“Father, Dear Father, Come Home with Me Now”

Description

Each hour the child comes into the tavern, saying, "Father, dear father, come home with me now." Each hour brings worse news: Brother Benny is sick, Benny is calling for you, Benny is dead.

Notes

Work's title for this piece was "Come Home, Father." Said title seems to be dead in tradition. - RBW

In the words of W. C. Fields, "Father, dear father, come home with me now...and bring a jug with you." - PJS

Cross references

• cf. "The Drunkard's Dream (II)" (theme)
• cf. "The Drunkard's Lone Child" (theme)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(2156), "Come Home Father," unknown, n.d.; same broadside as 2806 c.16(156)

Recordings

• The Blue Sky Boys, "Father, Dear Father, Come Home" (Bluebird 8522, 1940)
• James Scott & Claude Boone, "Father Dear Father Come Home" (Decca 5566, 1938)
• Peerless Quartet, "Father, Dear Father, Come Home With Me Now" (Victor 19716, 1925)

References

1. Randolph 308, "Father, Dear Father, Come Home with Me Now" (1 text, 1 tune, with the chorus lost and "brother Benny" turned into "little Jenny"!)
2. BrownIII 24, "Father, Dear Father, Come Home with Me Now" (2 texts)
3. Fuson, p. 144, "The Drunkard Father" (1 text)
4. Spaeth-ReadWeep, pp. 56-58, "Come Home, Father" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Darling-NAS, pp. 356-357, "Father, Dear Father, Come Home With Me Now" (1 text)
6. Silber-FSWB, p. 263, "Father, Dear Father, Come Home With Me Now" (1 text)
7. cf. Gardner/Chickering, p. 478, "Come Home, Father" (source notes only)
8. DT, COMEHOME*
9. Roud #839
10. BI, R308