Lyr Req: lee monroe presnell's two sisters (#10)

Subject: Lyr Req: lee monroe presnell's two sisters (#10)
From: Roberto
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 03:53 AM

THE TWO SISTERS THAT LOVED ONE MAN
sung by LEE MONROE PRESNELL, on Nothing Seems Better To Me, The Warner Collection volume II, Appleseedd Recordings APR CD 1036, ballad recorded in 1951.

I have many problems with this one. Please, help me. Thanks. R

There was two sisters that loved one man
Jennie (?) flower gem (?) and rosemary
And the youngest of them he loved best
And the jury hangs over the rosemary

O sister, sister, walk with me
Walk with me to the miller's pond

O the oldest pushed the youngest in
... the water was...

O sister, sister, reach me your hand
You may have ... (half?) ... land

O sister, sister, I won't reach my hand
I will have all of the land

O sister, sister, reach me your glove
You may have sweet William for your own true love

O sister, sister, I won't reach my hand
I will have sweet William for my own true love

O she floated around and she floated down
She floated down to the miller's pond

O miller, miller, come and see
There is some (big?) .. a floated by ...

O it is not a fish or(?) it is not a swan
It is .......

Subject: Lyr Add: THE TWO SISTERS THAT LOVED ONE MAN
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 12:42 PM

Roberto,

That is a great cd! Conveniently, that song's transcribed in the Warners' book, Traditional American Folk Songs from the Anne and Frank Warner Collection (Syracuse University Press, 1984).

~ Becky in Tucson


THE TWO SISTERS THAT LOVED ONE MAN
as sung by Lee Monroe Presnell, 1951
Beech Mountain, North Carolina

That was two sisters that loved one man,
Jinny flower jen, a rosemary.
And the youngest of them he loved best,
And the jury hangs over the rosemary.

O Sister, Sister, walk with me,
Walk with me to the miller's pond.

Oh, the oldest pushed the youngest in,
And they all perceived that the water was clear,


O Sister, Sister, reach me your hand,
You may have half of all the land,

O Sister, Sister, I won't reach my hand,
I will have all of the lands,

O Sister, Sister, reach me your glove,
You may have sweet William for your own true love,

O Sister, Sister, I wont' reach my glove,
I will have sweet William for my own true love,

Oh, she floated around and she floated down,
She floated down to the miller's pond,

O miller, miller, come and see,
There is something here a-floating by me,

Oh, it isn't a fish or it isn't a swan,
It is sweet William's own true love,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lee monroe presnell's two sisters (#10)
From: Roberto
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 01:51 PM

Becky, I do thank you. R

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lee monroe presnell's two sisters (#1
From: Nerd
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 04:34 PM

I wouldn't think the Warner's decipherment any better than your own, Roberto, of the Jenny Flower Jen line. They were just transcribing it as they heard it.

LMP's version may go back to the archaic "juniper gentian and rosemary" herbal refrain, or at least to its more modern counterpart, "Jennifer Gentle and Rosemary." It is a great version of this ballad!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lee monroe presnell's two sisters (#1
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 10:22 PM

They were transcribing it as they heard it, but they had the advantage of conversation with the singer... I think what they heard (and wrote) was what was sung, which is an interesting garblement of a line that's already various in its manifestations.

~ B in T

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lee monroe presnell's two sisters (#10)
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 11:10 PM

That is a wonderful book. The background information given is at least as important as the songs themselves. If you don't have that book, you would be doing yourself a huge favor to pick it up quick.

Enjoy.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lee monroe presnell's two sisters (#10)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 22 Nov 04 - 03:10 AM

Unfortunately, it's out of print and hard to find. I asked Jeff Warner about it earlier this year; there's certainly a chance of a re-issue, but nothing concrete last I heard. I hope that it does re-appear; it's well worth having.