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Lyr Req: Jane McWilliams (baby murder ballad)
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Lyr Req: Ballad of Jane McWilliams - child murder (15)
| mkellehe@stny.lrun.com | 18 Jan 99 - 03:40 PM | |
| mkellehe@stny.lrun.com | 22 Sep 99 - 10:16 PM | |
| John Moulden | 23 Sep 99 - 07:18 AM | |
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Lyr Req: Jane McWilliams (baby murder ballad) Related thread: Lyr Req: Ballad of Jane McWilliams - child murder (15)
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Subject: BABY MURDER LYRICS - JANE MC WILLIAMS? From: mkellehe@stny.lrun.com Date: 18 Jan 99 - 03:40 PM Searching for lyrics to a song, Scottish? Northern Irish? I know only by the name of "Jane McWilliams". Begins "Jane McWilliams it is my name, I have brought myself for to sin and shame, for the murdering of my baby dear, there was never a mother so severe". The song goes to talk about Jane drowning her son who grabs onto some weeds and begs, "Oh mommy, oh mommy, please let me ashore, and I'll go where you'll never see me more" Jane then states, "But I being angry at the same, I took and pushed him in again". I believe that at the end Jane is hung for the murder and speaks out a warning from the scaffold to all young woman to, "Keep away from bad company...." Any help would be so much appreciated - Thank you - Mary E. Click for related thread
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Subject: RE: BABY MURDER LYRICS - JANE MC WILLIAMS? From: mkellehe@stny.lrun.com Date: 22 Sep 99 - 10:16 PM My sincere thanks to John Moulden who posted the below response to my question - I have been waiting years to find someone who knew this song and was rewarded by his kindness - thanks John! Mary-Ellen "At the time this query was posted, it rang no bells but now, serendipitously, I have found a version. It's in James N Healy: The Mercier Book of Old Irish Street Ballads (vol 1) ; Cork 1967. On page 59 is "A new song called the lamentations of Jane M'Cullen For the murder of her child" 8 stanzas, 64 lines in total. It is the song you describe. Interestingly McWilliams and McCullen are not far apart - here in co Antrim McWilliams is sometimes said "McCullion." The only place name is "Clifton" presumably, but not proveably without research, Clifden in west co Galway. Healy gives no sources for the text but, in common with most of his texts, it is most likely from a ballad sheet in the National Library of Ireland. His texts are sometimes tidied silently. If you can't get hold of the book through a library, let me know if I can be of further help." |
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Subject: RE: BABY MURDER LYRICS - JANE MC WILLIAMS? From: John Moulden Date: 23 Sep 99 - 07:18 AM I appreciate your thanks. |
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