Farewell, Sweet Mary

DESCRIPTION: The singer points out to Mary that her parents disapprove of him and that he is "ruined forever / By the loving of you." He enters the army; when he returns, his love is lost. He drowns his sorrows in drink
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1909 (Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety)
KEYWORDS: courting drink separation
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW,So)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety, p. 487, "Poor Stranger a Thousand Miles from Home" (1 text, a short item which seems to combine "The Poor Stranger," "Farewell, Sweet Mary," and perhaps some floating items)
Eddy-BalladsAndSongsFromOhio 82, "Farewell, Sweet Mary" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cox-FolkSongsSouth 146, "Farewell, Sweet Mary" (1 text)
Arnold-FolkSongsofAlabama, p. 5, "Pretty Mollie" (1 short text, 1 tune, much of which floats but which has the "I am ruined forever by the loving of you" refrain, so I file it here; Roud makes it its own piece, #16313)
DT, (YONDRMTN* -- a version which is mostly "Pretty Saro" but has points of contact with this also)
Roud #414
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Oh Lily, Dear Lily" (floating lyrics)
cf. "In Eighteen-Forty-Nine" (floating lyrics)
cf. "The Wagoner's Lad" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Fare Thee Well, My Dearest Dear"
cf. "The Streams of Lovely Nancy" (floating lyrics)
File: E082

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