Down in the valley (Birmingham Jail)
RA, Western, 2008
RA, Western, 2008
Down in the valley, the valley so low
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow.
Hear the wind blow love, hear the wind blow
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow
Roses love sunshine, Violets love dew
Angels in heaven know I love you
If you don't love me, love whom you please
Put your arms round me, give my heart ease
Write me a letter, send it by mail
Send it me care of Birmingham Jail
Version 2
Down in the valley, the valley so low
Late in the evening, hear the wind blow
Pat said that she loved me, but she told me a lie
Now the walls of this jailhouse hear the sad cry
Well she wrote me a letter, she sent it by mail
She sent it me care of Birmingham Jail
Said roses are red love, violets are blue
Angels in heaven know I love you
She told me she loved me to give my heart ease
But I'm in this jailhouse and she loves whom she please
From The first version from Burl Ives, the second from Alex Campbell.
About
I think it is interesting how the same song - hard times in the jailhouse type of thing, there are loads of them - has two different feelings. In the first he's asking to be lied to, just to have peace of mind, knowing full well how things really are, trying not to care.
With almost the same words the second version has another kind of bitterness to it - whether Pat is lying or not, kind-hearted or not, he'll still be tormented
The Alex Campbell version is from the LP I picked up for 10 shillings (50p) - cheap even then. Way Out West, 1963.