The Little Dead Boys- Ledford (NC) 1936 Niles A
[From: The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, 1961. There's nothing that seems unusual about this version so I count it as traditional- but with Niles you can never be sure.
R. Matteson 2015]
The Little Dead Boys. Sung by Mrs. Anner Ledford and Mrs. Maggie Henson at Hot House, Clay County, NC, April, 1936.
(Niles No. 33 A) (Pentatonic scale on E)
1 There was a woman, she lived alone,
Some babies she had three;
She sent them off to the North Comaree
To learn their grammaree.
2 They hadn't been gone but about three weeks.
'Bout three weeks and a day,
Cold death, cold death spread abroad in the land,
And swept her babes away.
3 She prayed to the God who was in Heaven,
A-wearin' a starry crown,
"Oh, send me back my three little babes,
Tonight or in the mornin' soon."
4 It was so near to the Christmas time,
The nights be long and cold;
Her three little babes come a-runnin' up,
All into their mother's arms.
5. She fixed a table for them to eat,
On it put bread and wine:
"Come eat, come drink, my three little babes,
Come eat, come drink of mine."
6. "Dear Mother, I neither want your bread,
Nor will I drink your wine,
For just before the break of day,
Our Saviour must we jine."
7. She fixed them a bed in the back side room,
On it she put a clean sheet.
On the top she spread a golden cloth,
And fixed her babes to sleep.
8. "Rised up, rised up," said the oldest one.
"Rised up, rised up," said all three,
"Our Saviour smiles and bids us come,
And follow him, hit must be.
9. "Cold clods of clay rolls over my head,
Green grass grows at my feet,
And the tears you shed, sweet Mother dear,
Would wet our winding sheet."