“In Eighteen-Forty-Nine”

Description

"When I came to this country in 1849, I saw many a true love, but I never saw mine... I am a poor soldier and a long way from home." Floating verses of longing: "Farewell to my old father" "If... I could write a fine hand" "I wish I were a lark"

Notes

This has so many floating stanzas (see the cross-references, and even that list is probably incomplete) that I'm not even sure, based on the fragments in Randolph, if this is a true song or just a sort of anthology.

Hudson's text of "Pretty Saro" mixes with this piece, and Randolph's texts also have lyrics from "Pretty Saro"; Roud lumps the songs. It's likely enough that there is a full-blown composite somewhere -- but I haven't seen it, and can't file it until I do. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "Pretty Saro" (floating lyrics, tune)
• cf. "The Rebel Soldier" (floating lyrics)
• cf. "Farewell, Sweet Mary" (floating lyrics)
• cf. "Farewell Ballymoney (Loving Hannah; Lovely Molly)" (floating lyrics)
• cf. "The Backwoodsman (The Green Mountain Boys)" [Laws C19] (floating lyrics)
• cf. "I Came to this Country in Eighteen Sixty-Five" (floating lyrics)
• cf. "In Seventeen Ninety-Five" (lyrics)
• cf. "When First To This Country (I)" ("When First Unto This Country" lyrics) and references there

References

1. Randolph 745, "In Eighteen-Forty-Nine" (2 texts, 2 tune)
2. Hudson 48, pp. 164-165, "Pretty Saro" (1 text, beginning with stanzas from "In Eighteen-Forty-Nine" and ending with "Pretty Saro," plus mention of 1 more text)
3. DT, CAME1865
4. Roud #417
5. BI, R745