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Old Shawnee/On the Banks of the Old Peedee/Banks of the Ohio/On The Banks of the Ohio
Traditional Old-Time & Bluegrass Song; Widely Known
Banks of The Ohio- painting by Richard Matteson C 2009
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Bluegrass Songs
ARTIST: from Louise Pound's 1922 book, "American Ballads and Songs." Two versions collected in 1915 and 1916.
DATE: Late 1800’s. Collected circa 1915, appears in Louise Pound's 1922 book, "American Ballads and Songs." Two texts: Old Shawnee; On the Banks of the Old Peedee; Recorded in 1928 by Red Patterson's Piedmont Log Rollers
OTHER NAMES: "Old Shawnee;" "On the Banks of the Old Peedee;" "Wedding Day;" "On the Banks of the Ohio(Monroe Brothers);" "Down on the Banks of the Ohio (Blue Sky Boys);" "I'll Never be Yours (Whitter and Grayson);"
RECORDING INFO: Banks of the Ohio [Laws F 5/Me I-B 64]
Rt - Knoxville Girl
At - On the Banks of the Old Bayou; On the Banks of the River Dee
Rm - Sweet Song From Yesterday
Pound, Louise (ed.) / American Ballads and Songs, Scribner, Sof (1972/1922), p108/# 45A [1915ca] (Old Shawnee)
Laws, G. Malcolm / Native American Balladry, Amer. Folklore Society, Bk (1964/1950), p194 (On the Banks of the Ohio)
Dunson, Josh; & Ethel Raim (eds) / Anthology of American Folk Music, Oak, Sof (1973), p110 (Down on the Banks of the Ohio)
Traum, Happy (ed.) / Flat-Pick Country Guitar, Oak, Sof (1973), p 20
Snyder, Jerry (arr.) / Golden Guitar Folk Sing Book, Hansen, Fol (1972), p 19
Wernick, Peter (ed.) / Bluegrass Songbook, Oak, Sof (1976), p 26b
Leisy, James / Songs for Pickin' and Singin', Gold Medal Books, sof (1962), p 40
Lynn, Frank (ed.) / Songs for Swinging Housemothers, Fearon, Sof (1963/1961), p169
Best, Dick & Beth (eds.) / New Song Fest Deluxe, Hansen, Sof (1971/1948), p 48
Visconti, Carl (ed.) / Paint Creek Folklore Society Song Tune Book, Paint Creek, Sof (1986), p 2
Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof (1959), 1, p62
Miller Jr., E. John; & Michael Cromie / Folk Guitar, Quadrangle, Bk (1968), p 58
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p 99
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Folk Song Abecedary, Bonanza, Bk (1966), p 20
Abe and Malka. Mandelblatt, Abe & Malka A. / 100 Guitar Accompanyments, Amsco, Sof (1974), p176
Armstrong Twins. Just Country Boys, Arhoolie 5022, LP (1981/1979), trk# 13 (On the Banks of the Ohio)
Baez, Joan. Joan Baez, Volume 2, Vanguard VSD 2097, LP (1961), trk# 8
Baez, Joan. Folksingers 'Round Harvard Square, Veritas, LP (1959), trk# A.01 (On the Banks of the Ohio)
Baez, Joan. Siegmeister, Elie (arr.) / Joan Baez Song Book, Ryerson Music, Sof (1971/1964), p102
Bailey, Mike. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1983/10,p14
Ball, George. Ball, George / Baxter's Flat-picking Manual, Amsco, Sof (1967), p41
Blue Sky Boys. Original and Great: Early Authentic Country Recordings, Camden CAL 797, LP (1964), trk# 2 [1936/06/16] (Down on the Banks of the Ohio)
Blue Sky Boys. Bluegrass Mountain Music, Camden ADL-2-0726, LP (1974), trk# 2 [1936/06/16] (Down on the Banks of the Ohio)
Blue Sky Boys. Anthology of American Folk Music, Vol 4, Revenant RVN 211, CD (2004), trk# 1.04 [1936/06/16] (Down on the Banks of the Ohio)
Blue Sky Boys. Blue Sky Boys / Sunny Side of Life, Rounder 1006, LP (1973), trk# A.07 [1936/06/16] (Down on the Banks of the Ohio)
Boswell, Lillian Gear. Pound, Louise (ed.) / American Ballads and Songs, Scribner, Sof (1972/1922), p109/# 45B [1915] (On the Banks of the Old Pedee)
Brown, Mason; and Chipper Thompson. Am I Born to Die. An Appalachian Songbook, Dorian Dor 83217, CD (1999), trk# 7
Clayton, Paul. Bloody Ballads, Riverside RLP 12-615, LP (1956), trk# A.02
Cohen, David. How to Play Folk Guitar, Kicking Mule KM 119, LP (1976), trk# A.04
Country Gentlemen. Country Gentlemen, Rebel RLP 1478, LP (1966), trk# 4
Crowe, J. D.; and the New South. New South Live, Trio PA 6326, LP (1975), trk# A.05
Davis, Bill. Sounds of the Smokies, Old Traditions BWD 51471, LP (1971), trk# A.03
Davis, Janet. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1978/01,p16
Freeman, Arlie. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume II, Songs of the South and ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p137/#160B [1941/12/10] (I'll Never Be Yours)
Good Time Singers. Good Time Singers, Capitol T 2041, LP (1964), trk# A.04
Grayson and Whitter. Old Time Ballads from the Southern Mountains, County 522, LP (1971), trk# 9 [1927/10/10]
Guard, Dave; & the Whiskeyhill Singers. Dave Guard and the Whiskeyhill Singers, Capitol T 1728, LP (1962), trk# A.01
Hart, Mrs. Jenks. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p336/#180A [1934-39] (Wedding Day)
Hill, Dudley; and Mark O'Connor. Tenino Old Time Music Festival. 1973-74, Voyager VRLP 313-S, LP (1974), trk# 13
Hinsley, Dean; and Tommy Simmons. Music of the Ozarks, National Geographic Soc. 0703, LP (1972), trk# 5
Hodges Brothers. Watermellon Hangin' on the Vine, Arhoolie 5001, LP (1971), trk# 5 [1960-61] (On the Banks of the Ohio)
Jones, Clayton. Traditional Autoharp, Sunny Mountain EB 1006, LP (197?), trk# A.03
Kossoy Sisters. Bowling Green and Other Folksongs from the Southern Mountains, Tradition TLP 1018, LP (1956), trk# 6
Kossoy Sisters. Banjo Music of the Southern Appalachians, Olympic OL-6173, LP (197?), trk# B.02
Lunsford, Bascom Lamar. Smokey Mountain Ballads, Folkways FP 40/2040, LP (1953), trk# 5 (On the Banks of the Ohio)
McCarty, Gladys. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume II, Songs of the South and ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p138/#160C [1941/10/24]
McCurdy, Ed. Blood, Booze 'n Bones, Elektra EKL 108, LP (1956), trk# B.02
McDowell, Louise. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume II, Songs of the South and ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p137/#160A [1941/08/18]
Monroe Brothers. Feast Here Tonight, Bluebird AXM2-5510, LP (1975), trk# 11 [1936/06/21] (On the Banks of the Ohio)
Monroe Brothers. Bluegrass Bonanza., Properbox 29, CD (2001), trk# 2.02 [1936/06/21] (On the Banks of the Pamanaw)
Monroe, Bill; and Doc Watson. Bill and Doc, Sonyatone FEN-210, LP (197?), trk# 8
Neumann, Fred W.. Pickin' Magazine, Pickin' Magazine, Ser, 1979/07,p41
New Lost City Ramblers. Cohen, John, Mike Seeger & Hally Wood / Old Time String Band Songbook, Oak, Sof (1976/1964), p138
New Lost City Ramblers. New Lost City Ramblers, Vol. 2, Folkways FA 2397, LP (1960), trk# B.04
New Lost City Ramblers. Asch, Moses (ed.) / 124 Folk Songs as Sung and Recorded on Folkways Reco, Robbins, Fol (1965), p 16
Reid, Harvey. Chestnuts, Woodpecker WP 109, Cas (1994), trk# A.08
Rice, Tony. Tony Rice, Rounder 0085, LP (1976), trk# A.01
Schilling, Jean. Old Traditions, Traditional JS-5117, LP (1974/1967), trk# A.06
Seeger, Pete. American Favorite Ballads. Volume 4. Tunes and Songs, Folkways FA 2323, LP (1963), trk# A.01
Simmons Family. Stone County Dulcimer, Dancing Doll DLP 112, LP (197?), trk# 2.02
Stoneman, Ernest V. ("Pop"). Ernest V. Stoneman, Vol.1, Old Homestead OHCS 172, LP (1986), trk# A.06 [1928/04/25]
Stoneman, Ernest V. ("Pop"). Edison Recordings - 1928, County CD 3510, CD (1996), trk# 10 [1928/04/25] (Down on the Banks of the Ohio)
Tarleton, Jimmie (Jimmy). Steel Guitar Rag, Testament T-3302, LP (1967), trk# A.02 [1963/12/03]
Taussig, Harry. Taussig, Harry / Folk-Style Guitar, Oak, Sof (1973), p 38
Taussig, Harry. Taussig, Harry / Teach Yourself Guitar, Oak, Sof (1971), p 51
Taussig, Harry. Taussig, Harry / Folk Style Autoharp, Oak, Sof (1967), p 38
Tottle, Jack. Tottle, Jack / Bluegrass Mandolin, Oak, Sof (1975), p 44
Vass, Ruby. Southern Journey. Vol. 2: Ballads and Breakdowns, Rounder 1702, CD (1997), trk# 12 [1959/08/28]
Watson, Doc. Doc Watson on Stage, Vanguard VSD 9/10, LP (1970), trk# 17
Wernick, Pete/Peter. Wernick, Peter (ed.) / Bluegrass Banjo, Oak, Sof (1974), p 76
Yarbrough, Glenn. Come and Sit by My Side, Tradition TLP 1019, LP (196?), trk# B.03
SOURCES: Lyrics from Pound; Mudcat Discussion Forum; Folk Index
NOTES: The first published versions of the lyrics appear in Louise Pound's 1922 book, "American Ballads and Songs." The two lyrics versions were collected in 1915 (On the Banks of the Old Peedee) and 1916 (Old Shawnee).
The traditional murder ballad was first recorded in 1927 by Red Patterson's Piedmont Log Rollers followed by Whitter and Grayson's "I'll Never be Yours" the next year.
The ballad probably dates to the late 1800s and resembles other regional murder ballads like the Knoxville Girl. The girl rejects her lover and refuses to marry him so he kills her by pulling a knife and throwing her in the water where she drowns.
G. Malcolm Laws, Jr. says, "The history of this piece has not been traced, but its similarity to certain English broadsides has been pointed out." (Native American Balladry, rev. ed., 1964, #F5).
According to notes in The New Lost City Ramblers Song Book (retitled later as The Old-Time String Band Songbook), "This is one of the unsolved mysteries of American folksong. Although it is compared to 'Omie Wise,' there are no actual records of this specific crime anywhere in England or in the United States. It is mentioned in a few collections (Randolph, and Henry) who report an early version from a 1916 manuscript from the Southern highlands and another from Wyoming ('The Old Peedee'). The best conjecture has this song composed from fragments of other songs, and then passed on old records (Piedmont Log Rollers, Clarence Green, Grayson and Whitter) and has become one of the most popular 'city' folk songs."
45 (A) THE OLD SHAWNEE from Louise Pound's 1922 book, "American Ballads and Songs." Text from a manuscript book in the possession of L. C. Wimberly, 1916.
I ask my love to take a walk,
To take a walk a little way;
And as we walk we'll sweetly talk
Of when shall be the wedding day.
Then only say that you'll be mine,
And your home shall happy be,
Where the silent waters roll,
On the banks of the old Shawnee.
She said, "To that I'll ne'er consent,"
And he says, "Your life I'll take."
"My life you'll take instead of me,
For I ne'er shall give away."
He drew a knife across her breast,
And in anger she did cry,
"O Willie dear, don't murder me,
For I am not fit to die."
He took her by her long black hair,
And he threw her on the ground,
And drew her to the river side,
And left her alone to die
45 B) ON THE BANKS OF THE OLD PEDEE from Louise Pound's 1922 book, "American Ballads and Songs." The same song, as A obtained from Lillian Gear Boswell at Junction, Wyoming, 1915.
I asked my love to take a walk,
And a walk she took with me.
As we walked I gently talked
Of when our wedding day would be.
Then she said she'd never be mine,
And her home would never be
Where the bright waters flow
On the banks of the old Pedee.
From my breast I drew a knife,
And she gave a shrilling cry,
"O Willie dear, don't murder me,
For I am not prepared to die."
Then I took her lily white hands
And swung her round and again around,
Until she fell in the waters cruel
And there I watched my true love drown.
"O father dear, I've done a deed,
And a deed it is to me,
To have drowned my own true love
on the banks of the old Pedee."
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