Lexington Murder- W. D. Collins (MO) pre1953
[From: "Ideology and Folksong Re-creation in the Home-recorded Repertoire of W. D. Collins" by Melinda S Collins. An outline of her dissertation follows.
See online: Google Books. This was also sung by Carl Collins.
R. Matteson 2016]
My purpose in writing this dissertation is to address this lack by analyzing and interpreting five vernacular recordings of songs, ballads, stories, prayer and preaching made between 1950 and 1976 by W.D. Collins (1893-1976), a stockman, community song leader, square dance caller, cowboy, and Baptist preacher in Missouri, Wyoming, and Oklahoma.
Lexington Murder- W. D. Collins (MO) pre-1953
1 My parents raised me tenderly,
Provided for me well,
It was in the city of Lexington,
They placed me in a mill.
2. 'Twas there I spied a pretty fair maid
On whom I cast my eye.
I told her I would marry her
And she believed the lie.
3. Three weeks ago-- a Saturday night,
Oh! curs-ed be the day.
The devil put it in my heart
To take her life away.
4. I went into[1] her sister's house,
At eight o'clock one night,
And little did the creature think,
To her I held a spite.
5 I says to her, Let's take a walk,
A little ways away,
In order that we have a talk,
And plan our wedding day.
6 So side by side we walked[2] along,
'Til I came to a silent place.
I taken a stake from off the fence,
And struck her in the face.
7 When down upon her bended knee,
“Have mercy!” she did cry,
Saying, “For pity's sake, don't murder me,
I'm unprepared to die!”
8 I heeded not her pain and cries[3],
I only struck her more,
Until I saw the[4] innocent blood
Which I could never restore.
9. Then I plunged my hands in her coal black hair
To cover up my sin.
I dragged her down to the river side,
And there I plunged her in.
10. As I was returning back to the mill,
I met my servant John.
He asked me why I was so pale,
And yet so awfully warm.
11. I went upstairs to go to bed,
Intending to take my rest,
But it seemed as if the fires of Hell,
Were burning in my breast.
12. And now young men[5], from me a warning take,
Unto your lover be true,
Don't ever let the devil get
The upper hand of you.
1. Carl: down to
2. Carl: strolled
3. Carl: I didn't heed her warning plea
4. Carl: her
5. Carl: people