Follow Me (I)

DESCRIPTION: "Come, follow, follow, follow, follow, Follow, follow me. Whither shall I follow, follow, Follow, follow thee? To the greenwood, greenwood, greenwood; To the greenwood tree."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames)
KEYWORDS: nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, p. 298, "Follow Me" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 128; Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Mi 573)
Roud #1324
NOTES [142 words]: Wildridge notes that the two Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO texts are identical.
The current description is all of the Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames text. I have seen two texts that seem related:
-- Gomme 1.306 lists the following with a tune for the game "Kiss in the Ring": "Down by the greenwood, Down by the greenwood, Down by the greenwood tree, One can follow, one can follow, One can follow me. Where must I follow? where must I follow? Follow, follow me. Where must I follow? where must I follow? Follow, follow me."
-- There is a canon, for three voices, attributed to Dr. Hayes, and for which he "gained a prize medal" in 1765. It begins, "Come, follow me To the greenwood tree, and goes on to describe a stag hunt (source: Thomas Ludford Bellamy, Lyric Poetry of Glees, Madrigals, Catches, Rounds, Canons and Duets (London, 1840), p. 71). - BS
Last updated in version 2.6
File: WT298

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