Tiranti, My Son- Byers (NC) 1914 Brown A
[Brown Collection of NC Folklore, 1952, Vol 2 and Vol. 4. Brown editor's notes follow. Same title as Child I, which is nine versions from the Massachusetts from late 1700s on to circa 1870s. Music is at the bottom of page from Vol. 4.
R. Matteson 2014]
6. Lord Randal (Child 12)
Though not old, at least in English, Lord Randal is very widely known and sung; see BSM 24-5, and add to the references there given Cumberland (ETSC 96-9), Massachusetts (FSONE 191-3), North Carolina (FSRA 14), Tennessee (SFLQ XI 120-1), Florida (FSF 247-8), Arkansas (OFS I 64), Missouri (OFS I 64-7), Indiana (BSI 51-2), and Michigan (BSSM 35-6). There are four texts in the present collection.
A. 'Tiranti, My Son.' Contributed by Miss Amy Henderson, of Worry, Burke county, in 1914. The name "Tiranti" (more often spelled ("Tyranty") is interesting because otherwise it is restricted to the New England tradition of the ballad. That the poisoner is the grandmother instead of the sweetheart is unusual but not unexampled, being found in Child I (from New England) and K (from Scotland). "Faint to" in the refrain is of course a misunderstanding of "fain to."
1 'Where have you been to, Tiranti, my son?
Where have you been to, my sweet little one?'
'I've been to grandmother's; mother, make my bed soon,
I am sick at my heart and faint to lie down.'
2 'What did you have for your supper, Tiranti, my son?'
What did you have for your supper, my sweet little one?'
'Eels fried in soap-grease; mother, make my bed soon.
I'm sick at my heart and faint to lie down.'
3 'W^hat'l! you leave to your father, Tiranti, my son?
What'll you leave to your father, my sweet little one?'
'My houses and land ; mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick at my heart and faint to lie down.'
4 'What'll you leave to your mother, Tiranti, my son?
What'll you leave to your mother, my sweet little one?'
'My jewels and silver; mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick at my heart and faint to lie down.'
5 'W'hat will you leave to your grandmother, Tiranti, my son?
What will you leave to your grandmother, my sweet little one?'
*A halter to hang her; mother, make my bed soon,
I am sick at my heart and am faint to lie down.'
A. 'Tiranti, My Son.' Sung by Mrs. N. T. Byers. Contributed by Miss Amy Henderson of Worry, Burke county, in 1914. The MS score gives the place as Silverstone, Watauga county, and the date as 1915.
For melodic relationship cf. our version, measures 2 and 6, with *BB12, version B, measures 3-4 and 15-16. In the A version this same progression occurs only once, measure 2.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: abab (2,2,2,2) = aa (4,4)