Bolakins- Turbyfill (NC) 1939 REC
[From Anglo-American Ballads, volume two, The Library of Congress, Archive of Folk Culture, Rounder CD 1516; originally released as Recording Laboratory, Library of Congress AFS L7, 1943. Also Beech Mountain Folk-Songs and Ballads, 1933.
This version titled Bolakin (no "s") was collected first in 1933 by my grandfather, Maurice Matteson who has her name as Mrs. Lena Bare Turberfield which is probably the correct spelling. It appears with music in his short book, Beech Mountain Folk-Songs and Ballads.
"Foster" appearing in Stanza 3 is a derivation of "false nurse" or "faulse nourice."
R. Matteson 2012]
Bolakins- As sung by Mrs. Lena Bare Turbyfill at Elk Park, North Carolina, 1939, on Anglo-American Ballads, volume two, The Library of Congress, Archive of Folk Culture, Rounder CD 1516; originally released as Recording Laboratory, Library of Congress AFS L7, 1943
Bolakins was a very fine mason
As ever laid stone
He built a fine castle
And the pay he got none
"Where is the gentleman?
Is he at home?"
"He's gone down to Marion
For to visit his son."
"Where is the lady?
Is she at home?"
"She's upstairs sleeping,"
Said the foster to him.
"How will we get her down
Such a dark night as this?"
"We'll stick her little baby
Full of needles and pins."
They stuck her little baby
Full of needles and pins
The foster she rocked
And Bolakins he sung
While blood and tears
From the cradle did run
Down come our lady
Not thinking any harm
Old Bolakins
He took her in his arms
"Bolakins, Bolakins,
Spare my life one day
I'll give you many marigolds
As my horse can carry away
"Bolakins, Bolakins
Spare my life one hour
I'll give you my daughter Bessie
My own blooming flower."
"You better keep your daughter Bessie
For to run through the flood
And scour a silver basin
For to catch your heart's blood."
Daughter Bessie climbed up
In the window so high
And saw her father
Come riding hard by
"Oh, father, oh, father,
Can you blame me?
Old Bolakins
Has killed your lady.
"Oh, father, oh, father,
Can you blame me?
Old Bolakins
Has killed your baby."
They hung old Bolakins
To the sea-gallows tree
And tied the foster
To the stake of stand-by