“The Trip Over the Mountain”

Description

The singer comes to his girlfriend's door at midnight. He asks if she will come with him over the mountain. (After some hesitation,) she consents; they sneak off while her parents are still asleep. She never regrets her decision

Notes

The Bodleian broadsides do not agree on some interesting details. She says, in considering elopement, that "it might be attended with danger": her friends or parents would frown. Then, what happened after the trip over the mountain to "the alter of Hymen"?

So now in contentment we spend the long day,

Tho' the anger of marriage was soon blown away,

We oftimes chat when we've little to say,

On the trip we took over the mountain. [Harding B 11(2794), Firth c.18(281), 2806 c.15(129), Harding B 19(92), 2806 b.9(262)]

or

The danger of marriage was soon blown to an end,

And often times talk when with a friend. [Firth c.14(377)]

or

And the pleasure of it is not soon stole away; [Harding B 17(319a)]

but

The anger of parents it soon wore away [Tunney-SongsThunder]

Moulden-McWilliams' original has "the anger of marriage...." and, quoting a local source, speculates "that McWilliams' wife married without parental blessing...." - BS

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(2794), "The Truelover's Trip O'er the Mountain" ("One night as the moon illumined the sky"), H. Such (London),1863-1885; also Firth c.18(281), 2806 c.15(129), Harding B 19(92), 2806 b.9(262), "The Truelover's Trip O'er the Mountain"; Firth c.14(377), Harding B 17(319a), "Trip O'er the Mountain"

References

1. SHenry H161a+b, pp. 459-460, "I'm from over the Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Tunney-SongsThunder, pp. 27-28, "The Trip We Took Over the Mountain" (1 text)
3. ADDITIONAL: John Moulden, Songs of Hugh McWilliams, Schoolmaster, 1831 (Portrush,1993), p. 9, "The Trip o'er the Mountain"
4. Roud #9632
5. BI, HHH161