The Cruel Mother- Pratt (KY) 1917 Sharp G
[Not a local title. Sharp G, from English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, with music. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
No. 10. The Cruel Mother.
Texts without tunes :—Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads, No. 20. C. Burne's Shropshire Folk-Lore, p. 540. A. Williams's Folk Songs of the Upper Thames, p. 295. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxv. 183 ; xxxii. 503. Texts with tunes:—Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 44 and Appendix. Child, v. 413. Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, i. 105 and 107. Journal of the Folk-Song Society, ii. 109; iii. 70. Folk Songs from Somerset, No. 98 (also published in English Folk Songs, Selected Edition, Series 1, p. 35, and One Hundred English Folk Songs, p. 35). Gavin Greig's Last Leaves, No. 11. Dick's Songs of
Robert Burns, p. 347. Cox's Folk Songs of the South, pp. 29 and 522. W. R. Mackenzie's Ballads and Sea Songs from Nova Scotia, No. 3. British Ballads from Maine, p. 80. Davis's Traditional Ballads of Virginia, pp. 133 and 560. McGill's Folk Songs of the Kentucky Mountains, p. 83.
The tune of version B is that of The Wife of Usher Well, No. 22. In version I there appears to be a change of mode from Dorian to Mixolydian. The singer is a brother of Mr. W. B. Chisholm of Woodridge, who sang version D. Version A is published in Ballads (School Songs, Book 261), Novello & Co., London, and version E in Folk Songs of English Origin, 2nd Series—both with pianoforte accompaniment.
G. The Cruel Mother- Sung by Mrs. Doc. PRATT at Hindman, Knott Co., Ky-, Sept. 22, 1917; Sharp G
1. There was a young lady so fair,
Down in the loney, oney, O
She was courted by the king's son so great,
Down by the greenwood sideys, O.
2. He courted her for seven long years,
Until one evening she went walking.
3. It's first she leaned against an oak;
First it bent and then it broke.
4. The next she leaned against a pine;
Two sweet little babes to her was born.
5. She took her garter from her leg,
And there she tied her sweet little babes.
6. She took her penknife from her side,
Then she took their sweet little lives.
7. She was sitting one day in her father's hall;
She saw two sweet little babes playing.
8. Saying: Babes, sweet babes, if you was mine,
I'd dress you up in silk so fine.
9. O yes, false mother, we once was thine;
You neither dressed us coarse nor fine.
10 O babes, sweet babes, can you tell me,
What'll be my fate for killing you?
11. O yes, false mother, we can tell you.
A false character you will bear.
12. Until your soul is scorched away,
And then will hell scorch your bones.