I Wish I Was a Little Bird (Nobody Cares for Me)

DESCRIPTION: "I wish I was a little bird, I'd fly up in a tree, I'd sit and sing my little sad song (spoken:) But I can't stay here by myself." "I wish I was a little fish, I'd swim way down in the sea, I'd sit and sing my little sad song, But I can't stay here..."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1909 (Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety)
KEYWORDS: loneliness nonballad animal bird
FOUND IN: US(MA,So)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety, p. 489, "I Wish I Was a Little Bird" (1 text)
Randolph 722, "Nobody Cares for Me" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Owens-TexasFolkSongs-1ed, pp. 188-190, "The Little Fish" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sandburg-TheAmericanSongbag, p. 338, "I Wish I Was a Little Bird" (1 text, 1 tune)
McNeil-SouthernMountainFolksong, pp. 85-86, "I Can't Stay Here by Myself" (1 text, 1 tune, filed under "Free Little Bird")
Roud #6357
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "I Have No Loving Mother Now (Oh, See My Father Layin' There)" (lyrics)
File: San338

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