Waxford Girl- Pearl Brewer (AR) 1958 Parler R
[Ozark Folk Song Collection- online; Reel 295, Item 7. Collected and transcribed by Mary Celestia Parler.
Listen: http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/1336/rec/22
The first two stanzas are not part of the ballad tradition.
R. Matteson 2106]
The Waxford Girl- Sung by Mrs. Pearl Brewer Pocahontas, Arkansas August 28, 1958
There was a wealthy merchant
In Waxford Town did dwell,
He had a lovely daughter
No human could excel.
I loved this pretty fair maiden
Far better than my life,
But for some reason
She would not be my wife.
Hand in hand we walked along
Till we came to the level ground,
I drew a stick all on her
And knocked this fair miss down.
She fell upon her bending knees,
For mercy's sake did cry,
O Willie, do not murder me here,
For I'm not prepared to die.
I took her by her long yeller hair
And sling[1] her round and around,
I threw her in the river
That run through Waxfort Town.
I went into my mother's room
At ten o'clock that night,
I woke my aged mother
All in a terrible fright.
Son, O Son, what have you done?
[How] came that blood stain on your clothes?
The answer that I gave her
Was bleeding at my nose.
I called for a candle
To light my way to bed;
The thoughts of murderin' my own true love
Come rolling through my head.
I rolled and I tumbled,
No comfort could I find,
The gates of Hell wide open
Before my eyes did shine.
'Twas eight or ten days later
This fair miss she was found,
Floating down the river
That run through Waxford Town.
Now I am arrested,
Locked up in Waxford Jail,
No one for to pity me,
No one to go my bail.
1. had "siting"