“My Dearest Dear”

Description

"My dearest dear, the times draws near When I and you must part, And no one knows the inner grief Of my poor aching heart." The (girl) wishes that they could stay together; (s)he promises to love (him) till (s)he dies, and begs that he write to her

Notes

This is basically a lyric piece assembled from all sorts of floating materials. The first two lines are characteristic; what follows can come from almost anywhere. Doc Watson sings a version which combines parts of this song (notably the verse "A-roving on a winter's night") with portions of "My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose" (see DT REDREDR2). - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot" (floating lyrics) and references there
• cf. "Fare You Well, My Own True Love (The Storms Are on the Ocean, The False True Lover, The True Lover's Farewell, Red Rosy Bush, Turtle Dove)"

References

1. Bronson 76, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (23 versions, of which #18, #20, and #22 perhaps go here)
2. Belden, pp. 484-486, "Banishment" (1 text)
3. Randolph 18, "Oh Who Will Shoe My Foot?" (8 texts, 5 tunes; the "B," "D," "F," and "H" versions are of this sort) {F=Bronson's #18}; 760, "I Love You Well" (4 texts plus an excerpt, 1 tune)
4. Davis-Ballads 21, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (of the various texts in the appendices, at least "G" seems to belong here) {Bronson's #20}
5. Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 314-317, "The Time Has Come, My Dearest Dear" (2 texts; 1 tune on p. 440)
6. Brewster 90, "The True Lover's Farewell" (1 text, which despite the title appears closer to this song than that)
7. SharpAp 77, "My Dearest Dear" (1 text, 1 tune)
8. Sharp/Karpeles-80E 40, "My Dearest Dear" (1 text, 1 tune)
9. Fuson, p. 112, "When You and I Must Part" (1 text)
10. Abrahams/Foss, pp. 52-53, "Time Draws Near" (1 text, 1 tune)
11. Lomax-FSNA 108, "Winter's Night" (1 text, 1 tune, beginning with lyrics from this song but with final verses more characteristic of "The Storms Are on the Ocean")
12. Sandburg, pp. 126-127, "The Lover's Lament" (1 text plus a fragment, 1 tune)
13. DT, (REDREDR2)
14. Roud #3601
15. BI, SKE40