The Brown Girl- Swetnam (MS) pre1936 Hudson C
[Fragment from Folksong of Mississippi; Hudson, 1936, version C. His notes follow. This is older than 1936.
R. Matteson 2014]
C. "The Brown Girl." Communicated to Mr. George F. Swetnam, University, by his mother, Mrs. F. S. Swetnam, "who learned it from one Bird Smith, of Beechy, Kentucky."
1 "Come lean to me, mother, come lean to me."
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
2 "The brown girl she has house and lands,
Fair Ellender she has none;
I've always to you been your best friend:
Go bring the brown girl home."
3 He rode up to fair Ellender's gate,
And jingled on the ring;
And none so ready as fair Ellender
To come and welcome him in.
4 "What news, what news, Lord Thomas?" says she,
"What news have you brung to me?"
"I've come to invite you to my weddin',"
"Bad news, bad news," says she.
5 She dressed herself in scarlet red,
Her horse in scarlet green.
And every town that she rode through
They took her to be some queen.
6 "Is this your bride, Lord Thomas?" says she,
"Is this your bride, so brown?
When you might have married as fair a lady
As ever the sun shined on."
7 The brown girl drew her little pen knife,
It was both keen and sharp;
. . . .
She pierced fair Ellender's heart.
8 He took the brown girl by the hand,
And led her to the hall.
He drew his sword, cut off her head,
And kicked it agin the wall.
9 . . . .
. . .
. . .
"Adieu, adieu, to my true love."
10 "Go dig my grave both long and wide,
Go dig it wide and deep,
And bury fair Ellender by my side,
The brown girl at my feet."