Dewey Dens of Yarrow

Cat. #0127 (MFH #129) - As sung by Mr. Max Hunter, Springfield, Missouri on June 21, 1958

VERSE 1
There were five sons and two were twins
There were five sons of Yarrow
They all did fight for their own true love
In the Dewey Dens of Yarrow

VERSE 2
O, mother dear, I had a dream
A dream of grief and sorrow
I dreamed I was gatherin' heather bloom
In th Dewey Dens of Yarrow

VERSE 3
O, daughter dear, I read your dream
Your dream of grief and sorrow
Your love, your love, is lying slain
On th banks, in th dens, of Yarrow

VERSE 4
She sought him up and she sought him down
She sought him all thru Yarrow
An' then, she found her own true love
On th banks, in th dens of Yarrow

VERSE 5
She washed his face n' she combed his hair
She combed it neat an' narrow
An' then, she washed that bloody, bloody wound
That he got in th Yarrow

VERSE 6
Her hair, it was, three-quarters long
Th color, it was yellow
She wound it 'round his waist so small
An' took him home from Yarrow

VERSE 7
O, mother dear, go make my bed
Go make it neat an' narrow
My love, my love, he died for me
I'll die for him tomorrow

VERSE 8
O, daughter dear, don't be so grieved
So grieved with grief an' sorrow
I'll wed you to a better one
Than you lost in th Yarrow

VERSE 9
She dressed herself in clean white clothes
An' away to th waters of Yarrow
An' there she laid her own self down
An' died on th banks of th Yarrow

VERSE 10
Th wine that runs thru th waters deep
Come from th sons of Yarrow
For they all did fight for their own true love
In th Dewey Dens of Yarrow

I had collected this song from Mr. Herbert Philbrick who lives at Crocker, Missouri. I sang it at th Arkansas Folklore Society meeting.

Variants