Lyr Add: Squire McCallian/Old Oak Tree

Subject: Lyr Add: Squire McCallian "a sad song"..
From: GUEST,NEWFIEGIRL
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 08:38 AM

*Squire McCallian*

Dark was the night, cold blew the wind
Next came down was the rain
When Betsy left her mothers house
Never to return again
When Betsy left her mothers house
She feared not rain nor cold
But she did not tell her mother
It was love that made her bold

Her mother raising from her bed
Crying mournfully wild
Saying I'll search this whole world over
Untill I find my child
Up hills, down hills, her mother went
................................
.......
For three long days and nights
But with no sign of her Betsy
She then layed down and died


The hounds began to did around
.............................
..........
was Squire McCallian ..............
he was crying through grief and shame
.........................
On the handle of the knife
was Squire McCallian's name
.............................................

The knife I ate my dinner with
I plunged it in her breast
With my staff I knocked her down
I need not tell the rest
And where he fell they burried him
A dismel sight to see
No Cleargy found to bless the ground
Beneath the old oak tree.

Can anyone please help fill in the lyrics to this song

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Squire McCallian
From: MMario
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 08:56 AM

I had no luck finding this with google.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Squire McCallian
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 01:29 PM

It's a song usually called The Old Oak Tree (Roud 569, Laws P37) and seems to have started out as an Irish broadside piece (there are two editions listed at the Bodleian collection, but images aren't online at the moment). You don't say where you heard it, but presumably in Newfoundland? There's a set in Peacock's Songs of the Newfoundland Outports which is fairly close to yours; I'll post it later on if that would be helpful.

Meanwhile, there is a set in the DT: OLD OAK TREE, "from Doerflinger", but with no other information. According to the Roud index, the text came from a Captain Fred Haines of Freeport, Nova Scotia, and the tune from Greenleaf and Mansfield's Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland. It's not so close to yours as the Peacock version, though.

Subject: Lyr Add: The Old Oak Tree
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 07:54 PM

THE OLD OAK TREE

(Noted by Kenneth Peacock from Mike Kent, Cape Broyle, Newfoundland: July 1951)

Dark was the night, cold blew the wind, and fast came down the rain,
When Betsy left her own true home ne'er to return again;
She left her father's dwelling house, she feared no wet or cold,
For she was young and fond of fun, 'twas love that made her bold.

At ten o'clock that very night beneath the old oak tree,
She promised James her own true love that with him she would be;
She did not fear the drenching rain, the tempest's threatening pour,
She threw her cloak around her neck and walked quickly from the door.

The night passed on and morning rose and Betsy came not home,
It grieved her parents more and more to know where she was gone.
Her mother arose, put on her clothes, and cried in actions wild:
"This country I will travel through to find my darling child."

For three long weary weeks she spent in searching this country 'round,
At length it proved to no avail for Betsy was not found;
And for to reach her lonely home so saddened with her trial,
And pressed with grief she then knelt down and broken-hearted died.

It was three weeks later the owner of this ground,
When Squire McCallion he went to search with all his hounds;
O'er hills, down dales they quickly rode with gallant company,
At length by chance they spied a fox down by the old oak tree.

The hounds began to sniff and snort and then to tear the clay,
'Twas more than all those whips could do to drive those hounds away.
The gentlemen then all gathered 'round and called for pick and spade;
They dug the ground and there they found that murdered missing maid.

The grave did show its horrid works, that was a shocking sight
To see the worms eat through her eyes that once was shining bright;
And in her side a knife was found to my sad grief and shame,
And on the knife this gentleman read Squire McCallion's name.

"I done the deed," McCallion cried, "my soul is food for hell,
Oh hide that cold corpse from my eyes and I the truth will tell;
It's true I've loved young Betsy the same as I did my life,
A thousand times I've told her that I'd make her my wife.

"And as she pleaded on her knees these words were said to me,
The devil whispered, "take her life and then you will go free";
The knife I cut my dinner with I plunged it through her breast,
'Twas with my staff I knocked her down, I need not tell the rest.

"And from that dreadful hour to this she appears before my eyes,
I think I sees her bleeding ghost and hears her dying cries."
He drew a pistol from his belt and he fired it through his breast;
Right where he fell they buried him no Christian grave had he,
For none was found to bless the ground down by the old oak tree.

Kenneth Peacock, 1965. Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, vol.2 p.628. Ottawa, National Museum of Canada.


Tune to follow.

Subject: Tune Add: The Old Oak Tree
From: GUEST,Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 04:33 PM

And now the tune.

X:1
T:The Old Oak Tree
S:Mike Kent, Cape Broyle, Newfoundland: July 1951
B:Kenneth Peacock, 1965. Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, vol.2 p.628.
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
M:4/4
K:C
C2|D3 E (^FE) D2|c3 c (BA) (AG)|(EG) E2 D3 C|D6
w:Dark was the night,_ cold blew the wind,_ and_ fast_ came down the rain,
A2|d3 d e2 d2|c2 (BA) (AG) E2|D3 E ^F2 G2|A6
w:When Bet-sy left her own true_ home_ ne'er to re-turn a-gain;
(3ABc)|d3 d e2 d2|c2 (BA) (AG) E2|D3 E ^F2 G2|A6
w:She__ left her fa-ther's dwel-ling_ house,_ she feared no wet or cold,
C2|D3 D (ED) C2|D3 D c2 (cB)|A2 (GE) D3 C|D6|]
w:For she was young_ and fond of fun, 'twas_ love that_ made her bold.

ABC format can be converted to midi or staff notation at Concertina.net's ABC Convertamatic.

Just copy the code above and paste it into their conversion window, remembering to remove any blank spaces that appear at the beginnings of lines.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Squire McCallian
From: MMario
Date: 21 Nov 02 - 04:41 PM

Thanks Malcolm!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Squire McCallian
From: GUEST,Newfiegirl
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 07:22 PM

thanks for helping me with the song "The Old Oak Tree" actually I'm searching old songs that my parents ,grandparents , greats , and their friends liked to sing at friend and family gatherings, the song the Old Oak Tree was one my grandfather, and I believe my greatgrandfather liked to sing...
I'm hoping mabie to hear from you again, to help in my search for more songs. take care and god bless....Newfiegirl..

Subject: Lyr Add: BENEATH THE OLD OAK TREE (Betsy)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 08:45 PM

"Beneath the old oak tree" [two textual and one melodic song transcriptions] (Alternate title: Betsy) is at California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties. The first version (MP3 recording, sung by Warde Ford, unaccompanied vocals. Recorded by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Central Valley, California on December 25, 1938) is:

BENEATH THE OLD OAK TREE (Betsy)

O dark and stormy was the night and fast did fall the rain
When Betsy left her own dear home not to return again.
She left her widowed mother's side, not fearing storm or cold,
For she was young and fair to view; but love had made her bold,
And unto James, her own true love, she'd promised for to be
That very night at ten o'clock beneath the old oak tree.
The night passed by, the morning came, and Betsy was not home;
And much it grieved her friend to know where this far maid did roam.
The days passed by, she came not home. Her mother, nearly wild,
[Said]: "I'll hunt this kingdom over, but I'll find my darling child."
The days went by for most a month, and Betsy was not found,
Until one day the Squire went out to hunt with all his hounds.
And up the hill and down the dale went the galliant company,
Until by chance the fox was lost beneath the old oak tree.
The hounds stopped there and [scrached?] the ground, and loudly they did bay,

And neither whip nor sharp command could drive those dogs away.
The brave young men they gathered round, they called for pick and spade,
And there they dug, and there they found the dead and missing maid.
And who it was that did the deed, the truth seemed very plain,
For O, the dagger in her heart bore James McCulloch's name.
I did the deed, the villain cried. The truth I will explain,
For in an evil moment I had ruined Betsy's fame.
She persevered, I tired grew, and as it seemed to me,
The devil whispered: Take her life then you will be free.
For mercy now I do notask; you see my guilt is plain.
He drew a pistol from his belt and fired it through his brain.
They buried him right where he fell; no Christian grave got he,
And none there were to bless the ground beneath the old oak tree.

~Masato