“Old Tom Bolen (Tom Boleyn II)”
Description
"Old Tom Bolen, his horse Beaver, Forked Deer and Hatchee River, My wife's dead and I'm a widower, And I'll go back to Rollin' River."
Notes
Randolph tentatively links this song to the minstrel piece "Way Down South in Alabama," containing the lines "My wife's dead and I'm a widder, All de way from Roarin' Ribber." Since we're speculating, is there any possibility that these are the fiddler's mnemonic for "Forked Deer"? (I concede the tunes are not the same.) - RBW
References
- Randolph 425, "Old Tom Boleyn" (1 fragment, 1 tune)
- Roud #7632
- BI, R425