An old folksong that I first heard on a Joan Baez record. She was accompanied by the Greenbriar Boys and I liked the song right away. So I’ve been playing it or trying to play it forty years or so. I’ve listened to Doc Watson do it many times on records and tapes and CDs so the words I use are closer to his. Since I’ve already posted this song many times, I’m going to assume you know the lyrics by now and can join in. I’ll write them in below just to make it easy, how’s that? It’s a terribly sad story of course. The tune is very beautiful, which I suppose creates a sort of dramatic tension. I was just playing it in a different key, just playing around with the guitar capo and an A harmonica, and other than the playing and the singing I think it came out all right.
I asked my love to take a walk
Just a walk a little walk
And as we walk, oh, may we talk
All about our wedding day
Only say that you’ll be mine
In our home we’ll happy be
Down beside where the waters flow
On the banks of the Ohio
I held a knife against her breast
As into my arms she pressed
She said Willie, don’t you murder me
I’m unprepared for eternity
I took her by her lily white hand
And dragged her down that bank of sand
There I throwed her in to drown
I watched her as she floated down
Was walking home tween twelve and one
Thinkin’ of what I had done
I killed a girl, my love you see
Because she would not marry me
The very next morn about half past four
The Sheriff came knocked at my door
He said now young man come now and go
Down to the Banks of the Ohio
An Occasional Story 
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I thought it sounded OK.
What I can’t have – I kill, to stay together for eternity. Strange kinda love, if you ask me.
Yes, it is quite a strange love. Woody Guthrie said that to write a good folksong it’s advisable to throw in a murder or a love story. Or both.
I’ve previously only heard the Johnny Cash version. I know a lot of people adore her, but Joan Baez makes my ears hurt. And she takes herself so darn seriously!
I feel the same way about her, but she always has had a remarkable voice. Her early albums were quite good. Check out the Doc Watson versions. Now there was a very very fine man, and a wonderful musician of the highest order.
Being such a sad sad story, you are right, the melody is beautiful…
Superb, dear Bumba! Ah, we are always “unprepared for eternity”, methinks! Lol.
Thanks for sharing my friend. Cheers & love.
Thank you for visiting. And I see you are busy with the blog again, which is very welcome. Cheers.
Been posting Mah’laqa’s works… I have nothing to say these days…
😦
Not true.