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THE OXFORD GIRL (THE NOEL GIRL; THE KNOXVILLE GIRL; THE LEXINGTON MURDER; THE EXPORT GIRL) Sung by: Almeda Riddle Recorded on 5/14/70 Click here to listen to the original recording ‘Twas in the town of Oxford, Where I did live and dwell, ‘Twas in the town of Oxford, I run my flour mill. I fell in love with an Oxford girl, Who had dark and darling eyes. I asked . . . (Mrs. Riddle: “Oh, let’s skip that key up a little bit more. Stop it, and let me get a better key than that.”) I fell in love with an Oxford girl, Who had dark and darling eyes. I asked her would she marry me, And me she nothing denied. I called at her sister’s house About eight o’clock one night. I asked her, would she walk with me, And we’d name our wedding day. We walked along and talked along, And we came to thicketed ground. Then I picked up a hedgewood stick, And I knocked that fair maid down. She fell upon her bended knees. “Oh, mercy,” she did cry. “Willie, dear, don’t murder me here; I’m not prepared to die.” But I paid no attention to the piteous appeal, But I beat her more and more, ‘Til all around where the poor girl lay Was in a bloody gore. Then I picked her up by her little white hand, And I swung her body around. I took her down to the riverside And threw her in to drown. (Mrs. Riddle: “Can you stand some more, Jim? He keeps flinching . . .”) Then I returned to my mother’s home, About twelve o’clock at night. My mother, being worried for me, Woke up in a fright. “Oh, God, my son, now what have you done That has bloodied your hands and clothes?” And the answer I gave my mother Was, “Bleeding at the nose.” I asked her for a handkerchief To bind my aching head. I asked her for a candle, too, To light my way to bed. But I rolled and I tossed upon my bed, And no rest could I find, For the flames of Hell seemed all ‘round me, And in my eyes would shine. I tossed and tumbled all night long, And still could find no rest, But a burning, burning, burning hell Was a-burning in my breast. (Mrs. Riddle: “Oh, let’s see. Well, about two or three weeks after that, the Oxford girl was found floating down the river that ran through Oxford town.”) Her sister swore my life away, Without a thought of doubt. Her sister swore that I was the man Who led her sister out. Oh, God, they’re going to hang me Between the earth and sky. Oh, God, they’re going to hang me now; It’s a death I hate to die. But I would not mind dying If I thought t’would bring me rest From this burning, burning, burning hell That keeps burning in my breast. Also found in Randolph, Vol. II, #150, "The Noel Girl"; Brown, Vol. II, #65, "The Lexington Murder"; Belden, p. 133, "The Oxford Girl." |
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All Songs Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr., unless otherwise noted The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas Back to the Song Index Back to the Wolf Collection Homepage ©Copyright 2002 Lyon College |