Bob Shane / Nick Reynolds / John Stewart

© 1962 by Atzel Music Inc. New York, NY
All Rights Reserved

Song Specific Liner Notes

Covers by other artists

Song lyrics

One favorite of Trio fans is "Poor Ellen Smith" from the New Frontier album. As with many of the Trio's folk numbers, this one has an interesting history. (Bear in mind, of course, that it is sometimes tough to separate legend from fact with respect to old folk songs) Peter DeGraff murdered Ellen Smith on July 20, 1892 in Forsyth County, North Carolina. A letter found in the bosom of the dead woman, alleged to be in DeGraff's hand, sealed his doom. He was tried and hanged in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1894. He supposedly wrote this song while in prison awaiting his execution. After his execution, the feeling was so great both for and against DeGraff that it was considered a misdemeanor to sing this song in a gathering of any size because it always started a riot.

Does anyone have any further details, such as the relationship (if any) between DeGraff and Ms. Smith before her murder and the motive for this murder?

Sources:
1. Brad Leftwich, Round Peak Style Clawhammer Banjo (Mel Bay)
2. http://www.topsoil.net/moider.htm

Poor Ellen Smith, how was she found,
Shot through the heart liein' dead on the ground
Her body was mangled, and all cast around,
An "X" marks the spot where poor Ellen wah found.

They picked up her body, and carried it away,
now she's a-restin' in some cold lonesome grave,
Who had the heart, and who had the brain
To shoot my little Ellen on that cold lonesome plain.

Chorus

They picked up their rifles, and hunted us down,
Found us a loafin' all around town,
The judge my convict me, and God knows he can,
But I know I died as an innocent man

Chorus

The warden has told me that soon I'll be free,
To go to her grave near that old willow tree,
I'm free from the walls of that prison, at last,
but I'll never be free from my sins of the past.

Chorus

Last revised: March 30, 2006.