Willie Moore

DESCRIPTION: Handsome young Willie Moore has courted and won the heart of fair Annie. Her parents do not approve of him. When Annie realizes her parents will not relent, she runs away and dies (kills herself?). Willie takes to wandering (and dies of a broken heart?)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (recording, Burnett & Rutherford)
KEYWORDS: courting love death separation hardheartedness father mother suicide burial
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Randolph 795, "Willie Moore" (1 text, 1 tune)
Randolph/Cohen-OzarkFolksongs-Abridged, pp. 90-92, "Willie Moore" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 795)
Dunson/Raim/Asch-AnthologyOfAmericanFolkMusic, p. 36, "Willie Moore" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cohen/Seeger/Wood-NewLostCityRamblersSongbook, p. 140, "Willie Moore" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, WILLMOOR*
ST R796 (Full)
Roud #4816
RECORDINGS:
[Richard] Burnett & [Leonard] Rutherford, "Willie Moore" (Columbia 15314-D, 1927; on AAFM1, BurnRuth01, ConstSor1, KMM)
Doc Watson & Gaither Carlton, "Willie Moore" (on WatsonAshley01)
Doc Watson, "Willie Moore" (on RitchieWatson1, RitchieWatsonCD1)
NOTES [32 words]: Randolph's informant, Paul Wilson, reported meeting a Rev. William Moore in 1936 who claimed this song was about him. This is one of those instances where one would prefer documentation. - RBW
File: R796

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography