{"id":1470,"date":"2017-07-11T02:45:11","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T02:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ushistory1os\/chapter\/primary-source-song-about-life-in-virginia\/"},"modified":"2017-07-11T02:45:11","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T02:45:11","slug":"primary-source-song-about-life-in-virginia","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-tc3-ushistory1os\/chapter\/primary-source-song-about-life-in-virginia\/","title":{"raw":"Primary Source: Song about life in Virginia","rendered":"Primary Source: Song about life in Virginia"},"content":{"raw":"Some English men and women understood the New World to be a place of opportunity, where they could create new lives. More common, however, was the belief that the New World was a place of great danger and suffering. This song was written from the perspective of a young girl who was sent to Virginia against her will, where she faced a life of hunger and never-ending work. It was published sometime between 1689-1703.<\/em>\n\nGive ear unto a Maid,\n\nThat lately was betray\u2019d,\n\nAnd sent into Virginny O:\n\nIn brief I shall declare,\n\nWhat I have suffered there,\n\nWhen that I was weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nWhen that first I came\n\nTo this Land of Fame,\n\nWhich is called Virginny, O;\n\nThe Axe and the Hoe\n\nHave wrought my Overthrow,\n\nWhen that I was weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nFive Years served I,\n\nUnder Master Guy,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\n\nWhich made me for to know,\n\nSorrow, Grief, and Woe;\n\nWhen that I was weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nWhen my Dame says, Go,\n\nThen I must do so,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\n\nWhen she sits at Meat,\n\nThen I have none to eat,\n\nWhen that I was weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nThe Cloaths that I brought in,\n\nThey are worn very thin,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\n\nWhich makes me for to say,\n\nAlas, and Well-a-day,\n\nWhen that I was weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nInstead of Beds of Ease,\n\nTo lye down when I please,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O,\n\nUpon a Bed of Straw,\n\nI lay down full of Woe,\n\nWhen that I was weary\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nThen the Spider she\n\nDaily waits on me,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\n\nRound about my Bed,\n\nShe spins her tender web,\n\nWhen that I am weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nSo soon as it is day,\n\nTo work I must away,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\n\nThen my Dame she knocks\n\nWith her Tinder-box,\n\nWhen that I am weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nI have play\u2019d my part,\n\nBoth at Plow and at Cart,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\n\nBillats from the Wood,\n\nUpon my back they load,\n\nWhen that I am weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nInstead of drinking Beer,\n\nI drink the Water clear,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\n\nWhich makes me pale and wan\n\nDo all that e\u2019r I can,\n\nWhen that I am weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nIf my Dame says, Go,\n\nI dare not say no,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\n\nThe Water from the Spring,\n\nUpon my head I bring,\n\nWhen that I am weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nWhen the Mill doth stand,\n\nI\u2019m ready at command,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\n\nThe Morter for to make,\n\nWhich made my heart to ake,\n\nWhen that I am weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nWhen the Child doth cry,\n\nI must sing, By a by;\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\n\nNo rest that I can have,\n\nWhilst I am here a Slave,\n\nWhen that I am weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nA thousand Woes beside,\n\nThat I do here abide,\n\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\n\nIn misery I spend\n\nMy time that hath no end,\n\nWhen that I am weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nThen let Maids beware,\n\nAll by my ill-fare,\n\nIn the Land of Virgnny, O;\n\nBe sure thou stay at home,\n\nFor if you do here come,\n\nYou will all be weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary, O.\n\nBut if it be my chance,\n\nHomewards to advance,\n\nFrom the Land of Virginny, O;\n\nIf that I once more,\n\nLand on English Shore,\n\nI\u2019ll no more be weary,\n\nweary, weary, weary O.\n\n\nAvailable through the English Ballad Broadside Archive, University of California at Santa Barbara<\/a>The Trappan\u2019d Maiden: Or the Distressed Damsel<\/em>. Broadside 1689-1703 EBBA 21947 (Samuel Pepys Library, Magdalene College) 4.286.","rendered":"

Some English men and women understood the New World to be a place of opportunity, where they could create new lives. More common, however, was the belief that the New World was a place of great danger and suffering. This song was written from the perspective of a young girl who was sent to Virginia against her will, where she faced a life of hunger and never-ending work. It was published sometime between 1689-1703.<\/em><\/p>\n

Give ear unto a Maid,<\/p>\n

That lately was betray\u2019d,<\/p>\n

And sent into Virginny O:<\/p>\n

In brief I shall declare,<\/p>\n

What I have suffered there,<\/p>\n

When that I was weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

When that first I came<\/p>\n

To this Land of Fame,<\/p>\n

Which is called Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

The Axe and the Hoe<\/p>\n

Have wrought my Overthrow,<\/p>\n

When that I was weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Five Years served I,<\/p>\n

Under Master Guy,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

Which made me for to know,<\/p>\n

Sorrow, Grief, and Woe;<\/p>\n

When that I was weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

When my Dame says, Go,<\/p>\n

Then I must do so,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

When she sits at Meat,<\/p>\n

Then I have none to eat,<\/p>\n

When that I was weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

The Cloaths that I brought in,<\/p>\n

They are worn very thin,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

Which makes me for to say,<\/p>\n

Alas, and Well-a-day,<\/p>\n

When that I was weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Instead of Beds of Ease,<\/p>\n

To lye down when I please,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O,<\/p>\n

Upon a Bed of Straw,<\/p>\n

I lay down full of Woe,<\/p>\n

When that I was weary<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Then the Spider she<\/p>\n

Daily waits on me,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

Round about my Bed,<\/p>\n

She spins her tender web,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

So soon as it is day,<\/p>\n

To work I must away,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

Then my Dame she knocks<\/p>\n

With her Tinder-box,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

I have play\u2019d my part,<\/p>\n

Both at Plow and at Cart,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

Billats from the Wood,<\/p>\n

Upon my back they load,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Instead of drinking Beer,<\/p>\n

I drink the Water clear,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

Which makes me pale and wan<\/p>\n

Do all that e\u2019r I can,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

If my Dame says, Go,<\/p>\n

I dare not say no,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

The Water from the Spring,<\/p>\n

Upon my head I bring,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

When the Mill doth stand,<\/p>\n

I\u2019m ready at command,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

The Morter for to make,<\/p>\n

Which made my heart to ake,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

When the Child doth cry,<\/p>\n

I must sing, By a by;<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

No rest that I can have,<\/p>\n

Whilst I am here a Slave,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

A thousand Woes beside,<\/p>\n

That I do here abide,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

In misery I spend<\/p>\n

My time that hath no end,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Then let Maids beware,<\/p>\n

All by my ill-fare,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virgnny, O;<\/p>\n

Be sure thou stay at home,<\/p>\n

For if you do here come,<\/p>\n

You will all be weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

But if it be my chance,<\/p>\n

Homewards to advance,<\/p>\n

From the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

If that I once more,<\/p>\n

Land on English Shore,<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll no more be weary,<\/p>\n

weary, weary, weary O.<\/p>\n


\nAvailable through the English Ballad Broadside Archive, University of California at Santa Barbara<\/a>The Trappan\u2019d Maiden: Or the Distressed Damsel<\/em>. Broadside 1689-1703 EBBA 21947 (Samuel Pepys Library, Magdalene College) 4.286.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>