Little Willie- Polly Morris (VA) 1931 Scarborough
[My title. From Scarborough's "A Song Catcher" 1938. Songs dated circa 1931 by Bronson.
The chorus is reminiscent of "Bring back my blue-eyed boy." The last two stanzas are common in Butcher Boy. The informant is from the Morris family of ballad singers- see also Shifflett family and Marybird McAllister.
R. Matteson 2017]
Little Willie- reprinted from a text sent in by Polly Morris of Yellow Branch, Virginia about 1931. Minor editing for capitalization has been done.
1. "Captain Captain, tell me true,
Does my little Willie sail with you?
Oh, no, he does not sail with me,
But he sleeps in the bottom of the deep blue sea.
Chorus
Go bring me back the one I love,
He is a darling little love.
For they say he is with another girl
And is proving false to me.
Oh, Father, Father, build me a boat;
On this wild ocean I will float.
And every ship that I pass by,
I will think I hear little Willie cry.
Bring me a chair to sit upon,
Penn, ink and pencil to write it down,
And every line I will drop a tear
For it makes me think of Willie dear.
I wish I had the wings of a little Dove,
A darling little dove,
I would fly across the Deep Blue sea
And I will bring Willie back with me.
Must I go back[1] and you be free
Must I love a little boy that don't love me?
Must I than act a childish part,
And love the Boy that broke my heart?
Go dig my grave both wide and deep
Place [a] marble stone at head and feet
And on my breast a turtle dove
To show this world I died for love.
1. go bound.