Gyps of Davy- York (NC) 1939 Abrams/Brown G
[My title. Clearly it should be titled "Gypsy Davy" (from recording) but I'm leaving it as printed. From Brown Collection of NC Folklore; Vol. 2, 1952. Their notes follow.
James York and his wife both sang ballads for Abrams to record in 1929 and 1940. They collected versions as well as knew versions- the source of this version is unknown. It was sung by Mrs. York and a recording was made which, for some unknown reason, was titled "Black Jack Davy." The MP3 listing says, "Mrs. James York performs three variants of 'Back [sic] Jack Davy,' known to her as 'Gypsy Davy.' "
Listen: http://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/d1bdf63891f35bdd180fa6080187eaba.mp3
R. Matteson 2015]
37. The Gypsy Laddie (Child 200)
Still widely known and sung; see BSM 73-4, and add to the citations there given Massachusetts (FSONE 207-9), Tennessee (SFLQ XI 130-1), North Carolina (FSRA 2)7, one stanza only), Florida (SFLQ viii 156), Arkansas (OFS I 152-3, 155-60), Missouri (OFS I 155-9), Ohio (BSO 67-9), Indiana (BSI 134), and Kittredge's bibliographical note JAFL xxx 323. Texts from the Southern states are likely to include, rather incongruously, stanzas from the wooing song 'Where are you Going, my Pretty Maid?' So in Tennessee (FSSH iii), Mississippi (FSM 118-19), and North Carolina (SCSM 218 and versions A B D E G below).Gyps of Davy- York (NC) 1939 Abrams/Brown G
G. ['Gysp of Davy'] 'How Old are You, my Pretty Little Miss?' Contributed by James York of Iredell county in August 1939. Exceptional in that it is throughout in the first person; sometimes unannounced dialogue, sometimes first person narrative. [sung by his wife on the recording]
1 'How old are you, my pretty little miss?
How old are you, my honey?'
'I'll answer you in the modest way :
I'll be sixteen next Sunday
Rataling a do a do a do
Rataling a do a do a do
2 'Will you marry me, my pretty little miss?
Will you marry me, my honey?'
I'll answer you in the modest way:
If it wasn't for my dinged old mammy.'
3 'Go saddle up the iron gray horse,
For the black is not so speedy.
I'll ride all day and I'll ride all night
Till I overtake my lady.'
4 I rode on down to the old man's house
Inquiring of my lady.
The only reply he made to me,
'She's followed the Gyps of Davy.'[1]
5 I rode on down the wide water side,
Where it was deep and muddy.
The tears came trinkling down my cheeks,
For there I beheld my lady.
6 'Will you forsake your house and lands,
Will you forsake your baby.
Will you forsake your old Will and all [2]
And follow the Gyps of Davy?'
7 'Yes, I'll forsake my house and lands.
And I'll forsake my baby,
And I'll forsake my old Will and all
And follow the Gyps of Davy.'
[8. The last night in a warm feather bed,[3]
The next night in another.
The next night in a cold bed of clay,
With the soldiers all around her
1. sings "Gypsy Davy" throughout
2. recording has "your own true love"
3. this stanza, though not well remembered, was on recording]
_____________________________
G. 'How Old Are You, My Pretty Little Miss?' Sung by Mrs. James York. Recorded in Iredell county in August i939- There is a general melodic resemblance with 37C. Measures 7-8 are identical with those of 'What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?' as sung by T. F. Leary in this collection; cf. V.
For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK i 234, No. 33B, measures 1-8 for basic melodic tendency only. Scale : Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aa1a2bcc1 (2,2,2,2,2,2) = abc (4,4,4). Circular Tune (V).