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Poor Ellen Smith

Composer: Traditional


Recordings

no info Henry Whitter and The Dykes Magic City Trio, 193?
no info Molly O'Day, 194?
no info North Carolina Ballads, Artus Moser, 1955
info Bowling Green, Kossoy Sisters with Erik Darling, 1956
info Bloody Ballads, Paul Clayton, 1956
no info Banjo Tunes and Songs, Pete Steele, 1958
no info Single, Cecil Surratt and Smitty Smith, 1959
no info Folk Music USA, Vol. 1, Pete Steele, 1959
no info Single, Country Gentlemen, 1960
info Country Songs Old & New, The Country Gentlemen, 1960
info Roamin' the Blue Ridge with Jeanie West, Harry & Jeanie West, 1960?
no info Traditional Music from Grayson and Carroll Counties, Virginia: Songs, Tunes with Fiddle, Banjo and Band, Various Artists (Vester Jones), 1962
no info Frank Proffitt Sings Folk Songs, Frank Proffitt, 1962
no info Fleming Brown, Fleming Brown, 1962
info Bluegrass Recordings By All Star Artists Featuring The 5 String Banjo EP, Various Artists (Country Gentlemen), 1962
no info The Country Gentlemen on the Road, The Country Gentlemen, 1963
no info Traditional Music Of Beech Mountain, NC, Vol II, Captain Hicks and Viola, 1965
info Don Reno and Bill Harrell with the Tennesse Cutups, Don Reno and Bill Harrell with the Tennesse Cutups, 1967
no info Banjo Music Of The Southern Appalachians, Kossoy Sisters, 196?
no info Blue Ridge Mountain Music, Hobart Smith, 196?
info Pickin And Singin, Jim McCall, 1972
no info Outback, Pine River Boys With Maybelle, 1974
no info Country Bluegrass from Southwest Virginia, Glen Neaves and the Virginia Mountain Boys, 1974
no info Come and Go With Me, Tommy Jarrell, 1974
no info Music From South Turkey Creek, Various Artists, 1976
no info Bluegrass Fiddle Jam, Virgil Shouse, 1977
info 20 Years: Concert Performances, The New Lost City Ramblers, 1978
no info Directions, Norman Blake, 1978
no info Someday We'll Meet Again, Iron Mountain String Band, 1981
info Stanley Series. Vol. 1 #3, Stanley Brothers, 1982
no info Old Time North Carolina Mountain Music, David and Billie Ray Johnson, 1985
no info Rainbow Sign, Tommy Jarrell, 1986
no info John Hardy, Frank Proffit, 1986
info Grassroots to Bluegrass, Mac Wiseman, 1990
info Columbia Country Classics, Vol. 1: Golden Age, Various Artists (Molly O'Day), 1990
info 1959-1963, Flatt and Scruggs, 1992
no info The Golden Age, Vol. 1, Molly O'Day And The Cumberland Mountain Folk, 1992
info Sounds of the South, Various Artists (Hobart Smith), 1993
info Diamond Joe, Joe Val, 1995
info Old-Time Mountain Ballads, Various Artists (Green Bailey), 1995
info 20 Bluegrass Favorites, Don Reno and Bill Harrell, 1997
info Southern Journey, Vol. 2: Ballads and Breakdown, Various Artists (Estil C Ball), 1997
info Country Roots, Vol. 1: 21 Old-Time Favorites, Various Artists (Reno & Harrell), 1997
info Legacy of Tommy Jarrell, Vol. 2: Rainbow Sign, Tommy Jarrell, 1999
info Sounds Like Bluegrass to Me, Tony Ellis, 1999
no info Instrumental Music and Songs Of The Southern Appalachians, Eric Darling, 19??
no info Blue Ridge Ballads, Texas Gladden and Hobart Smith, 19??
no info EP, Ted Lundy and Fred Hanna and the Southern Mountain Boys, 19??
no info EP, Jim Eanes, 19??
info Country Bluegrass, Harry & Jeanie West, 2000
info Holly Ding, Tom, Brad & Alice, 2000
info 40 Years of Concert Performances, New Lost City Ramblers, 2001
info Blue Ridge Legacy: The Alan Lomax Portait Series, Hobart Smith, 2001
info On the Road (And More), The Country Gentlemen, 2001
info Bluegrass Bonanza, Various Artists (Molly O'Day), 2001
info The Executioner's Last Songs, The Pine Valley Cosmonauts w/ Neko Case, 2002
info Cool Blue Outlaws: Songs of Rogues Rascals and Rapscallions, Various Artists (Jim Mills), 2002
info 25 Bluegrass Classics: Vintage 60's: Songs of Rural America, Various Artists (Don Reno & Bill Harrell), 2002
info Kentucky Mountain Music, Various Artists (Theophilus Hoskins), 2003
info Don't Cry to Me, Jimmy Martin, 2004
info An Evening Long Ago: Live 1956, The Stanley Brothers, 2004
info Can't You Hear Me Callin': Bluegrass: 80 Years of American Music, Various Artists (Molly O'Day and the Cumberland Mountain Folks), 2004
no info The Ballads, Sweetwater, 2005
info Blockbuster Bluegrass, Various Artists (McPeak Brothers), 2006

Notes

Played by Jerry Garcia, Marshall Leicester and Robert Hunter at the Carlos Bookstall in San Carlos in July 1961.

A traditional song that usually occurs as Poor Ellen Smith and occasionally occurs as Ellen Smith or Poor Little Ellen. On the tape of the above show Garcia introduces it as Ellen Smith.

The lyrics of the version on the San Carlos tape are;

Poor little Ellen, sweet as a rose
How I love my Ellen, there ain't nobody knows
Ain't nobody knows
How I love my Ellen, there ain't nobody knows.

Poor little Ellen, how was she found
Shot in the heart, lying cold on the ground
Lying cold on the ground
Shot in the heart, lying cold on the ground.

(Not drinking and gambling,) just (loafing) around
A (bullet) from my pistol knocked sweet Ellen down
Knocked sweet Ellen down
A (bullet) from my pistol knocked sweet Ellen down.

On Monday I was arrested, on Tuesday I was tried
By the laws of my country I had to abide
I had to abide
By the laws of my country I had to abide.

I got a letter yesterday, I read it today
The flowers on her grave have withered away
Have withered away
The flowers on her grave have withered away.

The warden told me yesterday that soon I'll be free
To visit Ellen's grave 'neath that lonely willow tree
'Neath that lonely willow tree
To visit Ellen's grave 'neath that lonely willow tree

Poor little Ellen, how was she found
Shot in the heart, lying cold on the ground
Lying cold on the ground
Shot in the heart, lying cold on the ground.