Two Sisters- Brewer (AR) 1958 Parler
[Version of The Two Sisters from Ozark Folksong Collection, Reel 297, Item 13. Collected and transcribed by Mary Celestia Parler.
R. Matteson 2014]
Brief bio on the collector: Mary Celestia Parler married Vance Randolph in 1962 after working with him for over 12 years. She was born in South Carolina in 1904, the daughter of a country doctor and farmer, Marvin Lamar Parler, and a local historian, writer, and teacher, Josie Platt Parler. A Chaucer scholar she move to Arkansas in 1948 and launched the Arkansas Folklore Research Project through her Arkansas Folklore courses at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. From 1949-1965, Parler, her research assistants, who included Max Hunter and students made 3,640 audio folklore and folksong recordings.
The Two Sisters- Sung by Mrs. Pearl Brewer; Pocahontas, Arkansas; August 28, 1958
There was an old woman lived on the sea shore,
Bow down,
There was an old woman lived on the sea shore,
Lord, have mercy on me,
There was an old woman lived on the sea shore
She had some daughters, two or more.
Saying, I'll be true to my lover,
My love'll be true to me.
He gave to her a ten gold ring,
Bow down,
He gave to her a ten gold ring,
Lord, have mercy on me,
He gave to her a ten gold ring,
And he didn't give the older one a thing.
Saying, I'll be true to my lover,
My love'll be true to me.
Sister, O Sister, let's walk the sea shore.
Bow down,
Sister, 0 Sister, let's walk the sea shore.
Lord, have mercy on me,
Sister, O Sister, let's walk the sea shore
And see the ships as they pass o'er.
Saying, I'll be true to my lover,
My love'll be true to me.
As they went walking along the stream,
Bow down,
As they went walking along the stream,
Lord, have mercy on me,
As they went walking along the stream
The older one pushed the younger in,
Saying, I'll be true to my lover,
My love'll be true to me.
Sister, O Sister, just lend me your hand,
Bow down,
Sister, O Sister, just lend me your hand,
Lord, have mercy on me,
Sister, O Sister, just lend me your hand,
And I'll will to you my house and land.
Saying, I'll be true to my lover,
My love'll be true to me.
She went on swimming like a swan,
Bow down,
She went on swimming like a swan,
Lord, have mercy on me,
She went on swimming like a swan,
And swum to the gates of the miller's pond.
Saying, I'll be true to ray lover,
My love'll be true to me.
The miller threw out his grab bow,
Bow down,
The miller threw out his grab bow,
Lord, have mercy on me,
The miller threw out his grab bow
And got poor Kate on shore once more
Saying, I'll be true to my lover,
My love'll be true to me.
She gave to him her ten gold ring,
Bow down,
She gave to him her ten gold ring,
Lord, have mercy on me,
She gave to him her ten gold ring
And he pushed her back in the brook again
Saying, I'll be true to my lover,
My love'll be true to me.