The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #54759   Message #862544
Posted By: MMario
09-Jan-03 - 09:47 AM
Thread Name: Songs of the Sailor and Lumberman
Subject: Lyr Add: JACK HAGGERTY / THE FLAT RIVER GIRL
There are already three examples of this in the DT (Flat River Girl, Jack Haggerty, Jack Haggerty (2)) but from the text this appears to be different enough to at least mention:

JACK HAGGERTY /THE FLAT RIVER GIRL
(from the singing of Willis Norrad)
(Doerflinger - 'Songs of the Sailor and Lumberman' - pp245-246)

My occupation is river man, as you may well know,
My name is engraved on the rocks down below,
Over hills and rocky mountains I'm very well known.
they call me Jack Jaggerty, I'm the pride of the town.

I worked on the river by night and by day,
Till a blacksmith's pretty daughter my heart stole away,
She was neat, tall and handsome by a bright pearly stream,
And my thought were with Annie; She haunted my dreams.

So I worked on the river till I earned a large stake,
I was steadfast and loyal, I ne'er played a rake,
For my thoughts were of Annie by the Flat River side,
and I always intended to make her my bride.

But one day on the river a letter I received,
Telling me from her promises she herself would relieve.
She would wed with another a long time delayed,
And the next time I'd see her she would not be a maid.

On her mother, Jane Tucker, I lay all the blame.
she's the cause of my ruin and all my ill fame.
She cut loose the rigging that god would soon tie
and left me to wander till the day that I die.

Note: Doerflinger gives the fifth verse set to the tune, no variations listed.