Info 85. Lady Alice (George Collins)
[Be sure to read the attached articles (see Recording and Info page) explaning the relationship of 85. Lady Alice (George Collins) and 42. Clerk Colvill. The articles are: (1) George Collins- Barbara M. Cra'ster 1910; (2) The "Johnny Collins" Version of Lady Alice- Bayard; and (3) The "Clerk Colvill" Mermaid- Harbison Parker 1947.
Roud combines the two (see Roud Index attached to Recording and Info page).
R. Matteson 2012]
CONTENTS:
1) Alternative Titles
2) Traditional Ballad Index
3) Folk Index
4) Child Collection Index
5) Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
6) Wiki
7) Mainly Norfolk (lyrics and info)
8) A Check List of the Titles of Tennessee Folksongs
ATTACHED PAGES: (see left hand column)
1) Roud No. 147: (209 Listings)
2) George Collins- Barbara M. Cra'ster 1910
3) The "Johnny Collins" Version of Lady Alice- Bayard
4) The "Clerk Colvill" Mermaid- Harbison Parker 1947
5) Brown Collection- Lady Alice
Alternative Titles
Earl Colvin
Young Collins
George Coleman
Dame Alice was Sitting on Widow's Walk
George Collum
George Promer
Clerk Colvill
Clerk Colven
George Collins
George Allen
George Allien
George Carey
George Collie
George Collands
George Colon
George Coleman
George Harman
Johnnie Collins
Johnnie Allen
Johnnie Allien
Johnnie Carey
Johnnie Collie
Johnnie Collands
Johnnie Colon
Johnnie Coleman
Johnnie Harman
Johnnie Promer
Giles Collins
Giles Allen
Giles Allien
Giles Carey
Giles Collie
Giles Collands
Giles Colon
Giles Coleman
Giles Harman
Giles Promer
Young Collins
The Mournful Dove
The Dying Hobo
A Lover's Farewell
Johnny (John) Collins
John Harman
George Collins (Collands, Colon, Coleman, Allien, Promer, Collen, Collum, Carey, Collie)
Traditional Ballad Index: Lady Alice [Child 85]
DESCRIPTION: Lady Alice sees a beautiful corpse being carried by and learns it is her lover. She bids the bearers leave it; she will herself be dead by the next evening. They are buried apart but roses from his grave grow to reach her breast until severed by a priest.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1810
KEYWORDS: death corpse love burial flowers
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South)) US(Ap,MA,MW,NE,SE,So,SW) Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (25 citations):
Child 85, "Lady Alice" (4 texts)
Bronson 85, "George Collins (Lady Alice)" (43 versions)
SharpAp 25 "Giles Collins" (6 short texts, 6 tunes){Bronson's #13, #15, #14, #28, #5, #42}
BarryEckstormSmyth pp. 452-453, "Lady Alice" (notes plus a text derived from Child C)
Peacock, pp. 738-739, "Young Collins Green" (1 text, 1 tune)
Karpeles-Newfoundland 12, "George Collins" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-Maritime, p. 85, "George Collins" (1 text)
Randolph 22, "George Collins" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #27}
Davis-Ballads 25, "Lady Alice" (7 texts apart from the appendix, 5 tunes entitled "Johnny Collins," "George Collins"; 10 more versions mentioned in Appendix A)
Davis-More 26, pp. 199-206, "Lady Alice" (3 texts plus a fragment, 4 tunes -- but the fourth, fragmentary, text and tune could as well be "Fare You Well, My Own True Love" or something similar) {Bronson's #41, #32, #31, #29, #2}
BrownII 28, "Lady Alice" (8 texts plus 2 excerpts, a fragment, and mentions of 4 more)
Chappell-FSRA 14, "Georgie Collins" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #18}
Hudson 16, pp. 107-111, "Lady Alice" (4 texts)
MHenry-Appalachians, p. 47, "George Collins" (1 short text)
Cambiaire, p. 76, "George Collins" (1 short text)
Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 117-122, "Lady Alice," with individual texts titled "George Collins," "George Collins," (no title), "George Collins," (no title), "George Allien" (4 texts plus 2 excerpts, 4 tunes on pp. 393-394) {Bronson's #22, #19, #1, #11}
OBB 154, "Lady Alice" (1 text)
Warner 96, "George Collins" (1 text, 1 tune)
Niles 37, "Lady Alice" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Copper-SoBreeze, pp. 246-247, "George Collins" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cohen/Seeger/Wood, p. 32, "George Collins" (1 text, 1 tune)
JHCox 17, "Lady Alice" (5 texts)
Silber-FSWB, p. 151, "George Collins" (1 text)
DT 85, GEOCLLNS* GEOCOL2 GEOCLLN3
ADDITIONAL: Bob Stewart, _Where Is Saint George? Pagan Imagery in English Folksong_, revised edition, Blandford, 1988, pp. 125-127, "Giles Collins" (1 text)
ST C085 (Full)
Roud #147
RECORDINGS:
Dixon Brothers, "Story of George Collins" (Montgomery Ward M-7580, 1938)
Henry Griffin, "George Collins" (on HandMeDown2)
Spud Gravely, "George Allen" (on Persis1)
Roy Harvey & the North Carolina Ramblers, "George Collins" (Brunswick 250, 1928; on ConstSor1)
Kelly Harrell, "The Dying Hobo" (Victor 20527, 1926; on KHarrell01 -- a rather strange version combining the first verse of "The Dying Hobo" with a plot, taken from "George Collins," of a girl mourning her dead lover) {Bronson's #30}
Dick Justice, "One Cold December Day" (Brunswick 367, 1929 -- like the Harrell recording, this starts with a "Dying Hobo" verse, then parallels "George Collins")
New Lost City Ramblers, "George Collins" (on NLCR02)
Frank Proffitt, "George Collins" (on Proffitt03)
Riley Puckett, "George Collins" (Montgomery Ward M-4551, 1934)
Enos White, "George Collins" (on FSB4, FSBBAL1, Voice03)
Henry Whitter, "George Collins" (OKeh 45081, 1927, rec. 1926) (Broadway 8024, c. 1931); Henry Whitter & Fiddler Joe [Samuels], "George Collins" (OKeh, unissued, 1926)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Earl Colvin
Young Collins
George Coleman
Dame Alice was Sitting on Widow's Walk
George Collum
George Promer
NOTES: A number of scholars (including Coffin and Lloyd, with some support from Bronson) believe that "Lady Alice" is a fragment of a larger ballad (called "George Collins" or the like). The first half is found in "Clerk Colville" [Child 42]; "Lady Alice" forms the second half. Lloyd writes, "Either these are two separate songs which have been combined to form George Collins or (which seems more likely) they are two fragments of the completer ballad."
Paul Stamler provides this description of the composite ballad:
George Collins, out walking, kisses a pretty maid, who warns him he won't live long. He kisses her, goes home and dies. His lover kisses his corpse goodbye; she dies too. In the last verse, it's said that six pretty maids died in one night for his sake. Many have interpreted the "pretty maid" as a water-fairy whom Collins has been trysting with; when she finds he's been betrothed, she gives him a poisoned kiss. - RBW, PJS
The supernatural explanation seems reasonable. But sudden death transmitted by a kiss -- has no one suggested communicable disease?
The ballad is found throughout western Europe, including a manuscript poem from Germany dated c. 1310. - PJS
[For discussions of the question of whether this is one ballad], see Barbara Craster in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society 2:4 (15) (1910) pp. 106-109 (comparisons) and in Coffin, Brit. Trad. Ballad in N. America (1977 edn.) p. 51 and pp. 86-88, 241 - JM
[Ewan] MacColl in The Long Harvest... feels there is little left to doubt and combines them. He cites S.P. Bayard, "No two ballads in English are more closely allied." Harbison Parker gives much detail and together, says MacColl, "make an almost watertight for the two Child ballads as springing from one and the same source. - AS
In general I have followed the policy of listing "George Collins" versions here, without further notes, as the "Lady Alice" portion is more integral to the story.
Bob Stewart, who thinks everything goes back to ancient legend, says on p. 127 that "the plot is almost identical to a tale told of the Daghdha (The Good God), one of the leaders of the Tuatha De Danaan. He met with a woman on the ancient feast day of Samhain,,, who was standing astride a river.... He made love to her, and she identified herself as being the Goddess of fate and slaughter, who was believed to appear before a battle washing the bodies of those doomed to die." This is indeed an attested story of the Daghdha (although not one of the better-known ones; only one of the four other sources I checked repeated it), and I see the thematic link, but I would hardly call it "almost identical"; the odds of dependence are slight. - RBW
A curious thing is that Sharp calls the ballad "Giles Collins", but the protagonist is "George" in 5 of his 6 examples, and "Charles" in the sixth.
Again this [Silber's version] is fragmentary; George Collins, driving home, is taken sick and dies. His Nell opens his coffin to kiss him goodbye, then laments his passing. That's it; nothing else happens. Nothing to connect it to Lady A. except George's name. Arghh. - PJS
Folk Index: George Collins/Collin/Collier/Colon [Ch 85/Sh 25/Me I-A 9]
Rt - Clerk Colvin/Colvil ; Lady Alice
At - John Harmon
Pb - Giles Scroggins
Arthur, Emry. Paramount Old Time Recordings, JSP 7774A-D, CD( (2006), trk# B.09 [1929/10ca]
Bailey, Anna. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p199/# 25F [1918/09/19] (Giles Collins)
Barber, Isla. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p294/#162C [1934-39] (George Carey)
Collins, Shirley. Folk Songs. A Collection of Ballads and Broadsides, Topic TPS 201, LP (1971), trk# A.01
Coltman, Bob. Lonesome Robin, Minstrel JD 200, LP (1973), trk# 8
Dent, Howard; and Lidel Evans. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p112/# 17C [1917/01]
Dixon Brothers (Dorsey & Howard). Dixon Brothers (Dorsey & Howard) - Volume II, Old Homestead OHCS 164, LP (1984), trk# 3 [1938/09/25] (Story of George Collins)
Ervine, Valera (Miss). Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p114/# 17E [1917ca] (Johnny/John Collins)
Fogg, Rachel. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p111/# 17B [1916/03/09] (Johnny/John Collins)
Gibson, Addie. Scarborough, Dorothy(ed.) / A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, AMS, Bk (1966/1937), p121 [1930] (George Allin/Allien/Allen)
Gooding, Cynthia. Faithful Lovers and Other Phenomena, Elektra EKL 107, LP (1956), trk# B.03
Gravely, Spud. Ballads and Songs of the Blue Ridge Mountains., Asch AH 3831, LP (1968), trk# B.02 [1960ca] (George Allin/Allien/Allen)
Harrison, Lucy Holt. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p291/#162A [1950] (Giles Collins)
Hart, Mrs. J. A.. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p292/#162B [1934-39]
Harvey, Roy. Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof, 11, p46 (1969) [1928/02/16]
Hayes, Lisbeth. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p139/# 22 [1920/06/12]
House, Hester. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p197/# 25B [1916/09/16] (Giles Collins)
Kathy and Carol. Kathy & Carol, Elektra EKS-7 289, LP (1965), trk# 2
Kerr, Sandra and Nancy. Neat and Complete, Fellside FECD 107, CD (1996), trk# 11
Killen, Lou and Sally. Bright Shining Morning, Front Hall FHR 006, LP (1975), trk# B.05
Knight, Piny. Scarborough, Dorothy(ed.) / A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, AMS, Bk (1966/1937), p120,394 [1930]
Lloyd, A. L. (Bert). English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol. 3, Washington WLP 717, LP (1961/1956), trk# A.04
Mack, E. R.; Mrs. Solomon, Jack & Olivia (eds.) / Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p 27 [1960ca]
Matteson, Maurice. Beech Mountain Ballads 1933]
McCourt, Miss Snoah. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p113/# 17D [1916/03]
McKinney, Mary. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p197/# 25C [1914] (Giles Collins)
Miller, J. Harrison. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p110/# 17A [1917/01] (Young Collins)
Mill Run Dulcimer Band. Sunday at the Mill, Lark LRLP 3094, LP (1980), trk# A.04
New Lost City Ramblers. Cohen, John, Mike Seeger & Hally Wood / Old Time String Band Songbook, Oak, Sof (1976/1964), p 32
New Lost City Ramblers. New Lost City Ramblers, Vol. 2, Folkways FA 2397, LP (1960), trk# B.05
New Lost City Ramblers. Asch, Moses (ed.) / 124 Folk Songs as Sung and Recorded on Folkways Reco, Robbins, fol (1965), p 43
Norton, Dana (Mr.). Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p198/# 25D [1916/08/31] (Giles Collins)
Norton, Viney (Mrs.). Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p199/# 25E [1916/08/16] (Giles Collins)
Osborne, Paul. Scarborough, Dorothy(ed.) / A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, AMS, Bk (1966/1937), p118,393 [1930] Paley, Tom. Old Tom Moore and More, Global Village C 309, Cas (1991), trk# 6
Pine River Boys with Maybelle. Outback, Heritage (Galax) 003 (III), LP (1974), trk# B.05
Presnell, Lee Monroe ("Uncle Monroe"). Traditional Music of Beech Mountain, NC, Vol I, Folk Legacy FSA 022, LP (1964), trk# 15 [1961/10ca]
Ramsey, Obray. Obray Ramsey Sings Folksongs from the Three Laurels, Prestige International INT 13020, LP (196?), trk# A.04 Ritchie, Jean. Clear Waters Remembered, Geordie 101, LP (1974), trk# A.03 (Johnny/John Collins)
Ritchie, Jean. Ritchie, Jean / Celebration of Life; Her Songs, Her Poems, Geordie, Sof (1971), p 49 (Johnny/John Collins)
Shelton, Dora. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, I, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p196/# 25A [1916/08/02] (Giles Collins)
Shiflett, Ethel Mae. Scarborough, Dorothy(ed.) / A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, AMS, Bk (1966/1937), p119, 394 [1930]
Shook, Mr. & Mrs. Carson. Niles, John Jacob / Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, Bramhall House, Bk (1961), p207/N 37A [1934/07] (Earl Colvin)
Stansbridge, Harry. Williams, R. Vaughan; & A. L. Lloyd (eds.) / Penguin Book of English Fol, Penguin, Sof (1959), p 44 [1906]
Talbot, Mrs. Lofton. Moore, Ethel & Chauncey (ed.) / Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest, Univ. of Okla, Bk (1964), p 71/# 25 [1940s]
Walsh, Charlie. Niles, John Jacob / Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, Bramhall House, Bk (1961), p210/N 37B [1934/07] (Young Collins)
West, Hedy. Ballads, Topic 12T 163, LP (1967), trk# B.06
White, Enos. Folk Songs of Britain, Vol 4. The Child Ballads, I, Caedmon TC 1145, LP (1961), trk# B.08 [1950s]
Giles Scroggins [Ch 85]
Pd - George Collins/Collin/Collier/Colon
Ayers, E. B. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p140/# 22 [1930/01/14] (Jiles Scroggins)
Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America
by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
85. LADY ALICE
Texts: Anderson, Coll Bids Sgs, 44 / Barry, Brit Bids Me, 452 (trace) / Brown Coll / Bull lenn FLS, IV, #3, 75 / Bull U SC # 162, #9 / Cambiaire, Ea Venn Wstn Va Mt Bids, 76 / Chappell, F-S Rnke Alb, 33 / Child, II, 279 / Combs, F-S Ky HgUds, 8 / Cox, F-S South, no / Cox, W. Va. School Journal and Educator, XLVI, 124 / Crabtree, Overton Cnty, 125 / Davis, Trd Bid Va, 346 / Focus, III, 154; IV, $o / Gardner and Chickering, Bids Sgs So Mich, 53 / Haun, Cocke Cnty, 71 / Henry, Beech MtF-S, 2 / Henry, F-S So Hgblds, 89 / Henry, Sgs Sng So Aplcbns, 47 / Hudson, F-S Miss, 107 / Hudson, F-T Miss, 7 / Hudson, Spec Miss F-S, #14 / JAFL, XXVIII, 1515 XXXII, 500; XXXIX, 1025 LII, 47; LVIII, 75 / Morris, F-S Fla, 441 / N. T. 'Times Mgz, 1 1 17 '40 / Perry, Carter Cnty, 201 / Randolph, OzF-S, I, I39/ Scarborough, Sgctchr So Mts, 1 17 / Sharp C, EngF-S So Aplchns, 4^22 / SharpK, EngF-S So Aplchns, I, 196 / Reed Smith, SC Bids, 142 / The Survey, XXXIII, 373 / Va FLS Bull, #82-10.
Local titles: A Lover's Farewell, Johnny (John) Collins, John Harman, George Collins (Collands, Colon, Colcman, Allien, Promer, Collen, Collum, Carey, Collie), Giles Collins, Young Collins.
Story Types: A: Johnny Collins rides out one day and meets a sweetheart washing a white marble stone. (She is his fairy love.) She warns him of his impending death. He leaps in the water and swims homeward. Convinced that he will die that night, Collins requests to be buried by the marble stone. After he dies, his mortal true-love sees the funeral coming. She halts the
procession, kisses the corpse, and trims her own shroud before dying.
Examples: Cox, F-S South (A, B); JAFL, LVIII, 75; Davis (A, B).
B: Giles Collins comes home one night, is taken ill, and dies. His sweetheart, upon hearing the news, goes to his grave, opens the coffin, and kisses him. Her mother tries to be philosophical about the affair, but to no avail.
Examples: Cox, F-S South, (C, D); Davis (C, D); SharpK (A).
C: The story follows that of Type B at the start. However, the girl interrupts the funeral and then joins her lover in death. The lily-north wind motif (see Child B) is often in this version.
Examples: Hudson, F-S Miss (A).
D: A lyric song rises from the stanza so often found in Lady Alice about the "snow-white dove" on "yonder pine" mourning for his love. A second stanza of the "go dig my grave wide and deep" sort completes the lyric.
Examples: Gardner and Chickering.
Discussion: Samuel P. Bayard, using Barbara M. Cra'ster's article (JFSS IV, 106) for leads, states (JAFL, LVIII, 73 ff.) convincingly that Johnny Collins as it is printed by him (p. 75. See also Cox, F-S South, A and B) represents the full form of the early European Clerk Colvill story infiltrated by ballad conventionality and Celtic lore. The British Clerk Colvill (Child 42),
the Giles Collins versions of Lady Alice, and the abbreviated Johnny Collins version of the same song can be considered to tell only portions of the original narrative. Moreover, in modern versions of Johnny Collins an attempt has been made by folk-singers who have forgotten the meaning of the old story to rationalize the supernatural lover and the mortal girl who mourns
Johnny's death to be one person.
The original story behind Johnny Collins, Clerk Colvill and Giles Collins "fragments" then is that of a man who renounces his fairy lover for a mortal girl, meets the fairy, and learns he is to have his life exacted as revenge for his faithlessness. (Bayard conjectures that the elf-woman has been replaced by a mermaid in Clerk Colvill and by "a washer at the ford" in Johnny
Collins, the latter entering the story from Gaelic lore while the ballad existed in Ireland. Harbison Parker, JAFL, LX, 265 ft, considers incorrect a belief in either the Irish tradition of the songs or the Gaelic banshee characteristics of the supernatural lover and states convincingly (to the satisfaction of Dr. Bayard, I understand) that a Scandanavian-Shetland-Orkney-Scottish series of locales and the accompanying selkie lore accounts for the actions of the mermaid or fairy lover and, in Clerk Colvill, possibly even for the title itself.) In any case, after embracing his mistress the young man swims ashore and goes home, where he is, quite naturally, apprehensive that he is about to die. He requests to be buried near the stone at the foot of the fairy hill. He then dies. His mortal lover sees the funeral, stops the procession when she learns the dead person is her lover, and states that she too will die of a broken heart.
Gardner and Chickering, Bids Sgs So Mich, 53 print the "dove and pine" stanza that is so frequently found at the end of the American texts of Lady Alice and another conventional phrase as a song (see Type D) derived from Lady Alice. Though these conventional "dove" phrases are of the sort that might derive from any number of sources (see JAFL, XXXIX, 149 and Thomas, Sngin Gathrn, 34), Gardner and Chickering put forth a fairly convincing defense of their stand. The "dove" stanza does appear in Child 85 in West Virginia (Cox, F-S South), Virginia (Davis, Trd Bid Fa), Mississippi (Hudson, F-S Miss), North Carolina (Henry, Sgs Sng So Aplchns), etc. as well as in the JAFL, XXXIX, 104 and XXVIII, 152 texts. See Gardner and Chickering, op. cit., for other references.
Types A and B are the usual American forms of the story, while Type C follows the Child A, B story closely and utilizes the conventional ending of B. See also Child, III, 515.
There are many parodies of the song, and one version, Giles Scroggins, was a great favorite in early nineteenth century America. See Davis, op. cit., 352; Randolph, OzF-S, I, 140; Heart Songs, 246; The New England Pocket Songster (Woodstock, Vt.); The Singer's Own Book (Woodstock, Vt., 1838); The Songster's Companion (Brattleborough, Vt., 1815); The Isaiah Thomas Collection in Worcester, Mass., #95; and Worthington Ford, Broadside Bids, etc. Mass, #3126.
The Randolph, op. cit., I version, though called George Collins and containing the "dove 55 stanzas like so many of the Type B stories, seems to be closer to Johnny Collins in narrative.
Mainly Norfolk: George Collins
[Roud 147; Child 85; Ballad Index C085; trad.]
George Gardiner collected George Collins in 1906 from Henry Stansbridge, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, and published in The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. In 1960, A.L. Lloyd recorded it unaccompanied for the album A Selection from the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. Like all tracks from this LP it was reissued in 2003 on the CD England & Her Traditional Songs. Lloyd wrote in the album's sleeve notes:
This song means more than it says. Other variants make it clear that the vivid girl with the fatal kiss is a water-fairy, jilted and out for revenge. The theme has spread throughout Europe and has reached America, but there the meaning is lost, and the supernatural lover and the girl who mourns for Collins become one person, making the story banal. Our set, obtained by George Gardiner from Henry Stansbridge of Lyndhurst, Hamps, represents a halfway stage in the song's life. The mystery is there but some clues are missing, and the story is all the more dreamlike in consequence.
Shirley Collins recorded George Collins in 1967 for her LP The Sweet Primeroses. She commented in the sleeve notes:
Of all the ballads I have heard, none has really chilled me like this one. Originally it concerned a mortal man who became a lover of a water-sprite. He leaves her, and in revenge she kills him with a poisoned kiss. Several girls die of sorrow. The effectiveness of the ballad comes partly from the matter-of-fact manner in which the characters accept their fate, and the way the death of six girls hints at George Collins' great attractiveness. Peter Kennedy had this from Enos White in Sussex.
This recording was also included in the Topic sampler Folk Songs: A Collection of Ballads & Broadsides and on her anthologies Fountain of Snow and Within Sound. A version recorded live in Dublin in 1978 is on the CD Harking Back.
Louis Killen sang George Collins unaccompanied in 1975 on his and Sally Killen's LP Bright Shining Morning. Louis Killen commented in the album's sleeve notes:
I first heard this ballad sung by A.L. Lloyd and learned it later from his Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. The song's story is based on an ancient legend, found all across Europe in various forms. The female watersprite, Undine (von Hohenheim [a.k.a. Paracelsus], 1493-1541), believes she can earn a soul if she marries a mortal and bears his child. She falls in love with such a mortal who deceives her by becoming betrothed to a fellow human. When the watersprite discovers the deception she takes revenge by poisoning her lover with a kiss. The human bride-to-be also dies of a broken heart. Lloyd suggests that two ballads in Child's collection, #42 Clerk Colvill and #85 Lady Alice, are the fist and second parts of a more complete ballad from which George Collins is descended.
Tony Rose sang George Collins in 1999 on his last CD, Bare Bones.
Lyrics
A.L. Lloyd sings George Collins
George Collins walked out one May morning
When May was all in bloom.
There he espied a fair pretty maid
A-washing her marble stone.
She whooped, she hollered, she highered her voice,
She held up her lily-white hand.
“Come hither to me, George Collins,” she said,
“For your life shall not last you long.”
He put his foot on the broad water side,
And over the lea sprung he.
And he embraced her around the middle so small,
And kissed her red rosy cheeks.
George Collins rode home to his father's own gate,
“Rise, mother, and make my bed,
And I will trouble my dear sister
For a napkin to tie around my head.”
“And if I should chance to die this night,
As I suppose I shall,
Bury me under that marble stone
That's against fair Eleanor's hall.”
Fair Eleanor sat in her room so fine,
Working her silken skein.
And she saw the fairest corpse a-coming
That ever the sun shone on.
She said unto her Irish maid:
“Whose corpse is this so fine?”
“This is George Collins' corpse a-coming,
That once was a true lover of thine.”
“Come put him down, my six pretty lads,
And open his coffin so fine,
That I might kiss his lily-white lip,
For ten thousand times he has kissed mine.”
“You go upstairs and fetch me the sheet
That's wove with the silver twine,
And hang that over George Collins' head.
Tomorrow it shall hang over mine.”
The news was carried to London town,
And wrote on London gate,
That six pretty maids died all of one night,
And all for George Collins' sake.
Shirley Collins sings George Collins
George Collins rode out on a May morning
When May was all in bloom.
And there he saw a pretty fair maid
A-washing her white marble stone.
She called, she hollered, she highered her voice,
She waved her lily-white hand.
“Come hither to me, George Collins,” she cried,
“For your life it won't last you long.”
He put his foot on the broad water side,
Over the lea sprung he.
He embraced her around the middle so small,
And kissed her red rosy cheeks.
George Collins rode home to his father's door,
He pulled on the bell and it rang.
“Rise up, mother, to make my bed,
Rise, sister, and let me in.”
“For if I should die this night,
As I suppose I shall,
Bury me by the marble stone
That's against Lady Eleanor's hall.”
Lady Eleanor sat in her castle door,
Weaving her silken skein.
She saw the fairest corpse a-coming
That ever her eyes shone on.
She said unto her serving maid:
“Whose corpse is that so fine?”
The girl replied, “It's George Collins's corpse,
An olden true lover of thine.”
“Come set him down, my six pretty maids,
Throw open the coffin so fine,
That I might kiss them clay-cold lips,
Ten thousand times they have met mine.”
“You go upstairs and fetch me the sheet
That's wove of the silk so fine,
And hang it over George Collins's corpse.
But tomorrow shall hang over mine.”
Now the news been carried to London town,
And hung upon London's gates,
That six pretty maids died all of one night,
And all for George Collins's sake.
Tony Rose sings George Collins
George Collins walked out on a May morning
When May was all in bloom;
There he espied a fair pretty maid
Washing her marble stone.
O she's whooped and she's hollered, she's highered her voice,
Held up her lily-white hands,
“Come hither to me, George Collins,” she said,
“For your life shall not last you long.”
He set his foot on the broad water side,
O'er the lea sprung he;
He embraced her 'round the middle so small,
Kissed her red ruby cheeks.
George Collins rode home to his father's own gate,
“Rise, mother, and make my bed,
And I will trouble my dear sister
For a napkin to tie 'round my head.
For if I should chance to die this night
As I suppose I shall,
Bury me under the marble stone
That's against fair Eleanor's hall.”
Fair Eleanor sat in her room so fine
Working her silken skein.
She saw the finest corpse a-coming
That ever the sun shone on.
And she said unto her Irish maid,
“Whose corpse is this so fine?”
“That is George Collins's corpse a-coming,
That once was a true love of thine.”
“O come lower him down, my six pretty lads,
And open the coffin so fine
That I might kiss those lily-white lips;
Ten thousand times they have kissed mine.
And go you upstairs and fetch me the sheet
That's wove with the silken twine.
Hang it over George Collins's head,
Tomorrow it'll hang over mine.”
And the news was carried to fair London town,
Wrote on London's gate:
Six pretty maids died all in one night,
And all for George Collins's sake.
A Check List of the Titles of Tennessee Folksongs
by Edwin C. Kirkland
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 59, No. 234 (Oct. - Dec., 1946), pp. 423-476
Lady Alice (R). LC. Austin Harmon, Maryville.
Lady Alice (R). LC. Sam Harmon, Maryville.
Lady Alice (text, tune). Henry, Folk-Songs 89. Mrs. Samuel Harmon, Cade's Cove.
Lady Alice (text). Haun 71. Mrs. Maggie Haun, Cocke County.
Lady Alice (text, tune). Home 75. Oliver Hamby, Maryville.
Lady Alice (text, tune). Cambellio2; Sharp I: I98.Dana Norton, Flag Pond.
Lady Alice (text). Anderson, Collection 44. Ardith Wilson, Newport.
Lady Alice (text). Anderson, Collection 45. Grace Coulter, Maryville.
Lady Alice (text). Perry 201. Mrs. Gracie Harrison, Carter County.
Lady Alice (text). Crabtree I25. Overton County.