The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #35233   Message #769687
Posted By: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
22-Aug-02 - 12:29 PM
Thread Name: Help: Age of 'East Virginia'?
Subject: RE: Help: Age of 'East Virginia'?
There are five more "Drowsy Sleeper" versions from Missouri and Arkansas in Vance Randolph's Ozark Folksongs, vol. 1. I will put them here or email if there is interest. He also has several versions of "Silver Dagger."

Thhere are others, also "Silver Dagger," in Brown, but I only have the fragments given with the music in vol. 4.

In two versions of "Silver Dagger" collected by Cox (Folk-Songs From The South) from West Virginia, the maid stabs herself first, then the youth uses the bloody dagger on himself. Both read like old broadsheet emissions.

Cox also gives two versions of "The Drowsy Sleeper," In one, the sleeper is called on to "Rouse up, rouse up," and in the last verse:
Down in the meadow there lies a sharp arrow;
I'll draw it across my peaceful breast;
It will cut off all love and sorrow,
And send my peaceful soul to rest.