The Twin Sisters- Townsend (OK) pre1964 Moores
[From Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest, by Ethel and Chauncey Moore, 1964- with music. Most of the versions are much older than 1964, however no information is provided. The Moore claim to have 19 versions of this ballad however they do not provide an excellent text for A or B.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Twin Sisters- sung by O.S. Townsend of Tecumseh.
Two little sisters a-marching down the stream,
Sing, i-dor-e, diddle-i-day.
Two little sisters a-marching down the stream,
The girls all bound for me.
Two little sisters a-marching down the stream;
The oldest pushed the youngest in,
Says I'll be true to my true love
Because she was kind to me.
Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swum,
Sing, i-dor-e, diddle-i-day.
Sometimes she sunk, sometimes she swum,
The girls all bound for me.
Sometimes she sunk, sometimes she swum;
She swam down to the miller's mill pond.
Says I'll be kind to my true love
Because she was kind to me.
The miller he taken her by the hand,
Sing, i-dor-e, diddle-i-day.
The miller he taken her by the hand,
The girls all bound for me.
The miller he taken her by the hand;
And he led her out on dry land.
Says I'll be kind to my true love
Because she was kind to me.
The miller he robbed her of her gold,
Sing, i-dor-e, diddle-i-day.
The miller he robbed her of her gold,
The girls all bound for me.
The miller he robbed her of her gold;
And he pushed her back in a deeper hole.
Says I'll be true to my true love
Because she was kind to me.
The miller was hung on the gallows so high,
Sing, i-dor-e, diddle-i-day.
The miller was hung on the gallows so high,
The girls all bound for me.
The miller was hung on the gallows so high;
And the oldest she was hung close by.
Says I'll be kind to my true love
Because she was kind to me.