Bill Lloyd - Omie Wise

Текст с Bandcamp’a: “Songs about the sexual exploitation of women by powerful and violent men are common in traditional music, and this true story of the rape and murder of Naomi Wise in 1808 exists in many versions. These ‘murder ballads’, often sung by women, are not salacious - before the days of mass media, they carried clear warnings about predatory males. lyrics Omie Wise (Trad.) This is the Roscoe Holcombe version. Tell me no story, tell me no lies It’s tell me the story of little Omie Wise I’ll tell you no story, I’ll tell you no lies Just how she was deluded by John Lewis’s lies He promised to meet her at Adam’s High Spring, Some money he would bring her and other fine things She flew like an eagle to Adam’s High Spring No money did he bring her nor other fine things No money, no money, my sweetheart said he But hop up behind me and married we will be. She hopped up behind him and away they did go Down by the river where the deep water flows John Lewis, John Lewis, I’m afraid of your ways I’m afraid that you will lead my poor body astray He beat her, he banged her, he knocked her around He threw her in the river where he knew that she would drown Two boys were a fishing all on the Sunday morn’ They found little Omie’s body down by the old Mill Pond They threw the nets around her, and dragged her to the bank They drew her from the water and laid her on a plank They sent for John Lewis to come to that place They set her up before him that he might know her face My name is John Lewis, my name I’ll not deny I killed my own lover, her name was Omie Wise“