The wandering ballad singer; Ballads in transition

You. Are not a walk again my boy. As I walked the road again the other being fair I'll call my hair and I'll walk again. Washington State University presents a wandering ballad singer Barry Tobin with songs that vividly describe the history and folklore of a pioneering country and. Probably the favorite ballad in the English language has been Barbara Allen. You can find more than three hundred fifty versions of this old ballad in collections and folk singers repertoires and there are dozens more probably hiding out in the Ozarks or the crags or the Smokey the ballad probably became most widespread back in those days in the early 1900s when it was considered quite fashionable for young intellectuals to die for love. But I think the origin of the story itself might reach back into primitive times when lover followed lover into the grave as a religious necessity. Or is this a left over part of the age old ritual of the dying gods. It happens in May. The

bodies are buried together in symbolic plants grow from the graves. Or is it just a good story. Well it's a good valid any way you can take your pick to the explanation. It was in when the worst. Was a love to the home. The place where she was due Alan M.. If your name. So slowly slowly

and slowly and when the curtain back said and I said yes I'm sick and death is I know if I die. Don't you remember in Hardwick in Hardwick during most of the early but like.

Yes I remember in hard drink I suppose. But my heart turned. Toward death was I am doing you good. As she went home she heard his death with hard hard hard in our

mother oh mother go. I've been gone on now for the love of me and. Father oh my god. Or bored. And or. In church then laid down my rose blue grass and of briar from.

Oh yeah like oh I get a hi there that is not the read. I learned this next ballot a few years ago in Logan Utah from a retired German professor at Utah State University. To put it in his own words George Jensen has also retired from being a Mormon but he comes from a devout Mormon family and his mother was one of those brave pioneers who walked west next to a hand cart helping her parents push whenever she was able. Up until her recent death at 90 plus she spent much of her time singing the old ballads for young audiences. Sorry to say none of them managed to pick up the words as they would have in the old days.

Jensen himself remembers only a few of the ballads his mother sang. And this is one conjured up from his memory called the seven kings daughters. There come an outlandish lad from the north. Saying you do follow me to the north. It will be me. Oh bring me some of your father's best who and some of their mother's best and who are their fathers best nags in the stable to their standard he and 3 me and she brought him some of her father's best goo some other mother's best and her father's best nags in the stable there and she moaned to the new whites need and the Diablo

they rode till it came to this all six hours with Mt. off Mount off quite Sneed mount me for six bare bones I had around it here in the seven the one you who know me. I'm off that so go and take off that gown for it is rare and to find your rod in the soft solves me. I must do and I pray turn your back on me for a good woman. He turned his back off to her then she begun.

She grabbed him in the middle of those costs and the costs down low came to the sign saying my pretty one my lie the false hearted lie there. There are four six daughters you drown the seven the ones drowned. Hero do fathers own three hours. Don't don't don't. And you will be with the glitter and along

with. The Pretty Polly referred to in that ballad was the bird that quite often appears invalid after someone has been killed. It's probably another survival from olden times to believe in a bird so the next ballad show still another primitive custom that a varying articles of war and religion to keep a body company in the grave. The ballot itself needs no other introduction. It's called The Two Brothers. Oh you or no brother no brother cannot. Him and caught him the. Brother brother you know or.

From AND RIP. My heart. From him and from there go and hire a bunch. When you go back home my mother

asked for me gone with some little school boy and a mom. And when my sister heard through and in my grave and mine was gone too. You're back and carry me do. And do so.

News to me was. He had his back and carried him. And him in that my the he my. He and that gun his feet his bow and arrows as news breast him to be. That's about all for this time. See you again.

And out along the road again my boy is on a long road again. If the weather be a bear I'll call my hair and I walk the road again and listen again next week when very job and a wandering ballad singer returns with more songs in balance. The preceding was transcribed and was produced by the Radio TV services of Washington State University. This is the NASB Radio Network. Oh yeah.