Pretty Fair Damsel (Clifton Hicks; Thomas Owen) - Minstrel Banjo

I am playing on a Don Garner reproduction of an 1850s Levi Brown minstrel banjo purchased from my friend Chris. It has geared tuners and a slotted headstock. It has 7B Nylgut strings and a bridge I inherited from Chris. There are only three known actual Levi Brown originals in existence as far as I know--this is a reproduction. I play here using the traditional two-finger style in "Double C" tuning (gCGCD).
This was the first song I learned to play and I learned it to play for my husband who was deployed at the time.
The following is transcribed from my original 1 October 2023 video:
I learned Pretty Fair Damsel from Clifton Hicks of Copperhill, Tennessee (‪@CliftonHicksbanjo‬) and Thomas Owen (‪@ThomasOwenFolk‬) of Gloucestershire. Mr. Hicks learned it from recordings of Morgan Sexton and Tom Ashley. Mr. Owen learned it from Clifton Hicks and recordings of Pat Sky and Mandolin Orange.
"Pretty Fair Damsel" is also known as "John Riley" and can be traced back to 17th-century England. To learn more about this song and its history, see:
jonwilks.online/john-riley
Rogan, Johnny (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 184. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
A special thanks to Thomas Owen, Blaine Chappell (‪@blainechappell5383‬), Dylan Dowd (‪@DylanKDowd‬), and the fantastic members of Clifton Hick's Banjo Heritage group.

[@NarcanMedic]

This is my daughter's favorite!

[@Oldbanjoman]

Nice and slow,,,,,😊

[@fernandobentayga4782]

🫶🏾🎼💚🪕🎶😌🎶🎙💚🎼🫶🏾

[@DylanKDowd]

Less hesitation in your playing soundin good!

[@chickenindoubleC]

Thank you Dylan!! You've been helping me since Day 0!

[@chickenindoubleC]

Pretty fair damsel out in the garden a strange young man came riding by he rode up to the gate to greet her said: "Pretty fair miss, would you be my bride?" "I have a true love in the army and he’s been gone these seven long years and if he stays gone seven longer no other man can marry me" "Perhaps he’s in some ocean drownded perhaps he’s on some battlefield slain perhaps he’s to some fair girl married my pretty fair miss, you’ll never see him again" "Well if he’s drowned I hope he’s happy or if he’s on some battlefield slain or if he’s to some fair girl married I’ll love the girl that married him" Well he slid down from off his saddle and from his finger drew a ring "I am your true and loving soldier I have come home to marry thee" Arm in arm, they walked together down to the church on their wedding day they joined their hands, and hearts together the soldier boy and his fair young maid.