trad
Sandy Paton 1959: “Eloise Linscott first published it in ‘Folk Songs of Old New England’ in 1939… Linscott had the song from Lucy Allen of West Newton, MA. Its text seems to be made of fragments from other songs.” including the Scottish Lea-boy’s/Lichtbob’s Lassie. Lucy Allen appears to have been an educator who attended Smith College and lived the last 25 years of her life with her companion Ruby Keefer. There may be an 1899 collection of songs sung by the Allen family that Lucy published. The lyrics Wikipedia gives as in Linscott are close to those heard today. Karen Dalton’s 1971 version seems influential.
Peggy Seeger 1955: Katy Cruel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzsPQ2Wfl0g
When I first came to town, They called me the roving jewel; Now they’ve changed their tune, They call me Katy Cruel, Oh, diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday. Chorus Oh that I was where I would be, Then would I be where I am not, Here I am where I must be, Where I would be, I can not go? …diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday. When I first came to town, They brought me the bottles plenty; Now they’ve changed their tune, They bring me the bottles empty, I know who I love, And I know who does love me; I know where I’m going, And I know who’s going with me, Eyes as black as coal, Lips as bright as cherry, And ’tis her delight To make the young girls merry, I’ll dye my petticoats red, Face them with the yellow, And I’ll tell all the lads My own heart I will follow. When I first came to town They called me the roving jewel Now they’ve changed their tune They call me Katy Cruel