Jackie Frazier- Jesse H. Gilbert, c.1890
[From Memory Melodies- A Collection of Folk-Songs from Middle Tennessee- McDowells; 1947. This English ballad is known under a variety of names including Jack Monroe, Jackie Frazer, The Wars of Germany. It was sung by Doug Wallin as "Jackaro" (on Wallins1); by George Davis, as "Love of Polly and Jack Monroe" (on GeorgeDavis01); ans by Roscoe Holcomb as "Across the Rocky Mountain" (on MMOK, MMOKCD).
R. Matteson 2014]
JACKIE FRAZIER
1. There was an old rich merchant;
In London he did dwell;
He had but one daughter,
The truth to you I'll tell
Oh, the truth to you I'll tell.
2. She had sweethearts a-plenty,
To court her day and night ;
But only Jackie Frazier
Could gain her heart's delight,
Oh, could gain her heart's delight.
3. The old man called his daughter,
And quickly in she came;
"Good morning, Jackie Frazier,
And that's your sweetheart's name:
Oh, and that's your sweetheart's name.
4. Now, the old man grew angry,
And straightway he did go,
And bargained with some officers
To prove Jackie's overthrow
Oh , to prove Jackie's overthrow.
5. Now Jackie's gone a-sailing
Across the deep blue sea,
And landed into France
And the wars of Germany,
Oh, the wars of Germany.
6 Oh Mary was at liberty
With money at command,
She took a silly notion
To view some foreign Land,
Oh, to view some foreign Land.
7. She stepped down to the sailor's shop
And dressed in man's array
"I'd like to know your name, sir,
Oh , I'd like to know your name."
8. She turned her round and round
And made him this reply,
And with a smiling countenance,
You may call me D. Monroy,
Oh you may call me D. Monroy."
9. Now Mary's gone a-sailing
Across the deep blue sea,
And landed into France
And the wars of Germany,
Oh the wars of Germany.
10 The battle being ended,
She made a circle round ,
Among the dead and dying,
Her darling boy she found ,
Oh, her darling boy she found.
11. She picked him in her arms
And carried him to town,
And called for a physician
To heel his deadly wound,
0h, to heal hi s deadly wound.
12. This couple they got married,
And well they did agree-
This couple they got married,
And why not you and me?
0h, and why not you and me?
Note: The source of this song is exactly identical with House Carpenter: Melody and a few of the words remembered by Mrs. L. L. McDowell from her youth. Sung with same melody and additional words by Mrs. Ella Turner in 1938. Mrs. Turner say a Gilbert girl sang it about 1890. Jesse H. Gilbert, of Smithville, Route 5, a brother of the girl, wrote nearly all the above words from memory.
Mr. Gilbert , who is an old man now says that his grandfather brought the song from Virginia, and that the Gilberts came from England. As written above, the ballad has verses from the three sources named Mr. Gilbert, Mrs. Turner, and Mrs. McDowell.
The words agree in those verses that two or more of the three remember; the only differences being that each remembers one or more verses not recalled by the others.
All agree on the melody as above.