Black Jack David- Proffitt (NC) 1939 Brown 4I
[Title wrong, he sings Black Jack Davy. First stanza from Brown Collection; Vol. 4 music. Abrams recorded Proffitt singing with guitar which is a different version from his Folk Legacy version.
Listen: http://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/b64a7ae51ac01dabd590fa29945a0f1b.mp3
It's reported that: "Black Jack Davy," was sung by Frank Warner, who learned it from Frank Proffitt, of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, 1958 (from Elektra EKL-153). However Mrs Warner does not credit profit with the version-- but she may not know the source. A second version titled "Gyps of David," was sung by Frank Proffitt with banjo, of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, 1962; version learned from Aunt Nancy Prather.
The "Gyps of David," sung by Frank Proffitt, 1962, begins:
1. Who's that knockin' on the king's highway,
Singin' so gay and haley,
It's that dark and handsome lad,
Known as the gyps of Davy
Known as the gyps of Davy.
One stanza of Prather's version was given in the Brown Collection Volume 4, the music.
R. Matteson 2015]
I. Black Jack David.' Sung by Frank Proffitt. Recorded at Sugar Grove, Watauga county, July 24, 1939. See note to 30A.
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aba1cc1 (2,2,2,2,2) = ab (4,6) ; the second phrase is internally incremented.
1 Black Jack David coming through the woods,
All so gay and merry.
Made the green grass around him stood[1]
And charmed the heart of a lady,
Charmed the heart of a lady.
2 'How old are you, my sweet little miss?[2]
How old are you, my honey?'
She answered him with a 'tee hee hee!
I will be sixteen on Sunday.
I'll be sixteen on Sunday.
3 'Come go with me, my pretty little miss,
Come go with me, my honey;
I'll take you across the deep blue sea
Where you never shall want for money.'
Never shall want for money.
5 So saddle me up my milk-white steed,
And saddle my up my Daisy
I'll ride all day and I'll ride all night
Till I overtake my lady
Overtake my lady
6 Rode till he got to the riverside
The sea was dark and muddy
. . .
Beside of Black Jack Davy
Side of Black Jack Davy
7 "Do you forsaken your house and land?
Do you forsaken your baby?
Do you forsaken your husband dear
To go with the Black Jack Davy.
Go with the Black Jack Davy?"
8 "I'll forsaken my house and land,
I'll forsaken my baby?
I'll forsaken your husband dear
To go with the Black Jack Davy.
Go with the Black Jack Davy?"
9 Last night I was slept in my own feather bed
Beside my husband and baby;
Tonight I'll sleep on the cold, cold ground,
In the arms[3] of Black Jack Davy
In the arms of Black Jack Davy
10 . . .
. . . shady
. . .
I'll take to to my lady,
Take to to my lady.
1. usually it's sing, Proffitt sings, "stood,"
2. The recording skips on stanzas 2 and 3, I've added the standard stanzas from Brown A
3. this line unclear