George Collins- Osborne (VA) pre-1936 Scarborough A
[From: A Song Catcher, Scarborough, 1937. All versions are pre-1936 when Scarborough died. Bronson usually give a date of 1931, without documentation.
This is nearly identical to some of the NC versions (Hicks, Proffitt; Presnell) from Beech Mountain.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
George Collins- Paul Osborne (Hoot Oak Hollow, Drill, VA) pre-1936 Scarborough A
George Collins drove home one cold winter night,
George Collins drove home so fine,
George Collins drove home one cold winter night,
And taken sick and died.
Miss May was a-sitting in yonders room,
Sewing her silks so fine,
But when she heard poor George was dead,
She laid her silks aside.
She followed him up, she followed him down
She followed him to his grave.
And down on low on bended knees,
She weeped, and she moaned and she prayed.
Sit down the coffin, screw off thw lid,
Lay back the linen so fine,
For I want to kiss his pale cold lips
For I'm sure he'll never kiss mine.
"Oh daughter, oh daughter what makes you weep so,
There are more boys than one?"
"Oh mother, George has one my heart,
And now he's dead and gone.
See that lonesome dove a-flying,
Flying from pine to pine;
Weeping for its own true love
Just like I weep for mine.