Sweet Annie of Rock Royal- Gardner(WV) 1975 Gainer
[No date given. From Folk-Songs from the Virginia Hills, Patrick Gainer, 1975. This is a rewrite of his friend Woofter's version which is likely from Cox A (similar to Child D). Gainer didn't even change the title. It's possible Gainer may have had a hand in the 1924 version. This is surely a ballad recreation with an invented source. Gainer's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
SWEET ANNIE OF ROCK ROYAL
(CHILD 76, "THE LASS OF ROCH ROYAL")
Of all the tragic ballads, this one is perhaps the saddest. After Annie makes the long trip in her ship to find the father of her baby, she "pulls at the string" of George's door. This string was the latch string which held the pin that bolted, the door. We are not sure whether George's mother believes that Annie is really an imposter and the son should be protected, or if it is a case of a jealous mother. This ballad has not survived well in our traditions, and we are fortunate to find this complete survival sung by Mrs. Lula Gardner, of Nicholas County.
1. Who will shoe my bonnie feet,
And who will glove my hands?
And who will tie my waist so neat
With the new-made Lon-don band?"
2 "O who will comb my yellow hair
With the bright new silver comb?
O who will be daddy to my boy
Till my lover George come home?"
3 Her father will shoe her bonnie feet,
Her mother gloved her hands,
Her sister tied on her waist so neat
The new-made London band.
4 Her cousin combed her yellow hair
With the bright new silver comb,
But heaven knew the daddy of her boy
Till her lover George came home.
5 Her father gave her a new ship
And led her to the sand,
She took her boy up in her arms,
And sailed away from the land.
6 On the sea she sailed and sailed,
For over a month or more,
Till she landed her new ship
Near to her lover's door.
7 Long she stood at her lover's door,
And long pulled at the string,
Till up got his false mother,
Saying, "Who pulls at the string?"
8 "O it's Annie of Rock Royal,
Your own come o'er the sea,
With your own dear son held in her arms,
So open the door to me."
9 "Be off, be off, you bold woman,
You come not here for good,
You are only a strumpet or a bold witch,
Or else a mermaid from the sea."
10 "I'm not a witch nor a strumpet bold,
Nor a mermaid from the sea,
But I am Annie of Rock Royal,
So open the door to me.
11 "So open the door to me, dear George,
And open it with speed,
Or your Young son here in my arms
With the cold will soon be dead"'
12 "If you be Annie of Rock Royal,
Though I know not you may be,
What pledge can you give to me
I ever kept your company?"
13 "O don't you mind, dear George?" said she,
"When we were drinking wine,
How we gave the rings from our fingers,
And how the best was mine?
14 "Though yours was good enough for me,
It was not so good as mine,
Yours was made of bright red gold,
While mine had a diamond fine.
15 "So open the door to me, dear George,
And open it with speed,
Or your young son here in my arms
With the cold will soon be dead."
16 "Away, away, you bold woman,
Take from my door your shame,
For I have got another true love
And you may hasten home."
17 "And if you have gotten another true love,
After all the oaths you swore,
O here is farewell to you, false George,
For you will never see me more."
18 Slowlye, slowlye went she back
As the day began to dawn;
She set her foot on her new ship,
And bitterly did mourn.
19 George started up all in his sleep,
And quick to his mother he said,
"O I dreamed a dream tonight, mother,
That made my heart so sad.
20 "I dreamed that Annie of Rock Royal
Was jingling at the pin,
She had our young son in her arms,
But none would let her in."
21 "O a bold woman stood there at the door,
With a child all in her arms.
But I wouldn't let her come in the house
For fear she would work you a charm. "
22 Quicklye, quicklye got he up,
And fast he ran to the sand,
And there he saw his Annie dear
A-sailing from the land.
23 And "Hey, Annie!" and "Ho, Annie!
O listen, Annie, to me!"
But the louder he cried for Annie,
The louder roared the sea.
24 The wind blew high, the sea grew rough,
The ship was broken in two,
And soon he saw his sweet Annie
Come floating o'er the waves.
25 He saw his young son in her arms,
Both tossed about by the tide,
He pulled his hair and he ran fast,
And he plunged in the sea so wild.
26 He caught her by the yellow hair,
And drew her out on the sand,
But cold and stiff were her snowy limbs,
Before he reached the land.
27 O he has mourned over sweet Annie
Till the sun was going down,
Then with a sigh his heart did burst,
And his soul to heaven has flown.