Come, Love, Come, the Boat Lies Low

DESCRIPTION: "Come, love, come, and go with me, I'll take you down about Tennessee. Open up the window, oh love do, Listen to the music I'm playing for you, Come, love, come, the boat lies low,...." The girl is urged to float "on the Old Ben Joe"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1944 (Wheeler)
KEYWORDS: love courting home river floatingverses
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Wheeler-SteamboatinDays, pp. 90-91, "Come, Love, Come, the Boat Lies Low" (1 text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: Jim Vandergriff, "'Nancy Dill': Searching for a Song My Mother Sang," article in _Missouri Folklore Society Journal_, Volume 27-28 (cover date 2005-2006, but published 2015), pp. 33-68, "Nancy Dill," "Nanc Till," "Nancy Till," "Nancy Till," "Uncle Bill" (parody), "Nancy Till," "Come, My Love, Come," "Down in de Cane Brake," "Come, Love Come," "Down in the Cane Brake," "Come, Love, Come," "Nancy Till," "Nancy Till," "Nancy Till," "Down in the Canebrake" (14 texts plus a parody, not all of them traditional; also a copy of the sheet music cover and one tune; it includes some versions that might perhaps file with "Come, Love, Come, the Boat Lies Low")
Roud #10033
RECORDINGS:
Eleazar Tillet, "Come Love Come" (on USWarnerColl01) [a true mess; the first verse is "Nancy Till", the chorus is "Come, Love, Come, the Boat Lies Low," and it uses part of "De Boatman Dance" as a bridge.)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Nancy Till" (chorus lyrics)
NOTES [85 words]: Another collection -- at least in Wheeler's version -- of mostly floating material. But the chorus and the mention of "Nancy Till" link it to that song. That this is related to "Nancy Till" is beyond question; the chorus is the same in both cases, and they're both courting songs. Roud splits Wheeler's version from the "Nancy Till" family. I'm not sure I would have, given classification issues, but in this case, I'm trying to align with his system. You should definitely check "Nancy Till" also, however. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.5
File: MWhee090

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