Shepherd Boy, The (David and Goliath)

DESCRIPTION: The singer dreams and sees a shepherd boy. The boy, David, is leaving his flock to go to the camp of Israel as they fight the Philistines. David kills Goliath with his sling. The singer drinks the health of the shepherd boy
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: c.1895 (Graham-TheOrangeSongster)
KEYWORDS: Bible fight soldier
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H803, p. 79, "The Shepherd Boy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Graham-TheOrangeSongster, p. 6, "The Shepherd's Boy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #5667
NOTES [66 words]: The story of David and Goliath (actually *two* stories, carefully blended together, in one of which David is Saul's aide/court musician and in another he is a shepherd visiting the battle) is found in 1 Samuel 17.
This is reported to have originated as a Masonic song, but Moulden reports it is now sung by Orangemen, doubtless because of its theme of the small holding off the big and powerful. - RBW
File: HHH803

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