{"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":"2024-09-10T15:20:31","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T15:20:31","slug":"primary-source-song-about-life-in-virginia","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-ushistory1\/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>\r\n\r\nGive ear unto a Maid,\r\nThat lately was betray\u2019d,\r\nAnd sent into Virginny O:\r\n\r\nIn brief I shall declare,\r\nWhat I have suffered there,\r\nWhen that I was weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nWhen that first I came\r\nTo this Land of Fame,\r\nWhich is called Virginny, O;\r\n\r\nThe Axe and the Hoe\r\nHave wrought my Overthrow,\r\nWhen that I was weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nFive Years served I,\r\nUnder Master Guy,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\r\n\r\nWhich made me for to know,\r\nSorrow, Grief, and Woe;\r\nWhen that I was weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nWhen my Dame says, Go,\r\nThen I must do so,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\r\n\r\nWhen she sits at Meat,\r\nThen I have none to eat,\r\nWhen that I was weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nThe Cloaths that I brought in,\r\nThey are worn very thin,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\r\n\r\nWhich makes me for to say,\r\nAlas, and Well-a-day,\r\nWhen that I was weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nInstead of Beds of Ease,\r\nTo lye down when I please,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O,\r\n\r\nUpon a Bed of Straw,\r\nI lay down full of Woe,\r\nWhen that I was weary\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nThen the Spider she\r\nDaily waits on me,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\r\n\r\nRound about my Bed,\r\nShe spins her tender web,\r\nWhen that I am weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nSo soon as it is day,\r\nTo work I must away,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\r\n\r\nThen my Dame she knocks\r\nWith her Tinder-box,\r\nWhen that I am weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nI have play\u2019d my part,\r\nBoth at Plow and at Cart,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\r\n\r\nBillats from the Wood,\r\nUpon my back they load,\r\nWhen that I am weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nInstead of drinking Beer,\r\nI drink the Water clear,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;\r\n\r\nWhich makes me pale and wan\r\nDo all that e\u2019r I can,\r\nWhen that I am weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nIf my Dame says, Go,\r\nI dare not say no,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\r\n\r\nThe Water from the Spring,\r\nUpon my head I bring,\r\n\r\nWhen that I am weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\nWhen the Mill doth stand,\r\nI\u2019m ready at command,\r\n\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\r\nThe Morter for to make,\r\nWhich made my heart to ake,\r\nWhen that I am weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nWhen the Child doth cry,\r\nI must sing, By a by;\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\r\n\r\nNo rest that I can have,\r\nWhilst I am here a Slave,\r\nWhen that I am weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nA thousand Woes beside,\r\nThat I do here abide,\r\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:\r\n\r\nIn misery I spend\r\nMy time that hath no end,\r\nWhen that I am weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nThen let Maids beware,\r\nAll by my ill-fare,\r\nIn the Land of Virgnny, O;\r\n\r\nBe sure thou stay at home,\r\nFor if you do here come,\r\nYou will all be weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary, O.\r\n\r\nBut if it be my chance,\r\nHomewards to advance,\r\nFrom the Land of Virginny, O;\r\n\r\nIf that I once more,\r\nLand on English Shore,\r\nI\u2019ll no more be weary,\r\nweary, weary, weary O.\r\n\r\n\r\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,
\nThat lately was betray\u2019d,
\nAnd sent into Virginny O:<\/p>\n

In brief I shall declare,
\nWhat I have suffered there,
\nWhen that I was weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

When that first I came
\nTo this Land of Fame,
\nWhich is called Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

The Axe and the Hoe
\nHave wrought my Overthrow,
\nWhen that I was weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Five Years served I,
\nUnder Master Guy,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

Which made me for to know,
\nSorrow, Grief, and Woe;
\nWhen that I was weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

When my Dame says, Go,
\nThen I must do so,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

When she sits at Meat,
\nThen I have none to eat,
\nWhen that I was weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

The Cloaths that I brought in,
\nThey are worn very thin,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

Which makes me for to say,
\nAlas, and Well-a-day,
\nWhen that I was weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Instead of Beds of Ease,
\nTo lye down when I please,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O,<\/p>\n

Upon a Bed of Straw,
\nI lay down full of Woe,
\nWhen that I was weary
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Then the Spider she
\nDaily waits on me,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

Round about my Bed,
\nShe spins her tender web,
\nWhen that I am weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

So soon as it is day,
\nTo work I must away,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

Then my Dame she knocks
\nWith her Tinder-box,
\nWhen that I am weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

I have play\u2019d my part,
\nBoth at Plow and at Cart,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

Billats from the Wood,
\nUpon my back they load,
\nWhen that I am weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Instead of drinking Beer,
\nI drink the Water clear,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

Which makes me pale and wan
\nDo all that e\u2019r I can,
\nWhen that I am weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

If my Dame says, Go,
\nI dare not say no,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

The Water from the Spring,
\nUpon my head I bring,<\/p>\n

When that I am weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.
\nWhen the Mill doth stand,
\nI\u2019m ready at command,<\/p>\n

In the Land of Virginny, O:
\nThe Morter for to make,
\nWhich made my heart to ake,
\nWhen that I am weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

When the Child doth cry,
\nI must sing, By a by;
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

No rest that I can have,
\nWhilst I am here a Slave,
\nWhen that I am weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

A thousand Woes beside,
\nThat I do here abide,
\nIn the Land of Virginny, O:<\/p>\n

In misery I spend
\nMy time that hath no end,
\nWhen that I am weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

Then let Maids beware,
\nAll by my ill-fare,
\nIn the Land of Virgnny, O;<\/p>\n

Be sure thou stay at home,
\nFor if you do here come,
\nYou will all be weary,
\nweary, weary, weary, O.<\/p>\n

But if it be my chance,
\nHomewards to advance,
\nFrom the Land of Virginny, O;<\/p>\n

If that I once more,
\nLand on English Shore,
\nI\u2019ll no more be weary,
\nweary, 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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