I've borrowed through Interlibrary Loan a little (and little-known) booklet by Fred High of High, Arkansas, called "Old, Old Folk Songs." He published it himself around 1947. It contains just the words of 73 songs of all kinds known to High and his family - most of them obscure and highly sentimental: "one song for each of my years here on earth."

"Old, Old Folk Songs" is notable as the only printed document of any length that I've ever seen that has undergone no proofreading whatsoever. In terms of spelling, punctuation, spacing, etc., what follows is 100% typical of High's 53-page booklet.

From p. 10:

                      WILLIE CAME OVER THE OCEAN

Willie came over the main wide Ocean
And Willie came over the Sea
And Willie come to my fathers household come
Come a corting home with me, me, me
He followed me up he folled me down he folled
me far and near, i had not time to tell him
To stay or go no time to tell him to stay or go estate
Go get 1/2 of your fathers and part of yours
Mothers fee and 2 of your fathers best horses and
Married we will B. B. B. & married we will B
She got 1/2 of her fathers estate and part of her
Mothers fee . . & marched rightn to the barn-doore
Tuck choice among 30 & 3 for there was 30 & eight
She mounted on the snow-white beast & Willie the
Dapple gray . . & they rode till they come to the
Salty-water sea at the lingth of a long of a
Summer day-day-day
Go light you down my pretty Polly go light
U down said he for six kind daughters Ive drounded
Here and the seventh you will be-be-be
Go pull-off that silkin dress that is made of
Silk so fine for it is to fine & costly to lye
And rot in the Sea-sea-sea
Go turn your Face all around & turn you back
On me . . . And think what ashame & a scandal it
Would B for A-necked woman ti see-see-see
He turned him self all around & about & turned
His banc on to me . . . I grabed him around the
Slim long wast & tosed him in to the deep blue sea
Reach down reach down your hands for me . .
Fir six kind daughters ive dronded here the
Seventh U wont Be-be-be & the seventh U wont B
Lye there th lye there youl cruel hearted fellow
Lye there in the place of me . . . for six kind
Daughters uve drownded here & the seventh U will B
She mounted on the snow white beast & leading
The dapple-gray until she come to her
Fathers house two long hours before it was day
Where have you ben my pretty Polye where have U
Ben says he . . . Ive ben with the richest man in
The state & drowned him in the sea-sea-.sea

                                       Sister Succie Brisco