My Little Dear, So Fare You Well, Lyric Variant 02

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.

Ballads, English

Unrequited love--Songs and music

Betrayal--Songs and music

Death--Songs and music

Sing with Feeling, Alas! My Darling, Broken-Hearted, My Little Love, So Farewell, Come All Ye Girls from Adam's Race

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

My Little Dear

My little dear, so fare-you-well,
You slight me, but I wish you well.
You have broken my heart,
Oh, how can I from you depart?

The pain of love no tongue can tell
No mind can think, no heart can swell.
I’ll tell to you in a few short lines,
It is worse than death ten thousand times.

I go to cry, to mourn, to weep,
With thoughts of you, I ne’er can sleep.
When all is done, and all is told,
My little dear, God bless your soul.

A many an hour I’ve spent with you,
But I never knew that you were not true.
It breaks my heart to have to part,
To think of your deceitful heart.

My little love, my harmless dove,
You are the only one I love.
If you on earth I never more see,
I’ll never serve you like you have me.

And when I’m dead and gone to rest,
Remember the one that loved you best.
And when you are passing around my grave,
Ah, think of the one that loved you brave.

Come , all ye run of Adam’s race,
I’ll tell to you my sad disgrace.
I’ve loved you long, I’ve loved you bold.
My little dear, God bless your soul.

When days are dark, and friends are few,
Remember me and I will you.
And if on earth we meet no more.
I hope we’ll meet on Canaan’s shore.

Brown, Older Ballads - Mostly British - 167

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