Johnny Collins- Eagle (VA) 1937 Wilkinson C
[Bronson from Wilkinson's MS, notebooks 1936-1937 p. 19 (B). I've changed this to version C since this is the third version from Wilkinson provided by Bronson (his No. 40).
As in several version from Appalachia, the mermaid (who appears as a pretty fair maid) in stanza 1 is mistakenly called "fair Ellen."
R. Matteson 2015]
1. Johnny Collins rode out to the 6eld one morning,
When the flowers were all in full bloom;
And what did he spy but his own fair Ellen[1],
A-washing the white marble stone.
2 She screamed, she cried, she raised her voice,
And she threw up her lily-white hands:
Come here, Johnny Collins, my own true love,
I fear my [your] life's at an end. [2]
3. He ran and grabbed around her slender white waist,
And he kissed both cheek and chin.
[Till the stars from heaven come twinkling down] [3]
The place Johnny Collins jumped in.
4. He swam and be swim, he swam and be swim,
Till he came to his own father's door.
O father, dear father, please let me come in,
Just let me come in once more.
5. For if I die this very night,
Which I think in my heart that I will,
Go bear me away by the white marble stone,
At the foot of fair Ellen's green hill.[4]
6. Young Ellen was sitting on her porch next morning,
All dressed in her silk so fine;
But what did she spy but a coffin a-coming,
As far as her eyes could shine.
7 Whose coffin, whose coffin, whose coffin? cried she,
Whose coffin so neat and so fine?
It's young Johnny Collins, a clay cold corpse,
Once was an old true lover of mine.
8 I'll have him landed and opened right here,
If he's landed on Dublin shore;
And kiss his clay cold lips and cheeks,
Which it's often I've kissed before.
9 O bring me a shroud, a snow-white shroud,
And trim it so neat and so fine;
Today it shall wave over Collins's grave
And tomorrow it shall wave over mine.
1. usually "pretty fair maid"- fair Ellen is a corruption and this would be the other woman (the mermaid).
2. Should be "your". This is the mermaid warning Collins his life is coming to an end.
3. This line is supplied from other versions and is standard.
4. The marble stone is the pretty fair maid's (the mermaid's) domain. This is another common corruption in Appalachia.