Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry: Friends and Neighbors (Virginia's Alders) DESCRIPTION: The singer reports, "Friends and neighbors, I am now going to leave you..." He says that, despite what people think, it is not for any wrongdoing. He simply wants to go home to "the handsome young girl I left behind" among Virginia's alders
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1982 (Cazden, Haufrecht, Studer)
KEYWORDS: love separation rambling farewell
FOUND IN: US(MA)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
FSCatskills 35, "Friends and Neighbors" (1 text, 1 tune)
ST FSC035 (Partial)
Roud #4603
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Virginia's Alders
NOTES [53 words]: This song is sung to the shape note hymn "Nettleton" (one of several settings for "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"). Cazden et al report that it has only been collected twice: From their informant George Edwards, and from a recording of another Catskills singer, Frank Edwards, who may have been related to George. - RBW
File: FSC035
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FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS (Virginia's Alders)
(DT Lyrics)
Friends and neighbors, I am now going to leave you;
I have no doubt that you think it is strange.
But God be pleased, I never have robbed;
Neither have I done any wrong.
Oh, some may think it's for some bad action,
Some may think it's for something wrong.
While others may say, a different notion
Happened to run across my mind.
Once I courted a pretty fair maid,
And well I knew that she did love me.
But nature's cries, so all undaunted,
Caused me to cross the raging seas.
I courted her both late and early;
I courted her by night and day.
But all I earned, so fast I spent it --
Free and easy I'll jog away.
I'm going down to the Susquehana;
There I'll stop, but I will not stay.
Down at Kill's Ferry I will cross over;
To Virginia's Alders I'll mend my way.
When I arrive at Virginia's Alders,
There I'll stop and I'll stay a while,
Until I hear from my friends and neighbors
And the handsome girl I left behind. | (DT Lyrics - corrected)
Friends and neighbors, I am now going to leave you;
I have no doubt that you think it is strange.
But God be pleased, I never have robbed;
Neither have I done any wrong.
Oh, some may think it's for some bad action,
And some may think it's for something wrong.
While others may think, a different notion
Happened to run across my mind.
Once I courted a pretty fair maid,
And well I knew that she did love me.
But nature's cries, so long undaunted,
Call me across the raging sea.
I courted her both late and early;
I courted her by night and day.
But all I earned, so fast I spent it --
Free and easy I'll jog away.
I'll go down into the Susquehanna;
And there I'll stop, but I will not stay.
Down in Kill's Ferry I will cross over;
To Virginia's Alders I'll bend my way.
When I arrive in Virginia's Alders,
It's there I'll stop and I'll stay a while,
Until I hear from my friends and neighbors
And the handsome young girl I left behind. |
Recorded by Lisa Null with Bill Shute on "American Primitive" and
Sara Grey & Ellie Ellis on "Making the Air Resound." Printed in
Cazden, Haufrecht, and Studer's "Folk Songs of the Catskills," and
in Cazden's "Abelard Song Book," from which both of the recorded
versions derive. The song was collected from George Edwards; the
tune is the shape note melody "Nettleton." RW
@home @rambling
filename[ FRNDNBOR
TUNE FILE: FRNDNBOR
CLICK TO PLAY
RW
This seems to be a transcription of the recording by by Bill Shute and Lisa Null on American Primitive. I see some problems with the lyrics above. I'm sure "I'll mend my way" is not right - sounds like "bend my way" to me. Also, I think "so all undaunted" is "so long undaunted." I transcribed the Null-Shute version and posted it above, to the right of the Digital Tradition lyrics. My corrections are in italics.
Also recorded by Sally Rogers on We'll Pass Them On.
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sj