Kathleen Scott - The Old Oak Tree (Eliza Long)

Following are the lyrics as transcribed from this recording:

The night was dark and blew the winds, in torrents fell the rain
Eliza left her own dear home, she ne er returned again.
She cared not for the stormy winds, nor loud the thunder roared,
For she was young it was plain to know it twas love that made her go.
It was at the hour of twelve o clock beneath an old oak tree, she promised James her own true love along with him to be.
The night led on and the morning came Eliza was not home. Her parents wondered very much where she should roam alone.
Her poor and aged mother she went distracted while saying I ll hunt this country o er and o er until I find my child.
Up hills, down dales, the [can t understand] he rode with a gallant company, until by chance a fox they spied beneath the old oak tree.
The hounds began to dig the ground, and tear the earth away, and all he could do with whip or horn couldn t drive the hounds away.
The gentlemen they gathered round and got both pick and spade, they dug the ground and there they found the murdered missing maid.
And in her breast a knife was stabbed, it was stabbed right through and through. And gentleman had upon the knife, young squire Gowan s name.
The knife I eat my dinner with, I stabbed in her breast and with an axe I knocked her down, I need not tell the rest.
I own I wrote the marriage lines on which I signed her name, twas a sorry day for both of us the day I wrote Liza s name.
They re both buried in one solemn(?) same(?) grave, no decent burier got he, there s no one left to bless the ground beneath the old oak tree.

Lyrics (as they appear in Songs of Miramichi ):

 It was on the fourteenth day of June,
In torrents fell the rain,
 When Eliza Long she left her home
To never return again.

She left her tender mother s side,
 She cared not for the cold,
For she was young and fair to view,
 It was love that made her bold.

She cared not for the drenching rain,
 Nor thunder s threatening roar,
She threw her cloak around her neck
 And went swiftly from the door.

She promised James, her own true love,
 That night with him she d be
At eight o clock that very night
 Beneath the old oak tree.

The night was gone and the morning came
 But Eliza did not return,
And it grieved her mother to the heart
 For to think that her child would roam.

At length her mother started out
 And spoke with courage wild
Saying I ll travel this county round and round
 Til I find my darling child.

Six weeks this dreary search was made,
 This place being left untried.
At length she turned to her lonesome cottage
 And, broken-hearted, died.

McGowan the squire started out,
 The owner of the land,
With his jolly crew and horsemen, too,
 To search this world all round.

Up hill, down dale, they rode along
 With gallant company
 Til there by chance their dogs they lost
 Beneath the old oak tree.

Those dogs did bark and howl around,
 And then did tear at the clay,
It was all what Whipper Horn could do
 was to drive those dogs away.

He called his men around him,
 And he called for pick and spade,
They dug the ground and there they found
 his missing murdered maid.

It was a sin to look upon;
 It was a shameful sight
For to see her eyes all eat by worms
 That once shone blue and bright.

Her skin was once as white as milk
 Was blacked by wounds and blows,
And from her wounds fresh blood sprang forth
 And sprinkled on Gowan s clothes.

 I ve done this deed, McGowan cried,
 My soul is fit for hell.
Hide the cold corpse out of my site,
 And I the truth will tell.

 I own I loved Eliza Long
 Til I thought we never would part.
Then I got her in my winning ways
 And I tried to break her heart.

 I own I forged those marriage lines
 To which I signed my name.
It was a sad day for both of us,
 And it ruined Eliza s name.

 The knife I eat my dinner with
 I stabbed it in her breast,
And with an axe I knocked her down.
 I need not tell the rest.

Just as he spoke those bitter words,
 With a look of guilt and shame,
And he hauled a revolver from his vest,
 Put a bullet through his brain.

They buried him right where he fell,
 No Christian grave had he,
No, one was found to bless the ground
 Beneath the old oak tree.
This song is sung a cappella.

The version in Dibblee collected from James Duffy, Byrne Road, P.E.I., varies from both the recording and the one found in Songs of Miramichi . Notably, two stanzas are added to the end in this version though there are other minor variations throughout.

This song appears elsewhere in the Manny collection as (021-01) and (033-05).

1957

The CSU Fresno Traditional Ballad Index points to a number of recorded and published versions of this song with a spread between Northeast America, the Maritimes, Newfoundland, and Ireland. Significantly, the Index points to two known versions printed in Ireland in the latter half of the 19th century, including one specifically from 1867 in Dublin. Click here to see these references.

Another version of the song appears in Randall and Dorothy Dibblee eds. Folksongs from Prince Edward Island Williams & Crue Ltd. Summerside, P.E.I. as The Old Oak Tree pg. 80.

The song also appears in Louise Manny and James Reginald Wilson eds. Songs of Miramichi Brunswick Press Fredericton, N.B. pg. 232 as Eliza Long (The Old Oak Tree) .
005-01