The Brown Girl- Horton Barker (VA) 1932 Davis, 1939 Halpert; 1941 Brown 4-O
[From: The Brown Collection of NC Folklore; Vol 2, 1952. Also collected/recorded by Halpert in 1939. On "Horton Barker: Traditional Singer" Folk Legacy, recorded Sandy Paton. Also Davis: More Traditional Ballads, recorded 1932.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
[Horton Barker's version was also recorded in 1941 and the music later published in The Brown Collection of NC Folklore, see immediately below:]
O. 'Lord Thomas and Fair Annet.' [Titled "The Brown Girl" from Horton in 1939 when collected by Halpert] Sung by Horton Barker. From record made by Dr. W. A. Abrams at Boone, September 14, 1941. At his home in Chilhowie, Virginia, Barker sang the same version for the present editor in the summer of 1952.
For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK i 127, No. 19U. Coincidence of the basic melodic line. *TBV 569, No. 18 (D) IL
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: a-flat. Structure: aa1bc (2,2,2,2) = ab (4,4). Circular Tune (V).
The Brown Girl- Barker (VA) 1939 Halpert
Listen: http://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/20f43e3e9da09bf21e1c52914ea4cc8a.mp3
1. Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, take my advice,
Go bring the brown girl home;
For she has land and a house of her own,
Fair Ellender she has none.
2. He called up to his waiting maids
By one, by two, by three,
Go bridal, go saddle my milky-white steed
Fair Ellender I must see.
3. He rode and he rode till he came to her gate,
So light-lie he tingled the ring,
And none was so ready as Fair Ellender herself
As she rose to let him in.
4. "I've come to ask you to my wedding today,"
"Bad news, Lord Thomas," says she.
"For I your bride I thought I would be,
Bad news, Lord Thomas," says she.
5. She called up to her father and mother
To make them both as one,
"Shall I go to Lord Thomas's wedding,
Or tarry at home alone?"
6. She called up to her waiting maid[1]
By one, by two, by three,
Go bridal go saddle my milky-white steed
Lord Thomas's wedding I'll see.
7. She dressed herself so fine in silk
Her very maids in green,
And every city that she rode through,
They took her to be some queen.
8. She rode and she rode till she came to his gate,
So light-lie he tingled the ring,
And none was so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and to let her in.
9. He took her by the lily-white hand,
He led her through the hall
He sat her down at the head of table,
Among the quality all.
10. "Lord Thomas," says she, " is this your bride?
I'm sure she looks very brown,
You might have married as fair a young lady
As ever the sun shone on.
11. The Brown Girl had a pen-knife in her hand
It [was] keen and very sharp,
Between the long ribs and the short,
She pierced Fair Ellender to the heart.
12. He took the Brown Girl by the hand
He led her through the hall,
And with a sword he cut her head off
And kicked it against the wall.
13. He placed the handle against the ground
The point against his breast
Here's the death of three true lovers
God send their souls to rest.
14. I want my grave both long and wide,
And dig it very deep;
I want Fair Ellender in my arms
The Brown Girl at my feet.
1. This stanza found in Abrams recording only.