She went upstairs to make her bed
And not one word to her mother said.
Her mother she went upstairs too
Saying, "Daughter, oh daughter, what's troublin' you?"
"Oh mother, oh mother, I cannot tell
That railroad boy that I love so well.
He courted me my life away
And now at home will no longer stay."
"There is a place in yonder town
Where my love goes and he sits him down.
And he takes that strange girl on his knee
And he tells to her what he won't tell me."
Her father he came home from work
Sayin', "Where is my daughter, she seems so hurt"
He went upstairs to give her hope
An' he found her hangin' by a rope.
He took his knife and he cut her down
And on her bosom these words he found:
"Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
Put a marble stone at my head and feet,
And on my breast, put a snow white dove
To warn the world that I died of love."
-Joan Baez & Dylan
Thursday, April 9, 2009
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For Mary.
This is a terrific song,one of my favorite Appalachian ballads though I know the song better as "The Butcher's Boy". To me the best version is by Buell Kazee from the 1920's.Here an interesting post re Kazee and the song.
ReplyDeletehttp://oldweirdamerica.wordpress.com/category/6-the-butchers-boy-by-buell-kazee/
thanks so much! i just downloaded that version and i am loving it.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome:). Lots of great music on that site. The Harry Smith Anthology is remarkable. I remember being astounded the first time I heard it.
ReplyDelete