Lyr Req: The Squire's Daughter

Subject: Lyr Req: The Squire's Daughter
From: GUEST,jennifer
Date: 26 Dec 06 - 05:10 PM

Hello, this is my first visit to the Mudcat Cafe which looks like an amazing resource!
I am looking for the lyrics to "The Squire's Daughter", a song that I know was sung in the West Virginia area in the early 1900's and is most likely of Scottish origin. I recently discovered that a Smithsonian Folkways release of "American Folk Song Festival: Jean Thomas, The Traipsin' Woman", which I bought because it featured songs by a woman with my great grandmother's name, is not just an interesting coincidence. My great grandmother, Lula M. Curry, is in fact the actual artist on this album! My parents had never told me that my family contained musicians and singers who actually created the type of music that i (not so coincidentally, it seems) love now, and I am very excited about this discovery.

I am looking for some version of lyrics to this song so that i can compare how my great grandmother interpreted it and beause there are some lines that are hard for me to be certain of. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

"there was an old squire in a country he had daughters 1,2,3/ true delilah, my love been true to me"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Squire's Daughter
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Dec 06 - 05:21 PM

Welcome to the Mudcat, Jennifer. You've come to the right place. Someone will be along, shortly, I am sure, with the lyrics.

That is REALLY neat finding out it as your great-grandma on the recording!! I am sure you must be familiar with Jean Ritchie's works. She frequents our little community as "kytrad."

Good luck and thanks for stopping in,

kat

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Squire's Daughter
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Dec 06 - 05:54 PM

Hi, Jennifer - I'm guessing it's a version of The Two Sisters (click), but I can't find that particular version. Can you check a couple of our versions and confirm that it's the same story? If you can post what you recall of your grandmother's version, many of you will be eager to help fill in the blanks. I'm also guessing that this version (click) follows the general pattern of your song.
This thread (click) about Jean Thomas may be of interest to you, although it doesn't address the song in question. The Folkways recording (click) of your grandmother's song IS mentioned in the Traditional Ballad Index (click).
You can download the album and view the liner notes here (click) at Smithsonian Global sound.
The liner notes say:

The Squire's Daughter sung by Lula Curry, blood kin of both the Hatfields and McCoys. The ballad is also called Twa Sisters and dates back to 16th Century.
(no lyrics in the liner notes - darn.)

-Joe Offer-