US & Canada Versions 7O. Must I Go Bound?
[In North America the "Must I Go Bound" titles with the "gift" stanzas found in the broadsides "Complaining Maid," "The Complaining Lover- A New Song" (ca. 1795, Madden Ballads) and the Scottish "The Belt Wi' Colours Three" are not found. Instead in North America, the variants of the "Must I Go Bound" stanza are sometimes attached to versions of "Died for Love" and their extended family. The principle Died for Love versions that have the Must I Go Bound stanza are My Blue Eyed Boy and Butcher Boy.
One of the oldest "Must I Go Bound" stanzas in North America is sometimes attached to Died for Love family member, Butcher Boy. Versions of the Butcher Boy were brought to North America probably during the colonial period. The following example of the common US stanza added to "Butcher Boy" is found in Jane Hicks Gentry's archaic variant collected in 1916 by Cecil Sharp:
Must I go bound, must I go free,
Must I love a young man that won't love me?
O no, O no, that never shall be,
Till apples grow on an orange tree.
In Butcher Boy the added "Must I Go Bound?" stanza sometimes has this variation: "Shall I be young (bound), shall I be free." The ending is usually the same as the UK variants "Till an orange grows on an apple tree." Here's the first verse of a Died for Love song related to "There is a Tavern"[1]:
Grieve, Oh Grieve- Sung by Sam Hinton of Texas in 1966 he learned it from his mother when he was a boy.
Oh grieve, oh grieve, my true love grieve;
Must I love someone that don't love me?
Must I go bound while you go free
And love somebody that don't love me?
Hinton's version has also been titled, "I Must Go Bound." I assume he changed the first line. See Newport Folk Festival, 1963, and The Evening Concerts vol. 1, 1964, Vanguard.
7F, "My Blue Eyed Boy," is a member of the extended Died for Love song family and most US versions have the added "Must I Go Bound?" stanza. The UK variants of the Blue Eyed Boy family, "My love he is but a sailor boy (Sailor Boy)" and "Willow Tree" do not have the "Must I Go Bound?" stanza. Here's a typical US "Blue Eyed Boy" version from Carl Sandburg's "American Song Bag":
Go Bring Back my Blue-Eyed Boy- sung by Frances Ries Batavia, Ohio, before 1927.
1. Go bring me back my blue-eyed boy,
Go bring my darling back to me,
Go bring me back the one I love,
And happy will I ever be.
2 Must I go bound while he goes free?
Must I love a man that don't love me?
Or must I act some childish part,
And die for the one that broke my heart?
The common "Must I Go Bound?" stanza in Blue Eyed Boy is the same as the one found in "The Unfortunate Swain," c. 1750. However, there are variations. Here the stanza as sung by Riley Puckett in 1929[2]:
Must I go bound and you go free?
Must I go bound and you go free?
No, no, no, that never shall be
That love like that shall conquer me.
In his short 1952 booklet, "Old, Old Folk Songs," on p.10 Fred High gives this short song:
A Girls Lover- sung by Sister Succie Brisco
"My love is like a little bird
that flies From tree unto tree,
And when you are with a fairer maid
Do you ever think of me?
Must I go bound and you go free?
Must I love a man that won't love me,
And would I act a childish part,
Marry a man that would almost break my heart."
This fragment from "Blue-Eyed Boy" is missing the identifying stanza. In "The Blue Eyed Boy" the "Must I Go Bound?" stanza is usually present. Since the "Must I Go Bound?" stanza is held in common with The Unfortunate Swain, it therefore will be found in some derivatives of The Unfortunate Swain. These derivatives, made up of the Unfortunate Swain's floating stanzas, are sometimes titled after the opening line of first stanza (for example, "Down in Yon Meadow"). These ballads, which may have the "Must I Go Bound?" stanza, include the titles "Deep in Love," "Down In Yon Meadows," and "Prickly Rose." Since The Unfortunate Swain is also related to versions of "Waly, Waly" and "Water is Wide" they may also have the "Must I Go Bound" stanza. One first extant US version with the "Must I Go Bound" stanza and "The Unfortunate Swain" opening was a fragment of a play-party song collected before the Civil War in the US South published in the article "The Gin-Around" in 1874[3]:
All of them pretty girls a marching away;" and which was soon exchanged for one which ran thus:—
"As I walked out, one morning In May,
A gathering flowers (I looked so gay).
The prettiest little girl I ever did see
Come a-walking along by the side of me.
"Shall I go bound, or shall I go free?
Shall Hove a pretty girl that don't love met
No, no, no! it never shall be
That ever love shall conquer me!"
This was corroborated by a version collected by Cecil Sharp in Virginia in 1918 which proves a few additional lines:
GATHERING FLOWERS. (Play Game) Sung by Fanny Coffey of white Rock Virginia on May 8, 1918. [Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) (CJS2/9/3045)]
As I walked out one morning in May,
Gathering flowers fresh and gay,
Gathering flowers pink and blue,
So little did I think what love would do.
The prettiest girl I ever did see
Come walking down by the side of me.
Must I go bound, must I go free,
Must I love a pretty girl that don't love me?
No, O no, it never can be,
Love can never conquer me.
I won't go bound. I will go free,
I won't love a pretty girl that don't love me.
My rambling days are over and passed,
And I've got a pretty little wife at last.
She was the one that once said No,
But now she says Yes, and it shall be so.
This play-party song is not a version of Must I Go Bound but shows how the stanza was used in North America. Another example of the stanza collected by Sharp in 1916 is found in his MS[4]:
"Once I Acted A Childish Part" sung by Napoleon Buonaparte Chisholm of Woodridge, Virginia in 1916
Once I acted a childish part,
Loved a girl will break my heart,
Must I go bound, must I go free,
And love the pretty girl that don't love me.
This single stanza may have been from the same play-party version found above. An arrangement sung by Canadian Buffy Sainte-Marie on her 1965 Taken from "Many A Mile" album on Vanguard Records uses the stanzas from Unfortunate Swain:
Must I Go Bound
CHORUS: Must I go bound and you so free?
Must I love one who doesn't love me?
Must I be born with so little art
As to love the one who would break my heart?
I put my finger to a bush
I thought I'd find a lovely flower,
The thorn it pierced me to the touch
And so I left the rose behind.
I leaned my back up against some oak,
I thought it was a trusty tree
But first it bended and then it broke
And so did my false love to me.
CHORUS:
There is a ship that sails the sea
It's loaded down as deep can be
But not so deep as the love I am in
I know not 'ere I sink or swim.
Oh love be gentle and love be kind
Gay as a jewel when first it's new
But love grows old and then grows cold
And fades away like morning dew
CHORUS: Must I go bound and you so free?
Must I love one who doesn't love me?
Must I be born with so little art
As to love the one who would break my heart?
Her version, sung in a minor key, appears to be a remake of Hughes with added stanzas floating stanzas from other sources like Pete Seeger's "The Water Is Wide." The stanzas appear to be intentionally reworded.
Only a single version[5] from North America title can rightfully be called a traditional "Must I Go Bound" titled song and it was originally titled "Must I Go Bonds." It was collected by Fauset in Nova Scotia before 1931.
Must I Go Bonds [Bound] - sung by Peter Dyer (Colored. Born in Barcelona, Spain. Aged about 55). Came to the United States at an early age, and settled in Nova Scotia about 20 years ago. Retired grocer, Yarmouth.
Must I go bonds, must I go free,
Must I love a man that don't love me?
And must I act the childish part,
To marry a man that'll break my heart?
1. Last night my lover promised me
That he would take me across the deep blue sea.
But now he's gone an' left me alone,
I'm an orphan girl without any home.
Must I go bonds, must I go free,
Must I love a man that don't love me?
And must I act the childish part,
To marry a man that'll break my heart?
2. There was a place in London town
Where my true love sat himself down.
He takes another girl on his knee,
And tells to her what he won't tell me.
Must I go bonds, must I go free,
Must I love a man that don't love me?
And must I act the childish part,
To marry a man that'll break my heart?
"Must I go bonds(bound)" is the chorus. The first stanza is found in some Died for Love variants, 7A Sailor Boy, 7F "My Blue Eyed Boy," and 7Ua, "Young Ladies (Little Sparrow)." The second stanza is common to many of the core Died for Love songs including Alehouse, Brisk Young Lover, I Wish I Wish and Butcher Boy.
* * * *
The "Must I Go Bound" stanza is common as an added stanza in Blue Eyed Boy, and Butcher Boy. The stanza has been found in a play-party song "Gathering Flowers" which is related to The Unfortunate Swain broadside. It's appearance in North America is dated with the Butcher boy-- back to the 1700s. Only one version from North America (Nova Scotia) bears the "Must I Go Bound" title[6] and its title is a corruption.
R. Matteson 2017]
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Footnotes:
1. From Hinton's 1966 Folkways recording "The Wandering Folk Song."
2. "Bring Back My Blue Eyed Boy," sung by Arthur Tanner, banjo and Riley Puckett, guitar, April 12, 1929 recording Columbia 15577-D.
3. “The Gin-Around” and was published in Godey's Lady's Book and Ladies' American Magazine in 1874 by J.B.S. The play-party was held at the “overseer's house” across a field from J. B. S.'s family home.
4. Single stanza with music from Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) (CJS2/10/3520).
5. Bascom Lamar Lunsford sings a version of a song called "Must I Go Bound" (LC 1784 A3). This could be a missing version but I've not been able to get a copy- yet. I suspect it's a version of My Blue Eyed Boy.
6. There are recordings, like Susan Reed's 1954 recording, but they are based on existing versions. Reed's recording is taken from Herbert Hughes' version in "Irish Country Songs," Volume I, 1909. Listen also to Shirley Collins " Must I Go Bound?" on her 1964 Collector EP "Shirley Sings Irish."
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CONTENTS:
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[I know where I'm going [sound recording] / Dorothy Olsen.
Must I go bound.
Camden, N.J. : RCA Victor, [1958]
Must I Go Bound Susan Reed [‘54/‘61, Susan Reed Sings Old Airs Elektra EKL-126], Milt Okun & Ellen Stekert [‘56, Traditional American Love Songs Riverside RLP 12-634] apparently based on Irish version
Must I go Bound?
Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. (statement of responsibility)
- Singer from Asheville, N.C.
- AFS 01784 A03 (AFS Number) NYC 1935
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Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) (CJS2/10/3520)
"Once I Acted A Childish Part" sung by Napoleon Buonaparte Chisholm of Woodridge, Virginia in 1916
First Line: Once I acted a childish part,
Loved a girl will break my heart,
Must I go bound, must i go free,
And love the pretty girl that don't love me
Performer: Chisholm, N.B. [ ]
Date: 23 Sep 1916
Place: USA : :
Collector: Sharp, Cecil J.
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From: Folklore from Nova Scotia collected by Arthur Huff Fauset (1899-1983), New York : American Folk-Lore Society: G.E. Stechert and Co., Agents, 1931.
[Must I Go Bound] (Variant.1) - sung by Peter Dyer. Colored. Born in Barcelona, Spain. Aged about 55. Came to the United States at an early age, and settled in Nova Scotia about 20 years ago. Retired grocer, Yarmouth.
Must I go bonds[bound], must I go free,
Must I love a man that don't love me?
And must I act the childish part,
To marry a man that'll break my heart?
Last night my lover promised me
That he would take me across the deep blue sea.
But now he's gone an' left me alone,
I'm an orphan girl without any home.
Must I go bonds[1], must I go free,
Must I love a man that don't love me?
And must I act the childish part,
To marry a man that'll break my heart?
There was a place in London town
Where my true love sat himself down.
He takes another girl on his knee,
And tells to her what he won't tell me.
Must I go bonds[1], must I go free,
Must I love a man that don't love me?
And must I act the childish part,
To marry a man that'll break my heart?
1. bound
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"Must I Go Bound" has two entries in the index of Randolph's Ozark Folksongs
(The Butcher Boy - tune is NOTHING similar to Saint-Marie's)
Vol. I, "British Ballads" p. 230 under "Butcher Boy" #45, variation G, Mr. J.C. Wasson, Elm Springs, Ark, Dec. 22, 1941, sings the final stanza thus:
Must I go bound while he goes free?
Must I love the boy that don't love me?
Alas, alas, it will nevr be
Till oranges grows on apple trees.
variation H, A manuscript copy from Mrs. Arlie Feeman, Natural Dam, Ark, Jan 4, 1942 makes the same verse read:
Must I go bound while he goes free?
Must I love a boy that won't love me?
I laugh, I laugh, it will never be
Till oranges grow on apple trees.
Vol. I p. 227 , fourth stanza variation B: Some additional stanza supplied by Mrs. Violet Savory Justis, Clinton, Mo., July 1, 1928:
Must I be bound while he goes free?
Must I love a man that don't love me?
Or must I act a foolish part
An' die for man that's broke my heart?
HOWEVER, in Randolph's Vol IV, "Religious Songs and other Items" p. 260-262, # 759, the tune is virtually identical to the one used by Saint-Marie (two notes different) and is noted as My Blue-Eyed Boy
Version A: Sung by Mrs. Elizabeth Brayman, Springfield, Mo., July 5 1933. Mrs. Brayman learned the song from her sister at Eureka Springs, Ark., about 1900.
Shall I go bound, shall I go free?
Shall I love a man that don't love me?
Or shall I act a childish part
An' love the man that broke my heart?
Version B: Sung by Mrs. W.E. Jones, Pineville, Mo., Feb. 14, 1928.
Must I go bound while he goes free,
Must I love him when he don't love me?
An'must I act a childish part
To love him when he broke my heart?
"Cox (Folk-Songs of the South 1925, p. 87 lists this as one of the songs intowhich the "shoe my foot" stanzas of "The Lass of Roch Royal" (Child 76) are often introduced. A very similar pieces is reported by Sanburg, (American Songbag 1927, p. 324) under the title "Go Bring Me Back My Blue-Eyed Boy." See also the "Blue-Eyed Boy" songs collected in Missouri by Belden (Ballads and Songs, 1940, pp 478-480."
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In 1954 American American Folk singer Susan Reed recorded a short song called "Must I Go Bound" for her 10-inch LP Old Airs From Ireland, Scotland and England (Elektra EKL 26).
Must I go bound and you go free,
Must I love a lad who doesn't love me,
Must I be born with a so little heart,
As to love a one would break my heart.
I put my finger into the bush,
To pluck a rose as fair as thyme,
The thorn it pierced me at a touch,
And so I left the rose behind.
Must I go bound and you go free,
Must I love a lad who doesn't love me,
Must I be born with a so little heart,
As to love a one would break my heart.
In fact this is a edited version of the two-verse fragment of "The Unfortunate Swain" collected by Herbert Hughes and published as "Must I Go Bound?" in his Irish Country Songs (Vol. 1, 1909, pp. 68-9). In Hughes' text the "childish part" was missing. Instead there was a rather strange line: "Was e'er I taught so poor a wit". Here it was replaced with another line of somehow dubious quality. In 1965 Buffy St. Marie recorded a much longer version of "Must I Go Bound" (at the moment available at YouTube) for her LP Many A Mile:
Must I go bound and you so free
Must I love one who doesn't love me
Must I be born with so little art
As to love a one would break my heart
I put my finger into the bush
I thought I'd find a lovely flower
The thorn it pierced me to a touch
And so I left the rose behind
I leaned my back up against some oak
I thought it was a trusty tree
But first it bended and then it broke
And so did my false love to me
Must I go bound and you so free
Must I love one who doesn't love me
Must I be born with so little art
As to love a one would break my heart
There is a ship that's sails the sea
It's loaded down as deep can be
But not so deep as the love I'm in
I know not there if I sink or swim
Oh love be gentle and love be kind
Gay as a jewel when first it is new
But love grows old and then grows cold
And fades away like the morning dew
Must I go bound and you so free
Must I love one who doesn't love me
Must I be born with so little art
As to love a one would break my heart.
This version has been supplemented with some verses from Pete Seeger's "The Water Is Wide". That means that the fragment collected by Mr. Hughes in Ireland was completed with some of the missing parts from just the right song.