The Lily of the West, a classic song about an unfaithful woman, is certainly more than one hundred years old. It has been recorded by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The Chieftans, Peter Paul and Mary and Mark Knopfler amongst others.This version of the song is set in the American West, but there are also versions of the lyrics from Ireland (in which the heroine’s name is Molly, not Flora) and from the West of England. “Lily of the West” is a traditional British and Irish folk song, best known today as an American folk song, The American version is about a man who travels to Louisville and falls in love with a woman named Mary, Flora or Molly, the eponymous Lily of the West. He catches Mary being unfaithful to him, and, in a fit of rage, stabs the man she is with, and is subsequently imprisoned. In spite of this, he finds himself still in love with her. In the original version, the Lily testifies in his defense and he is freed, though they do not resume their relationship.
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
