Went to See My Girl, 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.

Folk music

Courtship--Songs and music

Unrequited love--Songs and music

Letters--Songs and music

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

WENT TO SEE MY GIRL

I went to see my girl last night,
She looked most scornful.
I ask her to marry me, she would not marry me.
I begged and I pled till almost dawn of day,
Waiting for an answer, kind miss, what will you say?
If I have to answer I will take a single life,
I never thought it suited to be your wife.

In about three weeks or later this lady’s mind did change,
She wrote him a letter, kind sir, I am ashamed.
He wrote her another, sent it back in speed.
I once loved you, darling, I once loved you dear,
But now I have another I court both night and day.
And some lovely river bank, I throw you away,
And some lonely river bank, I haven’t long to stay.
I’ve lost my own true lover and now I am going away,
Then came a little bird through every bush and vine,
My pleasures would be doubled if you were only mine.

113_WentToSeeMyGirl_Copy