> Folk Music > Songs > I Must Live All Alone

I Must Live All Alone

[ Roud 1059 ; Ballad Index LEBC016 ; VWML LEB/2/18 ; trad.]

Lucy Broadwood: English Traditional Songs and Carols Roy Palmer: Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs

Roy Palmer printed Henry Burstow of Horsham singing As i Was A-Walking in his Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs. He noted:

The problem of the girl of ‘sweet twenty-one’ who is unable to find a suitable ‘brisk fellow’ seems less of a genuine feminine problem than masculine wishful thinking, especially to some one living in the late twentieth century. There are nevertheless some songs deeply concerned with the desire to avoid spinsterhood, though others for one reason or another reject importunate suitors.

Sung by Henry Burstow; tune collected by Lucy Broadwood, 2.5.1893; words sent on later by Burstow (Broadwood Papers).

Bob Lewis sang Live All Alone on his 2003 album The Painful Plough. Vic Smith noted:

A rare little gem of a song with the melody catching the melancholic feel of the words. The only version given in Steve Roud’s Folk Song Index is Hemy Burstow’s from Lucy Broadwood’s English Traditional Songs and Carols [VWML LEB/2/18] . Bob learned it from his mother.

Nick Dow sang Live All Alone on his 2017 album of unaccompanied traditional folk songs, Far and Wide. He noted:

Mainly from Bob Lewis but also influenced by the only other collected version from Henry Burstow of Horsham. Bob learned it from his mother, Burstow’s version is published by Roy Palmer in Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs.

Lyrics

Henry Burstow sings As I Was A-Walking

As I was a-walking one morning by chance,
I heard a maid making her moan;
I asked what was the matter, she said in a flutter,
“I’m obliged to lie tumbling alone, alone,
I’m obliged to lie tumbling alone.”

I said, “My fair maid, where did you come from,
Or are you some distance from home?”
“My home”, replies she, “is a burden to me,
For I’m obliged, etc.

“When I was eleven, sweethearts I had seven,
But then I was fitting for none;
But now I am fit ne’er a one can I get,
For I’m obliged, etc.

“My sister a girl was wed at sixteen,
And she has fine babes of her own;
And here I am now in my sweet twenty-one,
I’m obliged, etc.

“I wish some brisk fellow would pity my case,
And make me a bride of his own;
For I vow and declare I shall die in despair
If I lie one night longer alone, alone,
If I lie one night longer alone.”

Bob Lewis sings Live All Alone

As I was a-walking one morning by chance,
I heard a maid making moan;
I asked why she sighed, and she sadly replied,
“Alas I must live all alone, alone,
Alas I must live all alone.”

I saiy, “My fair maid, O whence have you strayed,
And are you some distance from home?”
“My home”, replied she, “is a burden to me,
“For there I must live all alone, alone,
For there I must live all alone.”

“When I was eleven, sweethearts I had seven,
And then I would look for none;
But now all in vain I must sigh and complain
For my true love has left me alone, alone,
For my true love has left me alone.

“O come back from sea my dear Johnny to me
And make me a bride of your own,
Or else for your sake my poor heart it will break
And here I shall die all alone, alone,
And here I shall die all alone.”