High Gallow's Tree- Stockton (TN) 1916 Sharp A
[My title. From: English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians 1917; Collected by Olive Dame Campbell and Cecil J. Sharp; Edited Karpeles 1932, edition. His notes follow.
The stealing or losing the silver/golden cup or golden ball is featured in some versions, showing motive for the hanging. This is nearly identical to Sharp B and Cox Version G; "By a Lover Saved," which was communicated by Mr. Harold Staats, Ripley, Jackson County, WV in 1921, who writes: "This song was told, or rather sung, to me by some person living on Tug Fork. It is claimed that this song was brought to this country by Captain William Parsons, one of the early settlers. According to legends it was at one time a popular folk song in the British Isles."
1 "Hold up your hands, O Joshua," she cried,
"Wait a little while and see;
I think I hear my own father dear,
Come rambling over the sea."
Clearly the first line was at one time: "Hold up your hands, O Judges," etc.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
Notes: No. 24. The Maid Freed from the Gallows.
Texts without tunes:—Child, No. 95.
Texts with tunes:—English County Songs, p. 112. Folk Songs from Somerset, No. 121.
Journal of the Folk-Song Society, v., 228. American variants:—American Journal of Folk-Lore, xxi., 56; xxvi., 175. Musical
Quarterly, January, 1916, pp. 10 and 11 (without tunes). Wyman and Brockway's
Lonesome Tunes, p. 44.
High Gallow's Tree (My title)- Stockton (TN) 1916 Sharp A
1 "Hold up your hands, and Joshua," he cries,
"And wait a little while and see;
I think I hear my own father dear,
Come rambling for to see."
2 O father, O father, have you got any gold for me?
Or silver to pay my fee?
They say I've stoled a silver cup
And hanged I must be.
3 No, daughter, I have got no gold for thee,
Nor silver to pay your fee ;
But I've come here to see you hang
On yon high gallows tree.
In subsequent verses, "mother," "brother" " sister" and finally "true love" are substituted for "father."
The last verse runs thus: —
Yes, true love, I have gold for you
And silver to pay your fee.
I've come here to win your neck
From yon high gallows tree.