The Two Sisters- Ledford (KY) c1940 Norris
[From a MS by Lily Mae Ledford, sung by her daughter and learned by Cari Norris, Lily Mae's granddaughter. Norris was recorded and can be heard on Digital Appalachia. A cover version was recorded in 2000 by Atwater-Donnelly on And Then I'm Going Home. Atwater-Donnelly is a Rhode Island folk music group consisting of Aubrey Atwater, Elwood Donnelly. Their notes and text follow.
The leader of the original Cook Creek Girls, Lily Mae Ledford (March 17, 1917 – July 14, 1985) was a fiddle and banjo player from Kentucky. I wrote and article about her for the Old-Time Herald and also played with Cari Norris (listen to "Banjo-Pickin' Girl" and "Pretty Polly" on you-tube). My painting of Lily Mae is hanging in the Kentucky Music Hall-of-Fame Museum.
R. Matteson 2014]
Two Sisters
Child Ballad #10
This 16th century ballad has many versions around the world including "The Wind and the Rain" and "The Bonny Swans". Some versions of the story end supernaturally where the murdered sister's body parts are turned into a fiddle or a harp: her long black hair becomes the strings, her finger bones the tuning pegs, and "the only tune that the fiddle could play was oh, the wind and the rain." We learned this particular version from Cari Norris, whose family is from Eastern Kentucky. She found the words of her grandmother's (Lily Mae Ledford) version at home in a drawer and asked her mother to sing the tune. One interesting feature of this version is that it is also a dance or a play party song, with a beautiful chorus of motions and love sentiments that blend eerily with the murder theme.
The Two Sisters- Text and melody Lily Mae Leford, from her granddaughter Carri Norris. Recorded live at The Blackstone River Theatre, September 30, 2000 (Aubrey Atwater: vocals, guitar; Elwood Donnelly: vocals, guitar)
There was an old man in the North Country, bow down
There was an old man in the North Country, bow and bend to me
There was an old man in the North Country, he had daughters fair to see
I will be true, true to my love, love if my love will be true to me
The old man gave the little one a hat, bow down
The old man gave the little one a hat, bow and bend to me
The old man gave the little one a hat, the older sister couldn't stand that
I will be true, true to my love, love if my love will be true to me
She said go put your new hat on.....
And we'll go down by the old mill pond.......
They walked down by the mill pond's brim.......
The old one pushed the little one in.......
Oh, sister, sister, give me your hand.......
And you may have my house and land........
She pushed her further out from the shore.......
All for the sake of the hat she wore.......
The miller saw her floating about........
He took his hook and he drew her out.......
He took off all of her fine gold rings........
And pushed her back in the water again.......
The miller was hanged for the deadly sin........
The older sister ought to have been........