Railroad Boy- Nell Hampton (KY) 1937 Lomax REC
[My title. From Alan Lomax's Kentucky Recordings, 1937-1942. Published October 26, 1937; ballad, Salyersville, Magoffin
https://archive.org/details/afc1937001_1572A2
R. Matteson 2017]
Railroad Boy- sung by Nell Hampton of Salyersville, Magoffin-- recorded October 26, 1937 by Alan Lomax in two parts; transcription R. Matteson 2017.
In Jersey City I once did dwell
With a railroad boy and I knew him well
He courted me my life away
And now with me he will not stay.
There is a place in yondo town,
My love goes there and he sits down
He takes strange girls upon his knee
And he tells to them what he won't tell me.
It's they may know the reason why,
Because they have more gold than I,
Their gold will melt, their silver'll fly,
Someday they'll be as poor as I.
She called for a chair to sit upon
A pencil and paper to write it down
At every line she she dropped a tear
And every word cried "Oh my dear."
She went upstairs to make her bed
And not one word to me was said,
He mother lives upstairs too
Said daughter dear what troubles you
Oh mother dear I can not tell,
For the railroad boy that I love so well,
He courted me my life away,
And now with me he will not stay.
His father come from his work at night
Saying, "Where's my daughter, his delight?[1]
He went upstairs and the door he broke,
He found her hanging to the rope.
He took his knife and he cut her down,
And in her bosoms those words were found,
Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
Place a marble stone at my head and feet.
Place on my grave a snow-white dove,
To show this world that I've died for love.
1. usually "my heart's delight?"