Boab King- Harmon (TN) 1928 Henry
[More Songs from the Southern Highlands by Mellinger E. Henry; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 44, No. 171 (Jan. - Mar., 1931), pp. 61-115. His notes follow.
Although there are some differences this is probably the Hicks/Harmon version from Watauga County, NC in the 1800s. See Jasne Hicks Gentry (Sharp A); Frank Proffitt (Nathna Hicks son-in-law) and Rena Hicks (also Nathan and Rena's recording for LOC).
R. Matteson 2015]
LAMKIN
(Child, No. 91)
When Tolman printed his version in Journal, XXIX, 162, he wrote: "It is the only full American version that I know of." Now we have three full versions in Davis, No. 26, and one with ihe air in Barry-Eckstorm-Smyth, p. 200. The present version with some interpretative comments was first printed in the New Jersey Journal ojEducation, September, 1929, p. 9. It was reprinted in the Journal, XLIV, 61. See also Campbell and Sharp, No. 23; Journal, XIII, 117 (Newell); XXXV, 344 (Tolman and Eddy, a fragment with the air); Brown, p. 9; Jones, p. 301 (a fragment). Mrs. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm suggests that '"Boab King' must be 'Bold Lamkin'." "I think," she continues, "the 'a' in Boab is not pronounced but merely lengthens the 'o'. In that case they probably at some time said 'Bo'd Lamkin', then 'Bo'd Lamking' and in time dropped the 'lam' and got the 'Bo'd King'. As^> and b are labials and d, dental, and all are interchangeable, it made no difference whether they said 'Bo'd' or 'Bo'b.'" Then she extends her comment: "'Miss Fartner' is a little different. 'R' is an uncertain letter in both New England and the South; sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't; so I suggest that this might be pronounced 'Fawtner', not rolling the V. If so, I can get it nicely. It stands for 'faulse nurse' or 'fawlse nourice' and by dropping the ends of the words we get 'fawl(se) nour(ice)'. But you will observe that our word 'false' has a touch of a 't' in it — 'faltse', as we often pronounce it. Add this and you have 'fawlt(se) nour(ice)' which is 'Fawltner', or as written, 'Fartner'. The 'Miss' is added because they do not speak of a lady by her last name!"
"Boab King." Obtained from Miss Laura Harmon, Cade's Cove, Blount County, Tennessee, 1928.
1. LAMKIN (Child, No. 93)
"Boab King". Obtained from Miss Laura Harmon, Cade's Cove, Blount County, Tennessee, 1928. See Campbell and Sharp, p. 104; Albert H. Tolman. Journal, XXIX, 162 and XXXV, 344, who writes of the former: "It is the only full American version that I know of." See also Journal, XIII, 117; New Jersey Journal of Education, September, 1929, p. 9.
1. Boab King was a mason
As fine as ever laid a stone.
He built a fine castle
And pay he got none.
2. The land-lord said to his lady,
"Beware of Boab King,
If he comes here today"
. . . .
3. "What care I for Boab King?
What care I for him ?
My doors are all locked,
And my windows barred within."
4. Boab King came one day
While the land-lord was gone
Saying, "Where is the land-lord?
Where is he today ?"
"He is gone to New England
To buy a gold ring."
5. "Where is the land-lord's lady?
Where is she, I say ?"
"She is upstairs in her castle
Resting today."
6. "Where is her daughter, Betsy?
Where is she today?"
"She is up-stairs
A-sleeping today."
7. Boab King said to Miss Fartner,
"How will we fix to get this lady down?"
"We will stick her little baby
Full of needles and pins."
8. Boab King rocked the cradle;
Miss Fartner she [did] sing
Till the blood ran out of the cradle
And the tears did spin [spill].
9. This lady came tripping downstairs,
A-thinking no harm.
Boab King was a-standing
And he caught her in his arms.
10. "Boab King, Boab King,
Please spare me one hour,
Till I go to my baby,
So mournful it cries."
11. "What care I for your baby?
What care I for it?
I have got the land-lord's lady,
My whole heart's delight."
12. "You can have my daughter, Betsy,
You can have her today;
And as many gold dollars
As your horse can carry away."
13. "You may keep your daughter, Betsy;
You can keep her, I say,
To wash up your basin
Where your heart's blood do lay."
14. "Lie still, my daughter, Betsy,
Wherever you be
Till you see your papa
Come sailing on the sea."
15. "O father, you ought not to lay this blame on me.
Boab King killed your lady and baby."
Boab King was hung in a tree so high
And Miss Fartner was burned to a stake close by.