Our English Heritage: Ballads · Our English Heritage: Ballads. 2 English-American Ballads ... • American ballads are often versions of older English ballads ... Cocaine Blues Early

revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Our English Heritage: Ballads

2

English-American Ballads


Eventually the migration to New England began including a more

diverse selection of people—not just Puritan/Separatist sects.

• Thereisnocertaintimewhenthedemographicchangebegan

• Howeverasestablishedpreviously,theEnglishcultureremained

themaininfluencetotheNorthAmericancolonies.

• BasicculturalliteraturecommonbetweenEnglandandAmerica:

• folklore,myth,andsuperstition

• oralstories

• proverbs,sayings

• literaryclassics

• songsandballads

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Ballad overview

•lyricsfromballadsarethebeginningsofEnglishpoetry

• modernversebeganasanaturaltransitionfrommusicallyrics

• AmericanballadsareoftenversionsofolderEnglishballads

• becamepopularintheAppalachiaregionofAmerica

Likefolktalesandfables,thisformofartdescribesworldsofrealityoutside

ofreality.Oftentimestheyaresurrealandillogicalbecausetheyarebasedona

alreadyknownstorytothelisteners,astorywhichdetailsarelosttoday.

• traditionallythesearecomposedbypeoplewhoarenotliterate

• nordidtheyknowformalmusicalmethods

• theycreatedtheirinstrumentsbyhand(pennywhistles,fifes,fiddles,drums)

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Ballads usually utilize an easy to recognize form:

• quatrainstanzas(4lines)

• alternatingmeteroftetrameterandtrimeter(4/3/4/3)

• standardrhymescheme:A/B/C/B.

Becauseofitsbasicstructure,iteasilytranslatesintopoetry.

Ascanbeexpected,theformulaistermedaBallad Stanza.

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Numerous themes are known to exist:

CommonFolkStories(suchasRobinHoodorKingArthur)

Travel/Emigration(traveltoNewWorld:NorthandSouthAmerica)

Sports/Drinking

Murder/Kidnapping

Outlaw

TragicStories

LostLove/FoundLove

Historical

Supernatural

Humorous

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Somesongsappearpoliticalinscope,criticizingacurrentmonarch’sactionsin

thecountry,ormakingcommentaryaboutahistoricalevent.

Duringthenineteenthcentury,inEuropeespecially,balladsregarding

theNapoleonicWarswerecommon.

Andofcourse,lastbutnotleast,therearethepopulardrinkingballads,intended

tobesunginapubbyarowdygroupoffriends.

Thesearestillpopulartoday.

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A murder ballad

• asubgenrewhereasongiscreated,basedonaviolentsituation

• modernequivalents:

“TheNighttheLightsWentOutinGeorgia”

“FrankieandJohnny”

“MacktheKnife”

“BohemianRhapsody”

“CocaineBlues”

• typicallytheseballadsarenarratives,presentingalooseplotline

whichdetailsthesceneofamurder

• thestoryisbasedonafictionalortruecrime

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Theplotusuallyfollowsanexpectedformulawhichdetails:

• whothevictimis

• whythemurdererdecidestokillhimorher

• howthevictimisluredtothemurdersite

• theactitself

• followedbytheescapeand/orcaptureofthemurderer

Mostoftentheballadendswiththemurdererinjailoronthewaytothegallows.

Occasionallythesongendswithpleaforthelistenernottocopythesameevils

outlinedinthesong.Murderouswomenusuallyburn,whilemalecriminalshang.

Sometimessupernaturalrevengeappearsinthetext.InsomeAmericanversions,

thiselementisleftout,morethanlikelyduetosomePuritaninfluences.

9revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Cocaine BluesEarlyonemornin’whilemakin’theroundsItookashotofcocaineandIshotmywomandownIwentrighthomeandIwenttobedIstuckthatlovin’.44beneathmyhead

Gotupnextmornin’andIgrabbedthatgunTookashotofcocaineandawayIrunMadeagoodrunbutIrantooslowTheyovertookmedowninJuarez,Mexico

Lateinthehotjointstakin’thepillsInwalkedthesherifffromJerichoHillHesaidWillyLeeyournameisnotJackBrownYou’rethedirtyheckthatshotyourwomandown

Saidyes,ohyesmynameisWillyLeeIfyou’vegotthewarrantjusta-readittomeShotherdownbecauseshemademesoreIthoughtIwasherdaddybutshehadfivemore

WhenIwasarrestedIwasdressedinblackTheyputmeonatrainandtheytookmebackHadnofriendfortogomybailTheyslappedmydriedupcarcassinthatcountyjail

Earlynextmornin’boutahalfpastnineIspiedthesheriffcomingdownthelineAh,andhecoughedasheclearedhisthroatHesaidcomeonyoudirtyheckintothatdistrictcourt

IntothecourtroommytrialbeganWhereIwashandledbytwelvehonestmenJustbeforethejurystartedoutIsawthelittlejudgecommencetolookabout

InaboutfiveminutesinwalkedthemanHoldingtheverdictinhisrighthandTheverdictreadmurderinthefirstdegreeIholleredLawdyLawdy,haveamercyonme

Thejudgehesmiledashepickeduphispen99yearsintheFolsompen99yearsunderneaththatgroundIcan’tforgetthedayIshotthatbadbitchdown

Comeonyou’vegottalistenuntomeLayoffthatwhiskeyandletthatcocainebe

•writtenbyT.J.“Red”Arnall •basedontraditionalsong“LittleSadie”•notablysungbyJohnnyCash;•recordedfirstin1947

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Thesongscanbenarratedbyeitherthesurvivingvictimorthecriminalhimself.

Insomecasesthesongsarerecountedbytheghostsofthemurdered.

Parallelstructureandrepetitionofversesiscommon.

Thevictim’sstorymayberepeatedtothreeorfourdifferentindividualsbefore

anyactionistakenagainstthemurderer.

“TheFalseLady”isonefromNewEngland

• believedtohaveoriginatedinScotland

• Scottishversioncollectedinlate1880’sbyFrancisJamesChild,folklorist

• inthecoloniestheplot-lineshiftsslightly:

• intheoriginal,theprotagonistisburnedatthestakeforheractions

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The False Lady||Anonymous

“Abide,abide,truelove,”shesaid,

“Begandstayallnight,

Youshallhavepleasureinmyroom

Withacoalandacandlelight,light,

Withacoalandacandlelight.”

“Iwon’tabide,youfalselady,

Andbegandstayallnight,

ForIhaveafarbetterlovetoenjoy,

WhenIgohome,thanyou.”

Ashestoopedoversaddlebow

Tokissherlipssosweet,

Andwithapenknifeinherhand,

Shewoundedhimfulldeep.

“Whywoundestme,youfalselady,

Whywoundestmesosore?

There’snotadoctorinallScotland

Canhealmymortalwound.”

Sheawokehermaidsinthemorning,

Justatthebreakofday,

Saying,“There’sadeadmaninmybed-chamber,

Iwishhewasaway.”

Sometookhimbythelily-whitehands,

Andothersbythefeet,

Theythrewhimintoaverydeepwell,

Fullfiftyfathomsdeep.

“Liethere,liethere,youfalseyoungman,

Liethere,lietherealone,

Andlettheonethatyoulovebest

Thinkyoulonga-cominghome.”

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Oh,thenupspokeaprettylittlebird,

Sittinginatree:

“Anilldeathmayyoudie,lady,

Forhehadnolovebutthee.”

“Comedown,comedown,myprettylittlebird,

Situponmyknee,

ForIhaveagoldencageathome

ThatIwillgivetothee.”

“Iwon’tcomedown,youfalselady,

Andsituponyourknee,

Foryouhaveslainyourowntruelove,

AndI’msureyouwouldslayme,”

“IwishIhadmybowtobend,

Myarrowandmystring,

I’dshootyouthroughtheveryheart,

Amongtheleavessogreen.”

“Well,ifyouhadyourbowtobend,

Yourarrowandyourstring,

I’dtakemywingsandawayI’dfly,

You’dneverseemeagain.”

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“TheThreeBabes”isanAmericanballadfromthesupernaturalgenre.

Inthisgenre,charactersbecomeinvolvedwithother-worldlysituations:

spiritsandotherghostlyaspirationsvisittheNaturalWorldtogivecounselorto

causeharmdependingoncircumstances.

• Anothercommonversionisknownas“TheMiracleatUsher’sWell.”

• Theplotdisplaysamotherwholosesherthreechildrenunexpectedlyduetoa

plague.Fromanactofdesperateprayerthespiritsofherchildrenvisitheron

Christmas—butwhentheydoreturn,itistemporary.

• Theyrefusethefoodanddrinksheoffersthem,tellinghertheyareexpected

toreturntoChristbythemorning.

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The Three Babes||Anonymous

Therewasaladyofbeautyrare,

Andchildrenshehadthree;

Shesentthemawaytothenorthcountry

Tolearntheirgrammaree*.

They’dnotbeentheresoverylong,

Scarcelythreemonthsandaday,

Whentherecameasicknessallovertheland

Andtookthosebabesaway.

“Ain’tthereakinginheaven,”shecried,

Whousedtowearacrown?

IpraytheLordwouldmereward,

Andsendmythreebabesdown.”

ItwasalongaboutChristmastime,

Thenightsbeingclearandcold;

Thosethreelittlebabescamerunningdown

Totheirdearmammy’shome.

Shefixedthemabedinthebackmostroom,

Allcoveredwithcleanwhitesheets;

Andoverthestuff,agoldenone,

Thattheymightsoundlysleep.

“Takeitoff,takeitoff,”saidtheoldestone;

“Takeitoff,wesayagain.

Ohwoe,ohwoe,tothewickedworld,

Solongsincepridebegan.”

*grammaree—inthiscasethewordisnotaderivativeof“grammar,”butrathermeans“magic.”

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Shefixedatableforthemthere,

Allcoveredwithbreadandwine;

“Comeeat,comedrink,mydearlittleones,

Comeeatanddrinkofmine.”

“Wedonotwantyourbread,Mammy;

Neitherdowewantyourwine;

Forinthemorningatthebreakofday,

WiththeSaviorwemustdine.”

• Thisversionhasastrongovertreligiousovertone—onethattheoriginal

Scottishversionlacks.

•Consistentbetweenthetwo:patternnumberofthree.

•Expressionofparentallossandgrief.

• Thethemecentersaroundthebeliefthatexcessivemourningforthedeadis

wrong.

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For comparison, here is an early version.

The Wife at Usher’s Well||Anonymous

TherelivedawifeatUsher’sWell,

Andawealthywifewasshe;

Shehadthreestoutandstalwartsons,

Andsentthemoverthesea.

Theyhadnabeenaweekfromher,

Aweekbutbarelythree,

Whanwordcametothecarlinwife

Thatherthreesonsweregone.

“Iwishthewindmaynevercease,

Norfashesintheflood,

Tillmythreesonscomehametome,

Inearthlyfleshandblood.”

ItbefellabouttheMartinmass*,

Whennightsarelongandmirk,

Thecarlinwife’sthreesonscamehame,

Andtheirhatswereothebirk*.

Itneithergrewinsykenorditch,

Noryetinonysheugh;

ButatthegatesoParadise,

Thatbirkgrewfairenough

“Blowupthefiremymaidens,

Bringwaterfromthewell;

Fora’myhouseshallfeastthisnight,

Sincemythreesonsarewell.”

Andshehasmadetothemabed,

She’smadeitlargeandwide,

Andshe’staenhermantleherabout,

Satdownatthebed-side.

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Upthencrewthered,red,cock,

Andupthecrewthegray;

Theeldesttotheyoungestsaid,

“‘Tistimewewereaway.”

Thecockhehadnacrawedbutonce,

Andclappdhiswingsata’,

Whentheyoungesttotheeldestsaid,

“Brother,wemustawa.

“Thecockdothcraw,thedaybothdaw,

Thecahannerinwormdothchide;

Ginwebemistoutoourplace,

Asairpainwemaunbide.

“Fareyeweel,mymotherdear!

Fareweeltobarnandbyre!

Andfareyeweel,thebonnylass

Thatkindlesmymother’sfire!”

carlinwife=oldwoman

fashes=troubles

flood=sea

birk=birch

syke=trench

sheugh=furrow

daw=dawn

channerin=grumbling

byre=cowshed

*martinmas:November11,St.Martin’sDay.

birk:Birchprotectsthedeadfromtheinfluences

oftheliving,fromatreethatgrowsatthegatesof

Paradise.

Our English Heritage: Ballads · Our English Heritage: Ballads. 2 English-American Ballads ... • American ballads are often versions of older English ballads ... Cocaine Blues Early

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Our English Heritage: Ballads · Our English Heritage: Ballads. 2 English-American Ballads ... • American ballads are often versions of older English ballads ... Cocaine Blues Early