The Hanging of Georgie- Joines (NC) pre1968 REC
[From the recording: Ballads and Songs of the Blue Ridge Mountains: Persistence and Change; Asch Records 01968. Joines version was covered by The Iron Mountain String Band- Walking in the Parlor- 1975 (see below).
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
ASCH RECORDS Album No . AH 3831
01968 Asch Records, 701 Seventh Ave . NYC, USA 1968
Ballads and Songs of the Blue Ridge Mountains:
Persistence and Change
Recorded in the Field by Eric Davidson, Paul Newman, and Caleb Finch
Notes by Eric Davidson and Paul Newman
Paul Joines, now about 56 years old, has spent much of his life in and around Sparta, N. C. He was born a few miles from Sparta, near Whitehead Community, and spent his first years on an old fashioned farm deep in the beautiful Blue Ridge country surrounding Sparta. There he was instilled with the old ballads of the Blue Ridge area, which he learned primarily from members of his family. He recalls for instance, that as a child he would often beg his Ma to sing "Green Willow Tree" when he
was ill or could not sleep. Paul is a restless man and at an early age he embarked on a career of rambling which was to lead him to every part of the country. Always he has returned to the mountains, however, and he now lives in Sparta with his mother, only a few miles from the farm where he was born. An extremely fine old time style ballad singer, Paul is also a great source of local tales, stories, and country humor. He is interested in the preservation of the musical traditions of his area, and went to considerable trouble to make these recordings a success.
Side I Band 1. "The Hanging of Georgie": sung by Paul Joines
Child #209, Sharp #34 "Geordie". Texts recorded in North Carolina and Virginia are practically identical to this one. Since no one knows to what real place Bohany refers, it is not surprising that the name's variously rendered as Ghelanay, Goannie, Balleny and even Virginy. A striking example of linguistic change can be seen in the 3rd verse where Paul sings "you" rather
than the obsolete "thee" on the last note in spite of the rhyme pressure to use the older form.
The scale is hexatonic (6)* dorian/ aeolian; range: authentic; structure: aabc; meter: 2/ 4. This rendition illustrates the freedom of meter allowable in unaccompanied singing. Another feature of unaccompanied singing is here illustrated in that the tune is to some extent altered from verse to verse. In the 2nd verse, 3rd line, a measure is lost; in the 4th verse, 3rd line, the word "stole" is given only one beat rather than two with the result that two strong beats occur successively, and in the 5th and 6th verses the introductory note leading into the 3rd line is shortened from two measures to one.
Go saddle up my little grey horse
And saddle him so gaily
That I may ride to the king's castle
And plead for the life of Georgie.
She rode on till she got there
She was both wet and weary
Combing back her long yellow hair
Saying lawyers here is money.
Lawyers got up and spoke for George
But the good it wasn't any
By your own conduct you'll have to die
And the Lord have mercy on you.
George got up and spoke for himself
But the good it wasn't any
He stole six of the king's best steeds
And sold them in Bohany.
George was hung with a golden chain
That was not made for many
Because he came of a noble race
And courted a virtous[1] lady.
I have not rode on the king's highways
And I have not murdered any
But six white steeds of the king's I stole
And sold them in Bohany.
1. virtuous
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The Iron Mountain String Band- Walking in the Parlor 1975
"The Hanging of Georgie" . Unaccompanied ballad sung by Brooke Moyer. This traditional ballad, originating in the Brittish Isles
(Child #209; Sharp #34) , was recorded by us from Paul Joines of Sparta, N.C. (Folkways AH 3831). The true location of Bohanny is unknown and is given as Virginy in some versions. The song recalls an era when encroaching upon royal lands was a capital offense.
Go saddle up my little grey horse
And saddle him so gaily
That I may ride to the king's castle
And plead for the life of Georgie.
She rode on till she got there
She was both well and weary
Combing back her long yellow hair
Saying lawyers here is money.
Lawyers got up and spoke for George
But the good it wasn't any
By your own conduct you'll have to die
And the Lord have mercy on you.
George got up and spoke for himself
But the good it wasn't any
He stole six of the king's best steeds
And sold them in Bohany.
George was hung with a golden chain
That was not made for many
Because he came of a noble race
And courted a virtuous lady.
I have not rode on the king's highways
And I have not murdered any
But six white steeds of the king's I stole
And sold them in Bohany