One of the stranger Carter Family songs is "St. Regious Girl." It raises some questions.

1. Where is St. "Regious"? There is a St. Regis River in NY state. I could find no Regious, and no other such listing, in the atlas or on the web. Did Carter mishear and misspell "Regis"? Or could there be a tiny "St. Regious" in southwestern VA or nearby that does not appear on the maps?

2. Is the song, with its bereft-by imprisonment theme, about an actual person or occurrence? Anyone have any insight into A.P. Carter's source, if any, or what spurred him to write this?

3. There are some questionable words here; my copy is not a very clear one. Can anyone help me iron them out?

Bob

ST. REGIOUS GIRL

In a   pine-shaded grave by the river,
Where the nightingale sings soft and low,   
All alone lies the St. Regious maiden,   
Who['d a-?] sang this sad song years ago.

Nevermore will my heart fill with gladness,
As I [stole?] through the forest again,
For the prison has taken my lover,
That's why my poor heart's full of pain.

When in prison you're dying from sorrow,
I hope you'll remember the day,
When together we [sinned?] in this valley,
And the vows that we said on this quay.

Oh if I could but burn down that prison,
To steal you away for a while,
They could carry me off to the gallows,
And I'd go to my doom with a smile,

When the moon is high in the heavens,
And the mountain's [adream?] in its light,
How often I'll dream of you, sweetheart,
As I mourn there alone in the night.

There will be a green grave in the forest,
And people when passing that way
Will think of the St. Regious maiden
As she lies there alone in the clay.

A shadow has crossed o'er this valley
Where once only sometimes it [reigned?],
But wherever life's pathway may lead you
I shall ever remember our dream.

In the future someday I will meet you,
On the bright shore so far from this world,
And there before God I will greet you,
That's the dream of the St. Regious girl.A