Bright Phoebe

DESCRIPTION: "Bright Phoebe was my true love's name, / Her beauty did my heart contain." The singer and his love agree to marry when he returns from sea. By the time he returns, she is dead. He promises to spend the rest of his life mourning
AUTHOR: Words: Silas Ballou (1753-1837) (source: Lane/Gosbee-SongsOfShipsAndSailors)
EARLIEST DATE: 1847 (Journal of William Histed of the Cortes)
KEYWORDS: love courting separation sea death mourning
FOUND IN: US(MA,MW,NE) Canada(Mar,Newf)
REFERENCES (8 citations):
Cazden/Haufrecht/Studer-FolkSongsOfTheCatskills 70, "Bright Phoebe" (1 text, 1 tune)
Dean-FlyingCloud, p. 104,"Sweet Mary Jane" (1 text)
Huntington-SongsTheWhalemenSang, pp. 119-120, "Bright Phoebe" (1 text, 1 tune)
Peacock, pp. 434-435, "Bright Phoebe" (1 text, 2 tunes)
Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs, pp. 96-97, "Phoebe" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Guigné-ForgottenSongsOfTheNewfoundlandOutports, pp. 79-80, "Bright Phoebe" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lane/Gosbee-SongsOfShipsAndSailors, p. 120, "The Downeast Maid" (1 text, 1 tune, composite)
DT, BRTPHOEB
Roud #1989
RECORDINGS:
Charlotte Decker, "Bright Phoebe" (on PeacockCDROM)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Lord Lovel" [Child 75] (plot)
NOTES [30 words]: For another song by Silas Ballou, see "Old England Forty Years Ago." This appears to be his most popular song in tradition, but I haven't seen absolute proof of his authorship. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.4
File: FSC070

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