George Collins- Arthur (VA) 1914 Davis C
[From Traditional Ballads of Virginia, 1929, Kyle Davis Jr. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
LADY ALICE
(Child, No. 85)
The eighteen items belonging to this ballad in the Virginia collection may be quite adequately represented by the eight here given since the most widespread version of the song represented by C, D, E, F, and G shows an unusual constant and standard text, and there is no need of reprinting the identity or near-identity. The eighteen variants belong to two quite distinct versions, both of which differ widely from any Child version. One version, represented by A and B and known as "John Collins" or "Johnny Collins," has been found in only one county of the state, Highland. The other version, represented by all the other variants and known as " George Collins," "Giles Colin," " George Collin," or " George Collie," is quite widely known and sung. Some exceptionally fine melodies are the four which belong to the more popular version (see C, D, and E). The editor can personally testify to the special effectiveness of the second melody to D, as it is sung in the Blue Ridge mountains. The air is poignant and dirge-like, conforming to the mournful quality of the story, not mitigating it as the lilting air of this ballad's counterpart, "Lord Lovel," mitigates the-tragedy of that ballad. Reed Smith reports the ballad from a young man who frequently heard it sung in the Dismal swamp region of Virginia." It would be appropriate to that region! The other air given with B, clearly belongs to a different version. The appendix shows that this ballad, like "Lord Lovel," is easily parodied.
C. "George Collins." collected by Miss Juliet Fauntleroy. Sung by Mrs. Lit Arthur (nee Tavlor), of Altavista, Va. Campbell County. March 14, 1914. With music. Miss Fauntleroy describes this as "the version most frequently met with in this neighborhood" (Campbell County). Note that it differs from most of the other variants in reversing the order of stanzas 4 and 5, and in having an additional stanza (7) which appears in only one other variant. Miss Alma Wilkinson reports the ballad sung almost identically by school-children in Carroll County, except that " Miss Mary" has become "Lady May."
1 George Collins rode home one cold winter night,
George Collins rode home so fine,
George Collins rode home one cold winter night,
Was taken sick and died.
2 See Miss Mary in yonders hall,
Sewing her silk so fine;
When she heard that George had died,
She laid her silk aside.
3 She followed him up, she followed him down,
She followed him to his grave,
She fell upon her bending knees,
She wept, she mourned, she prayed.
4 "Set down the coffin, screw off the lid,
Turn back the linen so fine;
I want to kiss his cold, pale cheeks,
For I know he will never kiss mine."
5 "Daughter, dear daughter, what makes you weep so?
There's more young men than George,"
"Oh mother, dear mother, George won my heart,
And now he's dead and gone.
6 "Don't you see that lonesome little dove,
Sitting on yonders pine,
Mourning for its own true love,
Why can't I mourn for mine?
7 "The happiest hours I ever spent
Were by George Collins' side.
The saddest news I ever heard
Was when George Collins died."