The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #68287   Message #1167540
Posted By: Joe Offer
21-Apr-04 - 11:04 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: charles ingenthron's twa sisters
Subject: ADD Version: The Old Man in the Old Country
Hi, Roberto - I'm going to cheat and use Randolph's transcription. The recording is really scratchy, but I guess I could agree with Randolph's "scarf" in the second verse. You have most of it correct, but I'm going to post the entire transcription and tune from the book.
If you have any other songs from this CD that you'd like transcribed, let me know. My scanner does a better job than our ears can do.
-Joe Offer-


The Old Man in the Old Country

There was an old man in the old country
Most gentily,
There was an old man in the old country
And he had daughters one, two, three
Oh dear me

There was a young scarf went a-courting there,
Most gentily,
There was a young scarf went a-courting there,
And he courted the younger of the fair,
Oh dear me.

He bought for the younger a fine gold ring,
Most gentily,
He bought for the younger a fine gold ring,
And for the older not one thing,
Oh dear me.

He bought for the younger a beavers hat,
Most gentily,
He bought for the younger a beavers hat
And the older she got mad at that,
Oh dear me.

Oh sister, will you take a walk with me?
Most gentily,
Oh sister, will you take a walk with me?
And we will see the greenwood tree,
Oh dear me.

As they went crossing the salt sea brim,
Most gentily,
As they went crossing the salt sea brim
The older shoved the younger in,
Oh dear me.

Oh sister, will you reach me down your hand?
Most gentily,
Oh sister, will you reach me down your hand,
And you may have my house and land,
Oh dear me.

I will not reach you down my hand,
Most gentily,
I will not reach you down my hand
And I will not have your house and land,
Oh dear me.

Oh sister, will you reach me down your glove?
Most gentily,
Oh sister, will you reach me down your glove,
And you may have my own true love,
Oh dear me.

I will not reach you down my glove,
Most gentily,
I will not reach you down my glove,
And I will not have your own true love,
Oh dear me.

As she went a-floating down the mill pond,
Most gentily,
As she went a-floating down the mill pond,
The miller he took her to be a swan,
Oh dear me.

The miller throwed out his hook and line,
Most gentily,
The miller throwed out his hook and line
And caught her in the dress so fine,
Oh dear me.

The miller was hung in his own mill gate,
Most gentily,
The miller was hung in his own mill gate,
For the drowning of my sister Kate,
Oh dear me.

Sung by Mr. Charles Ingerthron, Walnut Shade, Missouri, Sept. 4, 1941. He learned this song in Taney County, Missouri, about 1890.

from Vance Randolph's Ozark Folksongs, #4E (The Miller's Daughters).

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