$3.

THE

JOAN BAEZ
Sixty-Six

Songs

comprising the
repertory of

America's bestloved folksinger,

with historical-

musical
annotations.

Arrangements

mi;

for voice

and

piano by

Hi I

Elie Siegmeister,

with complete chord

progressions for
the guitarist

and capo-key
ti&

indications

enabling the

beginning
instrumentalist
to play along

with the

Joan Baez
'it:

recordings.

WI

Illustrations in color

Eric

by

Von Schmidt.

Introduction by
Elie

Siegmeister

and preface by
John M. Conly.

RYERSON
MUSIC
PUBLISHERS,
INC.
A DIVISION OF

VANGUARD RECORDS
NEW YORK

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in

2010

http://www.archive.org/details/joanbaezsongbookOOsieg

The Joan Baez Songbook

..-_>

4*.

55^
/.

>Vj'%i!
PHOTO/WILLIAM CLAXTON

THE

JOAN BAEZ

ARRANGEMENTS AND INTRODUCTION BY

ELIE

SIEGMEISTER

PREFACE BY JOHN

M.

CONLY

ILLUSTRATED BY ERIC VON SCHMIDT

EDITED BY

MAYNARD SOLOMON

MUSIC EDITORS:
CHRISTA LANDON & JACK LOTHROP

RYERSON MUSIC PUBLISHERS,

A DIVISION OF

VANGUARD RECORDS

INC.,

N. Y.

THE JOAN BAE2 SONGBOOK

FIRST PRINTING, OCTOBER,

1964

SECOND PRINTING. DECEMBER, 1964

THIRD PRINTING, JANUARY, 1965
FOURTH PRINTING, JUNE, 1965
FIFTH PRINTING, SEPTEMBER, 1965
SIXTH PRINTING. JANUARY, 1966
SEVENTH PRINTING, JULY, 1966
EIGHTH PRINTING, NOVEMBER. 1966

154

COPYRIGHT 1964 BY
RYERSON MUSIC PUBLISHERS, INC.
WEST 14th STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
CATALOG CARD NUMBER 64-24388
PRINTED IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

10011

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THE RIGHT OF

REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN ANY FORM
WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION EXCEPT IN THE CASE
OF BRIEF QUOTATIONS EMBODIED IN CRITICAL
ARTICLES

AND REVIEWS.

ALL OF THE PIANO ARRANGEMENTS OF PUBLIC DOMAIN

SONGS ARE COPYRIGHT 1964 BY ELIE SIEGMEISTER
AND MAY NOT BE REPRINTED IN ANY FORM

WITHOUT PERMISSION.

JOAN BAEZ MAKES NO COPYRIGHT CLAIM TO THE

AUTHORSHIP OR ARRANGEMENT OF ANY OF THE
SONGS IN THIS BOOK.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We have made every effort to determine the copyright status of the
songs included herein. We wish to thank the publishers of the
following songs for permission to reprint their copyrighted material.
This book could not have been prepared without their kind
cooperation.
"The Tramp On The Street." Words and music by Grady and
Hazel Cole. Copyright 1940 and 1947 by Dixie Music Pub. Co.
Copyright 1964 with new material by Dixie Music Pub. Co., 57
Third Avenue, New York 3, N. Y.

"The Ranger's Command." Words and music by Woody Guthrie.

Copyright 1963 by Ludlow Music, Inc., New York. N. Y. Used by
permission.

Overcome." New words and music arrangement by

Frank Hamilton, Guy Carawan and Pete Seeger.
Copyright 1960 and 1963 by Ludlow Music, Inc., New York, N. Y.
Used by permission. Royalties derived from this composition are

"We

Shall

"And Quiet Flows

Inc.,

New

"Pretty
right 1961

the

Don." Copyright 1961 by

Boy Floyd." Words and music by Woody Guthrie. Copyby Fall River Music,

Freedom Movement under

the trusteeship

I Had The
Ed McCurdy. Copyright

"Last Night

New

New

York, N. Y.

"Ten Thousand Miles" (or, "Fare Thee Well"). Words and

music by David Gude. Copyright 1960 by Sanga Music, Inc., New
York, N. Y.

"What Have They Done To The Rain." Words and music by

Malvina Reynolds. Copyright 1962 by Schroder Music Co. Used
by permission.
"Long Black
right

1959 by

Veil." By Marijon Wilkins and Danny Dill. CopyCedarwood Publishing Co., Inc., 815 16th Avenue,

South, Nashville, Tenn. All rights reserved. International copyright

secured.

of the writers.

by

Inc.,

Never Will Marry." Words and music by Fred Hellerman.

"I
Copyright 1958 by Sanga Music, Inc., New York, N. Y.

Zilphia Horton,

being contributed to the

Fall River Music,

York, N. Y.

Strangest

Dream." Words and music

Almanac Music, Inc.,

1950 and 1955 by

York, N. Y. Used by permission.

"Copper Kettle" (or, "The Pale Moonlight"). Words and music

by Albert F. Beddoe. Copyright 1960 and 1963 by Melody Trails,
Inc., New York, N. Y. Used by permission.
"Black Is The Color." By John Jacob Niles. Copyright 1936 and
1963 by G. Schirmer, Inc., New York, N. Y. Reprinted by per-

"Dona, Dona"). Music by Sholom Secunda,

Copyright 1940 and 1963 by Mills Music,
Inc. International copyright secured. Used by permission of the
copyright owner. English lyrics used in this book by Arthur Kevess
and Teddi Schwartz, copyright 1956 by Hargail Music Press. Used

"Donna Donna"

words by Aaron

(or

Zeitlin.

by permission.
"Portland Town." Words and music by Derroll Adams. Copy1957 by Sing Out! Inc. Copyright assigned 1964 to Ryerson
Music Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

right

The Flowers Gone." Words and music by Peter

by a passage from Mikhail Sholokhov's novel,

"StewbalJ." By Robert Yellin, John Herald and Ralph Rinzler.

Copyright 1961 and 1963 by Ryerson Music Publishers, Inc., New
York, N. Y.

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You." Words and music by Anne H.

Bredon by assignment from Janet Smith. Copyright 1963 by Ryerson Music Publishers, Inc. Used by permission.

"John Riley." By Bob Gibson and Ricky Neff. Copyright 1961

by Sanga Music, Inc. and Harvard Music, Inc., New York, N. Y.
Used by permission.

"Where Have
Seeger.

Inspired

All

MUSICAL ANNOTATIONS BY KALMAN SELIG

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR / JULES HALFANT

DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOOK TRADE BY

CROWN PUBLISHERS, INC.

DISTRIBUTED TO THE MUSIC TRADE BY

CONSOLIDATED MUSIC PUBLISHERS, INC.

TO MY MOTHER AND FATHER

WITH LOVE,
-JOANIE

The paramount

Joan Baez

fact about Joan Baez is beauty. She has it;

she generates it; and she uses it. Lest this seem rhapsodical,
be it admitted that she is a human being, with impulses, frailties, and foibles, perhaps even a little young wickedness. But
the gospel is beauty.
is the person, and not only vocally. Were it her wish, she
could easily produce the same sort of visual impact as did,

So

John M.C only

Audrey Hepburn at
seems contrived of a sort

same

the

say,

age. At close view, she

of dark sunlight.

The

skin

was made

to consort with bright colors; the dusk of the long hair

is

like

shadow in a canyon. The eyes are a deep topaze, very

steady. The face is slender, strong, aquiline, and secret. There
a

a slight sardonic curl to her lips, even at rest; it is a lovely

mouth but not peaceful. Even silently, it speaks of a world she
may want to love, but has trouble liking.
is

she has no desire to appear a conventional beauty.

Indeed, she dresses against any such possibility. Her admirers
waggishly advert to her concert costumes as gunny sacks.
Plainly

They

aren't, quite, but they are commonly handwoven garb,

purposely shapeless, so that she seems almost a twig-legged
waif, a grown-up Little Match Girl, in the spotlight. Offstage
she is not in the least twiggy. She has a fine, lithe dancer's
body. One has the impression that she would fence very well
(as, metaphorically, against the everyday world, she does).

She

is

She

is

vividly alert.

a personage, of which she

may

haps, she

is

aware. Or, rather, per-

think of herself as a purpose, of which she has

been given charge whether she wants

scious of her image. At an
tion of this book,

she

it

artist's studio,

idly

moved behind

or not.

She

is

con-

during the preparahis

drawing board

and, half-doodling, sketched a picture (she draws very well

It was a Joan Baez. More to the point, it was a
Joan Baez, with tresses flowing forward over the
shoulders, a young mystery. This is her image, and do not
read the word in the Madison Avenue sense. It is not an image
she created for any public; it is truly the image she has found,
thus far, looking for Joan Baez. She offers it honestly.

and

quickly).

stylized

She

offers

it,

also, with love.

in her singing, her

living,

summate

in

her,

musicality

her

and she would rather

Love and beauty are

indivisible

her view of the world. There

art,

call

but the word

it

seems

is

con-

to trouble

loving.

Here we come to a dichotomy. Joan Baez is not two persons,

but she has two aspects, both important. For one thing, here
is a truly lucent voice, vital and lofting, with a timbre that is a
resistless distillate of poignancy and pure thrill. She can sing
"Copper Kettle," a boozy ditty of rustic laziness, in a way to

make

it search souls, almost incredibly. This is a natural gift,

a built-in concord of brain and vocal cords, that will never
leave her. It is plain musicality, and would work with or without

loving.

Besides

this,

and not apart from

woman grown suddenly

it, is Joan Baez, 23, a young

consequential to a whole sector of

today's humanity, by reason of her beauty

i.e., what she does with it.

in

another way,

Joan Baez has no wish to be a leader, an emblem, or a spokesman, and she is none. She is rather, an object, a focus of
feelings; and, actively, one who tends with tenderness. She
is part of a sort of elite corps of today's young. They have
emerged from childhood into a world which seems to them
disorganized to the point of dreadfulness, almost beyond
grasp or hope. They are not beatniks nor even Angry Young
Men; they are too thoughtful and humane for that. They are at
once responsible and baffled. And, in very dubious battle, they
need consolidation, they need emotional focus, and they sorely need comfort the ultimate, unbreakable comfort that is
found only in beauty and simplicity.

"They have to find

what they are, before they can do anything."
Their tastes distinguish them (though this can be oversimplified). They read J. D. Salinger; the poetry of Allen Ginsberg;
in some cases the suspirative science-fantasy of Ray Bradbury; and William Golding's The Lord of the Flies. Some of
them have sat through David and Lisa twice. And they have
gravitated en masse to folk music, and their favorite is Joan

She says

out

of them, not excluding herself:

who they

are,

Baez.
This
are
in

is

natural; she

is

for

There

perfectionists.

them. They want

what she
is

is

a better world; that

light of this (to their elders,

perfection, and they

not an ounce

one

of

whom

of

compromise

An odd

is

that.

is

writing this),

sideis

that

it would seem to be, this ideal world, altogether young. One

has the feeling that they so distrust today's elders, for what
they have done, or not done, that they do not even want to
think of themselves at fifty or sixty, or perhaps as being fifty or

sixty.

that,

Perhaps
if

some

it

would not be a bad thing

for the world, at

of the feelings of twenty-two could last a

whole

lifetime.

At

demands

that, their

aren't exorbitant, at least Joan's aren't.

When asked

(offhand and unfairly) what she would do to

bring about the better world, she said simply: "End war,
and let the people involved with it go to some useful work."

And added

wryly: "Including picketers

and folksingers!"

is probably wrong to call her a folksinger. She is a singer,

mainly of folk songs, because she loves them. As she sings
them, however, they are (what critics call) art-songs; there is
It

little

genre

flavor.

beautiful, refined

To her they are

and

intelligible.

at their

This

is

best

with her, almost uniquely, by Richard Dyer-Bennet.

ence

is

that a

Dyer-Bennet evening

is

when most

a principle shared

The

differ-

historical; the listener

is transported, with familiar ease, to other times and climes.

With Joan Baez, history happens now. The identification is
brought to the listener, he needn't go after it. The translation
is complete. An ethnically-minded folklorist said once of her
that she can make any song sound as if it were being sung by
Joan Baez. What this acid wit missed was the point. Joan Baez

remains Joan Baez.

not possible as

in

When character-identification in a song is

the pirate chronicle, "Henry Martin" she

becomes Joan Baez, musical

Joan Baez

story-teller.

Mexican and Scottish-Irish parentage, and

and educator. She has
lived in a number of places, mostly cities, and has been exposed to all the education she wanted. However, folk song
was her own discovery, in her late teens (remember, she is
precocious). Patently it filled a want in her. She has not said
this, but her work shows it (as does this book): it offered her
a sort of kinship with the continuing "condition humaine," the
changeless part of man's nature; the sensitivity, humor, bravery, acceptance, and shrewdness that have sustained our kind
in all ages and quarters of the world and which we need now.
her father

is

is

of

a rather noted scientist

Joan Baez has purveyed this, beautifully, with her voice and
her presence. Now she continues the effort with this book. It
would seem highly likely that anyone who buys this book already owns at least one Joan Baez record. Anyone who
doesn't: buy one. However, do not try to imitate her singing.
In the first place, you can't. In the second place, that is not
what she offers this book for. You are supposed to discover
your own way into the songs, as she did. It should be a lovely
adventure.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Table

JOAN BAEZ, by JOHN M. CONLY

FOLK MUSIC: THE LONG VIEW,
SIEGMEISTER

by ELIE

FOR THE GUITARIST

16

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

LYRICS AND LAMENTS

17

I.

19

Wagoner's Lad

20

Man

22

Constant Sorrow

of

Lady Mary

The Water
Black

Once
I

is

Wide

28
31

Will Marry

34

36

East Virginia
I

Once Loved

Queen

a Boy

II.

All

Ye

Fair

38

40

of Hearts

42 W^

Fare Thee Well

Come

W^

26

Had a Sweetheart

Never

Contents

24

the Color

is

of

13

and Tender Maidens

CHILD BALLADS

44
47

Geordie

48

Henry Martin

50 *

Mary Hamilton

53

Silkie

56

Barbara Allen

58

The Unquiet Grave

60

The Cherry Tree Carol

62

Lady Gay

64

House Carpenter

66

Matty Groves

68

III.

BROADSIDE BALLADS

Once
Silver

Knew

a Pretty Girl

Dagger

71

72

75

The Trees They Do Grow High

78

Jackaroe

80

Stewball

82

Rake and Rambling Boy

84

Fennario

86

John Riley

89

Willie

Moore

92

Boy

94

Railroad

^^

lS

\/

10

Table

96

The

101

IV.

Banks

104

House

Ohio

of the

108

of the Rising

Long Black

113

Railroad

114

Sun

\S

Veil
Bill

Boy Floyd

Pretty

116

Copper

Kettle

118

Wildwood Flower

120

Lonesome Road

122

Old Blue

126

HYMNS, SPIRITUALS AND LULLABIES

All My Trials

130

Kumbaya

125

V.

132

Hallowed Be Thy

134

Twelve Gates

138

We

142

Somebody Got

We

146

Lost
Shall

Hush
Battle

Hymn

150

in

a Storm

Ov ercome
Little

Baby

of the Republic

Amazing Grace
VI.

MODERN AND COMPOSED SONGS

154

Portland

156
159

Mary

Are Crossing Jordan River

144

148

Name

to the City

Virgin

140

153

Town

Danger Waters

Where Have

All

the Flowers

Gone

162

The Tramp on the Street

164

Three Fishers

167

Donna Donna

170

What Have They Done

174

182
185
186

188

to the Rain?

Annabel Lee

178

180

Command

Ranger's

110

11

West

Rambler Gambler

106

Contents

the

AMERICAN BALLADS AND SONGS

102

of

Lily of

Babe
Last Night

Had

I'm

Gonna Leave You

the Strangest Dre am

\
Plaisir

d'Amour

THE JOAN BAEZ RECORDINGS

INDEX OF TITLES
INDEX OF FIRST LINES

'<*>

12

Folk Music:

The

Long
View
by
Elie

Siegmeister

when

long time ago,

my

first

became

interested

in

American

had
an eccentricity.
studied conducting at the Juilliard School for several years
and had come to a trusted advisor with the idea that would
make my conducting debut leading a group of singers in an
evening of American folk music at Town Hall.

folk music,

friends considered

it

"American folk music," my friend said with compassion,

would come to hear it?"

"Who

Nowadays one cannot

set foot in a high school lunch room

these states without hearing the twanging guitar
of the local Burl Ives, nor visit a cafe anywhere in Europe without being aware of an American cowboy song or a blues coming over the radio in Swedish, Dutch, or Italian, of course.

anywhere

in

What accounts
in
ly,

for this astonishing

growth of a new music

the short space of a single generation

of the rebirth of a centuries-old

music

more accuratewhen it was about

or,

just

to die out?

The answer
1930's and

is

'40's,

not simple, but

there were the

among

New

other things,

in

the

Deal and the anti-fascist

movements

that awakened the humane instincts of all

when millions were deprived, disinherited,
and then destroyed, there was a need for an affirmation of
things basically human. It was a time when intellectual people
felt drawn to a commonality with others whose lives and rights
were threatened with extinction. remember vividly the ex-

war

of us. In a period

citement of such expressions as Marc Blitzstein's Cradle Will

Rock, Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, Steinbeck's Grapes of
Wrath, the Federal Theater's Living Newspapers.

The discovery of folk music by a generation of young musicians and composers was more than another fad it opened
up a new meaning for American music as a whole. For now
those of us who were just starting out could feel part of a rich

we

could feel like new branches on an old tree

and this strengthened us. The need for roots that every artist
senses sooner or later was particularly strong at that time;
many of us knew we could be more ourselves in an American
language than in one fathered in Paris, Vienna, or Berlin.

tradition;

When, therefore,
first met Aunt Molly Jackson, the time
was ripe; was enchanted by her at once. It was after one of
I

those concerts organized by a few indigent musicans calling

ourselves The Young Composers Group, at the New School,
New York, early in 1933. The program notes proclaimed boldly
that we were the start of a new American music (as all program notes of such groups do and should do). After the
concert, our relatives, who comprised the majority of the audience, came back to congratulate us; but among them was this
strange, raggedy woman with a hawk-like face: she came right
up to me and said "You think you are writing American music
did you ever hear any real American music?" After trading
a few insults, we each became fascinated by the ideas of the
other. Result: Aunt Molly asked me if
would care to write
down some of the few hundred songs she had "composed,"
I

13

and
I

said

would.

did.

was but one of many composers

currents of the time. In the early '30s

who responded to the

we all knew of the great

Ives, then something of a legendary figure,

mighty pioneer in the use of folk material.
a
nonetheless
but
"General Booth Enters Heaven," his
Rutlage,"
"Charlie
His
his Concord Sonata for Piano
Sonatas,
Piano
and
Violin

work of Charles

brilliant and imaginative evocations of American

of minstrel songs, ragtime, folk music, and
fragments
life, with
their complex fabric. Henry Cowell and
into
jazz interwoven
preaching the folk music gospel at the
were
Charles Seeger
Alan Lomax, Ben Botkin, and others
Lomax,
John
New School.
hundreds of recordings for the
collecting
field
were out in the
wrote one of the first
Thomson
Virgil
Library of Congress.
Plough That Broke
The
idiom,
folk
movie scores using the
as Jerome Moross,
such
men
young
the Plains. In addition to
generation
"arrived"
the
of
members
Alex North, and myself,
rich use
making
were
Copland
Aaron
of Douglas Moore and
ballet
and
theater,
movie,
in
idiom
of the ballad and cowboy

loomed as

scores.

greatest adventure with folk music came in the early

conducted concerts of the
forties when simultaneously
American Ballad Singers, wrote a score for the first folk musical to appear on Broadway, Sing Out Sweet Land, and com-

My

posed Ozark Set.

Among

the strongest folk musicians then beginning to be

heard around in village cafes, anti-Nazi and pro-Spanish loyalThe Almanac

ist meetings were Josh White, Woody Guthrie,
Singers, Burl Ives, and of course, Leadbelly. After a certain
amount of exposure, it was inevitable that a bit of audience

appeal crept into the performances of some, but Leadbelly

was solid as a rock. He neither could nor would be moved to
do anything other than sing his repertory exactly as he always
had sung it: deadpan, with a gravelly voice that was beautiful,
and a guitar rhythm that shook the walls.
Gradually the folk music movement spread out. New performers came on the scene: Pete Seeger, Oscar Brand, Jean
Ritchie, The Weavers, Tom Scott, and many others. Collec-

and books have come off the presses each year: after
works of Cecil Sharp and John Lomax, there
pioneering
the
Sandburg book, those of Alan Lomax, Ben
Carl
the
appeared
tions

Botkin,

Lawrence

Gellert,

John Jacob Niles, Olin Downes'

and my own Treasury of American Song and dozens and

dozens more.

The influence

of folk music on

American composers did not

originate yesterday. There is more than a trace of folk rhythms

and song patterns in many choruses of William Billings, a contemporary of Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. In the mid1800's it was not only Stephen Foster, Daniel Emmett, Cool
White, and other minstrel song-writers who revealed the in-

fluences of folk syncopation and melodic inflections; there

14

that picaresque character, Louis Gottschalk, whose piano

pieces show that the tango, rhumba, and ragtime beats date
back more than a hundred years.

was

But the most marked change came with Ives at the turn of
the century and, more than thirty years later, with the New
Deal generation of Gershwin, Thomson, Copland, Blitzstein,
Moore, Gould, Moross, North, and myself among others. It
was not an accident that American music - like French, Ger-

man, Russian, Hungarian music before it took on distinctive

character and emerged on the world scene at the very moment
that the life-blood of folk music entered the art of serious composers. American sonatas, symphonies, operas, theater and
ballet scores sprang to life at the same time as folk music

was winning wide recognition as a

native

art.

recent years this trend took another turn. The Cold War
created a new phenomenon: Cold Art. The feelings of enthusiasm and faith in an ideal that moved many artists in the years
1930-45 gradually fell away, and were replaced by a deep
unbelief, a corrosion of feeling, a shying away of one human
being from another. Two quite contradictory effects emerged:
the loss of interest in folk music by serious musicians, and
the enormous growth of interest in it by the people as a whole.

In

In

the post-World

War

II

period there arose the deep need for

a time of anxiety. Without a clear ideal

of life, the young people of our time have turned to the universal expression that is folk music.

human

affirmation

in

The elemental themes represented by the songs in this collection, ranging from old Child Ballads, newer Anglo-American
mountain love songs, country and western tunes,
hymns and Spirituals and topical songs of today bring the
singer and listener closer to the sources of American music:
the spontaneous creation of many generations of the plain
people of our country.
ballads,

of folk music enthusiasts to

evidence of a reaction against
the passivity induced by ready-made entertainment. The very
roughness of folk performance speaks as a bulwark against
the slickness of pre-fabricated commercial art. It affirms a
desire to participate actively once more in the expression of
a genuine and meaningful human experience. Perhaps it is
a precursor of a similar swing of the pendulum among our
serious musicians who have turned this way and that, and who
may once again note the musical voice of our own time and

The eagerness

of vast

numbers

sing and play these songs

people.

15

is

The chord progressions indicated above the music are the

chords as they sound in the key in which the arrangement is
written. Following these are chords in parentheses which are
the chords actually played when a capo is used to avoid the
more difficult bar chords.

For the guitarist

who wishes

to play along with the

in different keys than the

keys of the piano arrangements, we have supplied a legend
above each song, as for example:
Key: E
Capo: 4th
Play: C

means

the

Joan

Baez recordings, which are often

This

For
Guitarist

Joan Baez sings this song in the key of E; that

be placed at the 4th fret; that the player is to
finger the chords as if they were in C, but that they will actually sound in E.
the capo

is

that
to

Occasionally, the harmony of the piano arrangement differs

from Joan Baez' guitar accompaniment. In these cases, Joan's
harmony is indicated by a footnote, so that the pianist who
wishes to observe her original chord progressions can do so.

The editors have refrained from suggesting any "picking"

styles, preferring to leave that

choice up to the

guitarist.

16

About
the
Contributors

New

York City in 1909, is a distinguished American composer who, throughout his career, has
been interested in American folk music both in its original
form and as source material for musical composition in larger
forms. Among his achievements in this area are the Broadway musical, "Sing Out Sweet Land"; "Ozark Set", which
was performed by major symphony orchestras and recorded
by Dimitri Mitropoulos; and "Western Suite", which was premiered by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony in 1945.
Siegmeister has also attained distinction in the fields of absolute music and vocal works on tragic themes. His long list
of compositions includes three symphonies, two string quartets, violin and piano sonatas, "A Strange Funeral in Braddock" and a full-length opera based on Sean O'Casey's "The
Elie Siegmeister,

born

in

Plough and the Stars."

von Schmidt has been active as a painter, graphic artist

illustrator for almost fifteen years. He was awarded a
Fulbright to Italy in 1955-6, and has given seven one-man
Eric

and

As a folksinger, he has become a

the blues revival, and has recorded for Folkways Records and Prestige Folklore. It was as a folksinger
that he first met Joan Baez when she was beginning her cashows

of his paintings.

major figure

in

in Cambridge in 1958-9, and the illustrations for this

book are the result of their long friendship. Von Schmidt has
two daughters, Caitlin and Megan, and has recently begun to
write as well as illustrate books for young people. The first
two, "Come for to Sing" and "The Young Man Who Wouldn't
Hoe Corn", will soon be followed by "The Ballad of Bad Ben

reer

Bilge."

John Marsland Conly was born in Manhattan to a pair of

newspaper people who had started as English teachers. At
the age of eleven, he recalls, he was a fairly reliable authority
on the fauna of the Mesozoic Era, meaning mainly dinosaurs.
At fifteen he was a promising painter. He moved briefly into
the field of scholarship and taught history at the University
of Rochester for one year. He could not keep away from
typewriters, however, a family failing. In 1940 he went to work
for the New York Herald Tribune. Since then he has been in
succession a police reporter, a science columnist, music editor of The Atlantic Monthly and editor of High Fidelity. Conly
is

now,

at the

age of fifty, a free lance writer. He contributes

column to The Reporter and is working on

an intermittent

three books at once.

17

18

LYRICS

AND
LAMENTS
Folksongs generally can be

classified into

ballads (narrative folksongs)

narrative songs).

and

two groups;

(emotive non-

The two species are not as

separate as one might believe,

lyric

lyrics

distinctly

however, for

folksongs have derived wholly from

many

ballads.

When most of the narrative details are sheared away

from ballads what remains is the emotional core,
the essence to be found in many of the best lyric
folksongs <md laments. Other lyric pieces are simply
a conglomeration of floating folk
lines

commonplace

verses,

and phrases, forming one combination here and

another there. Their extreme beauty, in isolation or

in combination, often
finest art poetry in

compares favorably with the

any language.

The verses of this lyric dialogue from the Appalachians may once have
been part of a ballad, but all that remains is a comment on frustrated
love. Such lines are frequently found in combination with other equally
beautiful ones (see for example those of "Rambler Gambler"), though
they lose

little

piece. Joan

in

Wagoner's

Lad

isolation as witnessed by the five short verses of this

Baez sings

it

without accompaniment.

Moderately
Bb

^
hard

=r^3

th.

is

for

tune

of

all

^>

-^~&_

Dm

Jkind,.

'J.

"

'

^^

an

^
Bl.

J
She's

al

ways

con

trol

She's

led,.

fedE

32

3?

wom

T*

f*

20

Gm

Dm

Am

*F1

\]

ways

con

Con

^m

fined,

par

her

wm

-r

trolled by

-r

Gm

Bi>

wife,

she's

til

m
s

Dm

r
i

=r

-r

P
Bl>

to

bus

her

-9-

Bb

slave

^r?

^^=^
S^

ents_

m
r
--<,

9fee

band

the

rest

of

her

i-

J-

'

life.

(o)

^m

S*-

Oh, I'm

just a

poor

my fortune
I've

is

girl,

me

he

Then

"My

daily,

3.

Oh,

my parents
because he

They say

of entering

He works
his

And
21

if

is

poor,

he's not

my

door,

for a living,

money's

his

own,

they don't like

they can leave

him

you may."

fare thee well darlin',

be on

my way."

"Oh, your wagon needs greasing,

your whip

worthy

it,

alone.

here by me,

horses ain't hungry,

I'll

don't like him,

down

they won't eat your hay,

So

and going away.

sit

as long as

lad,

loading

is

"Oh, your horses are hungry,

by night and by day,

And now

^9

go feed them some hay,

always been courted

He's courted

5-

sad,

by the wagoner's

Then

sit

is

down

as long as

to

mend,

here by me,

you can."

"My wagon is greasy,

my whip's in my hand,
So fare thee well

no longer

darlin',

to stand."

This sorrowful cry of a lonesome man has been found in various parts of
the southern mountains. Its verses consist of a series of variations on a
theme a heart-rending one at that. Occasionally the first line reads "I

am

a maid

."

or

"I

am

the song sings well by

but even without the change

,"

in

Man

of

sex

women.

CAPO: NONE

KEY: C

girl

Constant
Sorrow

PLAY: C

Moderately slow
G(G.efc)

J-1

m
nip

J: ji

am

of

W m

J'
trou

T^

E5
And

sor- row,

PP
I've seen

rrf

Dm

W r^~r^
a

con-starit

Am

J'

Ji

bles

all

my

L^

L-U

days.

i
I

j>
I'll

a i
bid

fare

CJ-r^rjp

22

//r.sr

ami others

'

Dm

Am
J> J>

]>

J)

was born and

m r^
^ ^

cJj 4^-~cJ^

Zi.stf

ri/iir

Dm

hJ>
raised.

.2. All

Jil

through

this

/7S

raised..
^T\

mm
f

!H cm ^Tp
2.

bound to ramble,
Through sun and wind and driving rain,
I'm bound to ride the Northern Railway,
All through this world I'm

Perhaps

3.

Your

I'll

take the very next train.

friends

may

think that I'm a stranger,

My face you'll never see no more,

There
I'll

4.

see

is

a promise that

is

given,

you on God's golden shore.

always thought

had seen trouble

Now I know it's common run

I'll hang my head and weep in
Just to think

5.

And when I'm in some lonesome hour,

And I am feeling all alone,
I'll

weep

And
6.

23

sorrow

on what you've done.

the briny tears of sorrow

think of you so far a-gone.

Oh, I'm a man of constant sorrow,

etc.

text of this song has an Elizabethan ring to it, but it comes from the
Ozark Mountains where Vance Randolph collected it from May Kennedy
McCord. One would think that such an exquisite text and tune would be
found more widely in tradition, but to date no other version of this lyric
has turned up on either side of the Atlantic.

The

KEY:

CAPO: 4TH

Ctt

PLAY: A

Slow

A7 (E)

D(A)

He

came

from his

J.

He

grand,.

*
rf rrr rr
i

*mw* p
D(A)

J) J)
came

to

my

tage

cot

B
f

afe^

door.

His

looks.

were

words

fTT
fc=j=4

but his

f
->-J-4
f=

1
will

A7 (E)

**Q(A)

D(A)

few,

#
A7 (E)

^^ P

D(A)

pal -ace

^m
T
i

Lady Mary

J'Ji

lin-ger

for

D(A)

JJ
ev

er

^PJPg

f? H^F

p5

I
"As performed: A 7 (E).
**As performed: D(A).

24

D(A)

G(D)

D(A)

G(D)

pt

ten-der than

There

in her

words

could

be,

garden she stands,

But

was

I.

And now

On

Lady Mary so cold and

His beautiful

finds in his heart

He knew I would be
With a
But

And

place.

his bride,

kiss for a lifetime fee,

was nothing

so strange,

no

to

him,

he was the world to me.

noth-ing

to _

in his palace grand,

All dressed in fine satin and lace,

Who

25

A'(E)

a flower strewn bed he

lies,

lids are closed,

O'er his sad dark beautiful eyes.

mourners who mourn,

And among

the

Why

should

For

was nothing

And

mourner be?
to him,

he was the world to me.

Originally part of a long Scots ballad, "Lord

Jamie Douglas," all that

remains are these few verses which constitute the emotional core of that
ballad. Most singers know it in another form as "Waly, Waly," by which
title it was known as far back as the early 18th century. It remains one
of the most beautiful and evocative of all British lyric folksongs.

The

Water
is

KEY:

CAPO: 1ST

Wide

PLAY: E

Gently
F(E)

J'

J>

The wat - er

J)
is

,1.

Bb(A)

J' J> j* j)

wide,

F(E)

j^f

can-not get

Neith-er

o'er,

I a Jn_jj
b

Dm(C#n

f-

nti

*=

Am(Gjfm)

Gm(F}tm)

^-u

O^llM

C?(B 7 )

26

leaned

my back

Thinking
But

first it

So did

my

it

was

against an oak,

3.

a mighty tree,

bent and then

it

broke,

Oh, love

Gay

as a

my hand

pricked

And

love prove false to me.

4.

put

in

some

soft bush,

Thinking the sweetest flower

left

handsome and love

jewel when it is new,
is

is

my

finger to the bone,

the sweetest flower behind.

kind,

But love grows old and waxes cold,

And fades away

The water

is

like

wide,

morning dew.
cannot get

to find,

o'er, etc.

No more beautiful and simple

Known in various parts

folk lyric exists than the short

verses of this
Southern Appalachians, its fame has
been spread to the corners of the world in the fine versions of Jean
Ritchie and John Jacob Niles. What many poets have taken hundreds of
lines to say, the unknown folk composer of this song has been able to
capsule in two short verses. The tune for this version is the work of John
piece.

Jacob
KEY: En

Black

of the

is

the Color

Niles.

CAPO: NONE; GUITAR TUNED

MINOR

DOWN

Vi

TONE

PLAY: E

MINOR

Moderate] y slow
EmfEm-Fi)

Black,

'

black,

Wf.l

black

is

true

lor

J.

^
His

hair.

love's

J*

j>.

of

my

lips.

5fe

i>

J'

3=5 f

^m
p

co

m i
X5

tft

the

Em(Em + F#)

32

*=

j-

f-

>

D(D)

-v-

Am(Am + D)

J
p

are some -thing

Ji

J>

r
won

d'rous

fair,-

m
The

28

Em(Gthcn Em + F#)

E^5

pur

est

F
eyes

and

the

|!

brav

3.

2=5

hands,

love

the

8t

i
Am(Am + D)

ZBC

ground

^^&
Coda
,

29

Em(Em + F(!)

where

on.

T=^

TT~

he

3E

stands.

^ ^
Tf~

[^T^-

another lyric of frustrated love, several of its verses being tradifound in combination with other lines. The dream verses (2 and
have the ring of art poetry to them, and may be a fairly recent accretion

This

is

tionally
3)

to the song.

KEY: Bb

CAPO: 1ST

PLAY: A

Once
I Had a
Sweetheart

Lively, lightly
A(G)

m 3^=^

B(A)

B(A)

3=r
Once

I Us

had

j) j.

sweet-heart,

and

3EEE3E

,OJ.

J'

JO

"/

as g jjj --
A J *

E(D1

now_

f^TO

B(A)

have

f=

3=
Onre

none,

jtt^j
r

g^fea

S
^

5t

^ff^S
sweet-heart,

E(D)

and

gone_

As performed: A(G).

^
I

me,

have

He's

w^

now_

leave

*fe

^^
had

nj,

j>

;>

-*

-1

f
3=fc

He's

none,

gone
i.-~

*
i

=*L

B(A)

i
'/

F#m(G)

^^
r

zj.

f
r*-

5
32

B(A)

first

ten.

and otfut

last

l=t

%
2.

**

rit.

Last

r>

a
^

nt.
:

h> tf> J

n^rrn

Last night in sweet slumber

dreamed

did see,

Last night in sweet slumber

dreamed

did see,

My own precious jewel sat smiling by me,

My own precious jewel sat smiling by me.

3.

And when I awakened I found it not so,

And when I awakened I found it not so,

My eyes like some fountain with tears overflow,

My eyes like some fountain with tears overflow.
4.

I'll

venture through England, through France and through Spain,

I'll

venture through England, through France and through Spain,

All
All

5.

33

my
my

life I will

venture the watery main,

life I will

venture the watery main.

Once

had a sweetheart,

etc.

The refrain of this song is usually part of a British broadside ballad

known in America as "Down By the Sea Shore" (Laws K 17). The verses,
too, are, for the most part, widespread folk commonplaces. The unusual
combination of the two, mainly the effort of Fred Hellerman, makes for
an enchanting lyric on the theme of frustrated love.

KEY: D

CAPO: NONE

Never
Will

Marry

PLAY: D

Moderately

A7

D(0,etc.)

days

of

my

3E3ES

1
All the

&) -

A7

D7

life.

m
pp

m
19-=-

(O)

f
rr=-

Fine

34

A7

^#

~o

Some

say

that

love

gent

is

thing,

le

on

It

zzz

^E5

3^

T
3

^^

I s

brought

me

I r

a^

D7

And

pain,

'

Bm

-a

loved

is

Em

gone

<t

mid

^
on

boy

ly

T~T

3 f
D

night

ftt*

D.C. al

Fiw

train.

id:

&

As performed: A 7

on that

fe=

rr

A7

(A 7 )

fe

Fp

the

i-i

has

^F
J

<m

za

A7

W'

ly

D.C. a l Fine

never will marry,

etc.

never will marry,

etc.

Your company, your company,

Your company unto me,
It makes me feel while I'm away

Arise and grow again,

That every day

Did you ever

is

You'll see the grass whereon you stand

But love

three.

4.

never will marry,

wish

my

heart were

made

letters are writ in gold.

35
I

never will marry,

etc.

killin' thing,

feel the

etc.

Wherein you might behold,

All the wonders of my love,

The

it is

of glass,

pain?

This lonesome song

and
to

is

tell

is

known widely throughout the southern mountains,

monplace expressions found

ubiquitous and adorns

KEY: B

East

typical of the beautiful folk poetry which the mountaineers created

of heartbreak and sorrow, borrowing inspiration from older com-

MINOR

in

British folk love songs.

many other

The tune

is

equally

Virginia

fine texts.

PLAY: A MINOR

CAPO: 2ND

Moderately
Dm(Am)

J
1

was

born

in

>

J^

fair pret-ty

maid-en,

A7 (E)

Dm(Am)

i
"XT"

age

do not

mm

~C*~

-i

w
j

D(A)

TOT

-*-

North Car- o

ia,

Dm(Am)

Her name and

I iS
?

^^

J^~J

gin

S^

itee

Dm(Am)

G(D)

Vir

~CT~

Gm(Dm)

East

^E=

J'

.I.

Dm (Am)

G(D)

^i

~n~

(O)
=Wt

know.

(O)

TT

y=M
IE

(O)

f=
36

was of

Her hair

it

And

lips of a

On

her

her breast she wore white

There

Well, in

At

my

longed to lay

my

my

heart you are

I'll

your love

meet you

lilies.

head.

my

door you're welcome

At my gate
If

brightsome color,

ruby red.

my

darlin',

in,

darlin',

could only win.

I'd rather be in some dark holler

Where the sun refused to shine.
Than to see you be another man's darlin',
And to know that you'll never be mine.

Well

in the night

In the day

find

I'm dreamin' about you,

no

rest,

my darlin',
through my breast.

Just the thought of

you

Sends aching pains

all

Well when I'm dead and

my
Come and
Come and
With

feet
sit

in

my

coffin,

turned toward the sun.

beside

me

think on the

darlin',

way you done.

This song

was a

century, and

is

sometimes runs

in England from the 17th

sung in parts of England and Scotland. The text
seven or more verses, but the two given here are fully

favorite with broadside printers

to

representative of the

rest.

PLAY: C

CAPO: 4TH

KEY: E

Once
Loved
a toy

still

Moderately slow

^^
I

M^p
^m*

^ m
Am (En

F(C*)

** Bb(Dm)

once

boy

loved a

and

Ji

=Z2

i
-6-

bold

PP
boy,

Ir_ ish

would

P^^

tor

= =J=J:

JE^L

Gm(G)

S^f

1z

Pedal simile

F(C)

fe
come

m
^s

and would

i T"^
4=

Gm(Dm)

go

C?(Em*)

at

S^
his

r-

-r

3E=m
T

and (Em*) chords are to be played in higher position using first three strings.
""As performed: Gm(Dm). This and subsequent variations reflect implied harmonies

m
And

quest.

1 mt

1
r

re

F(C*)

this

.L-F

(C")

of the guitar.

38

Am(C)

Gm (Dm

C 7 (Em*)

And this girl who has taken my bold bonnie

May she make of it all that she can,
For whether he loves me or loves me not,
I will walk with my love now and then.

*
39

A: <^

lad,

The English collector Sabine Baring-Gould found

in

1894 and believed

it

to date

back

this

song

in

tradition

to the period of the Stuart Restora-

Love metaphors utilizing playing cards motifs occur in the

songs of many lands, but rarely as effectively as in this song.

tion.

folk-

Queen
of

KEY: F# MINOR

CAPO: 2ND

Hearts

PLAY: E MINOR

Had I the store in yonder mountain,

Where gold and silver is there for countin'
I

could not count for thought of thee,

My eyes so full
I

love

love

love

could not

see.

my father, I love my mother,

my sister, I love my brother,
my friends and relatives, too,

I'll

forsake them

To

the

Queen

all

and go with you.

of Hearts, etc.

40

ModenitHy

to^
To

Queen

the

Bm(Em)

F# 7 (B 7 )

Bm(Em)

Hearts

of

F
Are

the

is

tJ

||,j

Sor- row,

of

be'

Pedal simile

F#(B 7 )

Em(Am)

^9
here

to

day,

m
1

gone.

he's

^S

it

1
1

men

Fj* (B

j
are

plen

i" J1

p
-

ty

# fe5

leaves

r
what

me,

few,

my

If

love_

^
V
I

F# 7 (B 7

Em (Am)

^^

Bm(Em)

Bm(Em)

sweet- hearts.

but

^=N^
w

^f^f

mT

p~

Young

3s!

^^

mor- row,

Tif

==

i
P

to

Bm(Em)

first

j_j.

-j.

and others

last

Bm(Em)

shall

r
I

T-Ir

do?
/CS

limn
gi
41

j-

?
i=i

f
-k

PP
J

Ep

5^

I'

a variant text of one of the most beautiful of

all lyric songs of

which he revised with a
sure touch, but the folk preferred their own versions, and have kept the
song in living tradition for several hundred years. The music for this
version is the work of David Gude of Martha's Vineyard.

This

is

British origin.

Robert Burns knew a

Fare
Thee

folk version

Well
CAPO: 4TH

KEY: F#

CIOT THOUSATO MILES)

PLAY: D

Rhythmic, pulsating"
G(D)

F(C)

*=&

i
Oh,

# 3e

r^

"/

^^
G(D)

must

thee well,

fare

Dm

F(C)

Em(Bm)

G(D)

be

And

gone,

Wf
G(D)

C(G)

'(D)

^E

mm
will

&*

re-turn,

J'

if

go.

ten

IX
w

thou

m
sand.

fP^lf
if

&
M
p
-*rr

*As performed: G(D).

42

"Am

EmlBm)

Em

'Am

G(D)

W.

"O

If

miles,

TS

#^i
r

G(D)

if

i
j/*

ggji

D 7 (A 7

C(G)

^^
if

ten thou

go

Em(Bm) throughout

r-flV^

And

may

lie,

ever

I'll

it is

(O)

miles.

so far to leave

that

is

you'll,

and

me

so black

you'll not hear

my love will

rivers

oh the day, yes the day

here alone,

my moan,

my moan.

change

his color white,

will turn to night.

never will run dry, or the rocks melt with the sun,

never prove false to the boy

'Til all,

G(D)

should prove false to thee, the day, day will turn to night,

Yes, the day,

Oh, the

WTT~

lament and cry, and you, you'll not hear

no

you'll,

Oh, the crow

If

sand

this section.

Oh, ten thousand miles

While

4.

3E5

go,

=T

"As performed:

E/

'til all, 'til

all

j.

Em(Bm)

^^ ^=#
*

t/

TT

-**-

331

43

m=

C(G)

RO.

love,

'til all,

these things be done.

all

these things be done,

lyric lament on false suitors is perhaps the best known

such pieces from the Southern Appalachians. Numerous textual
variants are known, sung to almost as many different tunes. Some of its
verses can be traced back to British songs, while others are found only
in America. Taken together they form an exquisite example of lyric folk

This incomparable

of

Come All

all

Ye

song.

KEY: F

CAPO: 3RD

and Tender
Maidens

PLAY: D

Moderately

lively, flowing*
Eb(C)

F(D)

ffff

Eb(C)

F(l

HP

J*

F(D)

F(D)

* !:.

jjj

i
p

Cm (Am)

^m

all

ye

F(D)

Eb(C)

fair

EMC)

JiJ T W-NJV

^^

TT

Eg

F(D)

EMC)

^5
Come

Fair

Pedal simile

Eb(C)

F(D)

b~|

and

=ff
ten

Dm (Em)

Bb(G)

f
-

der

iP^

Sf

Gm(Em)

~rr^

maid

Bb(G)

ens_

Take warn-ing

^
*As performed: Gm(Em).

44

*
t

how

^r

you

court

young

3>J
r

=?*

They're

like

star

T5

r
3E

First

^=^
W

JJ

Cm(Am)

Eb(C)

and then they're

t;

and others

f=
Eb(C)

Cm(C-Am)

F(D)

they'll ap-pear,

^=T

Eb(C)

>

mi

JTh

/irsf^

F(D)

morn-ing,

sum-mer's

J 3 irj
r

,J

Gm(Em)

Bb(G)

of

:~

Gm(Em)

J) J' J'

BI.(G)

F 7 (Em)

BI-(G)

^^

t>

-*-

Gm(En

BI.(G)

F(D)

/'

J)

men,

fe
^*^

-**r

EMC)

t=rf

Gm(En

Eb(C)

FID)

Eb(C)

F(D)

Za.sf

Cm(C-Am)

F(D)

F(D)

rif.

gone.

/O

i
r.h.

mr
45

rir.

7l

7=

-y-J

PP

They'll

to

tell

you some
you

They'll swear to

lovin' story,

their love

is

true,

Straight-way they'll go and court another,

And

that's the love they

had

for you.

Oh, do you remember our days of courtin'

When your head lay upon my breast?

You could make me believe
with the

fallin'

That the sun rose

a

If I'd

known

That love

5.

And

fastened

wish

But
I

am

to

arm

courted

killin' thing,

heart in a box of golden

up with

little

my own

he'd speak

not no

a silver pin.

sparrow,

wings and

away

I'd fly

it

was a

And when
6.

my

locked

And I had

before

was such a

it

I'd a

of your

in the West.

little

could

true lover,
I

would deny.

sparrow,

have no wings, neither can

I'll sit

right

And let my

Come

all

down

in

my grief

troubles pass

ye

fair

fly,

I fly,

and sorrow,

me by.

and tender maidens,

etc.

46

CHILD

BALLADS
Among

the finest of all the folksongs in the

English-speaking world are the 305 classic

British

James Child of

ballads which Francis

Harvard recognized as being

truly traditional,

and which he analyzed in great detail in his

monumental five volume work. The English and
Popular Ballads (1882-1898).

Scottish

ballads are

still

identified by the

These

numbers which

he assigned to them and, though more than half

a century has passed since his
pleted,

mended

work was com-

only a few ballads have been recomas additions to Child's canon, an indi-

cation of the degree to which Child's selections

have become the standard by which

is

judged.

\S
47

all

balladry

An 18th century English broadside ballad has intertwined with a 17th

century traditional Scottish ballad to produce one of the dramatic gems
of British balladry. Poaching, even by a nobleman, was a serious crime.
His high position, however, entitled him to a death befitting his station
in life. Geordie's sweetheart (or wife) pleads for his life, usually to no
avail, though in at least one other version he obtains his freedom thanks

Geordie

to the sheer force of her character.

(CHILD NO.

PLAY: E MINOR

CAPO: 1ST

MINOR

KEY: F

209)

Moderately
*C*m(D)

F?m(Em)

fe^M^

A(EmorG)

D(C)

3>

1
1

F#m(Em)

As

ver

morn-ing

ear

ly,

J'

41

fc^^s J-U
was la- ment- ing

maid

is

fair

pret-ty

I
Ffm(Em)

J) J)
for her

'

J
Geor

(>Q)

zr
die.

(Oj

44^

E(D)

r nr

C#(B 7

A(G)

:&

U.

J-

o-ver- heard

D(C)

Ctfm(Bm)

>A(EmorG)

F*m(Em)

'

-j

E(D)

&E

44

bridge

**A(EmorG>

ODemist-y

don

^
^^

j-

o-

A^^'J'r

Lon

$=5-

*M

^^

walked out

J
.

*As performed: E(D).

As performed: F#m(Em).

^ i^f =
r

r
i-j.

^
f

r-

fed

i=i
T^

r-

it

m
r
48

Ah,

my

Geordie

be hanged in a golden chain

will

Tis not the chain of many

He was born of king's

And lost to a virtuous

royal breed
lady.

Go bridle me my milk white

Go bridle me my pony,
I will

To
4.

London's court

plead for the

Ah,

He

ride to

my

steed,

life

of Geordie.

Geordie never

stole

nor cow nor

calf,

never hurted any,

Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,

And he

sold

them

in

Bohenny.

Two pretty babies have I born,

The third lies in my body,
I'd freely part
If

with them every one

you'd spare the

life

of Geordie.

The judge looked over his

left

He said fair maid I'm sorry

He said fair maid you must be
For

shoulder,

gone,

cannot pardon Geordie.

7.

Ah,

my Geordie

'Tis not the

will

be hanged

in a

chain of many,

Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer

And he

49

sold

them

in

Bohenny.

golden chain,

may well be but one half of a longer ballad in which a sinking of a

merchant ship by a pirate is revenged when the King sends one of his
captains to locate, defeat and capture the pirate. As given here, we have

Henry

the first half of that tale; the rest of the story is dramatically told in another Child ballad, "Sir Andrew Barton" (Child No. 167). Both ballads
have been collected frequently from traditional singers in America.

Martin

This

KEY: B

MINOR

CAPO: 2ND

PLAY: A MINOR

Moderately fast

Dm (Am)

m
Im
I

There

were

(CHILD NO.

three

broth

ers

250)

Dm (Am)

A(E)

~n
in

Mer

ry

Scot

land,

Id

nf

9 F
E

t
50

AlEor

Gm(Dm)

Mer- ry

P
m^

Scot

land

there

were

C)

Dm(Am)

(E)

And

three,

they

T7~=~

T
(i

f5

did

cast

f
Gm(Dm)

I^F^F
lots

j;

which

them

of

Mpr
I

^
^

(E)

>

3
*r
J

f5

go,.

ii^i

Dm(Am)

And_

Dm(Am)

51

should

should

fo

m
C(G)

F(C)

go,

>=.

go,

^
A(CorE)

should

turn

rob-ber

all

^=4- ^

F^

i'

on

J-

plU ^

the salt

J)

r
4:

2.

The lot it fell first upon Henry Martin,

The youngest of all the three,
That he should turn robber
For

3.

to maintain his

They had not been

all

on the

two brothers and

salt sea,

he.

sailing but a long Winter's night,

And part of a short Winter's day,

When he espied a stout lofty ship, lofty ship,
Come a-bibbing down on him straight way.
4.

"Hello, hello," cried

"What makes you

sail

so nigh?"

London town,
Would you please for

London town, London town,

to let

it

never could be,

have turned robber

For

For

to maintain

"Come
Or

on the

salt sea, the salt sea,

the salt sea,

me."

lower your tops'l and brail up your mizzen,

I will

And

all

my two brothers and

Bring your ship under

7.

me pass by?"

"Oh, no, oh no," cried Henry Martin,

"This thing

6.

lofty ship

Henry Martin

"I'm a rich merchant ship bound for fair

5.

the salt sea, the salt sea,

all

give to

you

my lee

a full

cannon

cannon

ball,

your dear bodies drown in the

ball,

cannon

ball,

salt sea."

"Oh no, we won't lower our lofty topsail,

Nor bring our ship under your lee

And you

shan't take

from us our

rich

merchant goods, merchant

goods, merchant goods,

Nor point our bold guns

8.

to the sea.

And broadside and broadside and

For
'Til

fully

two hours or

Henry Martin gave

at

it

they went

three,

to

them the death

shot, the death shot,

the death shot

And
9.

straight to the

bottom went

she.

Bad news, bad news to old England came,

Bad news to fair London town,
There's been a rich vessel and she's cast away, cast away, cast away,

And

all

of her

merry men drowned.

52

tale told here bears resemblance to two distinct historical

occurrences: one relating to a 16th century incident in the court of Mary
Queen of Scots, and the other to an affair in the court of Russia's Czar
Peter in the 18th century. At this late date, however, oral tradition has
altered the story too greatly to pinpoint the exact incident on which the
ballad might have been based. The long circumstantial version given here
not have much currency today among traditional singers; all that
illy remains is a lyric lament in which Mary Hamilton makes a farewell
;h without any explanation of why she is being punished.

The ballad

Mary;

Hamilton

PLAY:

(CHILD NO.

173)

Quite moderately
D(A)

^m

lOCc

Word

m^

3=

fI

32

^^
y

Bm(F#m

jr=l

J)J

D(A)

*A(A)

or D)

mm

gone

JZZ

And-

word

===

^XU
^
a *

A'

And

-z

Bm

word

is

^m

aG

^^ & m
^^ ^
up

to

Mad- am

G(E)

A7

(E)

the_

XI

mi-

D(A)

(Fltm)

thp

to

D(A)

-z

m^^

is

hall,

# ^

1^3

&

G(D)

IE)

the

to.

is

D(A)

lt

2 ni and

4^4
;

3i

^F^
r

And

Queen

-r

that's

r
S5 ^

As performed: D(A).
**As performed: A 7 (E) through measure.

the_

^
worst

of

all,.

(O)

-n

3n

others\

1^
'

(O)

54

2.

/"'oerse only

"Arise, arise,

Arise and

3.

4.

Mary Hamilton,

tell

What thou

G(0

to

hast

8..

saw and heard weep by thee?"

"I put

him

in a tiny boat,

And

cast

him out

9.

first

And

the death

"Last night

was

The gallows

me."

Mary Hamilton,
come with me;
a wedding in Glasgow town,

"Arise, arise,

10.

is

1 1

But she put on her robes of white.

To

ride into

And

Glasgow town.

as she rode into

The city for

The bailiff's

Glasgow town,

For had

12.

my

share."

off, cast off

would not

see."

Then by and come the King himself,

Looked up with a pitiful eye,
"Come down, come down, Mary Hamilton,

"Ah, hold your tongue,

For

cried,

my own wee babe,

would not dee."

be

find for this,

my gown," she cried,

my petticoat be,
And tie a napkin 'round my face;

wife and the provost's wife

not weep for me;

This death

to

let

And

not slain

the Queen's feet,

the only reward

to see,

"Ah, you need not weep for me," she

to dee."

Tonight, you'll dine with me."

let

your

my sovereign

liege,

folly be;

if you'd a mind to save my life,

You'd never have shamed me here."

Cried, "Ach, and alas for thee."

"You need

was

put the gold in her hair,

"Cast

"But

of brown,

to travel in,

washed

The gallows

She put not on her robes of black,

Nor her robes

think

she cradled me,

lands

But he'd never come back

to

my mother

The

And
And

to sea,

This night we'll go and see."

7.

did

That he might sink or he might swim,

There

6.

little

When

me,

done with thy wee babe

Arise and

'Ah,

13.

"Last night there were four Marys,

Tonight

there'll

be but

three,

There was Mary Beaton, and Mary Seton,

And Mary

Carmichael, and me."

"The Great

of Sule Skerry"

Silkie

'Silkies,' or sealfolk,

known

is

one

of

numerous tales of the

Orkney Islands and

to the inhabitants of the

Silkie

These enchanted creatures dwell in the depth of the sea,

occasionally doffing their seal skins to pass on land as mortal men.
Legend has it that they then accept human partners, and some families
on the islands actually trace their ancestry to such marriages. In more
the Hebrides.

complete versions of the ballad the Silkie's forecast of the death of himself and his son (stanzas 5 and 6) eventually come to pass. The tune is
by Dr. James Waters of Columbia University.
CAPO: NONE

KEY: D

PLAY: D

(CHILD NO.

113)

Moderately
G(D)

pm

G(D)

An

earth

G(D)

F(C)

G(D)

F(C)

ly

nurse

sits

and

f
sings,

=*

&m

And

gm

Pedal simile

F(C)

Aye,

she

if

by

sings

z:

tm

li

G(D)

- ly.

iggj

wean,

=z

And

56

Am(Em)

Dm(Am)

QID)

-19-

[/?>)

^^

.;

where

dwells

he

in.

(^>

i3

'*

As performed: G{D) to end.

For he came one night

And

grumbly

Saying "Here

Although

to her

bed

guest, I'm sure

am

feet,

was

he,

thy bairn's father,

I,

be not comely."

am a man upon the land,

am a silkie on the sea,
And when I'm far and far frae

'I

My home

it is

And he had
And he had

ta'en a purse of gold

placed

Saying, "Give to

And
'And

it

shall

come

to pass

fetch

teach him

'And ye

57

upon her knee,

little young son,

on

the sun shines bright

come and

And

it

me my

take thee up thy nurse's fee."

When
I'll

land,

in Sule Skerrie."

shall

And
And

the very

Will

kill

my

how

to

summer's day,

on every

little

swim

young

stane,

son,

the faem."

marry a gunner good,

a right fine

both

gunner I'm sure

first

he'll be,

shot that e'er he shoots

my young son

and me."

^H

i
r

without doubt the best known and most widely sung of all British
in the Old World and in America. Most variants
strongly resemble one another, undoubtedly due to the frequent publiThis

is

traditional ballads, both

cation of this ballad

in

Barbara

songsters, chapbooks, penny garlands and on

Allen

broadsides from the 17th century on.

KEY: B

CAPO: 2ND

(CHILD NO.

PLAY: A

84)

Motlorately
D(A)

A(E)

D(A)

(A)

Bm(F#m)

58

A7 (E)

He
To

D(A)

6.

sent his servant to the town.

the place where she was

"You must come to my master

your name be Barb'ry Allen."

Saying,
If

So, slowly, slowly she got up,

And
And

"Young man,
4.

He

death was

in

him

Be good

When

my

friends

59

8.

bells knellin',

every stroke to her did say:

die of sorrow."

father,
it

oh

father,

go dig

my

grave,

both long and narrow,

I will

die tomorrow."

Barb'ry Allen was buried in the old church-yard,

Sweet William was buried beside her;

Out of Sweet William's heart there grew a

Out of Barb'ry Allen's, a briar.

all,

he was dead and laid in grave,

"Hard-hearted Barb'ry Allen."

"And

And

to Barb'ry Allen."

She heard the death

my grave,

Sweet William died on yesterday,

wellin',

to

dig

both long and narrow;

I will

Make
say,

think you're dyin'."

"Good-bye, good-bye

And

And
7.

turned his face unto the wall,

And

5.

him did

it

Sweet William died of love for me,

dear,

slowly she drew nigh him,

the only words to

"Oh mother, oh mother, go

Make

dwellin',

9.

rose,

They grew and grew in the old church-yard,

'Til they could grow no higher;
At the end they formed a true lovers' knot,

And

the rose

grew 'round the

briar.

Aside from

its

exquisite poetry and music, this ballad

is

notable for

its

The
Unquiet
Grave

exhibition of the universal popular belief that excessive grief on the part
of mourners disturbs the peace of the dead. Most of the verses of "The

Unquiet Grave" can be found in other ballads and folk lyrics, suggesting
the possibility that what we have here is only a fragment of a longer
ballad still undiscovered. But in its few short verses it presents a compelling and highly dramatic vignette of love, death and grief.
KEY: C

CAPO: NONE

(CHILD NO.

PLAY: C

78)

Moderately
C

(C+F)

F(F.rfc)

*Am

"Em

Dm
=z

And

*As performed:
As performed:

gent

ly

drops

the

rain.

C.

G 7 throughout.

60

'Am

er

nev

I've

^^
had

but

one

true

aagfc

l*

rf

--*

1
And

love,

^
'

UPPI

tLrJ

lLt 7

rfrfr

Zasr time only

G?

*XU n
*

wood

green

in

+^-*
he

slain.

lies

mmm wmm

PP
F

r>

S7s

#P

-r
I'll

do

as

much

for

my

true love,

As any young girl may,

I'll sit and mourn all on

The

twelve months and a day was passed.

ghost did rise and speak,

"Why sittest thou all on my grave

And will not let me sleep?"
fetch me water from the desert.
And blood from out the stone,
Go fetch me milk from a fair maid's breast
That young man never has known."

"Go

61

breast

it is

as cold as clay,

My breath is earthly strong,

his grave,

For twelve months and a day.

And when

"My

And

if

you

Your days

kiss

my

cold clay lips

they won't be long."

"How oft on yonder grave,

sweetheart,

Where we were wont to walk,

The fairest flower that e'er I saw
Has withered

"When

will

to a stalk."

we meet

When will we meet

"When

the

Autumn

again, sweetheart,

again?"
leaves that

fall

Are green and spring up again."

from the

trees

is one of the most popular of English religious folk ballads. Its tale
derives from the Pseudo-Matthew gospel, and in medieval times was frequently dramatized in folk plays and mystery pageants including, among
others, those performed by the Grey Friars in Coventry. Fuller versions

This

of the ballad

sometimes contain predictions

of Jesus' birth, death

The

and

Cherry

resurrection.

Tree
KEY: D

CAPO: NONE; TUNE 6TH STRING TO D

PLAY: D

(CHILD NO.

Carol

54)

Moderately
F(D)

# as

mm

When

fj

was

eph

Jos

an

An

man,

old.

"/

C-(A)

I9 ^3E
old

^
I

E
man

a:

was

he,

J:

'Dm(G)

^^
He

i=4*

-J

As performed:

ried

Vir- gin

^m
>.H

^=$

^EExE

T5
A7 (F#)

mar

F(D)

Mar

y,

The

m
i

>

f=

"T
fj!>(g;

Bf>(G).

62

Mar

C 7 (A)

F(D)

y,

The

of

Ga

^ ^r

tx

^r^

*
i
T^

=P

Queen

li

F(D)

jcn

lee.

.z;

J"

Joseph and Mary walked through an orchard green,

There were berries and cherries

as thick as

There were berries and cherries as thick

3.

And Mary

as

might be seen,
might be seen.

spoke to Joseph, so meek and so mild,

me some cherries, for I am with child,

gather me some cherries, for I am with child."

"Joseph gather

Joseph
4.

And

Joseph flew in anger, in anger flew he,

"Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee,

Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee."

5.

Then up spoke baby Jesus from in Mary's womb,

"Bend down the tallest tree that my mother might have some,
Bend down the tallest tree that my mother might have some."
6.

63

And

bent

down

the tallest branch

'til it

touched Mary's hand,

Cried she, "Oh, look thou Joseph,

have cherries by command,"

Cried she, "Oh, look thou Joseph,

have cherries by command."

is one of the best of the American versions of "The Wife of Usher's

Well," a remarkable ballad on the theme of persistent grief and tears
disturbing the sleep of the dead. The children have been sent away to
learn magic (grammaree), a point rarely recognized by the folk who sing

This

the ballad.

The

culminates

in

children's death

Lady

Gray

and their mother's prayer for their return

warn her of the effect of her mourning.

their ghostly visit to

In most American versions of the Child ballads supernatural motifs disappear, except where, as in the case of "Lady Gay," there are religious
overtones to the ballad tale.

PLAY: C

CAPO: 3RD

KEY: Eb

(CHILD NO.

Moderately

fr'"' J J

Eb(C)

Cm (Am)

m
*T*T r wm Tf
pmm

-e-

La

Therewas a

A
B
I

79)

W2

dy and a

La

dy

Gay,

^m

teW

^^
child - ren

Pp

she

had

She sent them a

three,

1^
j^

iS
ass

:o

-o-

way

p
2E

*IS r

to the North

if

TTW

^T^T

msm

Eb(C)

11
Of_

-oCoun

To

tree

learn

their

s:

~n~

nrnr
P

64

first

Cm (Am)

p^?5 w

/Z\

ree.

_!lV

P^ii Tfi?
^^ ^ HH

T?

They'd not been gone but a very short time,

Scarcely three weeks and a day,

"There

is

"A King

King

Heaven", she

in

along

cried,

of third degree

Send back, send back

my

three

little

babes,

This night send them back to me."

4.

She made a bed

in the

uppermost room,

On it she put a white sheet.

And over the top a golden spread
That they much better might

5.

sleep.

"Take

it

off,

take

it

off," cried the older one,

"Take

it

off,

take

it

off," cried he,

"For what's to become

of this wide wicked world

Since sin has

She

On

first

begun."

set a table of linen fine,

it

she placed bread and wine,

"Come

eat,

Come

eat,

come drink, my three little babes

come drink of mine."

"We want none of your bread,

Neither do

we want your

mother,

wine,

For yonder stands our Savior dear,

To Him we must
"Green grass

Cold clay

is

And every
It

65

is

resign."

over our heads, mother,

over our

tear

feet,

you shed

for us,

wets our winding-sheet."

mm

When death, cruel death, came harkening

And stole those babes away.
3.

tnst

3E

gram- ma

2.

and others

7?
i

title for this ballad, "James Harris, or the Daemon Lover," indicates the supernatural status of the returning lover, a point which is
usually rationalized or eliminated in most American versions. In this fine
version, however, the demonic character of the suitor is alluded to in the
dramatic closing verses. Next to "Barbara Allen," this is probably the

Child's

most popular
KEY:

C MINOR

of the Child ballads

performed

American

in

PLAY: A MINOR

CAPO: 3RD

House
Carpenter

tradition.

(CHILD NO.

243)

Moderately

C(G)

Well

met, well met,"

Dm(Am)

mm
cried

r
i^j

r
Am (Em)

C(G)

salt,

salt

sea,

WP 1^ ^
=

r^r"I've

he,.

y^Ti

Bb(Am)

All

J' J

5
h
^^

^
for

the

yh

J>

J^

re-turned from the

just

PP

22

F(C)

jrJ

Dm(Am)

C(GorE)

(O)

^
love

of

thee."

S
Jk^

JK*

(O)

Jn-j

i^)

As performed: Dm(Am).

66

"I

could have married the king's daughter, dear,

9.

Well they'd not been gone but about

She would have married me,

But

two weeks,

have forsaken her crowns of gold

know

When

All for the love of thee."

it

was not

She wept most

"Well,

if

10.

I'm sure you are to blame,

am

find

"Ah,

And go

nice

you forsake your house carpenter,

11.

along with me,

"I

do not weep

Or
I

By

the banks of the

Who

if I should forsake my house carpenter,

And go along with thee,
What have you got to maintain me on
And keep me from poverty."

"Well,

12.

do weep

Will be at your

your house carpenter,

for

any more."

my house carpenter

my own wee babe

shall see

any more."

Well, they'd not been gone but

about three weeks,

I'm sure

Our

was not

it

four,

gallant ship sprang a leak

to rise

and sank.

any more.

out on the sea,

all

Seven more upon dry land,

One hundred and

for

never

Never
"Six ships, six ships

for

shall see

for any golden store,

take you where the grass grows green,

sea."

maid,

your golden store

Who never you

I'll

salt, salt

for

Or do you weep

young man."

my fair young

"Ah, why do you weep,

Weep you

married to a house carpenter,

him a

will

bitterly.

you could have married the king's

daughter, dear,

For

three,

lady began to weep,

this fair

ten

all

13.

One

time 'round spun our gallant ship

Two times

brave sailor men,

command."

'round spun she,

Three times around spun our gallant ship

And

sank to the bottom of the

sea.

She picked up her own wee babe,

And

kisses gave

him

three,

Said, "Stay right here with

And

14.

my house carpenter,

"What
That

keep him good company."

hills,

what

rise so fair

"Those are the

hills

she putted on her rich

So glorious

And

of

She shone

Heaven my

love,

I."

attire,

to behold,

as she trod along her

my love,

and high?"

hills

But not for you and

Then

are those,

15.

way,

like the glittering gold.

"And what

my
Those

hills,

what

hills

are those,

love,
hills

so dark and low?"

"Those are the

hills

Where you and

of Hell,

my love,

must go."

r
67

This dramatic ballad traces back to at least the beginning of the 17th century

in

has proven more popular

Britain, but

this

in

country than

Matty

the

in

and the gruesome revenge which follows

has struck a responsive note in the New World wherever Puritan and
Calvinist precepts hold sway, undoubtedly accounting for its widespread
Old World.

popularity

KEY: Bo

Its

tale of adultery

in this

country despite

MINOR

PLAY: A MINOR

CAPO: 1ST

Groves

great length.

its

(CHILD NO.

81)

Moderately and freely

Em(Dm)

Bm(Am)

J'
Hi

J>

J'

J'

ho,

hi -

ho,

^>IJ

},
ho

^m

fezn
tr

Lit-tle

mm
f=
5
W

3fa

Jl

J |J|
-

some

F
some

go

ji

ho

*p

Em(E)

M
ho

xc

J)J

'

F|(E)

words_

L-JUr

to

i=i

Bm(Am)

hear.

^
i*

=?

ly words to

ly

3=

"As performed: Bm(Am), F#(E).

""For some verses: Em(Dm) passing through

'f

L i"i

^f

j_

3T

Bm(Am)

f=

G'Am)

Ff(E)

the

of

31

g fTJ

day

zft

:or

J'U

ty Groves to church did

ihi,\

i>

J'

'

lAa

hear,

h>

p
Mat

'

^^

Em(Dm)

Bm(Am)

year,

3t

Pf^

FJt(E)

3T

f*

J'

best

the

ip-

sztfc

im

'in

day,

li

/>

Bm(Am)

TC^I
CM

J.

fS=f=f
(O)

Bm(Am) and

F#(E) to

Bm(Am).

68

spied three ladies dressed in black,

He
As

2.

they

came

into view,

Lord Aden's wife was gaily clad,

A flower among the few,

3.

She tripped up

among

the few.

Matty Groves,

to

Her eyes so low

a flower

cast

down.

Saying, "Pray, oh, pray

come with me

stay,

As you pass through the town, as you pass through the town."
4.

cannot go,

"I

fear 'twould cost

For

You
"This

dare not go,

see by the

are

little

deny

false, this

6.

wife, you're the great

may be

at

true,

hide thee out of sight,

I'll

serve

me

stay,

you there beyond compare,

you the night, and sleep with you the night."

sleep with

little

page did

listen well,

To all that they did say,

And ere the sun could rise again
He quickly sped away, he quickly
8.

And he did run the Kings'

He swam across the tide,
He
To

9.

ne'er did stop until he

the

great Lord Arlen's

sped away.

highway,

came
side, to the great

Lord Arlen's

"What news, what news, my bully boy,

What news brings you to me,

My castle burned, my tenants robbed,

My lady with baby, my lady with baby?"
10.

"No harm has come your house and

The little page did say,
"But Matty Groves

With your

1 1

wife."

Whitehall, King Henry at Whitehall."

I'll

Her

Lord Arlen's

to consecrate

"Oh, pray, oh pray come with

And
7.

you wear,

it all,

Lord Arlen's gone

King Henry

life,

ring

Lord Arlen's

may be

can't

my

fair

Lord Arlen

ne'er a

bedded up

lady gay, with your fair lady gay."

called his

He bade them
He bade them

And

is

land,"

merry men,

with him go,

ne'er a

word

to speak,

horn to blow, and ne'er a horn

to blow.

side.

12.

But among Lord Aden's merry men

Was one who wished no ill,
And the bravest lad in all the crew

Blew
13.

shrill,

blew

his

horn so loud and

shrill.

what's this," cried Matty Groves,

"What's

this,

"What's

this that I

It

14.

horn so loud and

his

do hear?

must be Lord Arlen's merry men,

The ones

that

"Lie down,

lie

And

keep

do

fear, the

down,

my

ones that

do

fear."

Matty Groves,

little

back from cold,

only Lord Arlen's merry

It's

men

A-callin' the sheep to fold, a-callin' the sheep to fold."

15.

Matty Groves he did

Little

He took a nap asleep,

And when he woke Lord
A-standing
1

6.

17.

"Ah,

it's

But

Arlen was

a-standing at his

at his feet,

very well

it's
it's

best
in

like

my

feet.

it

sheets,
fair

young bride

asleep,

who

lies in

my

arms asleep."

Matty Groves,

you can;

fast as e'er

In England

your

little

asleep?"

your bed,

like

your

arms

"Rise up, rise up,

As

fine I like

Who lies

19.

down,

"How now, how now, my bully boy,

And how do you like my sheets?
And how do you like my fair young bride
Who lies in your arms asleep, who lies in your arms

And

18.

lie

be said

shall ne'er

slew a sleeping man,

slew a sleeping man."

And the firstest stroke little Matty

He hurt Lord Arlen sore,

struck,

But the nextest stroke Lord Arlen struck,

Matty struck no more,

Little

20.

"Rise up,

rise up,

Draw on your

Now

tell

my

pretty clothes,

me do you

like

me best
or the dying Matty Groves?"

She picked up Matty's dying head,

She kissed from cheek
Said, "It's

"Ah, woe

Why

is

all

all his

me and woe

I'd rather

kin, than
is

have

Arlen and

all his

kin."

thee,

stayed you not your hand?

For you have

In

to chin,

Matty Groves

Than Arlen and

22.

Matty struck no more.

gay young bride,

Or like you Matty Groves,

21.

little

killed the fairest lad

of England, in

all

of England."

70

BROADSIDE
BALLADS
Almost from the inception of
.*^>

8!

w
%

:>

printing,

song materials were published on one

sheets of paper of various sizes

ballad

and

side of single

and sold for a few

pennies by street singers and hawkers at country fairs

of towns and cities throughout

and on the

streets

Europe, and

later in the

name from

their

New World

as well. Taking

those song sheets which were wider

than they were long, the ballads which appeared on

kA

became known

them

artistry

these

of

as

'broadside'

compositions

ballads.

The

was generally of a

lower order than those of the older traditional ballads,

many

of them being the work of hack scriveners

in the

employ of the

printers.

But the ballad sheets

helped to wing these songs on their way into oral

circulation,

course

the

in

of

which

smoothed out and changed from

to

many were

journalistic dross

minor oral masterpieces.

The ballad
classified

scholar,

many

Malcolm G. Laws,

Jr.,

has

of the non-Child ballads found in

America, and the numbers which appear after the

titles

are those which he has assigned to ballads given

here.

S 5H
fjrri

Ml

00

US

".j'"-

l,-

*" St"

mo

jo\(i

"ON *

m>

an
U

|U|

UU

71

Jl-q

JO

1
2"

'

'"

oil

,.

. .^
Oy^i
r

W'<"
UJ l
o

<ji!

,V
-

M|

"l.>|

7.

HM

The rejected

suitor

who

in

when she

turn rejects his false lover

finally

Once

a popular theme in traditional and broadside balladry, and

numerous different versifications have been collected from traditional
singers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. This is one of the best of
calls for

him

is

Knew

them, uncomplicated by the introduction of other themes.

a Pretty
KEY: E

PLAY: E MINOR

CAPO: NONE

MINOR

(LAWS P

Girl

10)

Slow and very free

Gm(Em)
UrrUtrrW
1

!.!

i'

'

Once

1.

,i',
I

'

knew*

tj'i
a pret-ty

^^
i

a=

s-

"^

Cm(Am)
urmsrru

jij

Tif

loved her

girl

f3=

r r
as

'

my

<&"

S= =

D 7 (B 7

Bb(G)

P
glad

ly

give

my

heart

and

hand.

m
irr

a
I'd

life.

m-.*

airrn

4^r

V^lll \LIII
Gm(Em)

J'
to

'

It

make

my

her

w IS

^^
r
72

Gm(B

D7 (B 7 '/O

Gm(Em)

ig

Oh,

wife,

h''

/7\

'

l]J

wife.

'

9^y
my_

her

JTi

make

to

Gm(Em)

).

a tempo, moderately

^^

2ak/ at/ subsequent verses.

Gm(Em)

Cm(Am)

Si

She

i ^S

her

^
3

to

the

^^

put

j^

P^

door.

She

niinih

Gm(Em)
ft

me

led

3==1

I'ertttl

I,"

M"P

/ZI

arms.

D(B 7

rourjd

me

i f

fE^sS
say- ing

"Please

it

no

jj.

'

/ m

-As performed: D 7 (B 7 ).

^'f
I'

J
73

come

don't

J'

Gm(Em)

D 7 (B 7

Gm(Em)

I &E

(O)

P
come

please

no

more.'!.

(O)

TT
vS

-O-

-Or

(O)
z:

,'fl,

'

lLU lLU

.)

Well, I'd not been gone but about six months,

So come

When she did complain,

And she wrote me a letter,

And

come back
come again."

Saying, "Please

Ooh, please

And

again,

never place your affections

On a green growin'

tree,

'Cause the leaves they

know,

Roots

And

Where once he could not

Will soon fade away,

Ooh, where once he could not

go.

tree.

will wither,

will decay,

That no young man should venture,

go,

all ye young lovers,

Take a warning from me,

Ooh, on a green growin'

wrote her an answer,

Just for to let her

p^

the beauty of a

young maid,

Ooh, soon fade away.

74

Silver

Dagger

Family opposition to the marriage of lovers takes many forms in tradialmost all of which end either with the lovers committing
suicide or one of them being done away with by the recalcitrant parents.
inconIn this version of "The Silver Dagger," however, the ballad ends
clusively for we are not told what course will be taken by the rejected

tional ballads,

lover.

KEY: Db

CAPO: 4TH

PLAY: A

(LAWS M

AND G

21)

Lively
BMD)

F(A)

in
*

Jjpl rF

Don't sing

*^

you'll wake

f^

motb-er,_

She's sleep-ing

y yf

LM g

nm

^^

F(A)

~^t~

here

"

S^
=*

by

^^

P^Pp
right

@
Gm(Bm)

my

i=

S
p

P*P^

BMD)

love son^s,

gs

^
fe
f

PPPI
u
m

F(A)

* fc=

m m

F(A)

* *

my

And

side,

n-

f
i

E7

n-

Si

in

her

76

EMG)

mm

hand

right

fy

f ^^

, lp

p"
;
J

''U

sil-ver

Cm(Em)

^pVpf"^

f J, Ll

'1

EMG)

mw

--

jJiir

ger

Gm(Bm)

dag

She says that

can't

'

be your

Inst

first unit otliers

F(A)

"

>

bride.

2.

JiJ> r

All

men

il

are

y?r

i
r.A.

.y

*y

1*J 2=*

EJ"

men

They'll

J"

All

afe false, says

tell

my

you wicked,

The very next

3^

WJ

mother,

lovin' lies.

evening, they'll court another,

Leave you alone

to pine

My daddy is a handsome devil,

and

sigh.

He's got a chain five miles long,

Go court another tender maiden,

And hope that she will be your wife,

And on

For

every link a heart does dangle

Of another maid

77

he's loved

and wronged.

To

I've

been warned, and

sleep alone

all

of

my

I've

life.

decided

This ballad appears to have been founded on an actual occurrence. In

the 17th century, young Lord Craigton was married to Elizabeth Innes,
a girl several years his senior, in a child marriage intended to consolidate
family fortunes.

The young husband died several years

later.

The use

The Trees
They Do

of

a colored ribbon as a marriage token (stanza 4) is a centuries-old tradistill found in rural folk communities. The ballad is widely known in
Scotland ("Lang A-Growing"), Ireland ("The Bonny Boy"), and in England under the title given here.

tion

KEY: F

(LAWS O

PLAY: E MINOR

CAPO: 1ST

MINOR

Grow High

35)

Moderately slow

Cm (Am)

Gm(Em)

Gm(En

^F=
The

they

trees

grow

te
p

tf

Ma

green,

m
i

4=U
*

W
ny

the

is

-&-

grow

~r

i
my

time

true

ITt f

T~i~

I've

*Eb(Em)

Cm(Am)

love

Bb(6)

i
~~o~'

Ma

~I5~

''As

Eb(C)

seen,

su ^

do

Gm(Em)

*5

they

leaves

if t

Dm(Bm)

'Dm (Em)

^=

xs

*-

the

3E

Bb(G)

*<!>

and

sustained

iliii

high

^F"
J

3E

ny

an

hour

I've watched

him

all

lone,

He's

rf=TT

*
22

1 H-*-i

performed: Gm(Em).

78

Dm(Bm)

Cm(Am)

but

he's

dai

a* ^=^

ly

i^=P

Gm

*Cm

Gm(Em)
--

n
young.

Dm(Bm)

Oi

-**-

grow

'>

log.

<Q)

t*

fFT

101

-**-

<0>

me great wrong,
boy who is too young,

Father, dear father, you've done

You have

married

me

to a

I'm twice twelve and he

but fourteen,

is

He's young but he's daily growing.

Daughter, dear daughter,

I

have married you

He'll

make

I've

done you no wrong,

to a great lord's son,

a lord for you to wait upon,

He's young but he's daily growing.

Father, dear father,

We'll send

him

tie

blue ribbons

To

let

the maidens

One day
spied

all

you see

to college for

I'll

if

all

around

know

was lookin'

fit,

one year

yet,

his head,

that he's married.

o'er

my father's

castle wall,

the boys a-playin' with the ball,

My own true love was the flower of them all,

He's young but he's daily growing.

At

the age of fourteen, he

At

the age of fifteen, the father of a son,

At the age of

And

was a married man,

sixteen, his grave

it

was green,

death had put an end to his growing.

girl who disguises herself as a soldier or sailor in order to be at the

side of her lover is an age-old theme, and in English alone more than 20
different ballads on this theme have been collected from traditional
singers. "Jackaroe" is one of the most popular of these to be found in

The

America. Here, as

KEY: D

MINOR

in

most ballads about a "female warrior,"

PLAY: A

CAPO: 5TH

Lively

MINOR

i 3t w

There

^m

was

ends

well.

(LAWS N

Em (Am)
ire

all

7)

G(C)

B(E')

p ^
mer

a weal-thy

Jackaroe

if

mf

Lon-don

chant, In

did

he

21

3fc

smoothly flowing

%m

T
'

r"

He

had

J
a

j>
love

J*
-

ly

f f

G(C)

C(F)

j
daugh

j.

ter,

The

J
truth

i ^T

=ja

JQ
i

-m

U2=

i
to

*5i

sf

n.

Em (Am)

4r

dwell,

you

w
I'll

^
'1

E^
80

S ^F

Em (Am)

Oh,

tell,

B(E 7

truth

the

2.

7^
g*

3=

e'er

Now Jackie's gone

To

sailor her true love e'er

could be,

could be.

a-sailing with trouble

on

his

mind,

leave his native country and his darling girl behind,

Oh,

his darling girl behind.

She went into a

And

tailor

shop and dressed

in

men's array,

stepped on board a vessel to convey herself away,

Oh, convey herself away.

5.

"Before you step on board,

She smiled

Oh, they

6.

all in

call

"Your waist

is

Your cheeks
Oh,

7.

8.

"I

me

sir,

your name

I'd like to

her countenance, "they call

me

know."

Jackaroe,

Jackaroe."

light

and slender, your

fingers are neat

and small

too red and rosy to face the cannon-ball,

to face the cannon-ball."

know my

waist

is

slender,

my fingers

would not make me tremble

But

it

Oh,

to see ten

thousand

neat and small,

to see ten

thousand

fall,

fall."

The war soon being over, they hunted all around,

And among the dead and dying her darling boy she found,
Oh, her darling boy she found.

9.

She picked him up

And

all in

sent for a physician

Oh, who quickly healed

10.

her arms and carried

who

to the town,

quickly healed his wounds,

wounds.

his

This couple, they got married, so well did they agree,

This couple they got married, so

Oh, so why not you and me.

81

him

why

^
r;

She had sweethearts a-plenty and men of high degree,

Oh, her true love

4.

{r

tell.

I'll

i.

There was none but Jack the

3.

you

to

m M

Em (Am)

not you and me,

form, this ballad told of a race between a horse named

and a mare, 'Miss Portly,' on the Kildare race track in the early
19th century. In America the song has been most popular in the Negro
south, where the winning horse is known variously as 'Stewball' or 'Kimball.' The music for this version is the work of the Greenbriar Boys.
In its original Irish

Stewball

'Sku-ball'

KEY:

CAPO: NONE

PLAY:

(LAWS Q

22)

Lazy rhythm

^
&

Gm(Am)

BMC)

SfcZ*

Stew

ball

r
was

good horse,

He

t
wore

high

Cm 7 (Dm)

the

mane

I =
P

And

bead,

r99

Sm

FW

verse.)
(small notes optional for any
w
'*

^>"

his

fore - top

i F^

^f

i=f

on

F?^

BL>(0
<

Was

P*P f

^1

as

fine

as

silk

,'
l

li

(o)

thread.

FTT ^PT

T
(o)

f
(o)
82

2.

rode him

rode him in Spain,

And
I

3.

in

England,

never did

always did gain.

So come

all

you gamblers,

Wherever you

And

On
4.

lose, boys,

are,

don't bet your

that

Most

little

money

gray mare.

likely she'll stumble,

Most likely she'll fall,

But you never will lose,

On my
5.

As

boys,

noble Stewball.

they were a-ridin'

'Bout halfway around,

That gray mare she stumbled

And

fell

on

And away
Ahead

Came

the ground.

out yonder,

of them

all,

a-prancin' an' dancin'

My noble Stewball.

The

original British broadside ballad from

lists

many crimes of
Dukes and Earls,

Lords,

gallows.

In oral

which

this version

is

descended

Kake
and
Rambling
Boy

the narrator, including the robbery of various

for which he is eventually condemned to the

the

tradition the narrative

element

is

pretty weak, his crimes

are generalized and his burial instructions give no indication of his capture and sentencing. Its handsome tune more than makes up for the loss
of details

KEY:

in

this ballad version.

CAPO: 3RD

(LAWS

PLAY: A

L 12)

Livoly

G 7 (E 7

C(A)

|'N)J
Well,

(A

and

rake.

I'm.

t?'f

r
/

mi

-J

fe^E

j' j'

,i

'> :

C7 (A7

P s PP

ma-ny

There's

ci

ty-

I've

P^

mar-

ried

^^
i

^P

me.

joy,

P
G 7 (E 7

F(0)

o
And now

en

did

ipif
s^

C(A)

F(D)

boy,_

I
r fp if

**-

ramb-ling

pret-ty

=m

lit

-tic

F(D)

wife.

%
7

84

G 7 (E 7

i'i' J

And

love

^Ji
i

J
her

dear

U;

>

Oh, she was

Caused me
Oh, yes

And

pretty,

it, I

jTT

broad highway,

do declare,

got myself ten thousand there.

Well, I'm a rake, etc.

85

than

er

both neat and gay,

to rob the

robbed

C(A)

love

my

mr=^

?
life7

^
>

j-

Oh, when

die, don't

my bones
And at my feet,
Place

To

tell

>

j-

r
bury

me

at all,

in alcohol,

place a white snow dove,

the world that

Well, I'm a rake, etc.

died for love.

Cecil Sharp discovered several versions of this ballad in the Southern

Appalachians on his collecting trips during the first World War, though it
appears to have disappeared from American tradition since that time.
It is still

and was
KEY: E

extremely popular
earlier

known

in

Scotland as "The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie

England as "Pretty Peggy of Derby."
in

Fennario

O"

PLAY: C

CAPO: 4TH

Moderately lively
PC)

BMF)

F(C)

Bb(F)

w
As

fe(E

m
p

lightly flowiny

'h

we

Bb(F)

marched

down

T
F(C)

xc

E*

Fen

^
to

xc

IE

jeL

down

J3
P

Am(Em)

J'
marched

3E

f
Dm

we

As

o,

m S

fc

f=

^E

ri

si

w_

J.

F(C)

it,

j.

to

Xi

i>
Fen

J^
na

l=P
Our

o,

^
3
f

"As performed: F(C).

86

Cap

Am

F(C)

Bb(G)

tain

fell

in

} }
with

love

'Af

lad

|t

J'

like

^
^=^:

^f
w^

3:

j.

^tjr

Dm(Am)

Bb(F)

ST.

They

dove,

^i
called

^^
name,

by

her

pret-ty

z*xz

31

-f

^pf p
I

E3I

1
Peg

r
=

and others

3E

*T m
nz

2.

What

F(C)

-^v

oh.

^
r/i.

IS

*As performed: C(G).

**As performed: FCC) is retained.
"As performed: Bb(F) is retained.

2.

87

/x.sf

m
oh.

gy.

^
f

-j.

FCC)

*>

first

Gm

What will your mother think, pretty Peggy, oh?

What will your mother think, pretty Peggy, oh?
What will your mother think, when she hears the
And the soldiers all marching before you, oh?

guineas clink,

o.

In a carriage you will ride, pretty Peggy, oh,

In a carriage you will ride, pretty Peggy, oh,

In a carriage you will ride, with your true love by your side

As

fair as

any maiden

in the areo.

Come skipping down the stairs, pretty Peggy, oh,

Come skipping down the stairs, pretty Peggy, oh,
Come skipping down the stairs, combing back your yellow hair,
And bid farewell to Sweet William, oh.

Sweet William

is

dead, pretty Peggy, oh,

Sweet William

is

dead, pretty Peggy, oh,

Sweet William

is

dead, and he died for a maid,

The

fairest

maid

in the areo.

If

ever

return, pretty Peggy, oh,

If

ever

return, pretty Peggy, oh,

If

ever

return, all

Destroying

all

your

cities I will

the ladies in the areo.

burn

soldier or sailor who disguises himself in order to test his

sweetheart's fidelity has long been a favorite theme with ballad singers.
Of course, everything turns out happily when she proves true and he
reveals his real identity to her. To prove his identity, the 'long lost lover'
usually shows her one half of a token which they broke between them

The returning

John Riley

at his departure.

KEY:

89

C MINOR

CAPO: 3RD

PLAY: A MINOR

(LAWS N

42)

Lively, flowing

Dm(Am)

Dm(Am)

:x

Fair

>m

J-

m~^::

gar

den,

331

=^

9Eg

T=
G(D)

F(C)

Said

^trv^
r

4V

" Fair

j-

will you

maid,

T=

Dm(Am)

3^f

i^

xy

=lli

J>-j

J.

Dm(Am)

all

i=
n

young maid

m ffffp M~a~ A
3 3 3 3*3*
-a:

J>J?..I

mar

C(G)

ry

me?"

i=M

J J

>J

t~t
90

Gm(Dm)

=i

?
This

Dm(Am)

then,

P
was

sir,.

first awl others

her

re

"TT*
-

ply.

last

T~

-rr-

"cr;

o>
a:

a. a.

*
w

^^
"Oh, no, kind

For

_.

3 233 *

sir, I

I've a love

_:

sails all

on the

no man

shall

What

And

if

he's

he and his love both married be?"

6.

91

4Jl

-o-

some battle slain,

when the moon doth wane.
drownded in the deep salt sea,

will die

If he's

marry me."

found another love,

"If he's in

seas,

"What if he's in some battle slain,

Or drownded in the deep salt sea?

iN=^

JI-

He's been gone for seven years,

Still

J J-J

-n.

cannot marry thee,

who

I'll

5.

be true to his memory."

"And

And
I

if

he's

found another

love,

he and his love both married be,

wish them health and happiness

Where

He picked her up all in his arms,

And kisses gave her, one, two, three,
Saying, "Weep no more, my own true
I am your long lost John Riley."

they dwell across the sea."

love,

to the marriage of two lovers

of British
favorite broadside theme. Though the text has the sound
reported only
been
has
Moore"
"Willie
of
ballad
the
balladry,
broadside

Willie

having
America, and rather rarely at that. One Ozark singer reported
written about
was
song
the
claimed
who
Moore
William
Reverend
met a
of salt.
him. Such claims can usually be taken with a grain

Moore

Tragedy resulting from parental opposition

was a
in

CAPO: 2ND

KEY: F#

PLAY: E

Fast
CHE)

F(E)

PN
y)

:
i

"

C7

Mi
aged

King

JiT'l'V

^^

^ E^

za.

Court

twen4y one,

ed

maid

en

Her

fair,

=1

Pf T>

Moore was a

^ m

F(E.efc)

Wil-lie

fi

II

?f

ft*

*r

^^
c7

^^^TTJT]^
eyes

were like

two.

dia

monds

pp
Ra

bright,

wmm
f*f 'T

melody
"As performed: F(E) throughout song as a drone with the five-tone

1
in

ven__ black

was her

Vf 'H
^

the bass.

92

and others

first

fr

J'

''

j'^H

i i.j

^^

a
5^

They

said,

"This could never be,"

consent,

"I love Willie

Moore," sweet Annie

love

Never
4.

to

*/*

hmmm, hmmm, hmmm--.

"Better than

And I would

-rjVJVjrr

m ^aa

He courted her both day and night,

To marry him she did agree,
But when they went to get her parents'

3.

last

hmm.hmm.hmm.

hair,

replied,

my life,
weep here and cry,
hmmm, hmmm, hmmm--.

rather die than

be his wife,"

That very same night sweet Anne disappeared,

They searched the country 'round
In a

little

The body

stream by the cabin door.

of sweet Annie was found,

hmmm, hmmm, hmmm-

Sweet Annie's parents they

One mourns,
In a

little

The body
Willie

green

And

mound

Moore

now

his friends did part,

him was

he's in Montreal,

died of a broken heart,

hmmm, hmmm, hmmm-.

Willie

door

lies.

scarce spoke that anyone knew,

the last heard of

Where he

in front of their

of sweet Annie

Soon from

live all alone,

the other cries,

Moore was

a king, etc.

Usually the villain of this piece is a 'butcher boy,' and the scene takes
place in 'Jersey City.' Despite its localization in America, this ballad
traces back to an amalgamation of two British broadsides: "The Squire's
Daughter" and "There Is a Tavern in the Town."

KEY: D

MINOR

CAPO: 5TH

PLAY: A

"Oh, mother dear,

It's

that railroad

He's courted

And now
"There

is

Where

at

cannot

boy

a place in

sits

tell,

love so well.

me my life away
home he will not stay."

(LAWS P

Boy

24)

Her

father, he

came home from work,

Saying, "Where's

my

daughter,

she seemed so hurt."

He went upstairs to give her hope,

And he found her hanging by a rope.

London town,

that railroad

and

that

MINOR

Railroad

boy goes

him down,

He took a knife and he cut her down

And on her bosom these words he found

He takes a strange girl on his knee,

And he tells to her what he won't tell me."
"Go

dig

my

grave both wide and deep,

Put a marble stone

And at my
To tell the world

at

my head

breast put a white

and feet,
snow dove,

that I died of love."

Moderately
Em(Ann)

G(C)

Em(Am)

C(F)

Em(Am)

94

B 7 (E)

Em(Am)
$

rs=& f

make

to

stairs

Em(Am)

her

D(G)

m^m
And

bed,

not

Uf

^^ ^

rrrjr

C;

f5' A oerse ends here)

Bm(Em)

3^

*Em(C)

daugh

ter,

As performed: G(C)

95

Em(Am)

Bm(Em)

what's troubl-ing

Em (Am)
JffiL

you?"

Lover
is another familiar newspaper headline theme: "Jealous
Stabs Rival to Death." The broadside of yesteryear was the direct ancestor of today's newspapers, and headline stories have changed little
since their earlier publication on English and Irish broadsides. This is a
particularly handsome Ohio version of a ballad that should be better

Here

The Lily
of

known.

KEY: Bb MINOR

CAPO: 6TH

PLAY: E

MINOR

(LAWS P

the

29)

West

'"v

fit-

96

Fast
Bm(Em)

SS

^ MM
iii
*

f^f

nnj

ts

^rnrJIrflrJI
*
j
ff

<t

uPIga
iy

^3

.v^-

->

Bm(Em)

JWW

feE
t

:
ii

When

first

riT'

came

(G)

*J ^
Lou-is

to

-y mt-y -y-i -^
--j

II II

^^

^-* -t ^t

melody

Sir

^^^
^^

^3-

TT

ii

bring out l.h.

Bm(C)

E(D)

!]
J.

p^
^^

Some plea - sure

ville,

>li

(Em)

J.

:3=

^
jt

there

See

^^

II
t

from

Lex-ing

will differ

- 7

1 =^=1

JTT=*

(0

(Em)

Mp
Was

ton

II

P^f

=F II

rthere

sel

find,

->r_

(D)

'Here, and throughout, the free piano transcription

97

to

'

dam-

j-

D(G)

=f
?

pleas -in'

y
ii

considerably from performance with guitar.

my

to

^=r

Bm(Em)

Her

mind.

JJ.

'

ro

i
sy

Jbzg

her

ru

j^3

cheeks,

X.J. 7

J.

Like

lips,

II

f^

f
-

by

rows

my

pierced

--y
1

'Mi

the

name

And

breast

=1

she

was

bore

i
Flo

The

ra,.

m=E
first and others

Bm(Em)

Weitni

SB
4

the

of

Lil

EE

(Em)

D(C)

3X

"

e*
E(D)

rj

'

2.1

3
"

last

wm

is
1

=^=1

ItI
I

Bm(En

(Em)

ar

^^
(0)

(G)

.*_*

fcg

a
si^

98

2.

courted lovely Flora some pleasure there to find,

man which sore distressed my

my liberty, deprived me of my rest

But she turned unto another

me of
my lovely

She robbed

Then

go,

3.

Flora, the

'Way down

in

lily

And
I

of the West.

yonder shady grove, a

Conversin' with

my

Flora there,

the answer that she gave to

was betrayed by Flora,

the

JUDGE ROY BEAN

^__ LAW

WEST

stepped up to

seized

Being

Then

him by

mad
go,

it

of high degree

seemed so strange

him

it

sore did

me

to

me.

oppress-

of the West.

%4W^

my rival, my dagger in my hand,

the collar, and boldly bade

to desperation I pierced

to stand

Flora, the

my

love

lily

trial, I

him

him

stand.

in the breast

of the West.

had

to

in the criminal

make my

plea,

box and then commenced on me.

my life away, deprived me of my rest

my faithless Flora, the lily of the West.

Although she swore

Still I

man

Of THE PECOS

my lovely

had

lily

They placed me

99

mind.

AMERICAN
BALLADS

AND
SONGS
Native American folksongs and ballads result from
a combination of several cultural strains meeting

and

coalescing under the unique conditions of American

life

*
.

*J

and mores. The product

every

now and

is

no

less

various strains which contributed to

boy songs, bad men

songs,

Negro

American when

then one catches a glimpse of the

its

ballads, love lyrics,

ballads,

being.

Cow-

moonshining

and hunting songs may be

the

product of a specific region, occupation, or status

group,

but cutting across

something
in all of

distinctly,

all

these

levels

there

them which speaks for the land as a whole.

f*

is

perhaps peculiarly, recognizable

usual pregnant
is an American murdered girl ballad which omits the
sweetheart theme. Here the young man kills the girl because she rejected
marhis proposal, with other versions indicating family opposition to the

This

Banks

riage as the cause for her refusal to marry. Though similar in theme to
various British broadside ballads, versions of this song have been re-

ported only

KEY: B

in

of the

America.

Ohio

PLAY: A

CAPO: 2ND

Moderately

^^
mm

my

--

take

to

love

tj^j

-y-h^i

33^

asked

A'(E)

D(A)

walk,

TfTJ

t
D(A)

pP^i
to

take

-oa

walk,.

TT-T1

}>
just

}>
a

3E

J>
lit -

tie

walk,.

TTTJ

102

A7 (E)

D(A)

&=

TJTJJ

ZEE

Down by

the

banks.

of

the

D(A)

hi

tjtj

f-

1=

i
Tt~

(O)

[r>\

Chorus:

And only
no

In

say that you'll be mine

other's

arms entwine,

Down beside where the waters flow,

Down by the banks of the Ohio.
I

held a knife against her breast

As

into

She

my arms she

cried,

"Oh,

pressed,

Willie, don't

murder me,

I'm not prepared for eternity."

And only
I

started

say, etc.

home

'tween twelve and one,

"My God! what have I done?

woman I loved,
Because she would not be my bride."
I cried,

Killed the only

And only say,

etc.

is an American version of part of a British lyric song; additional

verses to the original song can be found in "The Wagoner's Lad." In its
present form, the song has been collected from New England farmers,
southern mountaineers, western pioneers and cowboys. Some of its
verses appear as folk lyrics in other songs.

This

KEY: B

CAPO: 2ND

Rambler
Gambler

PLAY: A

Bb7 (A 7

^i
'

I'm a

5=^

^^?
I

n
g:

-&

home.

zrh

=F^

if

-#

&k

like

me

^
They can

EKD)
-
leave

%
*

And

=4

^P3 f^f
don't

pie.

p
from

B^A?)

Bh(A)

way.

^^

peo

long

i f

F"(E?)

EKD)

?jt

104

first ami other*

F 7 (E 7

Bl(A)

It's

a dark night and

The moon

gives

no

it's

last

F 7 (E 7

lonesome,

light,

But her parents didn't

Now she is

like

me,

the same,

My pony won't travel

If

This dark road tonight.

Just

I had me a little sweetheart,

Her age was nineteen,
She was the flower of Belton,
The rose of Saleen.

I'm a rambler, I'm a gambler,

Well,

I'm writ in your book, love,

you

blot out

my name.
etc.

Alan Lomax collected a version of this song from a miner's daughter in

Kentucky in 1937. Subsequently it was adapted to a form which was popularized by Josh White. The song has made its round across the nation
for more than twenty years among city singers of folk songs, but its possible origins remain an enigma.

KEY: D

CAPO: NONE (6TH STRING TUNED

MINOR

House
of the

Rising Sun

PLAY: D MINOR

D)

Slow

Dm (Dm.

Dm

A7

etc.)

3EE

?
Then

*U
f^r^

>gv
mf

heavily

wm w

m
i

Dm

}i

^m
T1J

a-

D7

i
as

the

Ris

A7

s
inpr

Or

if NtJ

P
call

Dm

New

in

r-

Bl-

3ee

22

m ^*Lfr

T ^7

f=

A7

house-

1S_

^rrrI

^^

r./i.

J J:
J

Sun,.

They

i^

:sz

And

it's

~J

106

Dm

^m

Ume,_

AdcI

girl,.

PP

I'd

listened to

have been

But

at

>

*P

common

what

home

was young and

Let a rambler lead

in

my mother said,

Go

3.

tell

my baby sister,

Don't do what

today,

foolish,

me

j2l

blues

oh God,

have done,

But shun that house

They

astray.

I'm goin' back to

New Orleans,

My race is almost run,

I'm goin' back to spend

my life

Beneath that Rising Sun.

107

J #i

Dm

had

If I

for

ami others

As performed: A 7 against sung Am,

2.

Dm

(A 7 )

J'

If
a

/irsf

God,.

oh

jppf

Am

G?(or Bdim 7

call the

in

New

Rising Sun.

Orleans,

is Woody Guthrie's version of a cowboy song about which very little

known. One of Vance Randolph's Ozark singers told him it was already
"an old song in 1893." The story of the pioneer woman who fought beside
her menfolk is as much real history as romance. In other versions the
woman is killed by Indians, after which the cowboys ride out to avenge

This

Ranger's

is

Command

her death.

CAPO: 4TH

KEY: F#

PLAY: D

Moderately slow

munii
P

#mi

PP

^^

cow- boys

all

m LT
m

sing

Ji

S^

you

cr

J-

ts

illPiill
y
y
LP

LJ

P^P

C(G)

-&
land.

i'ii

^^i ^

ii

the

you

If'lf If'f
3
3
3
P

P^ eF

o-verthis

LP

of

all

U^tf
P l^pip

lightly

WM

Come

NWi

D 7 (A 7

=3^
p-p

G(D)

# ?

TT

law_

of

the

i g

J'

Ran-ger's

Com

1
-

IS

I
108

and others

first

last

G(D)

J'

l
inaiui.

2.

LP

m$
To

To

||

guns.

zn

LP

LP 'LP

^T
i

p^p

hold a six-shooter and never to run

As long

as there's bullets in both of

3.

met a

asked her to the round-up with

fair

your guns.

maiden whose name

She said she'd go with

And

me

don't know,

me would

she go,

to the cold round-up,

drink that hard liquor from a cold bitter cup.

We started for the round-up in

5.

the Fall of the year,

Expecting to get there with a herd of

When

the rustlers broke

on us

She rose from her warm bed a

in the

fat steer,

dead hour of night

battle to fight.

She rose from her warm bed

with a gun in each hand,
Saying,

"Come

and

Come

G(D)

all

As long

of

all

fight for

of you cowboys,

your land."

you cowboys, and don't ever run,

as there's bullets in both of

your guns.

Here's a modern ballad that sounds a

movie

but

plot,

in

true ballad style

it

lot like

a television

capsules

all

drama

the details

or a

Long

a few

in

The accused, but innocent, man

can't supply an alibi for his

a murder simply because he was in the arms
of his best friend's wife. Is he to be pitied for his naivete or to be admired for his gallantry? The ballad is the work of Marijon Wilkins and

stanzas.

whereabouts

Danny

at the time of

Black

Dill.

CAPO: NONE

KEY: D

Veil

PLAY: D

Lively

Verse

EMD)

ea

^=5
l.Ten
peo

years

pie

who

J.

J'

on

saw

they

hk

dark

ma

s
p

22

killed

neath

the

ran

looked

*==
f

Town
lot

I'

er

&

?
EMD)

AMG)

slay

the

S
F

was
who

Some- one
That

greed

^T
r

*:

Dight,

m.

BMW)

i^F^r

te T

IE

aU

cold

">

<t

Im

if

go

--

Hall

light.

2.

like

me.

3.

mm

The
The

TT^J
P i^S
110

Refrain

th
(for 4

and 6 th

oerses)

Ab(6)

w=

rp

J>
walks

She

^^r

f^

A>
e^

these

Eb(0)

J.

J)

j.

hills

J>

j ;
J

~r~

Eb(D)

Ab(G)

is
long

black

veil,

S
r

Ab(G)

its

my

^ i
1 i 1 when

f^fi

J>

Vis

grave

the

J.

.i

winds

night

-*r

Eb

**Cm(0)

$m

**Gm(D)

r
No

wail,

wm
as
"As performed: Ah(G).
"As performed: Eb(D) throughout.

111

-J.

Fm 7 (G)

Eb(D)

s^

'

r
bod

r
knows,

--

Fm 7 (D)

Ab(G)

fe

m
no

m
!

bod

No

sees,

rw

Se
'):

Fm7(G)

bod-y

3ZT

>

>

knows

s
f

'

f=f

TT

-*-

Bb 7 (A')

/ntfo 5' A

Eb(D)

ner.se

but

T^

T
,

/a.sY

fts.

Ig

-*-

-<5*-'-

5.

The

f^fl
J

-f

ft

The judge
If

said, "Son,

what

you were somewheres

else,

spoke not a word, though

For

I'd

been

in the

She walks these

is

arms of

hills in a

it

your

my life,

best friend's wife.

long black

veil,

my grave when the night winds

Nobody knows, nobody sees,
Nobody knows, but me.
scaffold

She stands

is

But sometimes

when

wail,

high, eternity near,

in the

crowd, she sheds not a

moan,

In a long black veil she cries o'er

She walks these

tear,

at night.

the cold winds

hills, etc.

A8

alibi?

meant

Visits

The

then you won't have to die."

my

/->.

my bones.

/0

IE

The original "Railroad Bill" is said to have been a Negro turpentine

worker from Alabama at the end of the 19th century. His career of crime
had its Robin Hood overtones, but he killed one too many sheriffs and
they finally cut him down. To the southern Negro he became a symbol
of a black man who had bucked white authority and who had been too
smart to get caught. His ballad travelled out of Alabama into the southern
mountains where its narrative details fell by the way until it became a
popular instrumental show piece with just a few disconnected verses held
over from the original ballad.

Railroad
Bill

CAPO: 3RD

KEY: Eb

Lightly, with

humor

^^
EMC)

B'(G 7 )

Eb(C)

Sggs
Live

I^

'J J>J'J

J-

Rail-road Hill,

Ride,

M '\lH{

ride,

J J
^

ride.

ride.

fFfff U2f
IJi

Eb

*Al.

-*-

fe

f
J

J'

on

last

EMC)

Eb(C)

>

Wi,LJj
J

Bb7 (G 7

way up

and others

first

Eb(C)

.j)*>.

fff

tff

&

"As performed: Eb(C) to end.

Railroad

He

G 7 (E)

EUC)

Rail -road Bill,

Al>(F)

PLAY:

Bill,

Railroad

Bill,

never work' and he never

will,

Ride, ride, ride.

Kill

me

You

a chicken, send

think I'm workin',

me
I

the wing,

don't

Ride, ride, ride.

Railroad

Live

Bill,

Railroad

Bill,

way up on Railroad

Ride, ride, ride.

Hill,

do a

thing,

Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was a convicted

Pretty

criminal at the age of twenty. His crimes included bank robbery and murder, but the folk made a hero of him. In composing this ballad, Woody
Guthrie portrayed Floyd as many Oklahomans saw him a modern day
Robin Hood. The ballad contains one of Woody's most memorable lines:
"Some rob you with a six-gun, some with a fountain pen."

CAPO: 5TH

KEY: F

PLAY:

Boy
Floyd

Quito fust
G(C)

fa

Come

* Na

m
a

dren,.

^
1

')=

chil

rhythmic

^^
s

me,

round.

S3

gath-er

P Jm
J_ ^J_JL ^_J_^

ga

C(F)

f
_

T
"As performed: D

Pret-ty Boy Floyd, an

sto

ry

J-1

will

J)

'

Bm(G 7 )

D?(G 7 )

*j

=2

m
Ok- la

out- law,

of

P
'):

=5

tell,

C(F)

7 (G 7 ).

114

y;
ho

ma

knew

him

-9
well.

^^

-2
SI
Was

On

c?)

in the

a.

town of Shawnee,

r
Yes, there's

7.

The same

a Saturday afternoon,

His wife beside him in the wagon,

As
3.

into

4.

town they rode.

A deputy sheriff approached them,

In a

manner

story told,

the outlaw paid their mortgage,

And

saved their

tell

little

home.

about the stranger,

Who came to beg a meal,

rather rude,

And

And his

Left a thousand-dollar

wife she overheard.

Boy grabbed

Well, Pretty

Then he took
a

life

Every crime

Was added

a long chain,

to the trees

and

rivers,

in

napkin

Oklahoma

bill.

City,

was on a Christmas day,

Came a whole carload of groceries,

And
10.

a letter that did say:

"Well, you say that I'm an outlaw,

And you

say that I'm a

thief,

Here's a Christmas dinner,

Oklahoma,

For the families on

name.

Yes, he took to the trees and timbers

1 1

As through
As through

relief."

Well, as through this world I've rambled,

I've seen lots of

Some
Some

At many a farmer's door.

12.

in

his

It

of shame,

to his

underneath

was

It

9.

On the Canadian river shore,

And the outlaw found a welcome

funny men,

rob you with a six-gun.

with a fountain pen.

this

world you

this

world you roam,

travel,

You'll never see an outlaw

Drive a family from their home.

115

a starving farmer,

Using vulgar words of language,

To live

6.

many

How

Others

8.

And the deputy grabbed a gun,

And in the fight that followed,
He laid that deputy down.
5.

(O)

,*)

2.

J>

J>

(O

G(C)

D7(G7)

C(F)

Here, in song, are a moonshiner's recipe and instructions for making

whiskey. It was written by Albert Frank Beddoe and included by him in a
little known collection of ballads from Bexar County, Texas. Its present
popularity places

it

first

on the moonshiner's

CAPO: NONE

KEY: D

Copper

parade.

Kettle

PLAY D

Moderately

Bb(A')

Eb(D)

Get you

cop

Eb(D)

BWA*)

E1.(D)

ffes gfei

hit

per

gg?
*

ket-

^"

is

asi^

LP*

with

TF

LI

cop

per

^JL

H^
Cov-er

coil,

Cm(Bm)

G''(F$)

Be

Get you

tie,.

new

madf

com

and

TH^J
?

^^ s

J>

mash.

p?

J)

B|.|

11

(A"

not actually played, but indicated by bass run of guitar.

116

mm

<Bm)

^
^

i>

"As

i^E
*

tfc=
|P=^

3SFE=f

W
p

m
7

in

^^
r
lr

pale

We just lay there by the juniper, etc.

with hickory,

Don't use no green or rotten wood,

They'll get you by the

smoke

While you lay there by the juniper,

Get you a copper

kettle,

Get you a copper

coil,

etc.

Cover with new-made corn mash,

And never more you'll

toil.

You'll just lay there by the juniper, etc.

117

moon

^
- light.

(O

Since seventeen ninety-two.

fire

My Daddy he made whiskey,

My Granddaddy did too,
We ain't paid no whiskey tax

Hickory and ash and oak,

2St

(O)

performed: Gm(F|m).

Build you a

Cm(Bm)

G(F$)

the

'

^i

fill-in'

Cm(Bm)

Watch them jugs

bright,

is

^ spi

FmlEml

Cm(6m)
T

moon

=
'

the

&i
r
r

ggbe

while

ju- ni- per

Gm(F#m)

^^

Though known widely throughout the southern mountains,

little is

known

Wildwood

about the origin of this charming piece. Folklorists think it may have circulated as sheet music or in some parlor song books, but their thesis is
unsupported by any known printed versions until the 1930s. The degree
of variation in known texts and some curious verbal corruptions suggest
it has existed in oral tradition for some time, whatever its ultimate source

Flower

may have been.

PLAY: G

CAPO: 4TH

KEY: B

Lively, lightly

^^
p

F 7 (D)

B!.(G)

JJ'J

will

twine

f^P

with

my

minp

of

les

l;

if

ir

1
r

>&

'

JJ1J

*=i

a
ro

J J
-

ses

so

red

-I

and the

^^

myr-tle

so

r
bright

5E

rjL r

with

its

^=3^

f 4
BMG)

li- lies

J
so

fair

"r

Ek

r=rr
i

T? *p

?>

>

"CT"

EKC)

/
i

'

--

r
The

n'-

-*r

i ^f

^m

trfy

sf

t i

hair

TS

F 7 (D)

With the

TT=rT

ven black

s:

jji

mm

ra

/*

>>:

BUG)

er- aid

BUG)

331
dew

^^ Tfrr
^##
/
118

F 7 (D)

f^

zaz-

And

the

J 'i
pale and

the

<7 r^

lead

er

and

eyes

BMG)

look so

blue..

(<Q)

F ffpi
r
f
i

^m

2.

I will sing and my life shall be gay,

charm every heart, in its crown I will sway,
woke from my dream and all idols was clay,

dance,

I will

I will
I

And

all

portions of lovin' had

all

flown away.

me to love him and promised

And cherish me over all other above,
He

taught

My poor heart is wondering,

me no warning, no words

He

left

He

taught

me

to love

That was blooming

to love

no misery can

tell,

of farewell.

him and called me his flower,

him through life's

to cheer

weary hour,

How I

long to see him and regret the dark hour,

He's gone and neglected his

frail

wildwood

flower.

4f

*
--*

119

z;

iv#'

This lover's lament traces back to a Negro "Jubilee" song, a short-line

from the immediate post Civil War period. In the course of its

Lonesome
Road

spiritual

song has become extremely popular among white

the South and Midwest, as well as remaining a staple with
Negro singers in the deep South.
secularization, the

singers

in

CAPO: 4TH

KEY: E

PLAY: C

Lively

^^

that

long, lone

F(C)

Look

up

down

and

fc?F

'if

^m

and

J--J

i.h.

P
-*>

C?(G 7 )

F(C)

m
down

m
1

your

Lord,

I
f

my

cry,

Hang

Tf

lr

head.

Bl>(For Dm)

i-

t
i

*Dm

your

Hang down

road,

za

*0

fm

some

^mif

*V

F(C)

2
head

jOl

and

cry.

TT
f

f=
"O"

"As performed: F(C) throughout.

120

They say

Why
Why
Oh,

all

good friends must

not you and

I,

wish to the lord that

was a baby,

was a baby.

time,

lord,

eatin' this cold

my

cornbread

lord,

soppin' this salty gravy.

wish to the lord that

Or heard your
Heard your
You'd

Where

lyin'

lyin'

You'd

never seen your face,

my

lord,

tongue.

better look
all

I'd

tongue,

up and down

better look

lonesome road,

that long

of your friends have gone,

And you and I must

my

lord,

go.

up and down

Hang down your head and

Hang down your head and
121

some

never been born,

my

soppin' this salty gravy,

Oh,

7.

I'd

would not be here

Or
Or

part

lord,

not you and I?

Or died when
Or died when

my

cry,
cry.

that long

my

lord,

lonesome road.

Hill people and back country folk used to live off hunting, and a good
hound dog was worth his weight in gold in helping them to track and
catch food. No wonder they wrote paeans of praise in his honor, and
mourned his death in song. "Old Blue" is known throughout the rural
South, from Alabama to Texas, by white and Negro folk alike.

KEY: D

CAPO: NONE

Old Blue

PLAY: D

Moderately
C(D)

feS

I tt

Had

dog

and his

name was

*f=

fefe

>

j>

J) J)

"7^

Blue,

/V^ f i-

m f B F^ S
^=S

Had

i
Had

dog

j'

i
dog

^
and

his

name

was

his

Blue,

-Blue,

pi

G(A)

Peiidl aim He

j j nameS5
was

and

*v^

t
122

G 7 (A)

C(D)

last verso

o to Oo.la

-*-

[)

Bet

J'

J'

cha

five

J'

J'

dol-lars

good

un'

too.

^^

s
^^

-**-

-o-

Here,

>/

3
?

# PI

good dog

gl

S3

F^f

C(D)

you.

fePBP
j

F=

G 7 (A)

123

he's

sf

jE| "^^J

7i

mi
f

nr?

]>J

15

Coda

for last verse

^S ^

Ev-ery

link

5=5
his

call

I'd

-oname,

--

3:

P^F

JO

33

rat

r
(Fjt

-#

2" rf tfme)

r
(G

XXI

I'm a-

i ^tg^gCr gr iPlPliPli ^ f^
s
f

G7(A)
ft

w
you

Blue,
Blue,

Here,
Here,

2nd time)

^^

AND

SPIRITUALS,

LULLABIES
A body

of religious song that involves every emotion

and experience
in

American

in daily life

history.

folk songs are the

has deep and special roots

Foremost among these

Negro

spirituals.

has written more eloquently than

Of

religious

these,

E. B.

nobody

Du

Bois:

"These songs are the articulate message of the slave

to the world.
ple,

They are

the music of an

unhappy peo-

of the children of disappointment; they

of

tell

death and suffering and unvoiced longing toward a

truer world, of misty wanderings

and hidden ways

Through

Sorrow Songs there

all

the sorrow of the

breathes a hope
things.

Sometimes

it

faith in

sometimes a

sometimes assurance of boundless

some fair world beyond. But whichever

men

will

skins."

..

**:

,-ir,

i.
=

,'.Y -'

is

the ultimate justice of

is faith in life,

in death,

meaning

faith

justice in
it

is,

the

always clear: that sometime, somewhere,

judge

men by

their souls

and not by

their

This spiritual-lullaby probably originated in the ante-bellum South, from

where it was transported to the West Indies. It appears to have died out

All

in this country only to be discovered in the Bahamas. From there it was

reintroduced to us, eventually becoming one of the standards of the
popular folk song movement.

KEY:

CAPO: 1ST

Ctt

PLAY:

My
Trials

Flowing-, with a moderate calypso beat

C(Cetc)

E
=f5?

^5

EE
)>

><>, m "rT
_i

Priiai simile

%
126

Gm

^p

Hush,

=S
lit

-tie

ba

don't

by,

you

a-

l:

llu lut

Ma- ma

know your

^^

die.

Am
7

^-i.

IE

ifft^ ijt

<u

was born to

insi
'

You

jjfe

i^
fc

f^

cry,

fjgs^ f^tej^
\

.>

F(or Dm-)

fJS

All

my

E3EE5

^T^^ tlSJiUi

or

Lord,-

tri-als,

T3T

m m

G>

3=F

1
Soon

i
Pv
t

127

J'
be

m m

J>J
-

ver.

P^F r

^=^ ii
/

^g^

7|T

3S

(after

3 rd and 5 th

ne.rses only)

p
1

Too

1^1

rr

J'

late,

my

broth

- ers,

IE

1=

Too

but

late

rr^.^n rr^-^Tn
/

IE

&

F(or Dm 7

Jj,
All.

my

JiJ

I
^*

I*

^^

^fe

Am
T

mind,

nev-er

'

pr

TT

TSZ

>

a IE

s
->:

Lord,

tri - als,

EXU LXtj

zr

G7

~>7

be

Soon_

:z:

pi

H
128

D.S.%

In

^tt
river of

Well,

my

All

=*=
fg^Pf

P
**

Jordan

is

muddy and

S
3E
~rt~

cold,

body, but not the soul,

Lord, soon be over.

trials,

I've got a little

book with pages three

And every page spells liberty,

All my trials, Lord, soon be over.
Too
Too

late,

my

All

my

late

brothers,

but never mind

trials,

If living

Lord, soon be over.

were a thing that money

could buy,

You know

the rich would live

and the poor would die,

All

5.

my

Lord, soon be over.

There grows a

And
All

tree in Paradise,

the Pilgrims call

my

Too

129

trials,

trials,

late,

my

it

the tree of

life

Lord, soon be over.

brothers, etc.

^7

xlowing down
^7=M.

chills the

it

a,i "''"' c

The

'

As in the case of "All My Trials," this song had to travel to foreign lands
and be brought back to us before it achieved its rightful place in our
songlore. It started as a Negro gospel song, "Come By Here, Lord," was
exported to the West Indies where it was rephrased in 'pidgin-English'
as "Kumbaya," and returned to the United States where it is now a great

Kumbaya

favorite with city singers.

CAPO: NONE

KEY: D

PLAY: D

Slow
^

AUG)

Eb(D)

Eb(D)

^"4

J
j
Kum-ba

r
ya,

Gm(Ffm)

my

Lord,.

Ab(G)

-o-

kum - ba

ya.

f
Kum - ba

Eb(D)

Bb(A)

Ab(G)

rr

~'r

Eb(D)

*Fm(A)

Eb(D)

Fm(A)Bb

'

Eb(D)

QSJ

i E

pi
S^
-As performed: Bo,

^
kum-ba

ya;

22
Oh,

-*-

Lord,

kum-ba

ya.

(Q)

p-

TT
m

-*-

fj^m
r-

Ei>,

tO)

Bb,(A, D,A).

130

Someone's singing Lord, Kumbaya (3)

Oh, Lord, Kumbaya

Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya (3)

Oh, Lord, Kumbaya
Someone's praying Lord, Kumbaya (3)

Oh, Lord, Kumbaya

Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya (3)

Oh, Lord, Kumbaya
Someone's sleeping Lord, Kumbaya

Oh, Lord, Kumbaya

Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya (3)

Oh, Lord, Kumbaya

131

Numerous composers, great and small, have tried their hand at preparing
a musical setting for "The Lord's Prayer," with varying degrees of success. Perhaps the best known setting is that of Alfred Hay Malotte. But
for sheer excitement none approaches this West-Indian style setting by

Hallowed

Be

an anonymous composer.

Thy
KEY:

CAPO: 1ST

Name

PLAY: E

Lively

first (and subsequent without repeat)

om

F(E

C 7 (B 7

Bb(A)

F(E)

^
Hal

low

name.

m
^m
tfcj

I
f

last time

Fin*

F(E)

Our

Fath

m
f

f
sf8

C 7 (B 7

F(E)

^^

F(E)

^=

which art

er,

=#
Hi

Z-LJ

in

ffi

Fine

C 7 (B7

F(E)

m
Heav

#
C

Thy

be

ed

a fe
i

en,

=t
f r
3

C 7 (B 7

^^5 w
Hal

low

ed

be

S
Thy

F(E)

name.

m i
f

3=

132

C 7 (B 7

BI-(A)

C 7 (B 7

RE)

I*-

Thy

imfei

^f

King

dom

come,

Thy

be

will

i =s=t

C 7 'B 7

P?

*^
7

RE)

^^
/).

C.

done,

1
=^e
/AC.

2.

3.

On Earth as it is in Heaven, (Hallowed .)

Give us this day our daily bread, (Hallowed
.

And

forgive us

As we
4.

And

all

our trespasses (Hallowed

forgive those

who

trespass against us,

.)

133

(Hallowed

all

that

is evil.

(Hallowed

.)

.)

For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory (Hallowed
Forever, forever, forever and ever. (Hallowed
.)
.

6.

lead us not unto the devil to be tempted, (Hallowed

But deliver us from

5.

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, (Hallowed

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen,
Hallowed be Thy name.

.)

This song has long been one of the favorites of Negro street singers and
itinerant preachers throughout the United States. It was recorded by
blind street minstrels in the early days of 'race' records, and these re-

cordings undoubtedly affected the oral circulation of the song. The reference is to the City of Heaven mentioned in the New Testament, for which

see Revelations

21

13, 14.

Twelve
Grates

to
KEY:

CAPO: 1ST

PLAY: E

the City

134

Moderately
C 7 (B 7

F(E)

W^
beau-

C 7 (B 7

eit-y,

Oh,

f PJ

ap

ti - ful

C 7 (B 7

F(E)

% F(E)

F(E)

what

beau-ti-ful

PQ*T

=s

1:
"D"-

what

Oh,

^
a

L-EjyUf

beau-

ti

^5

s
-

ful

cit

J)

j JE5
'i-

Twelve gates

i
^
135

'-*
-*-

in - to

the

y,

well,

ri

B! (A

ci

^=5

i'
cit-y,

iJ i

ty,

Al

j) j

le

7
)

33.
-

lu

fc^i

C 7 (B 7

FIE)

C 7 (B 7

FIE)

F(E)

Finr

Fint

C 7 (B 7

C 7 (B 7

F(E)

J-

Three gates

I
4

m
Three

F
gates

I*

~n~

the

West,

F
to

ID

J>=-J

f
fe=^E
C 7 (B 7

r
East,

the

~o~

-w

w
iM

FIE)

J>

to

j^

in

'

^N

^P fe^
C 7 (8 7

f F

F(E)

Three gates

ff

in

to

TT

t_c

Jl
J'

C 7 (B 7

FIE)

IE
'r
the

Three gates

North,

1 1

F~F
in

i
to

the

jhfpj

136

Bb 7 (A 7

RE)

J
South,

PI3^

mak-ing

J-

Twelve gates

that.

J> ;>

ji

in - to

the

1,

IJH

P^P

ci - ty,

h
j.

Al

le

hj

*/

^P

-*-

D. S.
B> 7 (A 7 )

C 7 (B 7

F(E)

Well, oh what a beautiful City,

etc.

See those children yonder,

They all dressed in red,

They must be the children,
Children that Moses led,

You know,

there're

Twelve Gates

Well, oh what a beautiful City,

When

into the City, Allelu-

etc.

get to Heaven,

I'm going to sing and shout,

There

ain't nobody up there

Who's going to put me out.
You know, there're Twelve Gates

to the City,

Well, oh what a beautiful City, etc.

%'

Allelu

u fine

C 7 (B 7

F(E)

>.

137

N.

aZ Fine

Peggy Seeger helped to make this Christmas spiritual popular, borrowing it from "American Folk Songs for Christmas" compiled by her mother,
Ruth Crawford Seeger. The song dates from the end of the 19th century,
and is a fine example of the folk Negro's attitude toward his religion
a religion

which he

in

is

on personal terms with

Him and about Him, much as

familiarly to

if

his Saviour,

He were

Virgin

Mary

speaking

man down

the

street.

PLAY: A MINOR

CAPO: NONE

KEY: A MINOR

Slow
Gm(Am + F#)

Gm(Am)

D (E)

had- a

lB

one

4^5^

^m
Bb(C)

As performed:

glo

ry

hal

- le

r
1

i
_i

Oh,

SOD,

mm
p^
Gm(F)

Eb(F)

Er

Pedal simile

Gm(Am)

Bb(C)

Dm (Em)

Bb(C)

EfcKF).

138

Dm (Em)

D 7 (E?>

G(A)

ti

f
be

ffi

--

?.Nl

King.

m ^s
i

last

Gm(Am)

JJ

to the new-born

>J

first anil otlirrs

Gm(Am)

2.

-Well,

/T\
-**-

-*-

"CF

&

6-

<9-

"Well,

Mary how you

call that pretty little

baby,

Oh -, pretty little baby,

Oh -, pretty little baby,
Glory be to the new-born King."
"Well,

Oh
Oh -,

some

think

I'll

call

think

I'll

call

to the

-,

Him
Him

I'll

call

Him

Savior

Savior
Savior,

new-born King."

three wise men,

three wise

to the

men,

new-born King.

Said, "Follow that star, you'll surely find the baby,

Oh -,
Oh -,

surely find the baby,

surely find the baby,

Glory be

139

Jesus, think

Riding from the East there came three wise men,

Glory be

6.

Him

Oh -, came
Oh came

5.

call

-, I

Glory be

4.

^
^7\

to the

new-born King."

Well, the Virgin

Mary had-a one

son, etc.

The Negro

spiritual, like the

Anglo-American

lyric

folksong,

is

We

frequently

a patchwork of commonplace phrases and lines. This song is a perfect

example of such patchwork, for it contains lines and stanzas (e.g., 'Jordan River,' 'Jacob's Ladder,' 'Golden Crown,' etc.) usually found either
by themselves or in combination with still other commonplace spiritual
expressions. In this manner the Negro religious singer could slowly bring
songs into being, adding bit by bit to standard phrases until the accretions created

KEY: Eb

Crossing

something entirely new.

CAPO: 1ST

Are

Jordan
River

PLAY: D

Lively and vigorous

D(D.efc)

Riv

Want

er,

my

3S
y

>

F j

W^

crown,

want

my

D'

rr
We

crown.

Pi^ TT
7

'

/ m

S'

^^

mm

A7

i^^S
cross - ing.

W
^m

that Jor-dan

i"iii

are

Riv

er,

want

my

gol-den

31

my

crown,.

3
tr
140

A7

ft

rJ-

rrown.

i^
;

^S

D7

Jor-dan

r"

>

>

deep and

Riv-er,

rii^i
<c_if

p f

cc

r3

S=

if
wide,

M |,i

PF

ff

Now when

Heaven
\c?\
I'm gonna sit down on that golden throne /
Jordan River, chilly and cold,
Chills the body but not the soul.
I

get to

We are crossing, etc.

We
I

are climbing Jacob's ladder,

want

to

sit

down on

(2)
that golden throne

Jordan River, deep and wide,

I

got a

home on

We are crossing,

the other side.

etc.

We are crossing etc.

141

got a

M "

Versions of this song were recorded by street singers in the '20s and
'30s, from which recordings the song has become popular in the present
folk song movement. The metaphor of the 'storm' appears rather frequently in Negro religious song. The term should not be taken literally,
for it refers to 'the storm of life.' Other spirituals utilizing this phrase
make it clear that the only way out of the 'storm' is through belief in and

Somebody
Got Lost
in a

observance of the Lord's word.

KEY:

Storm

PLAY: C

CAPO: FIRST

Ctt

Moderately

A7 (G 7

D(C)

Ihll

|p

j
Some

bod-y got

felE^

wm

^
Some- bod-y got

ppi rr

D(G 7

^s
^

A7 (G 7

storm,

lost

M
^r=^
i

TTTf

g ^
Gm7 (Fm)

G(F)

* *i*
'

fe^

XE

pr

"Cjr

'-

Some-bod-y got

fefc

'

G(F)

D 7 (C 7

'

fee

D(C)

mr

PP
i

storm,

lost

rJ

P simply

D(C)

some

lost,

P^

^s

bod-y got

lost,

r~r
J

CJf

|J,4
b

J
i

err

1
r

"As performed: A 7 (G 7 ).

142

5 B

A7 (G?)

D(C)

*^

lost

2.

Poor sinner got

3.

143

in

y'tJVJ'r

and others

last

D(C)

D(C)

/Ti.

Some-bod-y got

is

first

r.

s
i'f

lost in a storm, etc.

Somebody

got lost in a storm, etc.

TJ

TV

"o
storm.

storm.

zn.
-

"O"

4.

X5"

"T*

Don't ever get

5.

rj j rj

lost in a

Somebody

storm, etc.

got lost in a storm, etc.

Numerous songs have been borrowed from the church and with a few
verbal changes have been put to use as Wobbly songs, union songs,
picket-line songs, and most recently as integration songs. This is one of
the best of such songs, which saw service earlier in union halls and is

now widely sung by whites and Negroes

We

movement.
Tennessee

Shall

Food and Tobacco Workers Union, who

based it on one of the stanzas of a hymn which began "We will overcome." From then on numerous verses have been 'zipped in' as needed.

Overcome

Zilphia Horton
in

first

heard

members

1947 from

at the

in

the

civil

rights

Highlander Folk School

in

of the

CAPO: 2ND

KEY: B

it

PLAY:

Solemn

cm

C(A)

fe
[

?|

J
We

shall

*(FiU)

come,.

ver

pp

CHl

wm

shall

ver

come

^^
deep

in

my

#N^
P

C(A)

some

Am(FJtm)

Dm(B')

G(E)

come,

ver

J=J

s:

J-

6(E)

^^

Oh,.

day.

1
r

8-

C(A)

F(D)

i
r

'' :

shall

Dm{B')

We

p?

AmH)

F(0j'"6(D)

We

F(D)

^m
?.

C(A)

F(D)

Am(F#m)

C(A)

-heart

do

be

()

(S)

-9sthat

^=

J
3E

J> i

J>

j"~r^

~TF~

As performed: Am(F#m).
">As performed: F.C.D.G.DfD.A.B'.E.B').
:

144

FID)

C(A)

some

day.

3s:

1r

4^=i

23

We are not afraid, we are not

We are not afraid, today.

We'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand,

We'll walk

Oh, deep
That we

.(O)

r
2.

C(A)

(O)

ipi
55P

F(D>

T)

ver

shall

C(A)

-b^

? I
we

G(E)

C(A)

hand

in

my

shall

in

hand, some day.

heart

do

Oh, deep in

believe,

overcome some day.

4.

That we

We shall overcome,

etc.

(Additional verses)

We shall
The

live in

truth will

peace

make

We shall brothers be

us free

E!Vt>

tyewflfc

BVAL
00

my

shall

heart

afraid.

do believe

overcome some day.

This charming cradle song has been collected mainly in the South but
has become what may be the best known lullaby in America. Cecil Sharp

Hush

collected it in Virginia and North Carolina in the fall of 1918, and the
song has since been recorded from Alabama to Texas. Most recently it
has been found as the text of ball-bouncing and skip-rope games, and a
Rock and Roll version has even been recorded commercially.

CAPO: NONE

KEY: C

Little

Baby

PLAY: C

Moderately
F(C)

\>

>

JO

Hush

Ift

lit - tie

ba

J~]

[J>

don't say

by,

C-(G')

C(G)

Fa

word,

^^

J)

pa's going to

cf

2 *

2-

'H'

buy

you

^z:

Jl

C'fG^l

don't

bird

/'/r.sr

are/ otfiiTS

Pa-

)'

pa's going to

i r*
^f^

J'

j
buy

^^

J'
you

J
a

/a.sf

J'

-jj

,i

dia

mond

ring._

J^v

11

J
ba

by

J>

in

town._

^
O

-&.

F(C)

F(C)

j,

suit;,

o
146

2.

If that

diamond

ring

is

brass,

Papa's going to buy you a looking-glass.

If that looking-glass gets

broke,

Papa's going to buy you a billy-goat.

3.

If that billy-goat

don't pull,

Papa's going to buy you a cart and bull.

If that

cart

and

bull turn over,

Papa's going to buy you a dog

4.

147

named Rover.

dog named Rover don't bark,

Papa's going to buy you a horse and
If

that

If that

horse and cart

You'll

still

fall

cart,

down,

be the sweetest

little

baby

in town.

Ward Howe was

Julia

sitting in her hotel

room

Washington

in

listening

Battle

"John Brown's Body" as they marched to the front in

December of 1861. As she watched and listened, a poem shaped itself in
her mind and she rapidly put it down on a scrap of paper. It was later
published in the Atlantic Monthly, and has since become one of America's most stirring songs.

to soldiers singing

Hymn
of the

CAPO: 2ND

KEY: F#

Republic

PLAY: E

With majesty

Bb(E)

1
Mine

eyes

fe

have

seen

ing

ry

glo

Eb(A)

the

of

the

>f

com

^^

of

Lord,

the

^j-m

He

tram

is

pling

out

the

vin

tage where

the

1
f

'

3
F 7 (B 7

Bb(E)

"'

Ji
grapes

mA

-Z.

J
of

Ji
WTath

are stored,

He

Bb(E)

a-

has

"*

loosed

mr

'

the

-4

m'.
fate

ful

light

ning

^
of

His

148

ter

m
i-

ri -

ble

'

^^
^
=f

swift sword,

^ r=
>

truth

ry,

glo-ry,

Hal-le

lu

Glo

ja!

ing

on.

#T

^w^

- ry,

Bb(E)

glo-ry, Hal-le

J- 3

Mhfir

Glo

ry,

**Cm(A)

'

lu

His

ja!

is

t=

-*+

fe^fet

3="

truth

l'i"

march- ing

on.

(/TO

(O)

"As performed: Gm(Cj(m).

performed: Eb(A).

"As

In the beauty of the

With a glory

As He

in

died to

His truth

is

lilies

Christ was born across the sea,

His bosom that transfigures you and me.

make man holy let us die to make men free,

marching on.

Glory, glory,

149

ja!

B|,(E)

F(B)

glo-ry, Hal-le

?=

lu

I-

Qm(dm)

Jn

march

is

E ^
f

f'JtJp'If
Glo

Bb(E)

His

Eb(A)

F 7 (B 7

BKE)

>Cm(A)

(Cfm)

etc.

John Newton (1725shape note and other hymnals

since the early years of the 19th century. The tune is anonymous but is
related to several Scottish secular melodies tracing from the 18th century. When sung in Negro churches across the country, it is usually
performed to a tune which is closely related to the white melody but is
sung more slowly and embellished in "Old Hundred" style. This version
was collected by John Cohen in Kentucky. Joan Baez sings it without
accompaniment.

The

hymn was

text of this white Protestant

1807)

and has frequently been published

written by

Amazing

in

Grace

Fairly slow, freely

maz

# j
save

J j

grace,

ing

To

me,

a wretch like

m m F

ffEJ

y >

save

wretch

ni

J'

'

'

now

I'm

'

once

|l^3

'
I

was_

I::

'

'

blind

lost

Uti

but now

fm
$

hour

That

day

cious

mm

first

be

lieved,

now_

but.

v
p
Was

i J
pre

found,

I'm_

"X

:se=

#
Was

found,

lib.)

jj

'

see,

^m
pre

mm

J*

dynamics throughout ad

(similar

but

lost

:/

~
;

was

me.

like

3D

rfttw

w-^-m

day

but

blind

J J

cious

iUjH>

that

grace

zn

3E

azg
now

4i f
:

J'
*

i
1

That

ap

i
that

grace

?
ap

The

peared,

first

be

150

J)
'Twas

lieved,

heart

And

ma

Through

dan

ny

gers,

toils

>'

have

and

me

safe

^=tt
i

home,

Jl

grace

my

TT
fears

fears

lieved.

and _

toils

f :r

al

rea

me

safe

have al

this

Ji

\ti

Jl

J>

grace

Jl

grace will lead

s
lead

come. _

'Tis

And

will

rea - dy

^^

far,

dy.

far,

^F

y
this

3t

igJ'J>J'#^f

snares,

Through

;jj_

vj.jj_
grace

^^^

re

snares,

cj

r
And

And

fear,

m ^

brought

that

ji

grace thatfs brought

my _

gers,_

'Tis

'Twas grace

fear.

lM-

come.

151

to

to

Ji

J>

ny dan

3=F

heart

grace

my

^5^ w

Ji

Sig!

i J i

ma

Ji

lieved,

taught

my_

^
*

grace that

taught

p ^p^

L^-

ll

me_

that's

J
me

/T\

home.

ffl

MODERN
AND
COMPOSED
SONGS
For almost a century, the

folklorists

have de-

bated the origins of folk song, with some believing that folk music is created collectively
and others taking up the cudgels for individual
authorship. Both are right, of course, for folk

music

is

created both individually and

Here are some

commun-

examples of modern
and/or composed songs which have been acally.

striking

cepted and welcomed by the community, and

which are perhaps

songs.

in

process of becoming folk

few short verses we have the story of a life birth, marriage,

war and death. This vignette is the work of Jack Elliott's old
side-kick, Derroll Adams, folk singer and song writer from Portland,
Oregon, who today makes his home in Belgium.
In

Portland

children,

KEY: F MINOR

Town

PLAY: E MINOR

CAPO: 1ST

Moderately slow
Gm(Em)

(^4
f

m
?

J,

J)
was

bom

in

land

in

land

town,

Yes

i-W

^
I

p$

f^E ^i

was

F(D)

mmm

i^s
Gm(Em)

Dm'D)

Port

town.

te

9^^

born

Port

"

Gm(Em)

Gm(Em)

FID)

tn

was,

yes

^^

Pedal simile

Gm(Em

As

AMR

Gm (Em)
(O)

performed: F(D)

154

was born in Portland town,

Got married in Portland town,
Yes I did, yes I did,
I

Yes,

did.

Got married

Had
Yes

Portland town.

in

children one, two, three,

did, yes I did,

Yes,

I did.

They

them away

sent

Ain't got no kids

No

I ain't,

No,

no more,

I ain't,

I ain't.

was born

was born in Portland town,

Yes
Yes,

155

no

to war,

I
I

in Portland

was, yes
was.

was,

town,

This song

is typical of the exciting 'Highlife' music heard in the cafes of

Ghana. It shows the influence of American jazz and Latin American
rhythms on West African native musics, indicating a direction in musical
diffusion which ethnomusicologists are first beginning to notice after

Danger
Waters

years of studying the movement in the reverse direction, from Africa to

America. Its poetry, too, is worthy of notice for it exhibits a fluidity of

words and metaphors based on ordinary speech patterns which

home directly, if sometimes savagely.
KEY: Eb

CAPO: 1ST

And

First

we go

strike

PLAY: D

holler,

"Why?"

in a

etc.

me back me shillin',
me back me shillin',
You can stand on your own
Give me back me shillin'.

room,

Give

Make me Momma no know,

Make me lie on a sofa,
Make me have-a me labor.

Give

And

And

I holler,

"Why?"

etc.

Hold me

tight,

hold

me

I holler,

tight,

hold

me

now,

etc.

tight,

Danger waters coming, baby, hold me

Hold me

"Why?"

feet

tight,

tight,

Danger waters coming, baby, hold me.

And

holler,

"Why?"

etc.

(2)

156

Moderately
*

Chorus

&ri t

V J

FB

'>\K

-r-

Eb(D)

And

hoi

"Wny?"

ler,

7 J

1.

'.

st
,

(O)

EE5

The

tor- toise boy

no

mon

mi.

(Oi

mf 5

c
ST

^^

2 nd and 3 rd)

Eb 7 (D?)

Eb(D>

P^ 3

Eb(D)

fr

"Why?

TfT

S^
<

ler,

i TfjTf

ffi

Verse

hoi-

Bb7 (A 7

fr-N-H
T^

VI

<t

fe

And

"Why?".

hoi -ler,

Ab(G)

hi

J'

J>

And

*3

**

Eb77m?)
(D

Eb(D)

--

First he give

me

S=

JHZ

Then he give me

one.

pupi
^m

Ab(G)

And he give me

two,

&

"TW

j.

2" d and 3 rd nerse

k
w>

Bb

Eb(D)

J>

three and

iS

J
I

J ]
hoi

ck

Be

(A7 )

r Ef=

ler, " Lord- y, have

Bb7 (A7

J J

mer-cy!"

J zjj:

(2.)

>

Eb(D)

make me have

me

zz:

lab

^*
^m
?
T?
r

*To be sung before each verse and after 4th verse.

cc Small notes for 4th and final chorus.

157

Eb(D)

^^

(4th verse only)

Eb(D)

&E
4.

^EJE

*
me

Hold

me

hold

tight,

tight,

PiPfj ^*1 f

^-

f=f

WFF

P
Bb(A)

I E
Dan-ger wat-ers

com-in',

by,

^^*i

me

Hold

tight.

ppFfi

iv*>

ft

3EE=
me

Hold

pH

^tz i

W^
sm

:^=>=^

*w

ba

^e?

3EEE
me

hold

tight,

PFFfP S ffe|s*e: gjjj^

Dan-ger

^m

wat

ers

p|

com-in',

).

Eb(D)

'i

tight,

ba

by,

chorus

hold

F^

i
* 4
i

i
!

iii
/;.

C.

chorus

158

Where
Have All
the Flowers

Gone?

~
159

Pete Seeger got the idea for this song from a verse of an old song
quoted by Mikhail Sholokhov in "And Quiet Flows the Don." The original
words in translation are: "Where are the geese? They've gone to the
reeds. And where are the reeds? They've been gathered by the girls.
And where are the girls? They've taken husbands. And where are the
Cossacks? They've gone to war." Similar circular-question songs are
found in the works of folk and art composers and poets in many parts of
the world.

KEY: B

CAPO: 2ND

PLAY: A

Moderately
Am(Fffm)

C(A)

Am(Fjtm)

$
$
4 V.

f
flow-ers

j>

Dm(Bm)

Long

gone,

i#
(#)

Dm(Bm) G'(E 7

C(A)

G(E)

S3i

time

pass

ing,

JhJ

r^

i
_i

Pedal simile

Am(F#m)

Dm(Bm)

160

*^
ev

G 7 (E 7

Dm(Bm)

C(A)

er

C(A)

i
When

learn.

will they

er

learn?

$^

JSt

^^

T=F

"As performed: Guitar retains F(D).

2.

Where have
Where have
Where have

When
3.

4.

5.

161

young

girls

gone, long time passing,

all

the

gone, long time ago,

the

young
young

girls

all

girls

gone, gone to young

the

all

the

all

every one,

will they ever learn?

when

will they ever learn?

all

the soldiers gone, long time passing

all

the soldiers gone, long time ago,

all

the soldiers gone, gone to graveyards every one

will they ever learn,

when

will they ever learn?

all

the graveyards gone, long time passing,

all

the graveyards gone, long time ago,

all

the graveyards gone, covered with flowers every one

will they ever learn,

Where have

when

men

young men gone, long time passing,

young men gone, long time ago,
the young men gone, they are all in uniform,

all

they ever learn,

Where have
Where have
Where have

When
6.

will

Where have
Where have
Where have

When

the

will they ever learn,

Where have
Where have
Where have

When

all

all

when

will they ever learn?

the flowers gone, etc.

Early

the history of recorded

in

and singers began

music, white mountain musicians

hillbilly

own

The Tramp

songs based largely on

has continued to this day. One of the
best of these modern gospel songs is this composition by Grady and
Hazel Cole, based on the Dives and Lazarus story and the death of Christ.
to create their

religious

biblical narrative. Their influence

The

last

KEY:

Ctt

verse

is

on the

a recent addition to the song.

CAPO: 1ST

PLAY:

Street

Moderately lively
Eb7 (C

Eb(C)

sm

m
On

i ^m
mp

m^E

-<5^

ly

=d

tramp

was

P
f F

^^

Laz'- rus

3
F F

FF

(F-F(?*)

^^

He

begged,

i ass
^p^r

-r^rr

-rrr

22Z

Bb 7 (G*)
22

lay

down

/J,

*T7
fe

tUt"

^tF^

Ab(F)

that

Eb(C)

wm
the

rich

w
man's

gate,

^tt
f
(F#")

and (C) played by sliding

in

barre position from

(F).

162

EMC)

E\P

^
^^
mn
mmfT ^tt
s

ft

ppp

j.

like

Bb7 (G 7

tramp

TVr

zr

Is

-i9-=-

die.

to

fc^

W **

But they left him

eat,.

pi
Sm

EMC)

AWF)

(C

Eb(C)

lZL

on the

-S4r

^F?rH

street.

^s

(O)

F F

F F
(TO

He was somebody's

see

darlin',

3=j=j

he was some mother's son,

Once he was fair, and once he was young,

Some mother she rocked him, her little darlin' to sleep,
But they left him to die like a tramp in the street.
2.

Jesus

who

died on Calvary's Tree,

Shed His life-blood for you and

They pierced His

And

they

left

side,

Him

for

me,

His hands and His feet

to die like a

tramp on the

street.

He was Mary's own darlin', he was God's chosen Son,

Once He was fair and once He was young,
Mary she rocked Him, her little darlin' to sleep,
But they left Him to die like a tramp on the street.
3.

When

the battles are over and the victory's

won

Everyone mourns for the poor man's son,

Red, White and Blue and victory's sweet,

And

they

left

him

to die like a

tramp on the

street.

163

He was somebody's

darlin',

he was some mother's son,

etc.

The hardships and heartbreaks of people who earn their living

sea have never been as starkly and dramatically described as

poem by
ley.

off

the

in

this

Three
Fishers

the 19th century English clergyman and novelist, Charles Kings-

The music was composed

by the English musician, singer and music

teacher, John Hullah.

CAPO: 2ND

KEY: A

PLAY:

Moderately

Gm(Em)

Bh(G)

Gm(Em)

Dm(Bm)
T

BMG)

9
Three

fish - ers

^w

went

sail - ing

out

itc

iff

mf

ti.

'EiMi

r^

F 7 (D)

fc

?
R(D)

BMG)

Bb(G)

Gm(Em)

Dm(Brri)

'

j>

ji

Ij

j)

in -

to

the west.

Out

in - to

ag

J'

J'

the west

as the

1j

^^

went down.

sun

Each

^
r

z^:

dr

"T
Cm (Am)
th

p
thought

fe
ff

^m

p
on

r
the

p
worn

r
an

Jl

Jl

loved

him

the

p
that

^
^

Cm(Am)

Dm(Bm)

Gm(Em)

best,

And

the

/Tv

P
164

D 7 (B 7

Gm(Em)

^m

-rt
1

J'
child

J'

J,
watch

stood

ren

j)

j)

ing

them

j>

'

out

*.

of

P1

nf.

rs

For

town.

the

Slower
*Gm(G)

'Cm(C)

(Em)

-*
men

must work

and

S^eeS J
worn

wm

f^

m
.*

man

to

PIS

S^

Gm(Em)

FID)

"As performed: Bb(G)

performed: Eb(C).

"As
165

Bb(G)

and

earn

to

tie

r^

^E=^
And

keep,

^=^
^=r

the

m"
har

bor

m
i

Bb(G)

lit -

ft

For there's

F(D)

J)

EMC)

JJ

en must weep,

Gm(Efn)

Bb(6)

F(D)

r
Gm(Em)

m
bar

p
first ami others
GmfEnO
Dm(Bm)

be

^i
Last

Gm(Em)

Three wives

sat

They trimmed

And
And

up

in the lighthouse tower,

the lamps as the sun went

down,

they looked at the squall and they looked at the shower,

the night-wrack

came

rolling in ragged

and brown.

For men must work and women must weep,

Though storms be sudden and the waters be deep
And the harbor bar be moaning.
Three corpses lay out on the shining sand,
In the morning gleam as the tide went down,

And

the

women were weeping and

wringing their hands,

For those who would never come back

For men must work and

And
And

the sooner

good-bye

it's

to the town.

women must weep,

over, the sooner to sleep

to that

bar and

its

moaning.

166

This song, composed for the Yiddish musical theatre by Sholom Secunda,
has long been a favorite with Jewish folk singers. Several translations
have been attempted by various singers, but none tell the tale so well as
this one by Arthur Kevess and Teddi Schwartz.

Donna
Donna

CAPO: 2ND

KEY: B MINOR

PLAY: A

MINOR

Moderately

Em(Arr)

B?(E)

j-'j

j.'j
P

^^
Em (Am)

Em(Am)

i
wag

mourn-ful

I f=^r
167

s Pff
As performed: B(E).

Em(Am)

High

There's a

ket,

Jl

i
with

calf
1

r-i

J)

m
s

*Am(E)

^?
eye,

'

ga^E

mar

for

C(ForAm)B(E)

'

Am (Dm)

Em(Am)

*Am(E)
J

bound

on

* i

-f*

Jiu

*Am(E)

On

5?i

bove

him

Em(Am)

*
there's

--

ps=e
swal

"T

^^ ^

Em(Am)

*Am(E)

Am(Dm)

wing-ing swift

low

>

n-i
r

U-^>

KZ2I

ly

B 7 (E)

Em(Am)D(G)
?

PNi

the winds are

TT*

f
Em(Am)

M
1

r"

laugh

day

*=

whole

the

Em Urn)

B 7(E)

J>J-

OT

r f r

G(C)

Laugh and

might,

r
their

all

'

D(G)

33

and

through,

F^
LTLZ

F
B 7 (E)

half

ST

B 7 (E)

=5
the

summer's

*f J

J) J) J)

Don-na, don- na, don

na,_

^^W
-

S
S
r-rrr
don

na,

na.

tlP

^^

^^

Em(Am)

Don-na,don-na,don

night.

Hi

D(G)

si

^^

Em(Am)

Pf^
^
I

with

3i

^^ ffl
,

J' r

They laugh

laugh-ing,

J.

J)

G(C)

,j

*=#

Sf
i

J?

D(G)

How

through the sky.

Em(Am)

G(C)

frf*

P
B 7 (E)

Em(Am)

G(C)

-o-

I'JUiJ^J-

don.

Don-na, don- na, don

lB"
p

j. j

^
-

na,

J-^

rry

P
168

Em(Am)

pa

don

Em(Am)

B?(E)

Don

na.

]>

J'

na,

don

J>
-

don

na,

don.

na,

3
-a-

f=rf

WFw

SSi

5
'Stop complaining," said the farmer,

"Who

told

you a

calf to be,

Why don't you have wings to fly with, like the swallow so proud
How the winds are laughing, they laugh with all their might,

and free?"

Laugh and laugh

night.

the whole day through, and half the

Summer's

Donna, Donna, Donna, Donna; Donna, Donna, Donna, Don-

(2)

Calves are easily bound and slaughtered, never knowing the reason why,

But whoever treasures freedom,

How

Laugh and laugh

Donna,

169

like the

swallow has learned to

the winds are laughing, they laugh with

etc.

the whole day through,

all

fly,

their might,

and half the Summer's

night.

of topical song writers have commented on the dangers of

and the death and sickness which rides with radioactive winds
and rain. Malvina Reynolds is one of the few to successfully capture the
feeling of the potential tragedy by her simple story of a little boy and the
grass around him which disappears in "the gentle rain that falls for

A number
fall-out

years."

CAPO: NONE: GUITAR TUNED

KEY: B

DOWN

V;

TONE

PLAY C

What
Have They
Done to
the Rain?

~v
'X
r.

i
.

170

Moderately

B^^i
a

Just

fall -

rain

all

inK

rfrr

s
53

The

round,

rrrj

^ i

r-

BKC)

F(G)

(Em)

Dm(G)

IPPS

~Q~

lit- tie

3jE

Cm(Dm)

BMC)

3
grass

its

lifts

3SE53

"

fT=i *

^^f
i

""As

171

performed: F(G).

heav

en

ly

"

r=f=rT

^^

32

sound,

rr^r
f

Dm(Em)

PS

P *~rs
Just

the

Gm(Am)

^
to

head

lit

32

-tie

-rain,

just

lit -

T~

tie

rain,

^F
22=

~o

J-

Just

lit

J.

~n~

-tie

boy

stand -ing

PPPF>
r

pent

g"

(is

j
*

P
rs:

le

rain

that

Bb(C)

-s^

falls

for

-&-

-j

r
And

the

r=^r

r-p-rr

mi

'

years,

.J'

Gm(Am)

Dm(Er

grass

gone,

is

^7^7

the

*
*

>

p3

boy

dis

ap

pears,

^m
~F

And

f=f=^

BI(C)

Eb(F)

The

rain,.

the

fEE-EE^

M rp"
J-

in

F 7 <G 7

9E

P^l

^^^

*Dm(G)

Cm(Dm)

Bl.(C)

~cr

keeps

rain

fall -

e f

ing

rT

like

help

less

^m
TT7"
*

tears,

r-^^

And

5^ i

-As performed: F(G).

172

Cm(Dm)

F(G)

I9

have

they done

to

the

j^^

ty

*f"
j

Just a

The

leaves

Just a

little

^^

breeze out of the sky,

nod

their

heads as the breeze blows by,

breeze with some

smoke

they done to the rain?

Just a

boy standing

little

if

*f"

What have

The

173

little

ZEE

rain?

mm ^rr
nu

last time.

r>

T~
what

first time

in its eye,

in the rain,

gentle rain that falls for years, etc.

In a short life of only 40 years, Edgar Allan Poe secured a prominent

place for himself as a literary critic, an idealistic and romantic poet, and
one of the most powerful and compelling mystery and fantasy tale tellers.
Of his poetic creations, perhaps only "The Raven" is better known than
his tragic love poem, "Annabel Lee." The musical setting given here was

composed by Don
KEY:

Gtt

Lee

Dilworth.

CAPO: NONE

MINOR

Annabel

PLAY:

Gtt

MINOR (BARRE)

Fairly lively

S
i s fpfi
Gm(GJim)

w
It

$gGm(G{W

was

ma

DHQp)

E
ny

ny and

Pgently flowing

^
Pedal simile

Gm(Gjim)

*Dm(FH)

go

T
Bb(B)

S
in

Ab(A)

Eb(E)

-9

dom

King

by

the

>

Ebm (Em)

Gb(G)

S
^

fe

maid

That

en

there

UMn

J-

"As performed: F(F#).

174

i
i

Cb(C)

Db(D)

lived

whom

you

Ebm(Em)

'Ab(Em)

may

know

by the

fi

Ebm(Em)

Eb(E)

Cm(C}!n

U
with

lived

^
^^
/irsf

175

oth

J'

er

thought than to

F^

iJ-^T]
r

Bb7 (B?)

Eb(E)

love

and

^^
r

1
be

loved

by

P^P

and second verses only

Eb(E)

,J

no

s
Bb(B)

Fm(Fftm)

of

M=Z1

Bb(B?)

name

As performed: E^m(Em).

D. S.

D. S.

third and subsequent verses

BWB)

EKE)

Eb(E)

^5
To

her

shut

up

in

Cm(CjW

se

pul

third, fourth

Fm(F^m)
b"

cher

in

m
r

Bb 7 (B 7 )

Eb(E)

and fifth verses

EWE)

]l
this

dom

^
King

by

the

sea.

-6-

'F:

^m

2T

z>.

s.

5s

176

2.

For

was a child and she was a

4.

child,

and

With

Yes

loved with a love that was more than love

my Annabel

the angels, not half so

happy

in

heaven,

Went envying her and me

In this kingdom by the sea:

But we

And

Lee:

In this

that

was the reason

kingdom by

(as

all

men know,

the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by

a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

Chilling

my Annabel Lee

That the wind came out of the cloud by

3.

And

this is the

reason that, long ago,

Killing

night,

night,

my Annabel Lee

In this kingdom by the sea

A wind blew out of a cloud,

Chilling

So

my Annabel

that her high-born

5.

kingdom by

Lee:

kinsmen came

And

And

the

Of the
And
Of

moon

far than the love

neither the angels in heaven above,

never beams, without bringing

beautiful

And

all

rise,

but

I feel

my

life

and

I lie

down by

my bride,

In her sepulcher there by the sea,

In her

tomb by

the bright eyes

Annabel Lee;

through the night,

darling,

me dreams

Annabel Lee;

the stars never

the beautiful

Of my

177

was stronger by

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee

the sea.

6.

it

Of those who were older than we

Of many far wiser than we
Of many far wiser than we.

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulcher
In this

But our love

the sounding sea.

the side

blues is that of 'traveling on,' moving from

loves and new experiences. This restlessness is rarely expressed so well in modern urban blues as in this song
by Anne Bredon of San Francisco.

One

of the favorite

one place

in

Babe
I'm Gonna
Leave Yon

new

CAPO: 1ST

MINOR

KEY: Bb

themes

to another, finding

PLAY: A MINOR

FlowingEm(Dm<

Bm(Am)

Bm(Am)

sm

FH'

8
*3

:',

J=

ai
p
Tell

you when
rCV.

n
r
i

ar
7

a tempo

I'm

gon

J>
na

^S

f^

Jj

leave

you,_

leave

=p

r;7.

a tempo

-y

Bm(An

7
FjJ (E?)

summer comes a

^=

roll -

G(F)

leave you

ing,

when

r7\

'

j_'

zr

ol'

ifei

-A.

^
j-

ol'

n
r

Vl/

May be played by holding Am fingering and sliding up to the 7th and 8th frets, while
continuing to play on middle strings.
'As performed: G(F).

(Dm

P^

when

you

PP

summer-time,

f-

PP G(F)

-i

imp

''r r

Pedal simile

rubato
o s^r^

mf

nt.

fS^T-

rubato

you,

ST-.y.)

a=g

leave

'r

I'mgon-na

Babe

tJl

for guitar:

178

'F|m 7 (E 7

Bm(Am)

sum - mer

comes a

"As performed: F# 7 (E 7 ) against sung F#m,

long

common

Babe, that highway's

That old highway's

Callin'

Callin'

3.

in

blues.

a-callin',

a-callin',

me to travel on, travel on

me to travel on alone.
Babe,

I'd like to stay here,

You know

I'd really like to stay here,

My feet start goin' down,

My feet start goin' down,
4.

out Westward,

Babe,

goin'

goin'

down
down

that highway,

alone.

got to ramble,

You know

got to ramble,

My feet start goin' down and I got to follow,

They

just start goin'

down, and

got to go.

Vc\

179

for peace is perhaps nowhere better expressed in song

Ed McCurdy's masterpiece, "Strangest Dream," written in 1950
and now the unofficial anthem of non-political peace groups throughout

Man's yearning

than

Last Night

in

the English-speaking world.

Had the

Strangest
CAPO: NONE

KEY: C

Dream

PLAY: C

Simply, with dignity

C (C.rtc)

pM
Last nigbt

I imp

&m

I_

had

the

F?

Strang

est_

dream

m
Pedal simile

world

bad

all

greed,

to

G7

<*>>-

'

4
put_

an

=s

m^ fM

Finn

G7

* Dm(G'/)

E5

r
"As performed:

Am

end.

to

war.

te

(o)

3E
~o

180

'Dm(F)

dreamed

We

was

there

f*

might

i fc^

^J

And

men,

Am

C(G 7

the

pap

f
*As performed:

fight

3^#
r

J J
-

er_

were

they

sign

^^

^r

r-

ing_

gain.

J.

D. C. al Fine.

they'd

1-

G7

was

s
said

room

the

u ^^

FPU'

with

And

room,

C7

-r

p^

filled

F.

r
D. C. al

And when the paper was all signed,

And a million copies made,

Last night
I

ever had before,

They

dreamed

all

joined hands and circled 'round,

And

grateful prayers were

And

the people

on the

made.

streets

Were dancing 'round and

below

'round,

With swords and guns and uniforms

All scattered on the ground.

181

had the

the world

To put an end

Fine

strangest dream,

had

to war.

all

agreed

Tedesco. a GermanThis song is the best known composition of Martini

born operatic composer who made his name and fame in his adopted
country, France, during the 18th and 19th centuries. The version given
here eliminates the developmental sections of the original song, thereby
transforming it from a 'through-composed' art song into a strophic folkil

like

song. The authorship of this English translation

CAPO: 1ST

KEY: F

Plaisir

d'Amour

unknown.

is

PLAY: E

Slow, but flowing-

im ^

f^
f

1.

Plai

2.

The

C 7 (B 7

F(E)

RE)

*
-

sir

joys

d*a

mour

of _

love _

Bb(A)

ne

du

re

qu un.

are

but

mo

C 7 (B 7

F(E)

mo

ment,

ment

long, _

-6-

^m
-i

W
Cha
The

I
3p

Pudal simile

Bdim(Ajtdim)

C 7 (B 7 -Abass)

grin

d'a

mour

du.

re

of

love

en

pain

F(E-G|}bass)

;z=

T
w

182

Gm (A or F#m)

Your

You
4.

5.

eyes kissed mine,

brought

me heaven

saw the love

right then

183

them

shine,

eyes kissed mine.

My love loves me, and all the wonders I see,

A rainbow shines in my window, my love loves me.
And now he's

gone, like a dream that fades into dawn,

But the words stay locked

6.

in

when your

Plaisir

d'amour,

etc.

in

my

heartstrings,

"My

love loves me."

The
Joan Baez
Recordings
JOAN BAEZ

Dagger / East Virginia / Fare Thee Well / House of the

Sun / All My Trials / Wildwood Flower / Donna Donna /
John Riley / Rake and Rambling Boy / Little Moses / Mary
Hamilton / Henry Martin / El Preso Numero Nueve.
Silver

Rising

VANGUARD

JOAN BAEZ, VOL.

VRS-9078 (Monophonic)

and VSD-2077 (Stereophonic)

/ The Trees They Do Grow High / The Lily of

West / Silkie / Engine 143 / Once Knew a Pretty Girl /
Lonesome Road / Banks of the Ohio / Pal of Mine / Barbara
Allen / The Cherry Tree Carol / Old Blue / Railroad Boy /

Wagoner's Lad
the

d'Amour.

Plaisir

VANGUARD

JOAN BAEZ

IN

CONCERT

VRS-9094 (Monophonic)

I'm Gonna Leave You / Geordie / Copper Kettle /

Kumbaya / What Have They Done to the Rain / Black is the
Color of My True Love's Hair / Danger Waters / Gospel Ship /
House Carpenter / Pretty Boy Floyd / Lady Mary / Ate Amanha

Babe,

Matty Groves.

VANGUARD

JOAN BAEZ
PART 2

IN

CONCERT,

and VSD-2097 (Stereophonic)

Once
All

VRS-9112 (Monophonic)

Had

Right

a Sweetheart

We

Shall

and VSD-2122 (Stereophonic)

Jackaroe

Overcome

Manha de Carnaval

Don't Think Twice,

Portland

Town

It's

Queen

of

Te Ador / Long Black Veil /

Hearts /
Railroad Bill / Rambler-Gambler / Fennario / 'Nu Bello Cardillo / Three Fishers / Hush Little Baby / Battle Hymn of the
/

Republic.

VANGUARD

JOAN BAEZ

/ 5

There but

VRS-9113 (Monophonic)

for

and VSD-2123 (Stereophonic)

Fortune / Stewball / No, No, No,

It

Ain't

Me,

Babe

/ The Death of Queen Jane / Bachianas Brasileiras No.

5 (Villa-Lobos) / Go 'Way From My Window /
Still Miss
I

When You Hear Them Cuckoos Hollerin' /

Birmingham Sunday / We'll Go No More A-Roving / O

Someone

Congaceiro / The Unquiet Grave.

VANGUARD

VRS-9160 (Monophonic)

and VSD-79160 (Stereophonic)

184

The
Joan Baez
Recordings

FOLK FESTIVAL AT NEWPORT,

1959,

VOL. 2

Virgin

Mary

VANGUARD

NEWPORT BROADSIDE

1963

With

1963,

185

VOL.

Are Crossing Jordan River

with

Bob Gib-

Side

with

Bob

VRS-9144 (Monophonic)

Oh, Freedom

VANGUARD

and VSD-2054 (Stereophonic)

VRS-9063 (Monophonic)

God On Our

VANGUARD

EVENING CONCERTS
AT NEWPORT,

We

son.

Wagoner's Lad

VRS-9148 (Monophonic)

Dylan.
and VSD-79144 (Stereophonic)

Te Ador

Ate Amanha.

and VSD-79148 (Stereophonic)

ALL MY TRIALS

Index
of

Titles

53

'-
\

THE
JOAN BAEZ
SONGBOOK

This

and

a book of the songs Joan Baez sjngs on her Vanguard recordings

is

Here are sixty-six of the most nVunting and beautiful

songs and songs in the folk vein. Many of these songs have never
before appeared in print. Others have never before appeared in the
at her concerts.

folk

The texts are full. The vocal lines and arrangements for piano and guitar have been kept as close-as is possible to the
way Joan Baez performs them. They have an aptness and basic simplicity
which brings them within everyone's reach.
version published here.

CONTENTS
LYRICS AND LAMENTS

Wagoner's Lad

BROADSIDE BALLADS

Black

Marry

East Virginia

is

Constant Sorrow

of

Come

All

Lady Mary

The Water

is

Once Had a Sweetheart Never Will

Once Loved a Boy Queen of Hearts Fare

the Color
I

Ye

and Tender Maidens

Fair

Geordie Henry Martin Mary Hamilton Silkie Barbara Allen

The Unquiet Grave The Cherry Tree Carol Lady Gay, House
Carpenter Matty Groves

Once
High

Knew

Floyd

Stewball

Willie

Banks of the Ohio

Ranger's

Dagger The Trees They Do Grow

Rake and Rambling Boy Fennario
Railroad Boy The Lily of the West

a Pretty Girl Silver

Jackaroe

John Riley

AMERICAN BALLADS
AND SONGS

Man

Thee Well

CHILD BALLADS

Wide

Moore

Command

Copper

Kettle

Rambler Gambler
Long Black Veil

House

Wildwood Flower

Sun
Boy
Old Blue

of the Rising

Railroad

Bill

Lonesome Road

Pretty

HYMNS. SPIRITUALS

All

AND LULLABIES

the City Virgin

MODERN AND
COMPOSED SONGS

Portland Town Danger Waters Where Have All the Flowers Gone
The Tramp on the Street Three Fishers Donna Donna What Have
They Done to the Rain Annabel Lee Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Last Night
Had the Strangest Dream Plaisir d'Amour

Hallowed Be Thy Name Twelve Gates to

Mary We Are Crossing Jordan River Somebody
Got Lost in a Storm We Shall Overcome Hush Little Baby Battle
Hymn of the Republic Amazing Grace

My

Trials

Kumbaya

MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS AND INTRODUCTION

BY ELIE SIEGMEISTER

PREFACE BY JOHN

M.

CONLY

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ERIC VON SCHMIDT

RYERSON MUSIC PUBLISHERS,

A DIVISION OF

VANGUARD RECORDS

INC.,

NEW YORK