G'day Folks,
Thanks for the interest. I had this discussion pointed out to me recently and decided to reply.
The verse starting:- "When Cobb and Co ran coaches.....in Peter Cape's original handwritten text this is the 1st verse and I've sung it that way ever since.
It doesn't bother me that this verse telegraphs anything about the song, in fact I feel it enhances the story line, because once her death is established at the start, you then start looking for how or why she died - which, as in so many classic ballads of course never happens....leaving the listener or reader to use their own imagination.
That's just one of the many reasons why I liked it so much and set it to music. I might add there are a couple more changes to Peter's handwritten text in the version given in "AN ORDINARY JOKER" but that's another story.
As Bob says "whatever works for you is fine."
Cheers
Phil Garland
www.philgarland.co.nz