Post by Brian on Apr 27, 2015 8:50:53 GMT -5
01/13/08 at 06:24 PM
laurie1125
The Ballad of Charlie Lawson
Original Artist: The Carolina Buddies'
March 1930
It was on last Christmas evening
The snow was on the ground
At his home in North Carolina
The miner he was found
His name was Charlie Lawson
He had a loving wife
But they never knew what caused
To take his family's life
They say he killed his wife at first
While the little ones did cry
"Please papa won't you spare our lives
For it's so hard to die"
But the raging man could not be stopped
He would not heed their call
He kept on firing fatal shots
Until he'd killed them all
They did not carry him to jail
No lawyer would he pay
They'll have his trial in another land
On the final judgment day
They all were buried in a crowded grave
While the angels watched all above
Come home, come home my little ones
To the land of peace and love
And now farewell kind friends and home
I'll see you here no more
But when we meet in another land
Our troubles will be o'er
laurie1125
01/14/08 at 09:37 AM
Maria
In the version of this ballad you have here Laurie it says the "miner" he was found. In the version I've always heard it says the "murderer" he was found. Or so it always sounded like to me. Charlie Lawson wasn't a miner. He was a farmer. My son grew up hearing this ballad from the day he was born. I sang it over and over when he was a baby and young child. My first introduction to the Lawson murders was via of the ballad. So Matthew's first introduction to it was the same. Poor child!! But at least I didn't sing him to sleep by singing rock a bye baby Yeah, I don't get the baby falling out a tree song either. How the heck did that become a lullaby? I bet we would be surprised to hear the backgrounds of some children's songs that have been around forever! I've heard one or two and sometimes the stories are bad!!!! But over the years, they somehow became lullabies! And I'm not surprised in the least that you sang Matthew that song!! Like myself, you have that little morbid streak in you!! What in the world has possessed mothers to do that for so long?
Maria
01/14/08 at 12:13 PM
Angel71242
Yeah, I don't get the baby falling out a tree song either. How the heck did that become a lullaby? I bet we would be surprised to hear the backgrounds of some children's songs that have been around forever! I've heard one or two and sometimes the stories are bad!!!! But over the years, they somehow became lullabies!
And I'm not surprised in the least that you sang Matthew that song!! Like myself, you have that little morbid streak in you!!
Angel71242
01/14/08 at 12:32 PM
laurie1125
Rock-a-bye, baby
In the treetop
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall
And down will come baby
Cradle and all
Baby is drowsing
Cozy and fair
Mother sits near
In her rocking chair
Forward and back
The cradle she swings
And though baby sleeps
He hears what she sings
From the high rooftops
Down to the sea
No one's as dear
As baby to me
Wee little fingers
Eves wide and bright
Now sound asleep
Until morning light
laurie1125
01/14/08 at 12:45 PM
Maria
Yeah but the baby fell out of the tree. Which made it cry-baby-cry.
Maria
01/14/08 at 12:51 PM
laurie1125
Now CRY BABY was a great movie with Johnny Depp in it
laurie1125
01/14/08 at 02:38 PM
Angel71242
I didn't particularly care for that movie, but I looooooove some Johnny Depp!!!!!!!!!!
Angel71242
01/16/08 at 10:40 AM
Maria
There were several versions written and sung about the murders as well as a number of poems. My favorite poem is the one by Lucien Wall, the man who made the Lawson family's tombstone. Elmer Puckett wrote a poem about it too.
Maria
01/18/08 at 06:08 PM
Michael818
It's the same with the Tom Dula songs. Everybody has their own version. I think I like Doc Watson's better than I do the Kingston Trio's. As for the Lawson songs, my favorite is the one my uncle Paul Lineberry taught me to play and sing. The one Laurie posted is very close to it, but some words are different.
Michael R.
01/22/08 at 12:12 AM
doodlebug
Has anyone heard the Stanley Brother's rendition of the song? Great interpretation, but the lead in is wayyyy off. I'd have to listen to it again, but I think he had about all the details wrong, loll!
doodlebug
laurie1125
The Ballad of Charlie Lawson
Original Artist: The Carolina Buddies'
March 1930
It was on last Christmas evening
The snow was on the ground
At his home in North Carolina
The miner he was found
His name was Charlie Lawson
He had a loving wife
But they never knew what caused
To take his family's life
They say he killed his wife at first
While the little ones did cry
"Please papa won't you spare our lives
For it's so hard to die"
But the raging man could not be stopped
He would not heed their call
He kept on firing fatal shots
Until he'd killed them all
They did not carry him to jail
No lawyer would he pay
They'll have his trial in another land
On the final judgment day
They all were buried in a crowded grave
While the angels watched all above
Come home, come home my little ones
To the land of peace and love
And now farewell kind friends and home
I'll see you here no more
But when we meet in another land
Our troubles will be o'er
laurie1125
01/14/08 at 09:37 AM
Maria
In the version of this ballad you have here Laurie it says the "miner" he was found. In the version I've always heard it says the "murderer" he was found. Or so it always sounded like to me. Charlie Lawson wasn't a miner. He was a farmer. My son grew up hearing this ballad from the day he was born. I sang it over and over when he was a baby and young child. My first introduction to the Lawson murders was via of the ballad. So Matthew's first introduction to it was the same. Poor child!! But at least I didn't sing him to sleep by singing rock a bye baby Yeah, I don't get the baby falling out a tree song either. How the heck did that become a lullaby? I bet we would be surprised to hear the backgrounds of some children's songs that have been around forever! I've heard one or two and sometimes the stories are bad!!!! But over the years, they somehow became lullabies! And I'm not surprised in the least that you sang Matthew that song!! Like myself, you have that little morbid streak in you!! What in the world has possessed mothers to do that for so long?
Maria
01/14/08 at 12:13 PM
Angel71242
Yeah, I don't get the baby falling out a tree song either. How the heck did that become a lullaby? I bet we would be surprised to hear the backgrounds of some children's songs that have been around forever! I've heard one or two and sometimes the stories are bad!!!! But over the years, they somehow became lullabies!
And I'm not surprised in the least that you sang Matthew that song!! Like myself, you have that little morbid streak in you!!
Angel71242
01/14/08 at 12:32 PM
laurie1125
Rock-a-bye, baby
In the treetop
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall
And down will come baby
Cradle and all
Baby is drowsing
Cozy and fair
Mother sits near
In her rocking chair
Forward and back
The cradle she swings
And though baby sleeps
He hears what she sings
From the high rooftops
Down to the sea
No one's as dear
As baby to me
Wee little fingers
Eves wide and bright
Now sound asleep
Until morning light
laurie1125
01/14/08 at 12:45 PM
Maria
Yeah but the baby fell out of the tree. Which made it cry-baby-cry.
Maria
01/14/08 at 12:51 PM
laurie1125
Now CRY BABY was a great movie with Johnny Depp in it
laurie1125
01/14/08 at 02:38 PM
Angel71242
I didn't particularly care for that movie, but I looooooove some Johnny Depp!!!!!!!!!!
Angel71242
01/16/08 at 10:40 AM
Maria
There were several versions written and sung about the murders as well as a number of poems. My favorite poem is the one by Lucien Wall, the man who made the Lawson family's tombstone. Elmer Puckett wrote a poem about it too.
Maria
01/18/08 at 06:08 PM
Michael818
It's the same with the Tom Dula songs. Everybody has their own version. I think I like Doc Watson's better than I do the Kingston Trio's. As for the Lawson songs, my favorite is the one my uncle Paul Lineberry taught me to play and sing. The one Laurie posted is very close to it, but some words are different.
Michael R.
01/22/08 at 12:12 AM
doodlebug
Has anyone heard the Stanley Brother's rendition of the song? Great interpretation, but the lead in is wayyyy off. I'd have to listen to it again, but I think he had about all the details wrong, loll!
doodlebug
