The verses given are expurgated. The song first appeared in "The New First Music Reader," Boston, 1889. The following is a folk version

SWEET LITTLE BIRDIE
(from Vance Randolph)

There came to my window one morning in spring,
A sweet little birdie, it came there to sing,
The song that it sang was sweeter by far,
Then ever was played on a flute or guitar.

Tra la la la, Tra la la la la,
Tra la la la la la.

As soon as he had finished his sweet little song,
A cruel young man with a gun came along,
He killed and he carried my sweet bird away,
No more will he sing at the break of the day.

Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, vol. 4, p. 410, No. 880, sung by Mrs. Olga Trail, Arkansas, 1941, 'learned from her father, .... about 1915."
With sheet music.

In the Traditional Ballad Index cufresno, the author is listed as George J. Webb (?).

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From Joe Offer:
Only one entry in the Traditional Ballad Index, under "The Little Girl and the Robin."

Little Girl and the Robin, The

DESCRIPTION: "There came to my window one morning in spring A sweet little robin that started to sing" "As soon as he had finished his... song A cruel young man with a gun came along. He killed... my sweet bird... No more will he sing at the break of the day"
AUTHOR: George J. Webb ?
EARLIEST DATE: 1889 (New First Music Reader)
KEYWORDS: bird death hunting music
FOUND IN: US(MW,So)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Randolph 880, "The Sweet Little Birdie" (2 fragments, 1 tune)
Randolph/Cohen-OzarkFolksongs-Abridged, pp. 538-539, "The Sweet Little Birdie" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 880A)
Roud #7545
NOTES [63 words]: If this were a traditional song, I'm sure folklorists would be all over it looking for a hidden meaning. Even though it seems to be composed, I suspect there is an additional meaning -- but I can't see what it is.
Roud seemingly lumps this with "Come, Birdie, Come," but they are certainly separate; apart from everythig else, "Come, Birdie Come" lacks the death of the bird. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.3
File: R880

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