I guess it might be a good idea to post the Traditional Ballad Index entries for "Man of Constant Sorrow" and "Girl of Constant Sorrow."
-Joe Offer-

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Man of Constant Sorrow

DESCRIPTION: "I am a man of constant sorrow, I have been troubled all my days, I'll bid farewell to old Kentucky, The place where I was born and raised." Singer describes his hard, rambling life, and bids farewell to his lover, country, and friends.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1913 (Richard Burnett's songbook)
KEYWORDS: loneliness farewell rambling train lament lyric hobo
FOUND IN: US(Ap,SE)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
SharpAp 167, "In Old Virginny" (4 texts, 4 tunes, with the "C" text being this song; "A" and "B" are "East Virginia (Dark Hollow)" and D is a collection of floaters)
Shellans, pp. 26-27, "Constant Sorrow" (1 text, 1 tune, beginning with "Man of Constant Sorrow" but with most of "Fair and Tender Ladies" grafted on at the end)
Cohen/Seeger/Wood, p. 113, "Man of Constant Sorrow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Darling-NAS, p. 260, "Man of Constant Sorrow" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 57, "Man of Constant Sorrow" (1 text)
DT, CONSTSOR* CONSTSR3*
Roud #499
RECORDINGS:
Emry Arthur, "Man of Constant Sorrow" (Paramount 3289, 1931; on ConstSor1); "I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow" (Vocalion 5208, 1928)
Roscoe Holcomb, "Man of Constant Sorrow" (on Holcomb-Ward1)
Frank Proffitt, "Man of Constant Sorrow" (on FProffitt01)
The Stanley Brothers, "I'm A Man of Constant Sorrow" (Columbia 20816, 1951)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Girl of Constant Sorrow" (structure, tune)
SAME TUNE:
Girl of Constant Sorrow (File: FSWB128B)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow
Farewell Song
NOTES: The words of this song have the curious characteristic of sounding like floating verses, even though they are not. - PJS
Although Emry Arthur claims to have composed this piece, a significantly different version was found in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1957. One suspects that, when Arthur claimed authorship, he meant (as many other old-time singers meant) that he put it in shape for collection.
In later years, Richard Burnett was asked about the song. He himself could not remember, at that time, if he had composed it, or copied it, or -- perhaps most likely -- adapted it from something traditional. - RBW
Last updated in version 3.6
File: CSW113

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Girl of Constant Sorrow

DESCRIPTION: Singer tells of leaving her mother (now dead) and her home in Kentucky so that her children could be fed. She then describes the coal miners' poor food, homes and clothing; she is sure "if there's a heaven/That the miners will be there"
AUTHOR: Words: Sara Ogan Gunning / tune "Man of Constant Sorrow" (Emry Arthur?)
EARLIEST DATE: before 1950 (recording by author)
KEYWORDS: separation mining hardtimes poverty family worker derivative
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Greenway-AFP, pp. 1168-169, "I Am a Girl of Constant Sorrow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 128, "Girl of Constant Sorrow" (1 text)
DT, CONSTSR2*
Roud #499
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Man of Constant Sorrow" (structure, tune)
NOTES: Although the source lists a copyright date of 1965, I'm certain [this] was recorded on a Library of Congress field recording in the 1930s or 1940s. - PJS
File: FSWB128B

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