The Turkey-rogher Lee- Mitchell (VA) c1870 Davis D
[From Davis, Traditional Ballads Of Virginia 1929, his notes are below. The full title is "The Turkey-rogher lee and the Yellow Goiden Tree." This title implies that the verse with the title should be sung, but it's not- which means the first part of the ballad has been forgotten. The other title is "Lowlands Low."
R. Matteson 2014]
THE SWEET TRINITY (THE GOLDEN VANITY)
(Child, No. 286)
Our complete text, A, and five more or less fragmentary ones, with one tune, have been found in Virginia. The titles are 'The Lowlands Low," "The Green Willow Tree," "The Golden Vanity," "Turkey-rogherlee and the Yellow Golden Tree," and "Sailing in the Lowlands Low." All the Virginia items are printed here. They are all closely related to the Child C version, as shown especially by the final death of the cabin boy, either from exhaustion in the sea, as in A, or on deck, as in B. But there are verbal suggestions of other versions; for instance stanza 1 of the Virginia E fragment suggests Child B 9. Several Virginia texts of a later "Lowlands low" song, also known in Virginia as "Young Edmund," which belong to the English song of "Younq Edwin in the Lowlands Low" have of course been excluded as out of place here. The story of the ballad is given with fair completemess in Virginia A.
D. "The Turkey-rogher lee and the Yellow Goiden Tree" or "Lowlands Low." Collected by professor Carpenter and Mr. John Stone. Sung by. Mrs. J. A. Mitchell. Madison County. November 3, 1920. With music. "Mrs. Mitchell's daughters, Miss Mary Mitchell and Mrs. Holland Hoffman, also joined in the siiging of this ballad. Mrs. Mitchell got it about fifty years ago from Mrs. Sally Yowell, who, I think, was Mrs. Mitchell's grandmother." (Mr. Stone).
1. "I'll give you gold and I'll give you fee,
Sing o'er the lowlands O,
I'll give you gold and I'll give your fee,
And my oldest daughter your wedded wife shall be,
If you'll sink her in the lowlands, so lowly and so low,
If you sink her in the lowlands, O so low."
2 "I won't give you gold and I won't give you fee,
Sing o'er the lowlands O,
I wont give you gold and I won't give you fee,
And my oldest daughter your wedded wife shan't be,
O you've sunk her ln the lowlands, so lowly and so low,
O you've sunk her in the lowlands, O so low."
3 "If it wasn't for the ship and it wasn't for the men,
Sing o'er the lowlands O,
If it wasn't for the ship and it wasn't for the men,
I'd serve you as I've just served them,
I'd sink her in the lowlands, so lowly and so low,
I'd sink her in the lowlands, O so low."