The Three Crows- Ford (Indiana) 1935 Brewster A B
[One nice version, A and a fragment, B are give by Paul Brewster in his Ballads and Songs of Indiana. Brewster's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012]
8. THE THREE RAVENS (Child, No. 26)
Two variants (one a fragment of only one stanza) have been found in Indiana under the title of "The Three Crows." Both are far removed from the spirit of the Child versions.
For American texts, see Barry, No. 27; Brown, p. 9; Campbell and Sharp, No. 10; Cox, No. 6; Hudson, No. 6; Hudson, Folksongs, p. 72; Jones, p. 301; Journal, XX, 154; XXXI, 273.
A. "The Three Crows." Contributed by Mrs. A. S. Ford, of Evansville, Indiana. Vanderburg County. Learned in Vigo County. October 29, 1935.
1. There were three crows sat on a tree,
O Billy McGee, McGaw;
There were three crows sat on a tree,
O Billy McGee, McGaw.
There were three crows sat on a tree,
And they were as black as crows could be;
And they all flapped their wings and cried:
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
And they all flapped their wings and cried:
"O Billy McGee, McGaw !"
2. One crow said to the other mate,
O Billy McGee, McGaw;
One crow said to the other mate,
O Billy McGee, McGaw;
One crow said to the other mate,
"What shall we do for grub to eat?"
And they all flapped their wings and cried:
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
And they all flapped their wings and cried:
"O Billy McGee, McGaw!"
3. "There is an old horse in yonder lane,"
O Billy McGee, McGaw;
"There is an old horse in yonder lane,"
O Billy McGee, McGaw.
"There is an old horse in yonder lane
Whose body has been lately slain,"
And they all flapped their wings and cried:
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
And they all flapped their wings and cried:
"O Billy McGee, McGaw!"
4. "We'll sit upon his old dry bones,"
O Billy McGee, McGaw;
"We'll sit upon his old dry bones,"
O Billy McGee, McGaw.
"Well sit upon his old dry bones
And pick his eyes out one by one,"
And they all flapped their wings and cried:
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
And they all flapped their wings and cried:
"O Billy McGee, McGaw!"
5. O maybe you think there's another verse,
O Billy McGee, McGaw;
O maybe you think there's another verse,
O Billy McGee, McGaw.
O maybe you think there's another verse,
BUT THERE ISN'T!
B. "The Three Crows." Contributed by Mrs. Charles R. Emery, of Bloomington, Indiana. Monroe County. November 26, 1935.
1. There were three crows sat on a tree,
Bally way wiggle de dum da;
They were black as black could be,
Bally way wiggle de dum da.