Butcher's Boy- Smith/Combs (KY) 1939 Combs
[From Folk-Songs from the Kentucky Highlands collected by Josiah Combs, 1939. His notes follow. In the 1939 version Combs or someone apparently edited the MS. The original MS copy from the Combs' collection was given by Wilgus in the 1966 edition of Folk-Songs of the Southern United States and appears at the bottom of this page.
The biggest change made in 1939 beside the reordering of stanzas was changing "railroad boy" to "butcher's boy."
R. Matteson 2017]
THE BUTCHER'S BOY (1939 edited)
This is a traditional song, known under various titles in England and in America, such as: There is an Alehouse in Yonder Town, The Brisk Young Lover, Sheffield Park, The Squire's Daughter, etc. This version is from an old MS, entitled, "Song Ballet," and is signed: Bernard B. Smith, and Brax Combs of Spider, Kentucky (Knott County). One of the doughty ballad singers has added these lines:
Around my grave you can build a fence,
To show the world that I had no sense.
1. In London city a lady did dwell;
That butcher's boy she loved so well.
He courted me my life away;
And then with me he would not stay.
2. He'll go right out in some old town;
He'll find some girl and then sit down;
He'll take her up all on his knee,
And tell her things he won't tell me.
3. O when I wore my apron low,
He followed me through frost and snow;
Now I wear it to my chin,
He'll pass right by and won't come in.
4. Can you tell me the reason why?
Because she has more gold than I?
Her gold will melt, her silver will fly,
And then she'll be as poor as I.
5. She went upstairs to fix her bed,
And not one word to her mother said;
Her father came home all from his work,
Crying, "Where, oh, where, is my daughter dear?"
6. Her mother went up the stairway too,
Crying "Daughter, daughter, what troubles you?"
"Mother, O mother, I dare not tell-
That butcher's boy I love so well!"
7. He went upstairs, the door he broke,
He found her hanging by a rope,
He drew his knife and cut her down,
And on her breast these words he found:
8. "Go dig my grave both wide and deep;
Place a marble stone at my head and feet;
Upon my breast place a turtle-dove,
To show the world I died for love.
_____________________
Railroad Boy-- (my title, stanza numbers) unedited except for three spots, from MS signed by Bernard B. Smith, and Brax Combs of Spider, Kentucky as given by Wilgus from original MS. An extra "he would" is found in the last line of stanza 1 and several incorrect spellings remain. Some of the editing in the 1939 version is obvious and should be corrected with footnotes but changing "mama" to "mother" and"'railroad boy" to "butcher's boy" are examples of edits that should never happen.
1. In London city a lady did dwell
that Railroad boy she love so well
he corted me my life away
and with me he would he would not stay.
2. He go out in some old town
find some girl and he sit down
he take her up sit on his knee
and tell her something he wouldent tell me.
3. Can you tell me the reason why[1]
because she was more gold than I
her gold will melt and silver will fly,
then she will be as poor as I.
4. She went up stairs to fix her bed,
not one word had her Mama said
Papa came home all from his work,
crying, Where is my daughter dear.
5. Mama went out the stairway to[o]
crying daughter what troubles you
Mama mama I dare you tell you
that railroad boy I love so well.
6. Papa went up stairs the door he broke
he found her hanging by a rope
he drew his knife and cut her down
Up on her breast these words he found.
7. Go dig my grave both wide and deep
Place marble stone at my head and feet
Up on my breast place a turtle Dove
And to the world that I died for love.
8. When I wore my apron low[2]
he follow me through frost and snow
Now I wear them to my chin,
He'll pass right by and wont come in.
9. Around my grave you can build a fence,
To show the world that I had no sense.
1. lines correctly organized, originally:
Can you tell me the reason why because
she was more gold than I
2. lines correctly organized, originally:
When I wore my apron low he follow
me through frost and snow