Soldier Boy (III), The (The Texas Volunteer)

DESCRIPTION: "I volunteered to Texas, I will have you all to know, A long road to travel, I never travelled before, Oh, my home, sweet home!" The singer recalls the sorrow his parents suffered when he left. The song ends with verses from "The Roving Gambler."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1933 (Cambiaire)
KEYWORDS: separation home travel floatingverses
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Cambiaire-EastTennesseeWestVirginiaMountainBallads, pp. 20-21, "The Soldier Boy" (1 text)
Roud #11410
NOTES [91 words]: This is a peculiar song, with an opening that seems to be known only from the Rakes family of Tennessee (mother and daughter: Mrs. J. P. Rakes and Lola Rakes). The interesting point is that the second half is entirely from "The Roving Gambler (The Gambling Man)" [Laws H4] -- but that it is well-integrated with the first half, about a fellow cajoled into volunteering to go to Texas. Why was he so induced? There is no hint. I suspect that we have only a fragment of the song of the Volunteer to Texas, missing both the beginning and the end. - RBW
File: Cmb020

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography