revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Our English Heritage: Ballads
2
English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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
3
English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Ballad overview
•lyricsfromballadsarethebeginningsofEnglishpoetry
• modernversebeganasanaturaltransitionfrommusicallyrics
• AmericanballadsareoftenversionsofolderEnglishballads
• becamepopularintheAppalachiaregionofAmerica
Likefolktalesandfables,thisformofartdescribesworldsofrealityoutside
ofreality.Oftentimestheyaresurrealandillogicalbecausetheyarebasedona
alreadyknownstorytothelisteners,astorywhichdetailsarelosttoday.
• traditionallythesearecomposedbypeoplewhoarenotliterate
• nordidtheyknowformalmusicalmethods
• theycreatedtheirinstrumentsbyhand(pennywhistles,fifes,fiddles,drums)
4
English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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.
5
English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Somesongsappearpoliticalinscope,criticizingacurrentmonarch’sactionsin
thecountry,ormakingcommentaryaboutahistoricalevent.
Duringthenineteenthcentury,inEuropeespecially,balladsregarding
theNapoleonicWarswerecommon.
Andofcourse,lastbutnotleast,therearethepopulardrinkingballads,intended
tobesunginapubbyarowdygroupoffriends.
Thesearestillpopulartoday.
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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
A murder ballad
• asubgenrewhereasongiscreated,basedonaviolentsituation
• modernequivalents:
“TheNighttheLightsWentOutinGeorgia”
“FrankieandJohnny”
“MacktheKnife”
“BohemianRhapsody”
“CocaineBlues”
• typicallytheseballadsarenarratives,presentingalooseplotline
whichdetailsthesceneofamurder
• thestoryisbasedonafictionalortruecrime
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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Thesongscanbenarratedbyeitherthesurvivingvictimorthecriminalhimself.
Insomecasesthesongsarerecountedbytheghostsofthemurdered.
Parallelstructureandrepetitionofversesiscommon.
Thevictim’sstorymayberepeatedtothreeorfourdifferentindividualsbefore
anyactionistakenagainstthemurderer.
“TheFalseLady”isonefromNewEngland
• believedtohaveoriginatedinScotland
• Scottishversioncollectedinlate1880’sbyFrancisJamesChild,folklorist
• inthecoloniestheplot-lineshiftsslightly:
• intheoriginal,theprotagonistisburnedatthestakeforheractions
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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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.”
13
English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
“TheThreeBabes”isanAmericanballadfromthesupernaturalgenre.
Inthisgenre,charactersbecomeinvolvedwithother-worldlysituations:
spiritsandotherghostlyaspirationsvisittheNaturalWorldtogivecounselorto
causeharmdependingoncircumstances.
• Anothercommonversionisknownas“TheMiracleatUsher’sWell.”
• Theplotdisplaysamotherwholosesherthreechildrenunexpectedlyduetoa
plague.Fromanactofdesperateprayerthespiritsofherchildrenvisitheron
Christmas—butwhentheydoreturn,itistemporary.
• Theyrefusethefoodanddrinksheoffersthem,tellinghertheyareexpected
toreturntoChristbythemorning.
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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
Shefixedatableforthemthere,
Allcoveredwithbreadandwine;
“Comeeat,comedrink,mydearlittleones,
Comeeatanddrinkofmine.”
“Wedonotwantyourbread,Mammy;
Neitherdowewantyourwine;
Forinthemorningatthebreakofday,
WiththeSaviorwemustdine.”
• Thisversionhasastrongovertreligiousovertone—onethattheoriginal
Scottishversionlacks.
•Consistentbetweenthetwo:patternnumberofthree.
•Expressionofparentallossandgrief.
• Thethemecentersaroundthebeliefthatexcessivemourningforthedeadis
wrong.
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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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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English-American Ballads
revised 07.24.10 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor
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.