The Highway Man- (LA) 1945 Tallant/Saxon
[From: GUMBO YA-YA: Folk Tales Of Louisiana by Robert Tallant, ‎Lyle Saxon; 1945. This is fairly standard version of "The Highwayman," recorded first by Charlie Poole in 1926.
R. Matteson 2015]
THE HIGHWAY MAN
I went down to the town depot
To see that train roll by,
I thought I saw my dear old girl
Hang her head and cry.
Hang her head and cry, old girl, hang her head and cry,
I thought I saw my dear old girl hang her head and cry.
The night was dark and stormy
It sure did look like rain.
Not a friend in this whole wide world,
No one knew my name.
No one knew my name, poor boy, no one knew my name.
Not a friend in this whole wide world, no one knew my name.
Wait, Mr. Judge, won't you wait, Mr. Judge,
Wait a little while?
I think I see my dear old girl,
She's walked for miles and miles.
Dear girl, have you brought me silver?
Dear girl, have you brought me gold?
Dear girl, have you walked these long, long miles
To see me hanging on a hangman's pole?
Dear boy, I have brought you silver,
Dear boy, I have brought you gold;
And I have not walked these long, long miles
To see you hanging on a hangman's pole.
She took me from a scaffold;
She untied my hands;
With tears running down that poor girl's cheeks,
Said, "I love that highway man."