“The Silver Dagger (I)”

Description

Two young people wish to marry; the boy's parents are against it because the girl is poor. The heartbroken girl stabs herself to death. The boy, finding her dying, takes the dagger and stabs himself as well

Notes

For the relationship between this and "The Drowsy Sleeper," see the notes on that song. Several songs are filed there which contain nearly as much material from that song as from this. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "The Drowsy Sleeper" [Laws M4]
• cf. "Greenback Dollar" (plot)

Recordings

• Blue Sky Boys, "Katie Dear" (Bluebird B-7661, 1938)
• Homer and Walter Callahan, "Katie Dear (Silver Dagger)" (Banner 33103/Melotone M-13071/Oriole 8353/Perfect 13017/Romeo 5353, c. 1934; Conqueror 9145, 1938; on GoingDown)
• Sheila Clark, "Silver Dagger" (on LegendTomDula)
• Betty Garland, "Never Make True Lovers Part" (on BGarland01)
• Paul Joines, "Young Men and Maids" (on Persis1)
• Tommy Moore, Clint Howard et al, "True Lovers" (on Ashley02)

References

1. Laws G21, "The Silver Dagger"
2. Creighton-SNewBrunswick 57, "Come All Good People" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Belden, pp. 123-126, "The Silver Dagger" (2 texts plus 1 excerpt and references to 5 more, 1 tune)
4. Randolph 139, "The Silver Dagger" (6 texts, 2 tunes)
5. Randolph/Cohen, pp. 161-163, "The Silver Dagger" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 139A)
6. Eddy 102, "The Green Fields and Meadows" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
7. Gardner/Chickering 23, "The Silver Dagger" (1 text)
8. BrownII 72, "The Silver Dagger" (1 text plus mention of 2 more)
9. Hudson 64, pp. 188-189, "The Silver Dagger" (1 text)
10. Shellans, pp. 34-35, "Parents, Warning" (1 text, 1 tune)
11. Brewster 38, "The Silver Dagger" (2 texts plus mention of 2 more, 1 tune)
12. Leach, pp. 730-731, "The Silver Dagger" (1 text)
13. LPound-ABS, 52, pp. 121-122, "Silver Dagger"; pp. 123-124, "Silver Dagger" (2 texts)
14. JHCox 109, "The Silver Dagger" (2 texts plus mention of 1 more)
15. Fuson, pp. 71-72, "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies" (1 text, with the "Fair and Tender Ladies" first line but otherwise clearly this song)
16. SharpAp 165, "The Silver Dagger" (1 text plus a fragment, 2 tunes, but the "B" fragment is probably "Charming Beauty Bright" [Laws M3])
17. Scarborough-SongCatcher, p. 42, "(The Bloody Dagger)" (1 short text, omitting the suicides)
18. Darling-NAS, pp. 221-222, "Young Men and Maids" (1 text)
19. DT 639, SILVDAG2*
20. ADDITIONAL: Fred W. Allsopp, Folklore of Romantic Arkansas, Volume II (1931), pp. 202-203, "(The Young Lovers)" (1 text)
21. Roud #711
22. BI, LG21