Hi,

Thanks for the responses Lighter and Steve.

Rashie Moor variants are part of the Waly/Waly" songs and come from different broadsides including: "A New Love Song" "Maid's Complaint" "Picking Lilies" Here one of about a dozen I've looked at. Occassionally a stanza will float over- but not usually.

"The Unfortunate Swain" From: The Merry Songster. Being a collection of songs, Printed and sold in Aldermary Church Yard, Bow Lane, London, [1770?], ESTC T39283, available at ECCO.

Down in a Meadow both fair and gay,
Plucking a Flowers the other day,
Plucking a Flower both red and blue,
I little thought what Love could do.

Where Love's planted there it grow,
It buds and blows much like any Rose;
And has so sweet and pleasant smell,
No Flower on Earth can it excell.

Must I be bound and she be free?
Must I love one that loves not me?
Why should I act such a childish Part
To love a Girl that will break my Heart.

There's thousand thousands in room,
My true love carries the highest Bloom,
Sure she is some chosen one,
I will have her, or I'll have none.

I spy'd a Ship sailing on the Deep,
She sail'd as deep as she could swim;
But not so deep as in Love I am,
I care not whether I sink or swim.

I set my Back against an oak,
I thought it had been a Tree;
But first it bent and then it broke,
So did my false Love to me.

I put my Hand into a Bush,
Thinking the sweetest Rose to find,
l prick'd my Finger to the Bone,
And left the sweetest Rose behind.

If Roses are such prickly Flowers,
They should be gather'd while they're green,
And he that loves an unkind Lover,
I'm sure he strives against the stream.

When my love is dead and at her rest,
I'll think of her whom I love best
I'll wrap her up in Linnen strong,
And think on her when she's dead and gone.   

I do have a few versions of Rashie Moor titled "Will ye Gang Love" that have more "Died in love" stanzas but they appear to be modern.

I believe the Grieg versions with "Till an apple grows on an orange tree" date mid-1800s at least. Having an "orange tree" in an ancient Scottish ballad is a bit bizarre.

That's why I live in Florida:) in the 80s and sunny

Richie