“Lillie Shaw”

Description

The singer describes the crowd gathered to see his execution "for the murder of Lillie Shaw, Who I so cruelly murdered And her body shamefully (?) burned." He recalls the crime, sees his parents in the crowd, and hopes for forgiveness

Notes

Although there are two songs on this subject, and this one at least spread enough to be collected three times, no one seems to have found details on the fates of Lillie Shaw and Jim Wilcox/E. B. Preston.

Frank Proffit, who supplied the Warner ballad, claimed the murder took place in the 1880s in Mountain City, Tennessee. - RBW

Cross references

  • cf. "The Pretty Fair Widow (Lillie Shaw)" (subject)

References

  1. MHenry-Appalachians, pp. 55-56, "Lillie Shull" (1 text)
  2. BrownII 308, "Lillie Shaw" (1 text)
  3. Roud #4627
  4. BI, BrII208

About

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1933 (Henry, from the singing of Sofia Hampton)
Found in: US(Ap,SE)