To-rah-da-link, to-rah-da-lolly

voiceCollected by Irene Carlisle Transcribed by Nathaniel Lucy Sung by Fred High High, Arkansas May 31, 1951 Reel 127, Item 6 The White Lad A-Grievin’ Fred High: Alright, I’ll sing another about the Indians. Title is “The White Lad A-Grievin’”. I was all alone in my cabin The Indians, they surrounded me Said they’d going to take me for a prisoner Chorus: To-rah-da-link, to-rah-da-lolly To-rah-da-lay And a white lad a-grievin’ They first tied me to my horse And tied my hands behind me They pulled out a course away across the hills For they said they’s going to hang me Chorus They come to the Indian camp one- One girl sorter [sort of] smiled and said She was going to be- she was the chief’s daughter They take me from horse and tied my hands Tied me to a stump and tied my hands behind me They begin to pile the brush For they said they’s going to burn me Chorus This girl come to me and said If I was going to burn She was going to burn with me Chorus Then the chief, he come to me And asked me if I’d be a lawyer When I told him that I would He begin to untie me After a while- After a while– the-I’d been with them five long years I was- this - - - was lying - - - I raised up with my gun There I left him dying Chorus FH: That’s the best I know of it. I couldn’t sing it just right.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation