Oxford Girl- William A. Owens (TX) c. 1910 Owens
[From Texas Folk Songs (1950), William Owens and Owens. The author, William A. Owens, was born on November 2, 1905-- he learned this song when just 5 years old.
R. Matteson 2016]
Oxford Girl--Sung by William A. Owens; Lamar County, Texas circa 1910.
'Twas in the town of Oxford
That I did live and dwell;
'Twas in the town of Oxford
I owned a flour mill.
I fell in tove with an Oxford girl
With dark and rolling eyes;
I asked her if she'd marry me;
She said she'd never deny.
I told her that we'd take a walk
Out in the meadows gay,
I told her that we'd take a talk
And name the wedding day.
We walked along and we talked along
Till we came to level ground;
I up with a hand and stick
And fairly knocked her down.
She fell upon her bended knees,
Crying, "Willie, please spare my life;
Oh, Willie, my dear, don't murder me,
For I'm not prepared to die."
I did not listen to her cry
But beat her more and more;
I beat her until her body lay
A-bleeding in the gore.
I picked her up by the long yellow hair
And slung her round and round;
I took her to the Oxford stream
And plunged her in to drown.
"Lie there, lie there, you Oxford girl,
You never will be my bride;
Lie there, lie there, you Oxford girl,
You never will be my bride."
Then I got home at twelve that night
My mother woke in fright;
"Oh, Willie, my son, what have you done
To bloody your hands tonight?"
I asked her for a candle
To lighg my way to bed;
I asked for a handkerchief
To bind my aching head.
'Twas in the town of Oxford
That Oxford girl was found,
A-floating down the Oxford stream
That flows through Oxford town.
"Oh, mother, they're going to hang me
Between the earth and sky;
Oh, mother, they're going to hang me,
And I'm not prepared to die."