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Ola Belle Reed, vocal and guitar - The Miller's Will

from Survey of Traditional Music, Vol. 1: From British Tradition by Field Recorders' Collective

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For an in-depth discussion of this track, see the album notes: tinyurl[dot]com/V1NATnotes.

lyrics

There was an old man, lived all alone,
He had three sons, was almost grown.
Oh, when he come to make his will,
All he had was a little old mill.
Come a whack come a ra (2)
Whack come a ra come a ri-do.

Then he called his oldest son,
“Son, oh son, my days are done.
Oh, if to you the will I’d make,
I’d love to know the toll you take.”
Come a whack....

“Father, oh father, my name is Rex.
Out of every bushel I’d take a peck.
Oh, every bushel the mill would grind,
A very good living I would find.”
Come a whack...

“Well, the mill’s not yours,” the old man cried,
“The mill’s not yours,” the old man cried,
“Well, the mill’s not yours,” the old man cried,
“‘Cause you’ve not fairly learned your trade.”
Come a whack...

Then he called his next oldest son,
“Son, oh son,” my days are done.
“Oh, if to you the will I’d make,
I’d love to know the toll you’ll take.”
Come a whack...

“Father, oh father, my name is Ralph.
Out of every bushel I’d take a half.
Well, every bushel the mill would grind,
A very good living I would find.”
Come a whack...

“Well, the mill’s not yours,” The old man cried,
“The mill’s not yours,” The old man cried,
“Well, the mill’s not yours,” the old man cried,
“‘Cause you’ve not fairly learned your trade.”
Come a whack...

Then he called his youngest son,
“Son, oh son, my days are done.
Oh, if to you the will I’d make,
I’d love to know the toll you’ll take.”
Come a whack...

“Father, oh father, my name is Wright.
Stealing corn is my delight.
I’d steal the corn and swear to the sack,
And give him a licking when he got back.”
Come a whack...

“Well, the mill is yours,” the old man cried,
“The mill is yours,” the old man cried,
“Well, the mill is yours,” the old man cried.
He shut his eyes and there he died.
Come a whack...

credits

from Survey of Traditional Music, Vol. 1: From British Tradition, released August 7, 2023
Recorded by Mark Wilson and Ken Irwin, Rising Sun, MD, 6/76.

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Field Recorders' Collective

The Field Recorders’ Collective is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and distribution of noncommercial recordings of traditional American music, material that is unavailable to the general public.

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