Jean Ritchie - I Had A Sister Sally (Don't Let Me Die An Old Maid) (Roud 802)
Here is a popular version of the song called "Take her out of pity": • Take her out of pity
This recording was made by Alan Lomax in 1949. Most of the Lomax recordings are poor quality and absent from YouTube. I plan to remove as much background noise as possible and upload as many as I can. Here is a playlist with my other Jean Ritchie uploads: • Jean Ritchie - Geordie (Child 209, Roud 90)
Here is a link to my main channel, which mostly consists of informative and historical videos about traditional music and features many rare recordings: / @thefolkrevivalproject
Here is another traditional performance of this song, also recorded by Alan Lomax:
• J.M. Mullins: Jenny Get Around (1937)
This video will not be monitized. All credit goes to Jean Ritchie, Alan Lomax and whomever currently holds to rights to this music. I uploaded this video because the music needs to be heard.
I had a sister Sally, she was younger than I am.
She had so many sweethearts, she had to deny 'em.
But as for as for my own self, I never had many.
If you could read my whole heart, I'd be thankful for any.
Come a lands man, a tensman (?), a tinker or a tailor;
A fiddler or a dancer, a ploughboy or a sailor.
A gentleman or a poor man, a fool or a witty,
Don't you let me die an old maid but take me out of pity.
I had a sister Susie, she was ugly and misshapen.
Before she was sixteen years old she was taken.
Before she was eighteen, a son and a daughter.
Here am I at six and forty, and never had an offer.
Come a lands man, a tensman (?), a tinker or a tailor;
A fiddler or a dancer, a ploughboy or a sailor.
A gentleman or a poor man, a fool or a witty,
Don't you let me die an old maid but take me out of pity.