Lorena (Transcription)

Collected by Merlin Mitchell Transcribed by Nathaniel Lucy Sung by Evelyn Fullerton and Ella Allen Reed Springs, Missouri December 10, 1950 Reel 87, Item 1 Lorena Merlin Mitchell: This is December the 10th, 1950. We’re in Reed Springs, Missouri at the home of Mr. Allen. And his two daughters, Evelyn Fullerton Allen and Ella Allen, aged about 18 and 16 are going to sing the old Civil War song “Lorena”. Go ahead. It was way down upon the old plantation That Massie owned me as his slaves He owned a yeller gal he called Lorena And we courted where the wild bananas wave For five long years there we courted Our hearts were happy, two as one By hard work we supported Massie And the happiness of life has just begun One day Massie sold my Lorena I thought this poor darkie’s heart would break They took her away to Louisiana And they left me to mourn o’er her fate Year after year I long to see her The thought of her was ever in my head Today Massie read me a letter Telling me that Lorena was dead They say her spirit’s gone up to heaven Where good darkies go free from pain But it’s given a golden crown to my Lorena And no more she’ll have to wear the darkie’s chain The moon shines tonight upon my cabin I hear the darkies singing ‘round the door I - - - tonight and broken hearted I’ll never see Lorena anymor