411. Kitty Wells

411

Kitty Wells

This song of Negro plantation life, the work of Thomas Sloan
in the sixties of the last century, has been so loved and sung in
divers parts of the country that it nmst be reckoned folk song, at
least according to John Meier's definition of folk song. It has been
reported as a traditional song in Pennsylvania (NPM 135-6), Vir-
ginia (SSSA 185-6), West Virginia (FSS 395), Kentucky (in
Shearin's Syllabus) . Tennessee (JAFL xlvi 47), North Carolina
(JAFL XLiv 79, FSSH 414-15), Indiana (BSI 351-2), Illinois
(TSSI 223-5), Michigan (SMLJ 216, BSSM 48c>^in the latter
case listed only), Iowa (MAFLS xxix 80-3), and Nebraska (ABS
202) ; the Archive of American Folk Song lists records of it from
California and (i)resumably) North Carolina (made by B. L. Luns-
ford) ; and it is doubtless known and sung as traditional song in
other parts of the country. Our collection has copies of it as
follows :

A From I-. W. Anderson, Nag's Head.

B From Mrs. Mary Martin Copley ol near Durluun.

C From George D. Harmon, Union Mills, Rntherford county.

D From Otis Kuykendall, Asheville.

E From Miss Duo K. Smith, Houstonville, Iredell county.

F As sung on Rabbit Ham, Buncombe county; singer's name not given.

G From 1. G. Greer, Boone, Watauga county.

H From Miss Bonnie Ethel Dickson of Watauga county, west of Boone.

I From Julian P. Boyd, Alliance, Pamlico county.

J From Mrs. Sutton; sung by a girl "at the foot of Mt. .Mitciieil on

the Yancey county side."
K From Mrs. Minnie Church, Heaton, Avery county.
L From O. L. Coffey, Shull's Mills, Watauga county.
M From W. Amos Abrams, Boone, Watauga county.

These texts do not vary greatly : enougli to show that they have
for the most part heen set down from memory, hut not enough to
justify printing all of tliem here. One will he sufficient.

 

'Kitty Wells.' From L. W. Anderson of Nag's Head, collected from
Ellen Scarborough, a pupil in the school there.

1 You ask what makes this darky sad,
Why he like others am not gay.

What makes the tear flow down his cheek

From early morn till close of day?

My story, darkies, you shall hear.

For in my memory fresh it dwells ;

'Twill cause you all to drop a tear

On the grave of my sweet Kitty Wells.

Chorus:

When the birds were singing in the morning
And the myrtles and the ivy were in bloom,
When the sun o'er the hills was dawning,
'Twas then we laid her in the tomb.

2 Oh. I remember well the day
When we together roamed the dells ;

I kissed her cheek and named the day
When I should marry Kitty Wells.
But death came in my cabin door^
And stole from me my joy and pride ;
And when I found she was no more
I laid my banjo down and cried.

3 The springtime has no charms for me.
The flowers that bloom around the dells ;
There's a form I long to see,

The form of my sweet Kitty Wells.

4 I've sometimes wished that 1 was dead
And laid beside her in the tomb,
For sorrow now bows down my head
In silence to the midnight gloom ;
I'm longing for the day to come
When I sliall clasp her to my heart,
While in heavenly fields we roam
And never, never more to part.

 

* The manuscript, probably by a mere slip of the pen, has "dear."


-------------------------------------

411
Kitty Wells

 

'Kitty Wells.' Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Turkey Creek, Buncombe
county. No date given. The singer said he got this song from his mother. Same
text as version A. For two additional versions cf. FSF 139-41-

 

F-382

 

 

You ask what makes this dark - y sad,-

 

Why he hke oth - ers am not gay, What makes the tear flow


 

 

down his cheek

 

From ear - ly morn till close of day?

 

 

 

My— sto ry, dark-ies, you shall hear, For

 

 

my mem - 'ry fresh it dwells; 'Twill cause you all to drop a

 

tear — On the grave of my sweet Kit-ty Wells. When the


birds were sing - ing in the morn - ing And the myr - ties

and the i - vy were in bloom. When the sun o'er the


hills was- dawn -ing, 'Twas then we laid her in the tomb.

For melodic relationship cf. **Texas FS 146-7 (first half of chorus is
different).

Scale: Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: abcdcibicSdefcM
(22,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2) =: abcbidb2 (4,4,4,4,4,4)- In the over-all form the
beginning of c is related to that of b, the ending to that of a. In the smaller
subdivision e is partially related to c. The lone f sharp is negligible and no
doubt merely an accidental inflection by the singer. It is in no wise of any
melodic consequence.

 

'Kitty Wells.' Sung by Dr. I. G. Greer, Boone, Watauga county, in 1915.

F-383

 

You ask what makes this dar - key weep, Why he like


oth - ers am not gay, What makes the tears flow down his


cheek From ear - ly mom till close of day? My sto - ry,


dar - kies, you shall hear, For in my mem -'ry fresh it

 

dwells; 'Twill cause you all to drop a tear

 

On the grave of my sweet Kit - ty Wells. —
Oh! the birds sang


sweet - ly in the mom - ing


The myr - tie and the i - vy were in bloom.
The — sun o'er the hill - tops was dawn - ing,
'Twas then laid her in the tomb.

 

For melodic relationship cf. ***Texas FS 146-7 ''our 'sixth measure in  chorus is the first there).

Scale : Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center : f. Structure : abcdabcdefgd

(2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2) = ababcd (4,4,4,4,4,4). The whole is in barform
(mmn). In the over-all form d is related to b.