Lamkins- Pratt (KY) 1917 Sharp E
[My title. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians; collected by Cecil J. Sharp and Olive Dame Campbell; Edited by Maud Karpeles; 1932, Volume I. Notes from 1932 edition follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
No. 27. Lamkin.
Texts without tunes:—Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads y No. 93. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xiii. 117; xxix. 162.
Texts with tunes :—Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, i. 61. E. M. Leather's Folk-Lore of Herefordshire, p. 199. Journal of the Folk-Song Society, i. 212 ; ii. 111; p. 81. Gavin Greig's Last Leaves, No. 34. Folk-Songs of England, iv, p. 38 (also published in English Folk Songs, Selected Edition, ii. 24, and One Hundred English Folk-Songs, p. 62). Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxxv. 344. British Ballads from Maine, p. 200. Davis's Traditional Ballads of Virginia, pp. 354 and 583.
Sharp diary 1917 page 273. Saturday 22 September 1917 - Hindman
Maud and I and Miss Watts — one of the staff who was at Knoxville — go to Mrs Lucindy Pratt and we got some excellent songs. After dinner I rest and then have tea with Miss Watts and Miss Cobb. Begin to write up my books which are sadly behind hand as we have taken down between 50 and 60 songs in the last 2 or 3 days — pretty well a record! My cold is very bad and I am glad there is not much to do to-day. Jason Ritchie was to have come over but they couldn’t get hold of him — also Wylie Parkes. There is a great deal to be done here but I think it better to leave on Monday and come here again next year perhaps. Spend evening in sitting room where one of the children gives me a song. We have supper there — spaghetti etc — and then to bed, five minutes before electric light goes out (9.30).
E. Lamkins- Sung by Mrs, Doc, PRATT at Hindman, Knott Co., Ky., Sept. 22, 1917
Pentatonic, Mode 3.
1. There was a wealthy merchant,
In London he dwelled;
He built a fine castle,
And paint[1] he had none.
2 He started to England
To buy his wife a ring.
He called back to her:
Bewore of the Lamkins;
He'll be here at noon.
3 What cares I for the Lamkins?
What cares I? said she.
My doors are all locked
And my windows pinned in.
4 Says the Lamkins to the captain (or false nurse)
What'll bring her downstairs ?
We'll stick her little infant
Full of needles and pins.
5 What a pity, what a pity,
What a pity it would be
To stick her little infant
Full of needles and pins.
6 O spare my life, Lamkins,
O spare my life, do.
Just listen how pitiful
My little infant does cry.
7 I'll give you my daughter Betsy
And all of the gold
That your horse can carry away.
8 You'd better keep your daughter Betsy
To wade the blood,
And to scour the silver basin
To catch your heart's blood.
9 Last night I killed the king's wife,
To-night I'll kill you.
They won't take time to make a gallows,
They'll hang you on a tree.
1 Payment ? Maybe he forgot to paint the castle :) No wonder he didn't get paid!!!