“Jack Combs”
Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1967
Description
"As I passed by where Jack Combs was murdered, As I passed by there so early one day, I spied a cold corpse wrapped up in fine linen." The victim (?) discusses his burial and says "For I have been murdered and you know they've done wrong"
Notes
This is almost certainly a localized form of "The Streets of Laredo" (itself an adaption of "The Unfortunate Rake") -- but the focus is different (note the last line, "and you know THEY'VE done wrong"), so it deserves a separate listing. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "The Streets of Laredo" [Laws B1] (tune & meter, lyrics) and references there.
References
- Combs/Wilgus 49B, p. 180, "Jack Combs" (1 text)
- Thorp/Fife XIII, pp. 148-190 (29-30), "Cow Boy's Lament" (22 texts, 7 tunes, the "M" text being in fact a version of this piece)
- Roud #2
- BI, CW180
The Traditional Ballad Index is copyright ©2008
by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.
The Digital Tradition is copyright The Mudcat Cafe.