There is a Tavern in the Town- William H. Hills (MA) 1883
[From: "Student Songs," 3rd Edition by William H. Hills, 1883, by Rand Avery publishers, Boston. Hills' first edition was published while Hills was a student at Harvard in 1880.
Fuld, in his book of 'world-famous music,' says the first printing of "There Is a Tavern in the Town" is in William H. Hills, "Student Songs," 3rd Edition, copyrighted May 14, 1883, p. 8." The copyright office shows: Original entry, Apr. 8, 1884, no. 7553. THERE IS A TAVERN IN THE TOWN; by William H. Hills. [47 (C) by William H. Hills, Boston, Mass., as the author, in renewal for 28 years. Renewal no. 1786, Mar. 30, 1911. Original entry in Students songs.
Hill's text in later editions adds one stanza not found in Adam's 1891 version [at Levy] and there is one text change of one half a line found in some editions. It seems likely that the Hill/Adams composition used the chorus of "Radoo, Radoo, Radoo, (Adieu)" and the stanzas from "Butcher Boy."
Hill's text was printed by 1884, see: Bodleian, Firth b.28(6a/b) View 7 of 8, "There Is A Tavern In The Town," R. March and Co. (London), 1877-1884. It was:
Written by W.H. Hills. Arranged by B. Forms
Music Francis Day & Hunter London, W.
R. Matteson 2017]
There is a Tavern in the Town- William H. Hills, 1883. The echoes in brackets are to be sung by the group.
There is a tavern in the town, [in the town],
And there my true love sits him down, [sits him down],
And drinks his wine 'mid laughter free[1],
And never, never thinks of me.
Chorus: Fare thee well, for I must leave thee,
Do not let the parting grieve thee,
And remember that the best of friends must part, [must part].
Adieu, adieu kind friends, adieu, adieu, adieu,
I can no longer stay with you, [stay with you],
I'll hang my harp on a weeping willow tree,
And may the world go well with thee.
He left me for a damsel dark, [damsel dark],
Each Friday night they used to spark, [used to spark],
And now my love who once was true to me
Takes this dark damsel on his knee[2].
Oh! dig my grave both wide and deep, [wide and deep];
Put tombstones at my head and feet, [head and feet]
And on my breast carve a turtle dove[3],
To signify I died of love.
1. This line differs in different editions
2. The missing stanza in Adams )1991) and Hill's 1883 print follows:
And now I see him nevermore, nevermore;
He never knocks upon my door, [on my door;
Oh, woe is me; he pinned a little note,
And these were all the words he wrote:
it appears in Hills' later editions.
3. In later editions: And on my breast you may carve a turtle dove