The Brown Girl- Pennington (AR) 1952 Carlisle
[From Ozark Folksong Collection- Reel 143, Item 5. Collected by Carlisle Transcribed by Parler; sung by Mr. John Pennington Fayetteville, Ark. June 8, 1952
R. Matteson 2014]
The Brown Girl - sung by Mr. John Pennington Fayetteville, Ark. June 8, 1952
Oh Mother, oh Mother, come riddle with me,
Oh Mother, come riddle with me,
Oh, may I be wed with my loving fair Ellender,
Or bring the brown girl home?
The brown girl she has house and land,
Fair Ellender she has none,
Before I'll give you my last blessing,
Go bring the brown girl home.
Before I'll give you my last blessing,
Go bring the brown girl home. [1]
He rode and he rode till he come to the hall,
He rattled around the ring,
There never was one more willing than she
To rise and let him in,
O, what's the news, Lord Thomas,
Oh, what's the news? said she.
I've come to invite you to my wedding.
Bad news, bad news to me.
She dressed herself in scarlet red,
Likewise her waist in green,
And every village that she passed through,
They tuck her to be some queen.
She rode and she rode till she came to the hall,
She rattled around the ring,
There never was one more willing than him
To rise and let her in.
He tuck her by the lily-white hand
And through the hall did go.
He sat her down at the head of the table
Among the fair maids all.
Is this your bride, Lord Thomas,
Is this your bride? said she.
She's brown, she's brown, she's wonderful brown,
She said, and looked at me.
The brown girl had a knife in her hand,
All keen and sharp at the point,
She pierced it through fair Ellender's breast,
All in her tender heart.
Oh, what's the matter, said Thomas,
Oh, what's the matter? said he.
Oh, don't you see my own heart's blood
Come trinklin' down by me?
He took the brown girl by the hand,
He led her through the hall,
Pulled out his sword, cut off her head,
And kicked it against the wail.
He placed the handle against the wall,
The point against his breast,
Saying, Three dear lovers all died for one,
God send their souls to rest.
1. He repeats the third and fourth lines as he is moved to do so. After fair Ellender gets to the wedding, he repeats in every stanza.