Seventh Kings' Daughter- Clawson (NC) 1936 Scarborough
[My title. From Scarborough- Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, finished in 1936, published posthumously in 1937.
R. Matteson 2014]
[Seventh Kings' Daughter] Lillian Craig, of Roanoke, Virginia, took down this version from the singing of Dave Clawson, at Dark Ridge, North Carolina.
She rode over hills and she rode over dales,
And she rode over mountains high.
And she rode till she came to the broad water's side
Three long hours before the dawn of day,
Three long hours before the dawn of day.
You pull off this purple robe
And lay it on the rock,
For it's too fine and costly
For to lay in the sea and rot,
For it's too fine and costly
For to lay in the sea and rot.
It's turn yourself around, about,
Turn your face to the green willow tree,
And she clenched him round the bottom of his waist
And she threw him in the bottom of the sea,
And she threw him in the bottom of the sea.
Lie there, lie there, you scornful old dog,
Lie there in the room of me
For you've drowned six of the king's daughters
And the seventh one you shall be.
She got on a milk-white steed
And took the dapple-gray in her hand,
And she rode over hills and she rode over dales
And she rode over mountains high,
And she rode till she came to her father's house
One long hour before the dawn of day.
It's what's the matter, my little parrot, says she,
That you're up so long before day?
Hush up, hush up, my little parrot,
Tell none of your tales on me.
For your cage shall be lined with the purest gold,
And hung on ivory.
For the old cat came to my cage door,
I got up to scare it away.