Her Age It Was Red

DESCRIPTION: "It's a long time ago I remember it well, All alone in the poorhouse a maiden did dwell.... Her age it was red and her hair was 19." Her lover asks her to fly away by starlight. Her father shoots him with "a horse pistol raised from a colt."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1917 (Jolly-Miller-Songster-5thEd)
KEYWORDS: humorous wordplay love death father home
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Bush-FSofCentralWestVirginiaVol2, pp. 20-21, "Hindside Afore" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gilbert-LostChords, pp. 105-106, "Her Age It Was Red" (1 text)
Jolly-Miller-Songster-5thEd, #147, "Belinda" (1 text)
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, p. 288, "Belinda" (notes only; probably this, based on the note, but it might be "O Belinda," which Averill also cites)

Roud #7014
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Maiden's Romance
The Starlight Tragedy
File: Gil105

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