Three Little Babes- Kinnard (KY) 1917 Sharp MS
[My title. Version with music from Bronson TTCB, II No. 41, 1962. Sharp MSS, 3745/2771.
See Sharp's diary notes below.
R. Matteson 2015]
Cecil Sharp Diary 1917 Sharp diary 1917 page 155. Sunday 27 May 1917 - Berea
Mr J. L. Baker came in after breakfast and sang me some songs. Spent the morning writing up tunes, sitting in the verandah and resting on my bed. Mr Rigby the music director here lunched with me and we discussed Amherst and I strongly advised his being one of the President’s nominees. At 4 p.m. Mrs Frost drove us in a motor to a Mr Kinnard who sang me several songs but nothing very startling.
[Three Little Babes] Sung by H. D. Kinnard, Berea, May 27, 1917.
1. A lady of children she had three [1]
She sent them away to the North Amerikee
For to learn some grammaree.
2. They hadn't been long, so very long,
Scarcely three months and a day,
Till death, bold death come hastening along
And took her babes away.
3. Being Christmas time was rolling nigh,
And the nights were long and cold,
She looked our, saw three little babes
Come hasting along.
4. She spread the table both wide and long
And on it put cake and wines.
And come O come my three little babes,
And drink and eat of mine.
5. We cannot cat your bread, mother,
Neither we can drink your wines
For yonder stands our Saviour dear
And to him we must obey.
6. She spread her bed in the ward back room,
And on it put a white sheet,
Over the top a golden spread
For to make her babies sleep.
7. Take it off, take it off, says the oldest one,
Take it off, take it off, says she,
For woe be into this wide wicked world
Since pride has came in view.
8. Rise you up, rise you up, says the next oldest one,
(Rise you up, rise you up, says she,)[2]
For the chickens are crowing for day,
And yonder stands our Saviour,
Unto him we must obey.
9. Put a marble stone at our head, mother,
Cold clay around our feet,
For the tears that you shed for us last night
Will wet our winding-sheet.
1. missing line - first two lines are combined
2. I assume the second line was option for the first.