Barney Scarlee- Felton (NC) 1924 Chappell B
[From: Folk-Songs of Roanoke and the Albermarle by Louis W. Chappell, publisher Morgantown, WV 1939.
R. Matteson 2014]
B. [Barney Scarlee] - Sung by Mrs. J. W. Felton, Chapanoke NC 1924)
Come in here, you nice young man,
And stay all night with me;
You may have the beaten, beaten cake[1]
That's prepared this night for you.
I can't come in nor I shan't come in,
I'll tell you the reason why;
I have a lady in my country,
She is waiting for me this night.
She drew a penknife in her hand
And pierced it through his heart;
She called all up her waiting, waiting men,
They came by one, two, three, four.
Some took him by his lily-white hands,
Some took him by his feet,
And plunged him in yonders deep well
Where's forty fathoms deep.
She was sitting out on her porch,
A-playing on her piano;
There came up a pretty little bird
All in the green willow tree.
Come here, come here, you pretty little bird,
And light all on my knee;
I'll give you a cage of glittering gold,
And a lid of white ivory.
I can't come in nor I shan't come in,
I'll tell you the reason why;
I'm afraid you'll 'prive me of my happy little life
Like you did Barney Scarlee.
1. An amusing transfer of the "beaten, beaten cage" found in the end stanzas with the parrot.