Lyr Req: Lincoln lye do oh - the Weaver's Wife

Subject: Lyr Req: Lincoln lye di oh - the Weaver's Wife
From: jody
Date: 15 Oct 03 - 01:49 AM

Long ago I was browsing a book of songs from Vermont, perhaps a WPA effort published in the '30's with a fragment of a song. Just the first verse and chorus, But I remember it well, and the modal tune too. Does anyone know more of this?

There was a Major lived in York
Who the weaver's wife loved dearly
From her lodging she would go
For to court him late and early

Lie low Lincoln lie di oh
Lie low Lincoln lay

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lincoln lye do oh - the Weaver's Wife
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Oct 03 - 03:13 AM

The book was Helen Hartness Flanders and George Brown, Vermont Folk-Songs & Ballads, 1931. The song is classified by Laws as Q10, by Roud as 1005; it doesn't appear to have been found outside the USA. There is a Georgia set (without tune) in the DT:

The Weaver had a Wife.

Entry at  The Traditional Ballad Index:

The Major and the Weaver

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lincoln lye do oh - the Weaver's Wife
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Oct 03 - 07:50 AM

Only one verse was recorded in Flanders and Brown.

X:1
T:LIE LOW
M:4/4
L:1/4
B:Flanders & Brown, Vermont Folk-Songs & Ballads, 1931, p. 91
S:Mr. Paul Lorette, September 24, 1930
K:F
F|G c c c|B A G E/ F/|G c c c|
w:There was a ma-jor lived in York and the wea-ver's wife loved
B2 F2|G c c c|B A G E/ F/|G G F D|
w:dear-ly. From his lod-gings he did go for to seek her late and
C2 D D|B,2 D F|F B B B|G2 F D|C3|]
w:earl-ly. Lie low Lin-coln li-dee-o Lie low Lin-coln lay.