She was only...

[Laurence Horn]

>What about
>She was as pure as the driven snow
>until she drifted"

Or the first person version due to (or at least popularized by) Mae West

>  > >Is "She was only the farmer's daughter, but all the horsemen knew
>>  >her" the Ur-form of this subgenre?
>>  >
>>
>>  It certainly is for me, based on how long ago I heard it from my
>>  mother.  But that would have been somewhat after 1939, so I can't
>>  supply a relevant antedate.
>>
>>  L
>>
>>  >OED does not list this word.
>>  >>
>>  >>  1922 W. H. D. Rouse _Chanties in Greek and Latin: Written for Ancient
>>  >>  Traditional Airs_ (Oxford: B. Blackwell) (_title_).
>>  >>
>>  >>  1939 Elliot Paul _Mysterious Mickey Finn_ (rpt. N.Y.: Collier, 1962)
>>  >>  225: Hjalmar Jansen was roaring a chanty as he spun the wheel. 'She
>>  >>  was only a poet's daughter, / But she never was averse.' "
>>  >>
>>  >>  JL