The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #35233   Message #770546
Posted By: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
23-Aug-02 - 08:40 PM
Thread Name: Help: Age of 'East Virginia'?
Subject: Lyr Add: THE UNTRUE LOVER (Drowsy Sleeper)
Turtle Old Man, the inventiveness of the ballad singer is abundantly evident from the many versions of these songs. Here is another from Randolph:

Lyr. Add: THE UNTRUE LOVER (Drowsy Sleeper)

Oh who is this at my bedroom window?
Oh who is this a-botherin' me?
'Tis I, 'tis i your own true lover,
Awake, arise an' let me in.

Awake, arise and ask your father,
Go ask him if you my bride can be.
Oh no, I can not ask my father
For he is on his bed of rest.

Oh love, arise an' ask your mother,
Go ask her if you my bride can be.
Oh no, I will not ask my mother,
For your true love I can never be.

Farewell, farewell, my untrue lover,
For the very last time I will bother thee,
For if you loved me, you would foller
Far, far acrost the deep blue sea.

For days then how her heart did flutter,
With grief when she thought of the deep blue sea,
She cried my lover's gone a-sailin',
So far, so far away from me.

She goes down to the deep blue water,
And sends her thoughts o'er the briny sea,
She plunged into its fathomless bosom,
Sayin' here I take my final sleep.

Miss Leone Duvall, MO, 1923. Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, vol. 1, pp. 245-246 (The Drowsy Sleeper, # 52B).

No music given, but similar to that of "The Drowsy Sleeper" from Miss Ollie Murray, in Randolph, posted previously. Several I have posted have music; I will email to anyone wanting a copy.