Betsy of Dramoor
DESCRIPTION: "As I walked out one evening, I roamed for recreation" and provided us with classical allusions. He sees a girl fairer than Diana or Helen of Troy. He begs her come away. She says she must wait until her declining parents die, but after that they marry
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1935 (Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan)
KEYWORDS: love courting beauty father mother age
FOUND IN: US(MW)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan 79, "Betsy of Dramoor" (1 text)
ST GC079 (Partial)
Roud #3667
BROADSIDES:
Murray, Mu23-y1:091, "Betsy of Drumore," James Lindsay (Glasgow), 19C
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Castleroe Mill" (theme)
cf. "We'd Better Bide a Wee" (theme)
NOTES [52 words]: With references to Aurora, Flora, Phoebus, Boreas, Aeolus, Diana, Dido, Susannah, and Helen of Troy, the literary component in this song will be evident. Other than that, it sounds like a very Irish sort of piece (compare the cross-references). I suspect a literary rewrite of one or another aged-parents song. - RBW.
File: GC079
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