The Two Sisters- Creighton (KY) 1962 Foss
[From McNeil, Southern folk Ballads, 1988, collected by George Foss.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Two Sisters- collected by George Foss from Mildred Creighton, Carrie Kentucky 1962, transcribed Foss.
There lived an old lady by the Northern Sea,
Bow down,
There lived an old lady by the Northern Sea,
The boughs they bend to me.
There lived an old lord by the Northern Sea,
And he had daughters one, two, three.
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
A young man came a-courting there,
Bow down,
A young man came a-courting there,
The boughs they bend to me.
A young man came a-courting there,
And he took choice of the youngest there.
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
He gave the youngest a gay gold ring,
Bow down,
He gave the youngest a gay gold ring,
The boughs they bend to me.
He gave the youngest a gay gold ring,
But never the oldest a single thing.
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
He gave the youngest a beaver hat,
Bow down,
He gave the youngest a beaver hat,
The boughs they bend to me.
He gave the youngest a beaver hat,
The oldest she thought much of that.
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
"Oh sister, oh sister let us walk out,"
Bow down,
"Oh sister, oh sister let us walk out,"
The boughs they bend to me.
"Oh sister, oh sister let us walk out,
And see the ships a-sailing about."
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
On they walked down by the salty brim,
Bow down,
They walked down by the salty brim,
The boughs they bend to me.
On they walked down by the salty brim,
The oldest pushed the youngest in.
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
"Oh sister, oh sister lend me your hand,"
Bow down,
"Oh sister, oh sister lend me your hand,"
The boughs they bend to me.
"Oh sister, oh sister trend me your hand,
And I will give you my house and land."
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
"I'll lend you neither my hand nor glove,"
Bow down,
"I'll lend you neither my hand nor glove,"
The boughs they bend to me.
"I'll lend you neither my hand nor glove,
But I will have your own true love."
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
Oh, down she sank and away she swam,
Bow down,
Oh, down she sank and away she swam,
The boughs they bend to me.
Oh, down she sank and away she swam,
And into the miller's fish pond she ran.
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
The miller came out with his fish hook,
Bow down,
The miller came out with his fish hook,
The boughs they bend to me.
The miller came out with his fish hook,
And fished the fair maid out of the brook.
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
He robbed her of her gay gold ring,
Bow down,
He robbed her of her gay gold ring,
The boughs they bend to me.
He robbed her of her gay gold ring,
And into the sea he pushed her again.
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.
The miller was hung at his mill gate,
Bow down,
The miller was hung at his mill gate,
The boughs they bend to me.
The miller was hung at his mill gate,
The oldest daughter was burned at the stake
I will be true, true to my love,
Love and my love will be true to me.