Two Sisters- Bradley Kincaid (KY) 1928 REC
[From my Favorite Mountain Ballads and Old-Time Songs by Bradley Kincaid, 1928. As sung on WLS. The first recording was made by Bradley Kincaid in 1928 on a 78 for Supertone (9212) titled "Two Sisters" backed by "The Green Grass Grew All Around."
He learned the ballad from his mother Elizabeth Hurt Kincaid who sang the old songs. Bradley remembered, “She went further back. She sang the old English ballads. I learned a lot of ballads from her Like ‘Fair Ellender’ and ‘The Two Sisters.’ When my Mother used to sing the old blood curdlers to me my hair would stand straight up on my head!” Later he guessed he had learned as many as 80 songs from his parents. The text was published in "My Favorite Mountain Ballads and Old Time Songs," Bradley Kincaid, 1928.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Two Sisters- Bradley Kincaid, 1928
There was an old woman lived on the seashore,
Bow down.
There was an old woman lived on the seashore,
Bow and balance to me.
There was an old woman lived on the seashore
And she had daughters three or four.
I'll be true to my love
If my love be true to me.
A young man came a courting there,
Bow down.
A young man came a courting there,
Bow and balance to me.
A young man came a courting there
And he made love to the youngest fair,
I'll be true to my love
If my love be true to me.
He bought the youngest a fine fur hat,
The oldest sister didn't like that,
I'll be true, etc.
'O Sister, O sister, let's go to seashore
And see the ships come sailing o'er,
I'll be true, etc.
As these two sisters walked along the sea brim,
The oldest pushed the youngest in,
I'll be true, etc.
O Sister, O sister, pray lend me your hand
And you call have my house and land.
O sister, O sister, pray lend me your glove
And you can have my house and land.
I'll neither lend you my hand nor my glove
For all I want's your own true love.
The miller got his fishing hook
And fished the fair maiden out of the brook.
O Miller, O miller, here's five gold rings
To push the fair maiden in again.
The Miller's to be hung on his old mill gate
For the drowning of poor sister Kate. ---
(I'll be true to my love is sung after every verse.)