Artist: James Chisholm
Author: traditional
Year: 1918
Tune collected by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles in Virginia, lyrics collected on the British isles as Child ballad #20. Northumbrian ballad The Cruel Sister is melodically related, at least Rachel Unthank & The Winterset's version is ('05). See: Two Sisters.
Covers:
Thomas Moran [Seamus Ennis recording in Co. Leitrim, Ireland, released on Caedmon album The Folk Songs Of Britain Vol. 4 in '61, reissued on Rounder in The Alan Lomax Collection in '00]
Cecilia Costello [Peter Kennedy recording in Birmingham, England, released in '75 on het Leader album Cecilia Costello]
Duncan Burke [as The Dry Well; Peter Kennedy & Hamish Henderson recording in Perth, Scotland]
Ian & Sylvia [as The Greenwood Side]
ØXN [on CYRM; vocal: Radie Peat (Lankum)]
Sinéad O'Connor shows the same feeling of guilt in her Three Babies on I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got ('89).
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)