Seeger's father was Charles Seeger (1886–1979), an important folklorist and musicologist; her mother was Seeger's second wife, Ruth Porter Crawford Ruth Crawford seeger (1901–1953), a modernist composer who was one of the first women to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship. ... (family photo)
One of her brothers is Mike Seeger, and the well-known songwriter Pete Seeger is her half-brother.
One of Peggy Seeger's first recordings was "American Folk Songs for Children" (1955), considered one of her most enduring, and probably the best-selling, collection of children's songs ever recorded.
Together with MacColl, Seeger joined The Critics Group, performing satirical songs in a mixture of theatre, comedy and song. Seeger and MacColl recorded as a duo and as solo artists; MacColl wrote "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in Seeger's honor.
Oma Wise
Peggy Seeger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How she was deluded by John Lewis's lies
He promised to meet her at Adams's Spring
Said he'd bring her some money and some other fine thing
He brought her no money but he flattered her case
Said, "We'll go and get married, there'll be no disgrace"
We'll go and get married and you'll be my bride"
She got up behind him and away they did go
Riding down to that river where deep water flows
"John Lewis, John Lewis, tell me your mind
Is your mind for to marry me or leave me behind?"
"Little Oma, Little Oma, I'll tell you my mind
My mind is to kill you and leave you behind"
"O pity, pity, spare me my life
And I'll go a-beggin', I won't never be your wife"
"No pity, no pity, I won't spare your life
You won't go a beggin', nor you won't be my wife"
He hugged her, he kissed her and turned her around
Throwed her in the river where he knowed she would drown
The people all come from the city and town
They're coming to that place where little Oma was drowned
They sent for John Lewis to come to that place
They set her up before him so he could see her face
They took him to the jail house and locked him inside
You know, he would not have been there if he had not killed his bride
From window to window, slowly he go
Looking down to that river where deep water flows
The song "Oma Wise" by Peggy Seeger tells the tragic story of a young girl named Oma Wise who falls victim to the deceitful promises of a man named John Lewis. Lewis lures Oma with the promise of money and marriage and takes her on a ride towards the river. When Oma questions his intentions, Lewis confesses that he plans to kill her and throw her into the river. Despite her plea for mercy, Lewis carries out his plan and throws her into the river where she drowns. The townspeople later find Oma's body and bring John Lewis to face justice for his crime.
The song powerfully conveys the heartbreaking tale of a young girl's innocence and trust being taken advantage of by a man who was only interested in using her for his own selfish desires. Through its haunting melody and poignant lyrics, the song delivers a powerful message about the dangers of falling prey to deceitful promises and the tragic consequences that can result from such actions.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll sing you the story of little Oma Wise
This song is about the tragic story of Oma Wise
How she was deluded by John Lewis's lies
Oma Wise was tricked by John Lewis into riding with him and trusting him
He promised to meet her at Adams's Spring
John Lewis promised Oma Wise to meet her at Adams's Spring
Said he'd bring her some money and some other fine thing
John Lewis promised to bring some money and other things for Oma Wise
He brought her no money but he flattered her case
John Lewis didn't bring any promised money, but he was charming and convincing
Said, 'We'll go and get married, there'll be no disgrace'
John Lewis convinced Oma Wise that they would get married and it wouldn't be shameful
So hop up behind me and away we will ride
John Lewis told Oma Wise to ride behind him
We'll go and get married and you'll be my bride
John Lewis convinced Oma Wise that they were going to get married and she would be his bride
She got up behind him and away they did go
Oma Wise rode behind John Lewis as he promised
Riding down to that river where deep water flows
John Lewis led Oma Wise to a river with deep water
John Lewis, John Lewis, tell me your mind
Oma Wise asked John Lewis what he was really thinking
Is your mind for to marry me or leave me behind?
Oma Wise asked John Lewis if he really intended to marry her
Little Oma, Little Oma, I'll tell you my mind
John Lewis responded to Oma Wise's question
My mind is to kill you and leave you behind
John Lewis revealed his true intentions to Oma Wise
O pity, pity, spare me my life
Oma Wise begged for her life
And I'll go a-beggin', I won't never be your wife
Oma Wise pleaded with John Lewis not to kill her and she wouldn't marry him
No pity, no pity, I won't spare your life
John Lewis refused to show any mercy to Oma Wise
You won't go a beggin', nor you won't be my wife
John Lewis rejected Oma Wise's pleas
He hugged her, he kissed her and turned her around
John Lewis deceived Oma Wise by hugging and kissing her before he threw her into the river
Throwed her in the river where he knowed she would drown
John Lewis killed Oma Wise by throwing her into the river
The people all come from the city and town
People came from the nearby city and town
They're coming to that place where little Oma was drowned
The people came to the place where Oma Wise was killed
They sent for John Lewis to come to that place
The people sent for John Lewis to come to where Oma Wise was killed
They set her up before him so he could see her face
The people showed John Lewis Oma Wise's body
They took him to the jail house and locked him inside
John Lewis was sentenced to jail for killing Oma Wise
You know, he would not have been there if he had not killed his bride
The reason John Lewis was in jail was because he killed Oma Wise
From window to window, slowly he go
John Lewis looked out of the jail window
Looking down to that river where deep water flows
John Lewis looked at the river where he killed Oma Wise
Contributed by Max A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.