Hangs-a-man: Hall (KY) 1950 Roberts B
[From "in the Pine" Roberts, 1978. his notes follow. Roberts A is from Sang Branch Settlers by Dave Couch.
R. Matteson 2015]
I have collected tales with similar motifs in Kentucky (South from Hell-for-Sartin, no. 6) titled "The Little Blue Ball" and "The Golden Ball." I classified them as Type 311, Three Sisters Rescued From the Power of an Ogre. Further collecting and study may reveal the nature of story and ballad kinship.
In America the ballad has not yet been recovered north of Maine (BBM, pp. 206-213). It has been collected in Vermont and New York; in most Appalachian states such as West Virginia (FFS, no. l8; WVCS, no. 63);Virginia (TBV, no.27; MTBV, no. 29); North Carolina (SharpK, no. 28, NCF, II, no. 30, 8 texts, IV, 8 tunes); South Carolina (SCB); Tennessee (ETFS, p. 85); Mississippi (SMF, no. l5); Florida, Michigan, Missouri, the Ozarks, Oklahoma, and Texas. In Kentucky it has appeared in BKH, p. I 13; KFR, 1960, 127; SFC,l22; DD, 164, LT, 44; SharpK, no. 28 (2 texts); TSCF, no. 6; and I have ten texts in my collection. Lawless lists 73 in print. This variant was sung for me by Floyd Hall, Pike County, in 1950.
Hangs-a-man: sung by Floyd Hall, Pike County, in 1950.
Slack your rope, hangs-a-man,
Slack it for a while,
I think I see my Father comin',
Ridin' a many a mile.
Oh, Father, have you brought me gold,
Or have you paid my fee,
Or have you come to see me hangin',
On the Gallus tree?
I have not brought you gold,
I have not paid your fee,
But I have come to see you hangin',
On the Gallus tree.
Slack your rope, Hangs-a-man,
Oh, slack it for awhile,
I think I see my mother comin',
Ridin' a many a mile.
Oh, Mother, have you brought me gold,
Or have you paid my fee,
Or have you come to see me hangin',
On the Gallus tree?
I have not brought you gold,
I have not paid your fee,
But I have come to see you hangin',
On the Gallus tree.
Slack your rope, Hangs-a-man,
Oh, slack it for a while,
I think I see my lover comin',
Ridin' a many a mile.
Oh, lover, you have brought me gold,
Or have you paid my fee,
Or have you come to see me hangin',
On the Gallus tree?
I have brought you gold,
And I have paid your fee,
Nor have I come to see you hangin',
On the Gallus tree.
Slack your rope, Hangs-a-man,
Oh, slack it for a while,
I think I see my sister comin',
Ridin' a many a mile.
Oh, sister, you have brought me gold,
Or have you paid my fee,
Or have you come to see me hangin',
On the Gallus tree?
I have not brought you gold,
I have not paid your fee,
But I have come to see you hangin',
On the Gallus tree.
Slack your rope, Hangs-a-man,
Oh, slack it for a while,
I think I see my brother comin',
Riding a many a mile.
Oh, brother, you have brought me gold,
Or have you paid my fee,
Or have you come to see me hangin',
On the Gallus tree?
I have not brought you gold,
I have not paid your fee,
But I have come to see you hangin',
On the Gallus tree.