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Interesting. Carter claimed authorship. A lot of American folk music is actually earlier published songs that went feral in the mountains. The Dying Cowboy, The Lily of the West, any number of others. At 01:16 AM 1/18/2009, you wrote: ><snip> >Not Stephen Foster, but A.P. Carter, patriarch of the Carter Family. >Probably based on traditional material. ><snip> > >As with *Bully of the Town* (which Maybelle recorded on autoharp) there's >certain amount of twining mingles between *traditional* and *composed*. > >Here's what is may the original, a parlour song published in 1860 (by Maud >Irving and J.P. Webster): > >I'll twine 'mid the ringlets of my raven black hair >The lilies so pale and the roses so fair >The myrtle so bright with an emeral hue >And the pale aronatus with eyes of bright blue. > >I'll sing and I'll dance, my laugh shall be gay >I'll cease this wild weeping, drive sorrow away. >Tho' my heart is now breaking, he never shall know >That his name made me tremble and my pale cheeks to glow. > >I'll think of him never, I'll be wildly gay >I'll charm ev'ry heart, and the crowd I will sway. >I'll live yet to see him regret the dark hour >When he won, then neglected, the frail wildwood flower. > >He told me he loved me, and promis'd to love >Trough ill and misfortune, all others above >Another has won him; ah, misery to tell >He left me in silence, no word of farewell. > >He taught me to love him, he call'd me his flower >That blossom'd for him all the brighter each hour >But I woke from my dreaming, my idol was clay >My visions of love have all faded away. > >(No. I don't know what 'aronatus' is either. Which may mean there is an even >earlier forerunner.) > >CW >_______________________________________________ > >We're not paying for your crisis! >(Italian Student Slogan)