Georgie
Marybird McAllister
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Saddle up saddle up my milk-white steed And bring to me my Barney. It's I may ride to the New Caste town For to plead for the life of Georgie. In come this young lady ridin' amongst 'em all Looked both sad and sorrow. I'm afeared young lady you have came too late For Georgie is condemned already. "If I was a' standin' on yonders hill Where kisses I've had many Bright swords and pistols by my side I would fight for the life of Georgie." "Speak for yourself George, speak for yourself Oh ain't you the face of many? Oh Speak for yourself George, speak for yourself Oh ain't you the face of many?" "I'm sure 'at I never killed no one Although I have robbed many. I stole sixteen of the King's best team And sold them in Beau Valley." George he was hung with a golden chain The chain did ring for many, Oh George he came from a noble race And his nother was a hon'able lady. |
This version of "Georgie" as sung by Mrs. McAllister is typical of the oldest ballads still sung in the Southern Appalachians. The story is condensed and straightforward; the tune is simple and robust. Mrs. McAllister often paused in singing Georgie to explain that "'Ain't you the face of many?' meant 'Haven't you killed many people?'" The longer ballad story is here condensed so that it seems to fly past, slowing down only briefly for the lyric stanza of exquisite folk poety:
"If I was a standin' on yonders hill
Where kisses I've had many
Bright swords and pistols by my side
I would fight for the life of Georgie."
This ballad is one of a very few which relate to a true historical event. George Gordon, fourth Earl of Huntly was tried for sedition in 1554. His crime was changed by later day traditional ballad singers to the more understandable one of horse stealing. The aggressive zeal shown by his wife in traveling to the court and pleading so vigorously for mercy was quite at odds with the demeanor expected of women in the sixteenth century. This is, therefore, probably our first "feminist" ballad.
©1993 George Foss
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