I went on a hike last weekend, and saw TWO snakes on the trail. They were gopher snakes, but they still made me nervous. I mean, if it's good weather for gopher snakes, isn't it good weather for rattlesnakes?


ON SPRINGFIELD MOUNTAIN

On Springfield Mountain there did dwell
A lovely (love-lie) youth, I knowed him well.

REFRAIN
Ray goo too day-noo-ay, Ray too di-noo-ay, Too di nay hoo-i too di noo.

This lovely youth one day did go.
Down to the meadow for to mow.
(repeat refrain)

He scarce had mowed half round the field
When an ug-lye serpent bit his heel.

They took him home to Mol-lye dear
Which made her feel so ve-rye queer.

Now Mol-lye had two ruby lips
With which the pizen she did sip.

But Mol-lye had a rotten tooth
And so the poison killed them booth.

Source: The Burl Ives Song Book (Ballantine Books, 1953), pages 72-73. The second verse is on a Burl Ives recording, but not in the book.

The tune is so close to the first version in the Digital Tradition that I seen no reason to transcribe it from the Burl Ives book.

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Hey, take a listen to the tune for DT Version 4 of this song - it sounds almost like "Old Hundredth" (Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow). Has anybody actually heard this sung to "Old Hundredth"? [note that this version is from Gale Huntington's "Whalemen" book, and is not very closely connected to the other "Springfield Mountain" songs.]

-Joe-