"The origins of this song ["East Virginia Blues"] can be traced back to seventeenth century England. One of the first Southern Mounatin recordings of it was Clarence Ashley's "Dark Holler Blues," Columbia 15489 (149250), ca. 1928, which was sung with 5-string banjo. The melody and accompaniment were modal--neither in a major nor a minor key. Ashley later sang virtually the same tune and a similar text to the accompaniment of guitar and bluesy mouth-harp on "East Virginia Blues" (Ashley and Foster, Voc. 02576). About this time, the Carter Family recorded the song entirely in major and in two-part harmony (Bb B-5650). Later in the 1930s, the song developed into the very popular "Greenback Dollar," "The Answer to Greenback Dollar," etc." (Cohen et al., The New Lost City Ramblers Song Book, Oak, 1964, p. 43). What's the 17th-century English version?

Here's The Carter Family's "The East Virginia Blues" (1941) (Realaudio) from Honkingduck. Buell Kazee's "EAST VIRGINIA" (1927) is on Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music (Click here for supplemental notes). Ashley's "Dark Holler Blues" is on V.A., Rose Grew Around The Briar [sound clip].

~Masato