I wondered where this song came from. I never quite liked Glen Yarbrough, and his is the only voice I can recall singing it - but I kinda guessed it came from Oscar Brand. The Traditional Ballad Index says I'm right - partially. Now, I wonder if we can find the original. In American Favorite Ballads, Pete Seeger says Oscar Brand translated it from an old Pennsylvania Dutch song. Brand's book says the tune is from an old nursery rhyme - his tune sounds like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to me. Seeger's version of the tune has evolved a bit, and Yarbrough changed it even more. Brand and Seeger agree on the lyrics.
-Joe Offer-
Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:
When I First Came To This Land
DESCRIPTION: Immigrant comes to the USA, gets a shack, cow, duck, wife and son, and sings about them in a cumulative fashion: "Called my wife 'Run for your life'; called my duck, 'Out of luck'", etc.
AUTHOR: Words translated by Oscar Brand from Pennsylvania Dutch song
EARLIEST DATE: 1957 (Oscar Brand, "Our Singing Holidays")
KEYWORDS: animal cumulative emigration farming marriage nonballad
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (3 citations):
PSeeger-AFB, p. 13, "When I First Came to this Land" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 120 "When I First Came To This Land" (1 text)
DT, FIRSTCAM
Roud #16813
RECORDINGS:
Pete Seeger, "When I First Came to This Land" (on PeteSeeger24)
Notes: This should not be confused with the traditional "When First To This Country." - PJS
File: PSAFB013Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Bibiography
Go to the DiscographyThe Ballad Index Copyright 2009 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.
The lyrics in the Digital Tradition are quite similar to the Brand lyrics. Here are the lyrics for the last verse from Brand's Singing Holidays (1957):
When I first came to this land
I was not a wealthy man
Then I got myself a son-
I did what I could
I told my son: "My work's done."
I called my wife, Run-for-your-life
I called my duck, Out-of-luck
I called my horse, Lame-of-course
I called my cow, No-milk-now
I called my shack, Break-my-back
For the land was sweet and good
I did what I could.Click to play Oscar Brand tune
Click to play Pete Seeger tune