Grief Is a Knot

DESCRIPTION: Willie leaves Mary for another girl. Mary goes to her deathbed and sends for Willie who promises to take care of their baby. The baby dies too and is buried with Mary.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1924-1925 (see notes); 1952 (Guigné-ForgottenSongsOfTheNewfoundlandOutports)
KEYWORDS: infidelity sex burial death baby lover
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Guigné-ForgottenSongsOfTheNewfoundlandOutports, pp. 153-155, "Grief Is a Knot (False Willie)" (1 text, 1 tune)
Peacock, pp. 673-674, "Grief Is a Knot" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #9803
RECORDINGS:
Mrs. Freeman Bennett, "Grief Is a Knot" (on PeacockCDROM) [one verse only]
Frances "Fanny" Bennett, "Grief is a Knot" (Piotr-Archive #493, recorded 02/14/2023)
Anastasia Ghaney, "Grief is a Knot" (on NFAGuigné01)
NOTES [87 words]: Guigné-ForgottenSongsOfTheNewfoundlandOutports: "Sometime around 1924-1925, while working in Sop's Arm as a volunteer for the International Grenfell Association, Florence Clothier acquired a fifteen-stanza version of 'Grief is a Knot,' ...." - BS
The version of this song from Frances "Fanny" Bennett is too short to really classify, but Derek Piotr points out to me that Mrs. Bennett (who was 105 at the time of the recording, and sounds it) is from the same family as Peacock's informant, so it is surely the same song. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.7
File: Pea673

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