| Author | Topic: Add: East Virginia | |
| dmcg | Posted - 12 Jun 05 - 12:37 pm | |
I was born in East Virginia, North Car'lina I did go, There I courted a pretty young woman, And her age I did not know. Her hair was of some brightsome colour, Her cheeks were of a rosy red, On her breat she wore white lilies, Many a tear for her I've shed. In my heart you are my darlin', At my door you're welcome in, At my gate, I'll always meet you, If your love I could only win. When I'm asleep I'm dreaming of you, When I'm awake I see no rest, Moments seem to me like hours, With achin' pains all acrost my breast. I'd rather be in some dark holler, Where the sun refuse to shine, Than to see you another man's darlin', And to know you'll never be mine. When I am dead and in my coffin, With my pale face towards the sun, You can come and see me darlin', See the deed that you have done. Source: Alan Lomax, The Penguin Book of American Folk Songs, Penguin, 1964 Notes: Comments on the Notation: Alan Lomax directed that this "may be sung in close harmony, Southern Mountain style." For that reason I had provided the full notation he gave. Alan Lomax also wrote:
Edited By dmcg - 12-Jun-2005 12:47:05 PM | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 12 Jun 05 - 03:02 pm | |
"The East Virginia Blues" : Carter Family (Issued: July 1941) [audio] is at Honkingduck. | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 13 Jun 05 - 10:53 am | |
Thanks Masato. Loved it. I'll have to see if I can get myself some Carter family stuff. We used to do East Virginia Blues in the Llandudno Folk Club quite a bit but I don't remember any but the first verse and "I don't want your green back dollar.." which doesn't exist in the ones given here. Perhaps it was close to this version that I have found at bluegrass lyrics.com listed as being performed by the Stanley Brothers: I was born in East Virginia North Carolina I did go There I courted a fair young maiden But her age I did not know Oh her hair was dark and curly And her cheeks were rosy red On her breast she wore a lilly Where I longed to lay my head Molly dear, go ask your mother If you my bride might ever be If she says no, come back and tell me And I'll run away with thee No I'll not go ask my mother Where she lies on her bed of rest In her hand she holds a dagger To kill the man that I love best The ocean's deep and I can't wade it And I have no wings to fly I'll just get some blue-eyed boatman For to row me o'er the tide I'll go back to East Virginia North Carolina ain't my home I'll go back to East Virginia Leave old North Carolina alone I don't want your green back dollar I don't want your watch and chain All I want is you my darling Say you'll take me back again For you know I'd like to see you At my door you're welcome in At my gate I'll always greet you For you're the girl I tried to win | ||
| Mr Happy | Posted - 14 Jun 05 - 01:11 am | |
I was born in East Virginia North Carolina I did go There I met the fairest maiden Her name, her age I did not know Her hair it was a light brown colour Her cheeks they were a ruby red On her breast she wore white lilies There I longed to lay my head Courtin' birds don't know my sorrow Courtin' birds don't know my pain For when they've courted one another Then they'll fly away again I don't want your green back dollar I don't want your watch and chain All I want is you my darling Say you'll take me back again From singing of 'The Black Diamonds' circa 1968 | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 14 Jun 05 - 02:01 am | |
Who were they, and where did they get it? | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 14 Jun 05 - 03:14 am | |
From Digital Library of Appalachia (to listen, click on Click here to display item): (1) "East Virginia Blues," sung by Roy Swayney [rec. 1979; short exerpt] (2) "East Virginia Blues," sung by Ray Hicks [rec. 1978; short exerpt] (3) "East Virginia Blues," sung by Lily May Ledford From the Max Hunter Collection: (4) "East Virginia," sung by Betty Lou Copeland [rec. 1969] (5) "East Virginia," sung by Ollie Gilbert [rec. 1971] | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 14 Jun 05 - 09:39 am | |
I've tried a google for Black Diamonds but had no joy. While here, I suppose I might as well give a link for the Stanley Brothers I mentioned. | ||
| Michael Morris | Posted - 14 Jun 05 - 05:05 pm | |
This variant from the Todd-Sonkin collection / Voices From the Dust Bowl is very close to the Lomax version, with some odd lyrical phrases reflecting the oral tradition: "Last Virginia"; "But her name I did not know" EAST VIRGINIA BLUES Wayne Dinwiddie Visalia, 1941 I was born in Last Virginia To North Carolina I did go Fell in love with a fair young maiden But her name I did not know. Now her hair were dark and curly And her cheeks were rosy red And on her breast she wore white lilies Where I longed to lay my head. In my heart you are my darling At my door yore welcome in At my gate I'll always greet you Yore the girl I tried to win. Now I'd rather be in some dark hollow Where the sun don't ever shine Than for you to be another man's darlin' When I know you'll never be mine. Edited By Michael Morris - 14-Jun-2005 05:20:00 PM | ||
| Mr Happy | Posted - 14 Jun 05 - 11:53 pm | |
could be 'last' is a typo? | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 15 Jun 05 - 12:44 am | |
Seems to be. Listen to it at Voices from the Dust Bowl the Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection, 1940-1941. | ||
| Michael Morris | Posted - 15 Jun 05 - 05:23 am | |
I listened to it again, and I think you're both correct. And I suppose it's quite likely Dinwiddie learned the song from a recording or radio broadcast. | ||