The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #11768 Message #973889
Posted By: Joe Offer
28-Jun-03 - 01:58 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Red River Shore / New River Shore
Subject: DTADD: New River Shore
Here's "New River Shore." It's quite different from the Red River version, but it's easy to see that they're the same song. Note that rich R has another version of "New River shore" hidden above (click). -Joe Offer-
THE NEW RIVER SHORE
1 At the foot of yonders mountain Where the tide ebbs and flows, Where the red roses are budding And the pleasant winds blow,
2 'Tis there I spied the girl That I do adore As she was a-walking On the New River shore.
3 I stept away to her; I says, 'Will you marry me? 'My portion is too small, sir.' 'No matter,' said he.
4 'Your beauty does please nie And I ask nothing more. And will you go with me From the New River shore?'
5 So when her old father These words came to hear He said, 'I will deprive you Of your dearest dear.
6 'I will send him away Where the loud cannon roar, And will leave you lamenting On the New River shore.'
7 He raised for him an army Of sixty and four To fight her old father On the New River shore.
8 He drew out his sword And he waved it around Till twenty and four Lay dead on the ground
9 And the rest of tile number Lay bleeding in gore, And he gained his own true love On the New River shore.
10 Now Pollie is married; She lives at her ease, She goes when she wants to, Comes back when she pleases.
11 Now Pollie is married, She lives in renown; She is the grandest lady In Baltimore town.
'New River Shore.' Reported by L. W. Anderson as collected by Delma Haywood from Mrs. Sallie Meekins of Colington, Albemarle Sound.
from the Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore, Volume II In this message (click), Jean Ritchie says she recalls hearing a song called "New River Shore" sung to something like the tune of "Slane" (Be Thou My Vision). Here's the tune from the Frank C. Brown Collection. Can't say it works for me, but I can't figure how "Slane" would work, either.