[What is that Blood?] Edward- Lowrimore (Oklahoma) c. 1890
[My title. From: A California Version of "Edward" by Burton S. Lowrimore; California Folklore Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jul., 1946), pp. 310-311. Although this version was collected in Berkeley, California it was learned in Oklahoma cica 1890 by Burton S. Lowrimore's mother.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
A California Version of "Edward." - The following version was recited to me last Christmas vacation, by my mother, who had learned it in Bokoshe, Oklahoma, about 1890 and had never seen it in print or heard it on the radio or a phonograph record. She did not give any title for this ballad, which is a version of "Edward" (see F. J. Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads,
No. 13). Unlike the mother in the Child texts, the mother in Mrs. Lowrimore's version is not implicated in the murder.
I. "What is that blood on your shirt sleeve?
My son, come tell it to me."
"It is the blood of that yellow hound
That chased a fox for me, me, me,
That chased a fox for me."
II. "That blood is too red for that yellow hound.
My son, come tell it to me."
"It is the blood of that bay pony
That plowed a fur [i.e., furrow] for me, me, me,
That plowed a fur for me."
III. "That blood is too red for that bay pony.
My son, come tell it to me."
"It is the blood of my own dear brother
That rode by my side, side, side,
That rode by my side."
IV. "What did you and your brother fall out about?
My son, come tell it to me."
"We fell out about that chinquapin bush
That might have made a tree, tree, tree,
That might have made a tree.
V. "Where did you bury your brother at?
My son, come tell it to me."
"I buried him under that chinquapin bush
That might have made a tree, tree, tree,
That might have made a tree."
VI. "What are you going to do when your father comes home?
My son, come tell it to me."
'I'll set my feet on yonder ship,
And sail across the sea, sea, sea,
And sail across the sea."
VII. "What are you going to do with your pretty little wife?
My son, come tell it to me."
"She will step her foot in yonder ship,
And sail by my side, side, side,
And sail by my side."
VIII. "What are you going to do with your three little babies?
My son, come tell it to me."
"I'll leave them with my own dear mother,
To keep her companee, nee, nee,
To keep her companee.
IX. "What are you going to do with your house and land?
My son, come tell it to me."
"I'll leave it with my dear mother,
To raise my children free, free, free,
To raise my children free."
X. "When are you coming home?
My son, come tell it to me."
"When the sun and the moon both go down together,
And I hope that never will be, be, be,
And I hope that never will be."
Berkeley, California
BURTON S. LOWRIMORE