“White Man, Let Me Go”

Description

The Indian begs to be allowed to return to his land: "Let me go to my home in the far distant west... Let me go to my father... Let me go to the hills... Let me go to... my dark-eyed maid... And there let my body in ashes lie low"

Supplemental text

White Man, Let Me Go
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

From Edith Fulton Fowke, editor, and Richard Johnston, music editor,
Folk Songs of Canada (first edition), pp. 32-33. Seemingly the
version collected by Peacock from Philip Foley of Fogo in 1952.

Let me go to my home in the far distant west,
To the scenes of my childhood that I loved the best,
Where the tall cedars wave and the bright waters flow;
To my home in the forest, white man, let me go.

(5 additional stanzas)

Notes

The notes in Brown cite Kittredge to the effect that this was printed in 1835. The source involved, however, is not listed. - RBW

References

1. BrownIII 270, "The Indian Hunter" (1 text)
2. Huntington-Whalemen, pp. 180-181, "The Indian Hunter" ( text)
3. Fowke/Johnston, pp. 32-34, "White Man, Let Me Go" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Peacock, pp. 164-165, "White Man, Let Me Go" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Meredith/Anderson, pp. 228-229, "White Man, Let Me Go" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. ST FJ032 (Partial)
7. Roud #2055
8. BI, FJ032