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This ballad is Child Ballad #13.
Edward appears in Percy's Reliques (1765). It was sent to Percy by Sir David Dalrymple who may have altered the lyrics and changed the hero's name to Edward. Because of the spelling in the original copy, there was suspicion that the ballad was not authentic. Child discounts this. Motherwell believed the ballad was an incomplete version of a longer ballad, possibly The Twa Brothers (#49) or Lizie Wan (#51). There are variants of the ballad in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Germany. This version is from The Burl Ives Songbook and is a based on one of the variants collected by Sharp in the Appalachians. For a complete list of Child Ballads at this site go to Francis J. Child Ballads. |
What makes that blood on the point of your knife? My son, now tell to me It is the blood of my old grey mare Who plowed the fields for me, me, me Who plowed the fields for me. It is too red for your old grey mare My son, now tell to me It is the blood of my old coon dog Who chased the fox for me, me me Who chased the fox for me. It is too red for your old coon dog My son, now tell to me It is the blood of my brother John Who hoed the corn for me, me, me Who hoed the corn for me. What did you fall out about? My son, now tell to me Because he cut yon holly bush Which might have been a tree, tree, tree Which might have been a tree. What will you say when your father comes back When he comes home from town? I'll set my foot in yonder boat And sail the ocean round, round, round I'll sail the ocean round. When will you come back, my own dear son? My son, now tell to me When the sun it sets in yonder sycamore tree And that will never be, be, be And that will never be. |
Additional Versions
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The Burl Ives Songbook, English Folk-Songs from the Southern Appalachians, and The English and Scottish Popular Ballads See Bibliography for full information. |
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