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27 Dec 06 - 09:45 PM (#1920255) Subject: Lyr Add: CHESLEY TOWN From: Jerry Rasmussen I've been playing this song for over 40 years now, and have no information on where it comes from. I learned it from my friend Luke Faust, back in the early 60's, and play it on banjo. He learned it from a young woman who was passing through Greenwich Village in the late 50's. These are the words Luke wrote out for me. Anybody have any further information on lyrics or origin for this one? I've been playing this song again and will probably play it in front of an audience for the first time soon. No sense rushing in to things. Chesley Town Monday morning off to school Friday evening home Brother comb my sweetheart's hair As we go marching home Brother won't you play me a game of ball Brother won't you toss me a stone Brother don't comb my sweatheart's hair As we go marching home I won't play you no game of ball I won't toss you no stone I won't play no games at all Brother leave me alone The elder threw the younger down Threw him to the ground He took out his little pen knife And gave him a deathly wound Met his mother as he turned around home Looking for her son John I left him in a lonesome place A long, long lesson to learn Met his sweetheart as he turned around home Looking for her love John I left him in the new schoolhouse His books to carry home She took her harp all in her hand All tied with a silver string She went above his lonely grave So sweetly she did sing That she sang the red fish out of the sea The wild birds out of their nests Sang her true love out of his grave So he can't find no rest Go home, go home you ramblin' reed Weep no more on me I'm going to some golden place My face no more you'll see I suspect this is a Child ballad... maybe called Two Brothers? Jerry |
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27 Dec 06 - 10:04 PM (#1920262) Subject: RE: Chesley Town From: Peace You might care to check here, Jerry. |
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27 Dec 06 - 10:13 PM (#1920265) Subject: RE: Chesley Town From: Jerry Rasmussen Thanks, Peaqce: That refreshes my memory. I have sung the "He took off his Holland shirt" verse, and also the verse about laying him in a lonesome grave, the bible at his head, the testament at his feet. That's what I get for no trusting my memory. I just typed up the lyrics that Luke wrote down, and having scanned the ones you posted, I realized that there were three or four verses I sing that weren't included on Luke's lyric sheet (and he sang them, too, which is where I learned them.) Looks like I'll have to set aside twenty minutes for singing this one. Gotta learn to use Google more.. Jerry |
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27 Dec 06 - 11:31 PM (#1920306) Subject: RE: Chesley Town From: Peace The thing is that it sometimes isn't our memories playing tricks. I coulda sworn I was doing a few trad numbers just the way I learned them. Turns out I'd added this here and taken that away from there, picked up a stanza somewhere else, and VOILA. |