The Merry Golden Tree- Harmon (TN) 1930 Henry A
[From: Folk Songs from the Southern Highlands by Mellinger Edward Henry, 1933; Henry was a friend and associate of my grandfather, Maurice Matteson, and they collaborated on one book together, Beech Mountain Ballads. The Harmons came from NC to Tennessee. Some editing to unify stanza length.
R Matteson 2014]
THE SWEET TRINITY (THE GOLDEN VANITY) (Child, No. 286)
For American texts, see Barry, No. 1; Belden, No. 78; Campbell and Sharp, No. 3 5; Colcord, p. 79; Cox, No. 32; Davis, No. 47; Barry-Eckstorm-Smyth, p. 339; Hudson, No. 22; Journal, XVIII, 125 (Barry); XXIII, 429 (Belden); XXX, 331 (Kittredge); McGill, p. 97; Pound, Ballads, No. 10; Shearin and Combs, p. 9; Shoemaker, p. 126 (Second Ed.); Wyman and Brockway, p. 72. Cf. the English version with music in Sharp's One Hundred English Folksongs, No. 14. Cox points out that "A fragment of this ballad, combined with an additional stanza of a comic character, has been popular as a college song" and supplies the following references: "Waite, Carmina Collegensia (Boston, Cop. 1868), p. 171; The American College Songster (Ann Arbor, 1876), p. 101; White, Student Life in Song (Boston, Cop. 1879), p. 58." A fine text of the original ballad with the tune will be found in J. W. Raine's, The Land of the Saddle-Bags, p. 121. For a modern version of "The Golden Vanity", see John Masefield's A Sailor's Garland, p. 175. Add Flanders and Brown, p. 230; Randolph, p. 177; Brown, p. 9; Bulletin, No. 5, pp. 10—11.
A. "The Merry Golden Tree." Sung by Mrs. Samuel Harmon, Cade's Cove, Blount County, Tennessee, August 13, 1930. Recorded by Mrs. Henry. This is one of the songs that came as a surprise in the summer of 1930. The Harmons had given the impression in the summer of 1928 that they had sung all the songs that they knew. Mrs. Harmon says that she learned this song as a child. She probably had it from her husband (she married at the age of 12), who learned most of his songs from his grandfather on his mother's side, "Grand-Daddy" Hicks. He came from England in his fourth year.
1. There was a little ship In the North Amerikee
And it went by the name of The Merry Golden Tree,
As she sailed on the lonesome Lowlands low,
As she sailed on the lonesome sea.
2. There was another ship In the North Amerikee
And she went by the name of The Turkey Revelee
And she sailed on the lonesome Lowlands low,
And she sailed on the lonesome sea.
3. "O captain, O captain, What will you give to me
To go and sink yon Turkey Revelee
And sink her in the sea,
As she sails on the lonesome Lowlands low,
As she sails on the lonesome sea?"
4 "I'll give you money, I'll pay your fee;
I have a loving daughter that I'll marry unto thee,
If you sink her in the lonesome Lowlands low,
If you sink her in the lonesome sea."
5. He bowed to his breast and away swam he.
He swum till he come To the Turkey Revelee,
As she sailed on the lonesome Lowlands low,
As she sailed on the lonesome sea.
6. He had a little tool that was fltten for to rule [1]
And he bored nine holes all in her hull at once,
As she sailed on the lonesome Lowlands low,
As she sailed on the lonesome sea.
7. There was some a-playing cards and some a-playing check
And some was a-dancing on the salt water deck,
As he sank her in the lonesome Lowlands low,
As he sank her in the lonesome sea.
8. They some with their hats and some with their caps,
Trying to stop those salt water gaps,
As they sunk her in the lonesome Lowlands low,
As they sunk her in the lonesome sea.
9. He bowed to his breast and away swum he.
He swum till he came to The Merry Golden Tree,
As she sailed in the lonesome Lowlands low,
As she sailed in the lonesome sea.
10. "O captain, O captain, you good as your word?
Will you take me up on board?
For I've sunk her in the lonesome Lowlands low,
Oh, I've sunk her in the lonesome sea."
11. "I'll never be as good as my word;
Nor neither will I take you up on board,
For you've sunk her in the lonesome Lowlands low,
Lord, you've sunk her in the lonesome sea."
12. "If it wasn't for the love that I have for your men,
I'd do unto you as I've done unto them;
I would sink you in the lonesome Lowlands low,
I would sink you in the lonesome sea."
13. He bowed to his breast and away swum he.
He bidden farewell to The Merry Golden Tree,
As he sunk in the lonesome Lowlands low,
As he sunk in the lonesome sea.
1. Almost always: fitten for his "use." It's likely that his was not heard or transcribed correctly.