George Collins- Ella Lester (VA) 1913 Davis F
[From Traditional Ballads of Virginia, 1929, Kyle Davis Jr. His notes follow. It seems there is no relationship between Miss Lester and Davis B's Mrs. Lester.
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.
F. "George Collins." Reported by Professor James M. Grainger. Contributed by Miss Ella Lester of the Farmville Ballad Club. Patrick County, April, 1913. Miss Lester Writes: I came from Patrick County. I first heard it in the public school when all the girls sang it for pure love or singing. None of us had any idea where it originated." Printed in the Focus, April, 1913.
1 George Collins rode home one cold winter night,
George Collins rode home so fine;
George €Collins rode home one cold winter night,
And was takened sick and died.
2 His maid was sitting in yonders room,
A-sewing on her silks so fine,
And when she heard George Collins was dead,
She laid her silks aside.
3 She followed him up, she followed him down,
She followed him to his grave;
And down upon her bended knees,
She wept, she mourned, she prayed.
4 "Set down the coffin, take off the lid,
Lay back the linen so fine;
For I want to kiss his cold, white lips,
For I'm sure they'll never kiss mine."
5 "O daughter, dear daughter, what makes you weep so?
There are more young men than George."
"O mother, dear mother, he has won my heart;
And now he is dead and gone.
6 "O don't you see that turtle dove
A-sitting on yonders pine,
He's mourning for his own true love,
Just like I mourn for mine."