Take This Letter to My Mother, Lyric Variant 01, Copy

This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.

Popular music--United States

Mothers and sons--Songs and music

Letters--Songs and music

Prayers--Songs and music

Hays, Will. S. (William Shakespeare), 1837-1907

AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings

W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University

Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967

PDF

Song texts

English

Text

"Take this letter to my mother far across
the deep blue sea,
It will fill her heart with pleasure she'll
be glad to hear from me.
How she wept when last we parted
oh her heart was pierced with pain
When she said, "Good bye God bless you
we may never meet again."

"Take this letter to my mother it will
fill her heart with joy,
Tell her that her prayers are answered
God protects her rambling boy.
Tell her to be glad and thankful, pray
for me wher'er I roam
And e'er long I'll turn my foot steps
back toward my dear old home."

1877

113_TakeThisLetterToMyMother_Lyric_01_copy