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28 Aug 05 - 11:32 AM (#1551563) Subject: Lyr Add: WIFE OF USHER'S WELL (#79, Hedy West) From: Roberto The Wife of Usher's Well Hedy West, Old Times & Hard Times, Topic 12T117, 1965. Hedy wrote: "This is basically the version that Nancy Perdue of Fairfax, Virginia, learned from her mother-in-law, Eva Samples, born in 1906 near Carrolton, Georgia. I've combined this variant with a similar one from my grandmother." I can't get a couple of words, and I'm not sure of another two or three. Please, help. Thank you. R There was a woman and she lived alone And babies, she had three She sent them away to the North Countrie To learn their grammarie They'd not been gone but a very short time Scarcely six weeks to the day When death, cold death, spread through the land And swept them babes away She prayed to the Lord in Heaven above Wearing a starry crown: Oh send to me my three little babes Tonight or in the morning soon It was very close to Christmas time The night was long and cold And the very next morning, at the break of day Them babies come a-running home She set the table for them to eat Upon it spread bread and wine: Come eat, come drink, my three little babes Come eat, come drink of mine Oh mother, we cannot eat your bread Neither can we drink your wine For the morrow morning at the break of day Our Saviour must rejine (?) She made the bed in the back--- (??) room Upon it she spread a sheet Upon the top a golden (?) spread For to help them babes asleep Rise up, rise up – said the eldest one Rise up, rise up – said she (!?) For the morrow morning at the break of day Our Saviour must we see Cold clods of clay roll o'er our heads Green grass grows on our feet And our sweet tears, my mother dear Will wet our winding sheet |
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28 Aug 05 - 01:54 PM (#1551647) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hedy West's Wife of Usher's Well #79 From: Q (Frank Staplin) Suggestions from other versions may help (or not)- -Our Saviour must rejine: "To our Saviour we must resign" (in Bronson) "For the Lord is waiting for us now, And we must go and join" (in Morris, from Florida) back--- room: She spread a bed in the backside room (version in Sharp, etc.) in the backmost room- (a version in Cox) all in the back room- (version in Morris, Folksongs of Florida) golden spread: probably correct, since golden spread is used in the Cox text and golden sheet is used in others. The 'Rise up' verse is found in the Folksongs of Florida (learned in Georgia) and another collected in Florida: 1. "Rise up, rise up," said the oldest one; "Rise up all on your feet; For our Savior is standing, calling for us, And we must go and join. 2. "Rise up, rise up," said the oldest one, Rise up and let us in, For our savior is ...." 3. "Rise up, rise up," said the eldest one, Rise up all in a line..." |
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28 Aug 05 - 02:09 PM (#1551664) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hedy West's Wife of Usher's Well #79 From: Roberto I intend jine as join. I would have written rejoin, but I've seen another transcription from an american version that had "jine", that is closer to what is sung, so I've opted for rejine. Backmost room is what Hedy sings. Than k you, Q. R |
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28 Aug 05 - 04:43 PM (#1551743) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hedy West's Wife of Usher's Well #79 From: Le Scaramouche Anyone have a MIDI of the tune, because looking at the words the one used by Carthy for Broomfield Hill keeps popping to mind. |
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28 Aug 05 - 06:21 PM (#1551791) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hedy West's Wife of Usher's Well #79 From: OldPossum This is what I hear: (verse 6): Our Saviour must rejine. (That is how I hear it too. I think "rejine" is fine, to imitate the pronounciation.) (verse 7): She made the bed in the back-a-most room [...] Upon the top a golden spread (I hear "golden" too.) (verse 8): Rise up, rise up, said she (That is what I hear, too.) (verse 9): [...] [...] And thy sweet tears, my mother dear [...] Hope this helps. |
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29 Aug 05 - 02:15 AM (#1551985) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hedy West's Wife of Usher's Well #79 From: Roberto Thank you very much OldPossum, I think now we got it. R |
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08 Nov 11 - 02:23 PM (#3252966) Subject: the wife of ushers well hedy west From: The Sandman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZBDZn73m8E&feature=related just curious any ideas what banjo tuning she is using?is it dgcd |
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08 Nov 11 - 06:41 PM (#3253145) Subject: RE: the wife of ushers well hedy west From: Tradsinger Without checking what key it is in and whether she capoed it up, I guess it is DGCD (sawmill), Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbri9Nfjcr8. Tradsinger |