The Drowsy Sleeper- Jane Sargent (GA) 1910 Rawn/Campbell
[From: Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at VWML) (CJS1/11/74). As far as I know all of Campbell's Georgia ballads came from Isabel Rawn who was a teacher there.
This is one of the US versions where there is no suicide; just eating of sorrow and drinking tears. See also another Georgia version by Mary Lomax that has "wild goose" country.
R. Matteson 2016]
The Drowsy Sleeper- Sung by Jane Sargent of White County, Georgia in 1910. Collected Rawn? Campbell MS
1. Wake up, wake up, you drowsy sleeper!
Wake up, wake up, for it is almost day;
Oh how can you lie and sleep and slumber,
And your true love a-going away?
2. Oh who is this by my lattice window
Making all those pitiful groans,
Oh, who can it be but my love William
He just escaping from the storm.
3. Oh won't you go and ask your father,
If you can be my true bride,
And if he denies, come quick and tell me
For that will be the last that will trouble me.
4. There's no use in asking father,
For he's upstairs taking his rest,
And in his right hand he holds a weapon,
For to kill the one I love best.
5 Oh won't you go and ask your mother,
If you can be my true bride,
And if she denies, come quick and tell me
For that will be the last that will trouble me.
6. There's no use in asking mother,
For [s]he's upstairs escaping with father,
And then she would say, go court some other
Whispering softly in my ear.
7. I will go straight to the wild goose country,
And there I will spend my months and days,
And all I'll eat will be of sorrow
And all I drink will be of tears.