94. Johnny German

94

Johnny German

Another of the ballads of the returned lover. Presumably a
British stall ballad, it has been found, so far as the editor can learn,
only on this side of the water: in Nova Scotia, Virginia (FSV 49).
West Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, Missouri (see BSM 155), and
Michigan (BSSM 155-6). The shift from first person to third
person narration is not uncommon in ballads on this theme.

 

'Johnny German.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton "as heard sung by Mrs.
Simpkins, who called it a 'love song.' " How the last two lines of stanza
I and the first line of stanza 4 are to be construed does not appear.

 

OLDER BALLADS — MOSTLY BRITISH 307

1 As I came down to London
I heard this haj^py news.

If I'm the lady unto you
It's you should not refuse.

2 It's of a jolly sailor,
A jolly-hearted lad.

Who met with a comely fair maid
Whose countenance looked so sad.

3 He asked her her reasons,

What made her look so cast down.
She answered him in modesty ;
She neither smiled nor frowned.

4 What for the loss of her true love
'And from me he is gone.

He's left me no love token.
He never more will return.'

5 'Perhaps I saw that same young man
When I was last at sea.

If I'll describe him right to you
You shall answer me.

6 'If T describe him right to you.
And that's the man you know,

You shall promise then to marry me
If he comes no more to you.

7 'He is both brisk and darey,
No courage he don't lack ;
He's comely in his features ;
He never turns his back.

8 'He belongs unto the Rainbow,
The mate of Captain Lowe,
His name is Johnny German.
Is that the man you know?'

9 She jumi)ed and skipi)ed for joy,
Saying, 'Yes, that is the man.
Come, tell me where's he's living
And make no longer stand.'

10 'Cheer up, my pretty Polly,
For very well I do know
That your love, Johnny German,
He died five months ago.'

 

308 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

1 1 Her lily-white hands with sorrow she wrung,
The tears run down her cheeks,

She was filled with grief and sorrow
So much that she could not speak.

12 Then away to her bed-chamber
Lonely she did lie,

With sad lamentations
Wishing herself to die.

13 Oh, then it grieved this young man
To thinV that he had served her so.
He dresses himself in scarlet red
And away to her did go.

14 He dressed in scarlet red
And away to her he came
With a braveso[me?] resolution
[To] comfort her again.

15 'Cheer up, cheer up, my pretty Polly,
And leave all tears behind.

And bid adieu to sorrow
And comfort you shall find.'

16 'Oh, now, my loving Johnny,
What made you serve me so?'
'Oh, Polly, don't you blame me
And I'll do so no more.

17 'I did it to try your constant love.
To see that you would prove true.'

'Yes,' she answered, 'I never saw no turkle dove
That ever receipted you.'^

18 ril bid adieu to the Rainbow,
Since Polly has won my heart.
I'll never more go from her
Till death us do part.

19 She's fairer than the morning star.
Sweeter than any rose

Or any blooming flower
That in the garden grows.

B

'Johnny German.' From Mrs. Julia Grogan of Silverstone, Watauga
county, in August 1922. Essentially the same text as A, yet with suffi-
cient variation to justify printing it here. It well illustrates, taken in
conjunction with A, the vagaries of oral tradition.

'The reading of B, stanza 11, which puts these last two lines in
Johnny's mouth, is probably right.

 

OLDER BALLADS MOSTLY BRITISH 309

1 As I came down from London
This happy news I heard.

I will relate it to you
If you will ask me.

2 'Tis of a jolly sailor,
A jovial-hearted lad,

Both nice and comely featured ;
His countions look^ so sad.

3 'O my pretty fair miss.

What makes you look so sadown ?'^
She answered me in modestee ;
I never smiled nor frowned.^

4 'My true love has inlisted
And to the war has gone,

And has left no love to comfort me
If he never comes back any more.

5 'He sailed his boat to the Rainbow,
He sailed for Captain Roe ;

His name is Johnny German,
And he died five months ago.'*

6 She hung her head in sorrow;
The tears run down her cheeks,
Weeping and sore lamenting,
And scarce a word could speak.

7 She went into her chamber
And there alone did lie.
Weeping and sore lamenting
And wishing herself to die.

8 He dressed his self in stile
And hasten back again
With a jovial resolution
To comfort her again.

9 It's 'Rise you up, pretty Polly,
Xeave all your tears behind ;
Leave all your sore lamenting
And comfort you shall find.'

* Read "countenance looked."

* This looks like a telescoping of "sad" and "cast down."

*As the A text shows, this should be "She neither smiled nor
frowned."

* This speech should be Johnny's, but it seems here to be put in the
mouth of the girl. The quotation marks are the editor's.

 

3IO NORTH. CAROLINA FOLKLORE

10 'Oh, dear loving Johnny German,
How can you treat me so?'

'Oh, hold your tongue, pretty Polly;
I'll serve you so no more.

11 *I just done this to try your love,
To see if you were true.

And there never was a turtle dove
That fair exceded you.

12 'Farewell to the Rainbow ;
Pretty Polly gain"' my heart.
And I never intend to leave her
If death does not us part.

13 'She's truer than a turtle dove,
She is sweeter than a rose ;
She's like some comely flower
Where love and beauty grows.' 
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94
Johnny German

 

i

 

'Johnny German.' Sung by Mrs. Julia Grogan. Recorded as ms score; no
date or place given. Both text and tune, however, though not the singer, are
version A (cf. II 306 ff.). This song also belongs to the number of ballads
which Malcolm Laws, Jr. declares to have been traced to British broadsides.
The version given in SharpK 11 256, No. 181 A combines two of the stanzas of
our version into one.

 

Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aa^bbi (2,2,2,2) = ab
(4,4).