I just had to add what I know of these two songs when I saw this thread. "Wayfaring Stranger" has a lot of versions, one of which we sang called "Canaan's Land" which has similar lyrics and tune. Those lyrics, as near as I can recall, are:
"Farewell my friends, I'm bound for Canaan. I'm traveling through the wilderness. Your company has been delightful, I will not leave my soul distressed.
I go away, behind to leave you Perhaps never to meet again. But if we never have the pleasure, I hope we meet in Canaan's Land."
This is usually sung in round.
The other one, "Julie Anne" was one of the songs my grandfather used to play (he played fiddle and banjo) with his brothers. It was one of their standards. Here are the lyrics they sang:
"The shady side of sunny mountain That's the place it all began. There once lived the fairest maiden, And her name was Julie Anne.
Now Julie's beau was tall and handsome Just a poor boy with treasures few, Still he promised rings of silver, For to prove his love was true.
"Wake me early in the morning Ere the birds begin to sing I'll fetch silver from the mountain And I'll fashion thee a ring"
(chorus) Have you seen her in the moonlight, Silver rings upon her hands Now she wears a crown of sorrow, And her name is Julie Anne.
Off he rode across the mountain When the fields were damp with dew But instead he went around them And a courting, a courting Jenny Lou.
The cabin door was standin' open On that wild and lonesome night And the hound dog he lay dyin' In the gloomy firelight.
(chorus) Have you seen her in the moonlight, Silver rings upon her hands Now she wears a crown of sorrow, And her name is Julie Anne.
They found her shattered empty rifle And the shawl she used to wear, But they never found his Julie And they never found, they never found the hungry bear!
(chorus) Have you seen her in the moonlight, Silver rings upon her hand? Now she wears a crown of sorrow And her name, and her name is Julianne.
These lyrics are nearly identical to the ones posted by Alice earlier in the thread, and it was done by The New Christy Minstrels in the early 60's. I think the album was "Tall Tales" or something. My Papa used to sing us this song when we were just little - and sang them to my mother before that. She remembers it back to the 50's. As to how far back it originally goes, Papa was singing it long ago when he was a young man in Kentucky, but we have no idea when it started. My mother said he made up a couple of verses to fill in the story, and she is going to look around for them. If I find them, I will post them here. Thanks, Laura