Blue-Eyed Mary

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 songs--United States

Love--Songs and music

Flowers--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

English

Text

Blue-Eyed Mary

Come tell me, blue-eyed stranger,
Say whither doe’st thy roam?
Over this wide world a ranger,
Hast thou no friend or home?

They call’d me blue-eyed Mary,
When friends and fortunes smiled,
But oh, how fortunes vary,
I now am sorrows child.

Come here, I’ll buy thy flowers,
And east thy hapless lot,
Still wet with warming showers,
I’ll buy for get-me-not.

Kind sir, then take these posies,
They are fading like my youth,
But never like these roses,
Shall wither Mary’s truth.

Look up thou poor forsaken,
I’ll give thee house and home,
And if I am not mistaken,
Thou will never wish to roam.

Born thus to weep my fortune,
Though poor I’ll virtuous prove,
I early learnt this caution,
That pity is not love.

No, no sweet blue-eyed stranger,
I’ll not give thee hand and heart,
Be not a friendless ranger,
We never more will part.

Once more I am happy Mary,
Once more has fortuned smiled,
Who never from virtue vary,
May yet be fortunes child.

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