Lehigh Valley, The

DESCRIPTION: A stranger explains he is hunting the city slicker who stole his girlfriend Nelly "if it takes till Judgment Day."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1882 (As "The Tramp's Lament" in Edward Harrigan's play "Squatter Sovereignty")
KEYWORDS: bawdy parody love seduction elopement hobo
FOUND IN: US(MA,So)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Cray-EroticMuse, pp. 198-200, "The Lehigh Valley" (1 text, 1 tune)
Randolph/Legman-RollMeInYourArms I, pp. 272-274, "The Lehigh Valley" (5 texts, 2 tunes)
Johnson-BawdyBalladsAndLustyLyrics, pp. 16-18, "Down in the Lehigh Valley" (1 text, bowdlerized)
DT, LEHIGH*
Roud #9389
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight?" (plot)
cf. "The Tramp's Story" (plot)
NOTES [74 words]: According to Vance Randolph, this is a parody of Harrigan's "The Tramp's Lament." - EC
For additional thoughts on this point, see "The Tramp's Story" (the name the Index uses for the Harrigan song)
The details of this song apparently vary widely (though some of this may be due to editorial tampering). The final two lines, "I'll hunt the runt that swiped my cunt, If it takes till judgement day," seem however to be absolutely diagnostic. - RBW
File: EM198

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