Reagan Ballad

[mongrel_8]

In reading I love you, Ronnie; a book about Ronald Reagan's love letters to Nancy he quotes one of his favorite English Ballads. It goes: "I will lay me down and bleed a while./ Though I am wounded I am not slain./ I shall rise and fight again." I was wondering if anybody knows the name of the ballad or if there is more of it.

[MinkMan]

The name of the ballad is "Sir Andrew Barton". The complete text can be found here (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/7086/0224.htm) another version with more traditional spelling is here (http://www.contemplator.com/folk4/abartin.html)

[Ukulele Ike]

If Reagan was quoting poetry, it was probably either Robert W. Service or Edgar Guest.

[stuyguy]

Hey, watch it Uke. I love Robert W. Service.

FYI, my favorite: The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill.

[Ukulele Ike]

{carefully entering information onto the Big Board}

Stuyguy...Service, yea...Reagan, nay.

[stuyguy]

FYI, The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill:

http://www.meditrax.com/service.html#Bill