The Seven Sons- F. C. Gainer (West Virginia) no date given (c. 1915 w/music)
[This version has been published three times: first in Gainer's "Centennial Book of 100 Songs, 1863–1963 (1963)" then in "Singa Hypsy Doodle" (1971) and finally in "Folk Songs from the West Virginia Hills" (1975).
Patrick Ward Gainer was born in 1904, after his father died in 1905, Patrick who was called Ward by the family — grew up near Tanner, West Virginia on the farm of his grandfather Francis C. Gainer. His grandfather, from whom Patrick learned this ballad, died in 1928. I'm giving a date of c. 1915 for this ballad (Gainer left to attend college in 1924).
It's unfortunate that because of Patrick Gainer's inaccurate and questionable scholarship and his association with Woofter during his college collecting years (c. 1924) that his collected works (like John Jacob Niles, Woofter etc) are suspect. Following is a bio From West Virginia History online.
R. Matteson 2014]
Patrick Ward Gainer (1904-1981)
Born in Parkersburg but reared in rural Gilmer County, Gainer grew up within a family bearing a rich singing tradition. He often credited his grandfather F.C. Gainer with providing his early musical education and his chief inspiration.
After attending the Glenville Normal School, Gainer enrolled at West Virginia University in the 1920s. At the time the university was recognized as a national hub of folk music scholarship. His instructors included John Harrington Cox, author of the first significant American folksong study - Folk Songs of the South (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925) and Louis Watson Chappell whose landmark book John Henry: A Folklore Study (Jena: Frommanische Verlag, 1933) established a standard in ballad scholarship. It was under their tutelage that Gainer first caught the ballad hunting bug. Together with Chappell, and at other times with fellow student and Gilmer Countian Carey Woofter, Gainer made his initial forays into the countryside in search of surviving remnants of a fading musical tradition.
THE SEVEN SONS- Patrick Gainer; Tanner, West Virginia; no date given; circa 1915; sung to him by his grandfather Francis C. Gainer before 1924.
[Listen: Patrick Gainer]
1. "Rouse up, rouse up, my seven sleepy sons,
And do ride out with me, with me,
Let your older sister take heed for herself,
While the youngest had gone from me, from me."
2. "Rouse up, rouse up, my seven bold sons,
put on your armor so bright, so bright,
For it never shall be said that a daughter of mine,
Has been with Sweet William all night, all night."
3. Sweet William he rode, and well he rode,
Along with his lady away, away,
Till he saw her seven brothers bold,
And her father riding so gay, so gay.
4. "Get down, get down, Lady Margaret," he said,
"And hold my horse a while, a while;
While I fight your seven brothers bold,
And your father riding so gay, so gay."
5. She held his horse, she held his horse,
And did not shed a tear, a tear;
While she saw her seven brothers fall,
And her father ride up with no fear, no fear.
6 "O hold your hand, Sweet William," she said,
"O hold your hand for a while, a while;
It's many a many a sweetheart I could have,
But a father I could have no more, no more."
7 Her father right up to Sweet William did come,
And with a drawn sword did fight, did fight;
Sweet William reined him to the right and the left,
And pierced the old man through the side, the side.
8 "You can choose for to go," Sweet William he said,
"You can choose for to go or stay."
"I'll go, I'll go, Sweet William I'll go,
For you have left me nowhere to stay, to stay."
9 Sweet William he rode and well he rode,
Along with his lady so gay, so gay,
Till he came to his own mother's house,
And a mother she was alway, alway.
10 "O make my bed, Lady Mother," he said,
"O make my bed both wide and deep,
And lay Lady Margaret close by my side
So that I may sleep, may sleep."
11 Sweet William he died before midnight,
Lady Margaret died before the day,
Sweet William died of pure true love,
Lady Margaret died of sorrow and grief.