The Brown Girl- Miller (NC) 1939 Brown 4E(1) REC
[My title. From Brown Collection of NC Folklore; Volume 7, 1957. Their notes follow. Recorded c. 1939 by Abrams.
R. Matteson 2014]
Lord Thomas and Fair Annet (Child 73)
Of all the old ballads, this probably stands next to 'Barbara Allan' in popular favor. For its range in living tradition, both the old country and in America, see BSM 37-8 and add Tennessee (SFLQ XI 122-3), North Carolina (FSRA 23-4), Florida (SFLQ
VIII 147-50), Arkansas (OFS i 99-101, 106-8), Missouri (OFS 1 94-9, 1 01 -6), Ohio (BSO 29-34), Indiana (BSI 58-70), Illinois (JAFL Lii 75-6), and Michigan (BSSM 37-9). American texts follow one general pattern with various differences in detail — mostly cases of leaving out or putting in. Of the fourteen texts in the Brown Collection only a few are here given in full.
E(1) 'Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender.' Sung by Mrs. Myra Barnett Miller. Recorded probably at Lenoir in August of 1939, 1940, or 1941. Another title is 'Brown Girl.' The first four measures are identical with those of the Greer and Cooke versions. The close relationship with the Brown version is pointed out also in the latter. There is also some melodic relationship with the Hicks version. Measures 1-4 of this version are also related to those of 'The Seven Sisters' by Mrs. James York, and 'Pretty Cold Rain' by Miss Hattie McNeill.
For melodic relationship cf. **SharpK I 119-20, No. 19F and H; BSM 45, as well as TBV 570, No. 18R, and OFS i 94, No. 15A. Likewise FSF 268, No. 157B, and BSSM 37, No. 4-
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aa1bb1 (2,2,2,2) = ab(4,4). The identical approach to both cadences should be mentioned. Circular Tune (V).
1 'O mother and father, come riddle my riddle,
Come riddle us both as one,
Whether I marry fair Ellender
Or bring the brown girl home.'