke quite early,
And sought to seek my friend:
My wife was gone- my friend was flown-
My love, he stole her snug;
So down I lay, in bed all day,
Beneath the worsted rug.
Ballads Cat. 2806 c 18(337), with "The Willow Tree," J. Pollock, North Shields, c. 1815-1855. Bodleian Collection.
Lyr. Add: THE WILLOW TREE
1
Don't you remember the vows so tender,
You fondly pledged to me,
When the stars & moon so sweetly shone
'Twas under the willow tree.
You vow'd you'd ne'er deceive me,
And fondly I believed thee,
When the moon shone so sweetly,
Over the willow tree.
2
Why did you say my lips(1) were red
And made the scarlet pale,
And why did I, poor silly maid,
Believe the flattering tale.
I thought you ne'er deceived me,
So fondly I believed thee,
When you vow'd so sweetly,
You'd love no other but me.
3
Did you but know the silent tear
I've fondly shed for thee,
I never close my languid eyes
Unless to dream of thee,
And of joys that are departed,
I think quite broken-hearted,
And your world when last we parted
I love no other but thee.
4
Would I could tear you from my heart,
But that will never be,
Till I lie in the silent grave
Under some willow tree.
Then should you this way wander
You'd heave a sigh and ponder,
In her cold grave lies yonder,
The girl that died for me.
Harding B11 (3284), c. 1813-1838, J. Catnach, London, Bodleian Collection.
(1)
Why did you say my cheeks were red,
Yet make those cheeks look pale,
etc.
Firth b25(434), Bodleian Collection, J. Harkness, Preston, c. 1840-1866
"The Willow Tree," version beginning 'O take me in your arms, love, was printed by J. Evans, London, c. 1780-1812; Firth B25(210) and other copies.
The parody, "The Apple Tree," also may go back to the late 18th c.; a copy printed by J. Pitts, London, c. 1802-1819, is in the Bodleian Collection, Harding B16(199b).
Sheet music at American Memory has sheet music for "Beneath the Willow Tree," "Words by Thomas Dibdin, Music by J. B. Herbert," 1884, Balmer and Weber, St. Louis.
It is the version beginning 'Oh! take me to your arms my love,/ For keen the wind doth blow,...' (See version from the Bodleian, posted 24Sept08, 0326PM), but with changes.
I have the book by T. Dibdin, "Songs by Charles Dibdin, with a Memoir," 1875, which compiles the songs by Thomas and C. Dibdin Jr. as well as Charles Dibdin; "The Weeping Willow" song is not included, so I don't think it is a song by any of the Dibdins.
BENEATH THE WILLOW TREE
"Words Thomas Dibdin" Music Dr. J. B. Herbert
1
Oh! take me to your arms my love,
For keen the wind doth blow,
Oh! take me to your arms my love,
For bitter is my woe.
She hears me not, she cares not,
Nor will she list to me.
She hears me not, she cares not,
Nor will she list to me.
And here I lie in misery,
Beneath the willow, the willow tree.
2
I once had gold and silver,
I thought them without end,
I once had gold and silver,
I thought I had a friend;
My wealth is lost, my friend is false,
My love is stolen from me,
My wealth is lost, my friend is false,
My love is stolen from me,
And here I lie in misery,
Beneath the willow, the willow tree.
Nothing new, but one of the printings in the U. S. I doubt the words are by Thomas Dibdin. Sheet music, 4/4, for bass solo; 1884, Balmer & Weber, St. Louis
The Lester Levy Collection has sheet music, no date, "Words by T. Dibdin, music by John Braham," G. E. Blake, Philadelphia, as sung by Mr. Webster, 3/4 time; the lyrics are identical to the song sheet posted previously, Bodleian Coll., Ballads Cat. 2806 c18(337), 24Sept08, 0326PM., which was dated c. 1815-1855 (and duplicated in other song sheets).