Butcher's Boy- Garrett/Norah Arwood (NC) 1983 Yates
[From: Far in the Mountains: Volumes 3 & 4 of Mike Yates' 1979-83 Appalachian Collection. His notes follow. Yates' notes at the end are the usual incorrect attributions from the early 1900s.
R. Matteson 2017]
Garrett/Norah Arwood
I first came across Garrett's name as a fiddle maker in volume 4 of the Foxfire books (Anchor Press, New York. 1977. pp.116-122). Garrett and Norah, who was a fine quilt maker, lived at the head of Pigeon Roost in Mitchell County, NC, far back in the mountains. It had rained heavily for most of the day when I recorded them, but as in all good story books, the sun came out when Garrett began to play (honest!) and their haunting music just rang out across the mountains.
12. The Butcher's Boy (Laws P24, Roud 409) - (Sung and played on the fiddle by Garrett & Norah Arwood at their home in Pigeon Roost, Mitchell County, NC. 21.5.83)
In London city where I did dwell,
The butcher's boy I loved so well.
He courted me my life away
And with me then he would not stay.
There is a strange house in this town,
Where he goes up and sets right down.
He takes another girl on his knee.
He tells her thing he once told me.
I'll have to grieve, I'll tell you why.
Because she has more gold than I.
Her gold will melt and silver fly,
In time of need be as poor as I.
She went upstairs to go to bed,
And nothing to her mother said.
Her momma did seem to say,
'What is the trouble my daughter dear?'
When her father first came home,
'Where is my daughter? Where has she gone?'
He went upstairs, the door he broke.
He found her hanging to a rope.
He took his knife and cut her down,
And in her bosom these words he found.
'A silly girl I am you know,
To hang myself for the butcher's boy.
Must I go bound while he goes free?
Must I love a boy that don't love me?
Alas, alas, it'll never be,
Till oranges grow on apple trees.'
The Butcher's Boy appears to be derived from at least three separate British broadsides, namely Sheffield Park, The Squire's Daughter (also known as The Cruel Father or The Deceived Maid) and A Brisk Young Sailor, which is also sometimes called There is an Alehouse in Yonder Town. Frank Hinchliffe sings a version of Sheffield Park on the Musical Traditions double CD Up in the North and Down in the South (MTCD 311-2), while Jasper Smith can be heard singing a version of A Brisk Young Sailor (titled Died for Love) on the CD Hidden English (Topic TSCD 600). Possibly the only other examples of The Butcher Boy on CD are that by Kelly Harrell of Virginia (Document DOCD 8026) and that from the Virgin Islands by Melcina Smith and Elias Fazer (Root & Branch 1).