The Three Little Babes-Wilson (NC) 1929 Brown 4A
[From the Brown Collection of NC Folklore, Music of the ballads from Vol. 4, 1957. Their notes follow. Associated with the Brown Collection are the Abrams Collection and the I.G. Greer collection. Greer has nearly a dozen music sheets of this ballad - mostly they are rewrites of one or two versions. Greer and his wife sang a version recorded in 1929 (unissed) and 1941.
The unusual resemblance of the text to Brown version A is noted. Text from A provided (minor editorial changes) for additional stanzas.
R. Matteson 2015]
4A. 'The Three Little Babes.' Sung by Mrs. Ewart Wilson. Recorded at Pensacola in September 1929. The last five measures are almost identical with those of the Lloyd Church, N. Hicks, L G. Greer (2nd), and Anonymous versions.
For melodic relationship cf. **FSKM 5; *SharpK i 153, No. 22D. Considering only the basic idea, we find that the Sharp version, measures 4-6, seems to furnish our first phrase a and the former's measures 2-4 our second phrase.
Scale: Mode II, plagal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: aa1ab (2,2,2,2).
1. There once was a lady, and she lived in Spain,
And children she had three.
She sent them away to the North Countree
Oh, there for to learn their grammerie.
2. They hadn't been gone but a very short time.
No more than a month or a day.
Till death, cold death come a-sweeping along
And swept those babes away.
3. As soon as the news reached the mother's ears
She clasped her hands and cried:
'Oh, if there be a King in Heaven above,
Please send them to me this night!'
4. The night wore on; near midnight come,
And Christ was drawing near.
Those three little babes come running home
Right into their mother's room.
5. 'O mother, go and fix them a table
And on it bread and wine.'
'Come, eat and drink, you three little babes,
Come eat and drink of mine.'
6. 'Take it off, take it off, take it off, mama!
Take it off we pray;
For we see our Savior a-standing so near.
And to him we must resign.
7. 'Oh, mother, go and make a bed
And on it spread a clean sheet,
And over the top spread a golden cloth
For the three little babes to rest upon.'
8. 'Take it off, take it off, take it off, mama!
Take it off, we pray;
For we see our Savior a-standing so near.
And to him we must resign.
9. As the proud mother, with trembling hand,
The winding of sheets enfolding,
The three little babes in snow-white robes
All by her side is guarded.
10. 'Goodby, mamma! Goodby, papa!
Fare you well, we say.
For the gates of heaven are opening wide
And we must enter in.'