Bonnie Johnnie Campbell- Miller (WV) c.1924 Combs

Bonnie Johnnie Campbell- Miller (WV) c.1924 Combs A

[Two versions appear in the Combs collection and were published in his, Folk-Songs of the Southern United States in 1925. As pointed out before (See: Comb's version of Rantin Laddie for example) some of the versions from WV are suspect especially those collected by Carey Woofter, Comb's student collector at West Virginia University. Since no collector was mentioned, this version could be a rewrite- we just don't know.

The first stanza, however, is suspect.

R. Matteson 2013, 2016]


A. "Bonnie Johnnie Campbell"- Lloyd Miller (Letter Gap, WV) c.1924 Combs

High on mountains and down in the cove,
Bonnie Johnny Campbell day after day did rove.

Saddled and bridled, and daring rode he
Home came horse and saddle but never home came he.

Down came his three sisters moaning so sore,
And down came his sweet wife pulling her hair.

My house is not shingled, my barn is not raised.
My crops are not gathered and my babe has not come.