George Collins- Shelton (NC) 1916 Sharp A
[My title. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians; 1917 Comprising 122 Songs and Ballads, and 323 Tunes; Collected by Olive Dame Campbell and Cecil J. Sharp. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
Sharp's notes for No. 22. Giles Collins:
Texts without tunes :—Child, No. 85.
Texts with tunes :—Miss Mason's Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs, p. 46. Journal of the Folk-Song Society, III., 299.
In a note (Journal of the Folk-Song Society, IV, 106), Miss Barbara M. Cra'ster argues that this ballad and Clerk Colvill are complementary or, rather, that they are both descended from a more complete form such as that given in Journal of the Folk-Song Society, iii., 299. In the usual form in which Giles Collins is sung (e.g. the versions given in the text), no reason is given for Giles’s death, and this, of course, robs the song of its point. This omission is supplied in the version above cited, but so far has not been found in any other variant.
George Collins (No. 22 Giles Collins) Sharp A
heard George was dead, She wrung her hands and cried.
1. George Collins came home last Friday night,
And there took sick and died;
And when Mrs. Collins heard George was dead,
She wrung her hands and cried.
2 Mary in the hallway, sewing her silk,
She's sewing her silk so fine,
And when she heard that George were dead,
She threw her sewing aside.
3 She followed him up, she followed him down,
She followed him to his grave,
And there all on her bended knee
She wept, she mourned, she prayed.
4 Hush up, dear daughter, don't take it so hard,
There's more pretty boys than George.
There's more pretty boys all standing around,
But none so dear as George.
5 Look away, look away, that lonesome dove
That sails from pine to pine;
It's mourning for its own true love
Just like I mourn for mine.
6 Set down the coffin, lift up the lid,
And give me a comb-so fine,
And let me comb his cold, wavy hair,
For I know he'll never comb mine.
7 Set down the coffin, lift up the lid,
Lay back the sheetings so fine,
And let me kiss his cold, sweet lips,
For I know he'll never kiss mine.