George Collins- Wilson (TN) 1931 Anderson A
[From Geneva Anderson. "A Collection of ballads and songs from East Tennessee," Master's thesis, University of North Carolina, 1932.
R. Matteson 2015]
A. George Collins - Sung by Miss Ardith Wilson of Newport, Cooke County, TN 1931
George Collins rode of one cold winter night,
George Collins of so bright,
George Collins rode of one cold winter night,
And he took sick and died.
Thelma Ray in yonder window,
Sewing her silk so fine,
But when she heard that George was dead,
She laid her silk aside.
She followed him up, she followed him down,
She followed him to his grave.
And then, she fell upon her knees,
She wept, she mourned, she prayed.
"Lay down the coffin, screw off the lid,
Lay back the linen so fine
I want to kiss his dear pale lips
For I am sure they will never kiss mine."
"O daughter, dear daughter, what makes you weep so?
There are more young men than George."
"Oh mother, dear mother George won my heart,
And now he is dead and gone."
Don't you see that lonesome dove
A-flying from pine to pine
A-weeping for its true love
Why can't I weep for mine?