Caroline and I love Hally Wood's singing of this song on either her Elektra 10 inch LP Oh Lovely Appearance of Death or her Stinson record, also a 10 inch LP, Texas Folksongs. Great singing! Unaccompanied.

I collected a splendid version from William Harrison Burnett in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1963. He had learned it from a fellow migrant apple picker, if memory serves, decades before. I'll have to check my field recording for more complete information, but I want to do that anyway, since I plan to use his singing of it on my next Ballads and Songs of Tradition CD.

I would assume it is a "trad." number, but be careful about duplicating anyone's popular arrangement, which is surely held by the Animals (was it?) or Leadbelly, or their respective publishing companies. You might be able to prove that the song is older and p.d., but I'm afraid the arrangement is not.

Sandy