Waxwell Girl- Roxie Phillips (AR) 1958 Hunter C
[From Missouri State; Max Hunter Folk Song Collection; Cat. #0268 (MFH #670). Minor editing. A minor melody is sung - unusual. Also a recording in Ozark Folk Songs.
Listen: https://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=0268
http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/684/rec/27
R. Matteson 2016]
Waxwell Girl- As sung by Mrs. Roxie Phillips, Berryville, Arkansas on November 4, 1958
VERSE 1
It was in the town of Nero
Where I did live an' dwell;
It was in the town of Waxwell
I owned a flour mill.
VERSE 2
I fell in love with a Waxwell girl
With dark an' rolling eyes,
I asked her to marry me
And yes, she did reply.
VERSE 3
Into her sisters house we went
The wedding to provide;
I asked her to walk with me
Down by the river side.
VERSE 4
We traveled over hill an' valley
Till we came to level ground
I picked up a gambrel[1] stick
An' knocked the fair maid down
VERSE 5
She fell upon her bended knees,
Have mercy, she did cry
O, Johnny dear, don't murder me
I'm not prepared to die.
VERSE 6
He gave no heed, to the words she said
But tapped her more and more
Until the ground all around her
Was covered with bloody gore[2]
VERSE 7
He dragged her by the yellow locks
He dragged her on the ground
He dragged her by the river side
And plunged her in to drown
VERSE 8
Lie there, lie there, you Waxwell girl
Lie there, lie there, he cried;
Lie there, lie there, you Waxwell girl
To you, I'll never be tied.
VERSE 9
It was twelve o'clock or afterwards
When I got home that night
My mother was sitting there
All in an awful fright.
VERSE 10
"O, Johnny dear, where have you been
There's blood upon your clothes?"
The only answer I could give
Been bleeding at the nose.
VERSE 11
She handed me a napkin
To wrap my aching head
She handed me a candle
That lighted me to bed.
VERSE 12
Th flames of hell, shown 'round me
The Waxwell girl all about
Her sister swore, that it was I
Who took her sister out.
VERSE 13
So, early next morning
Th Waxwell girl was found.
A floating down the river
That runs through Waxwell town
VERSE 14
They took me on suspicion
They marched me down to jail
No one to go my security
No one to go my bail.
VERSE 15
Come all you, young people
Take warning here, by me
Don't murder your true lover
It'll be a cruelty.
VERSE 16
It'll bother you, it'll bother you
Until the day you die,
And then they will hang you
Upon the scaffold high.
1. possibly for "edgewood" at least that's one standard
2. has "moor" which is wrong.
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http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/OzarkFolkSong/id/684/rec/26
Collected by Max Hunter (H-13) For Mary C. Parler Transcribed by Frances Majors Sung by Mrs. Roxie Phillips of Berryville, Arkansas on November 4, 1958 Reel 259 , Item 2
The Waxwell Girl
It was in the town of Nero
Where I did live and dwell;
It was in the town of Waxwell
I owned a flour mill.
I fell in love with a Waxwell girl
With dark and rolling eyes;
I asked her to marry me
And "Yes" she did reply.
Into her sister's house we went,
The wedding to provide;
I asked her to walk with me
Down by the river side.
Me traveled over hill and valley
Till we came to level ground;
I picked up a gambrel stick
And knocked the fair maid down.
She fell upon her bended knees,
"Have mercy!" she did cry.
"Oh, Johnny, dear, don't murder me,
I'm not prepared to die."
He gave no heed to the words she said
But tapped her more and more,
Until the ground all around her
Was covered with bloody more.
He dragged her by the yellow locks;
He dragged her on the ground;
He dragged her by the river side
And plunged her in to drown.
Lie there, lie there, you Waxwell girl,
Lie there, lie there, he cried;
Lie there, lie there, you Waxwell girl,
To you, I'll never be tied.
It was twelve o'clock or afterwards
When I got home that night;
My mother was sitting there
All in an awful fright.
Oh, Johnny dear, where have you been?
There's blood upon your clothes.
The only answer I could give
Was bleeding at the nose.
She handed me a napkin
To wrap my aching head;
She handed me a candle
That lighted me to bed.
The flames of hell shown round me,
The Maxwell girl about;
Her sister swore that it was I
That took her sister out.
So early next morning
The Waxwell girl was found,
A-floating down the river
That runs through Waxwell town.
They took me on suspicion,
They marched me down to jail.
No one to go my security,
No one to go my bail.
Come all you young people,
Take warning here by me;
Don't murder your true lover,
It'll be a cruelty.
It'll bother you, it'll bother you
Until the day you die;
And then they will hang you
Upon the scaffold high.
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