Oh, Willie, is it you, dear, Safe, safe at home?

voiceCollected by M.C. Parler Sung by R.E.L. Flowers Quitman, Ark. Sept. 5, 1953 Continued on Reel 152 Item 1 Welcome Home "This song was sung at the close of the Civil War. It was of a lady whose husband had been in the service and they had told her her would never come back. But she believed that he would come back and was watch-ing and waiting, night after night. And this is the song, that she sang when she heard him at the gate. Oh, Willie, is it you, dear, Safe, safe at home? They did not t e l l me true, dear, They said you would not come. I heard you at the gate And it made my heart rejoice, For Willie your welcome quick step And your dear familiar voice. Making music on my ear in the lonely midnight gloom Oh, Willie, we have missed you So welcome, welcome home. The days were sad without you The nights long and drear My dreams have been about you Oh, welcome, Willie dear. Last night I wept and watched By the moonlight's cheerless ray Till I thought I heard your footsteps And I wiped my tears away. But my heart grew sad again When I knew you had not come Willie, we have missed you Welcome, welcome home. I longed to see you nightly But (Tape runs out here)Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation