“The Southern Soldier Boy (Barbro Buck)”
Description
"Barbro Buck is my sweetheart's name, He's off to the wars and gone, He's fighting for his Nannie dear, His sword is buckled on. He's fighting for his own true love, He is my only joy, He is the darling of my heart, My southern soldier boy."
Supplemental text
Southern Soldier Boy, The (Barbro Buck)
Complete text(s)
*** A ***
From Lois Hill, Poems and Songs of the Civil War, p. 216
Bob Roebuck is my sweetheart's name,
He's off to the wars and gone,
He's fighting for his Nannie dear,
His sword he's buckled on;
He's fighting for his own true love,
His foes he does defy;
He is the darling of my heart,
My Southern soldier boy.
Chorus --
Yo! ho! yo! ho! yo! ho! ho! ho! ho! ho! ho!
He is my only joy,
He is the darling of my heart,
My Southern soldier boy.
*** B ***
Barbro Buck
Randolph's informant conflated verse and chorus. From Vance Randolph,
Ozark Folksongs, Volume II, #238, p. 307. Collected 1930 from Mrs.
A. J. Forgy of Center Point, Arkansas.
Barbro Buck is my sweetheart's name,
He's off to the wars and gone,
He's fighting for his Nannie dear,
His sword is buckled on.
He's fighting for his own true love,
He is my only joy,
He is the darling of my heart,
My Southern soldier boy.
Notes
In the original Confederate version of this song, the hero's name is "Bob Roebuck." Tradition, however, has fairly consistently perverted this into "Barbro Buck."
The song was made popular by its appearance in the play "The Virginia Cavalier," a popular hit in the Richmond theatre. The original version was patriotic and political; this has faded from many of the traditional versions.
There are other pieces called "The Southern Soldier Boy" (e.g. by Father Ryan); I've yet to see one with the power of this one. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "The Boy with the Auburn Hair" (tune)
References
- Randolph 238, "Barbro Buck" (1 text)
- SharpAp 196, "Barbara Buck" (1 fragment, 1 tune)
- Hill-CivWar, p. 216, "The Southern Soldier Boy" (1 text)
- ST R238 (Full)
- Roud #3428
- BI, R238