DESCRIPTION:
This song was originally a parlor song, written in 1860 by Maud Irving, with music by Joseph Philbrick Webster (1819-1875), who also wrote "In the Sweet By and By" and "Lorena," which I uploaded a couple of days ago. You can hear a 1939 recording of the song, collected by John Lomax here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=193FGQ67-kk

It became part of the folk repertoire, with several changes, and gained wide popularity as "Wildwood Flower," when recorded by the Carter Family. I first heard it sung by Joan Baez.

Woody Guthrie used the tune for his song "The Sinking of the Reuben James", adding a chorus of his own. You can hear my attempt to play the tune on the fiddle here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iId-3dDISg

Lyrics and chords:
E ................................................. B7 ............. E
I'll twine 'mid the ringlets of my raven black hair
........................................... B7 ........ E
The lilies so pale and the roses so fair
......................... E7 ................ A ........... E
The myrtle so bright with an emerald hue
............................................. B7 .................. E
And the pale aronatus with eyes of bright blue.

I'll sing and I'll dance, my laugh shall be gay
I'll cease this wild weeping, drive sorrow away.
Tho' my heart is now breaking, he never shall know
That his name made me tremble and my pale cheeks to glow.

I'll think of him never, I'll be wildly gay
I'll charm ev'ry heart, and the crowd I will sway.
I'll live yet to see him regret the dark hour
When he won, then neglected, the frail wildwood flower.

He told me he loved me, and promised to love
Through ill and misfortune, all others above
Another has won him, ah! mis'ry to tell
He left me in silence, no word of farewell.

He taught me to love him, he call'd me his flower
That blossom'd for him all the brighter each hour
But I woke from my dreaming, my idol was clay
My visions of love have all faded away.


Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: https://raymondsfolkpage.wordpress.com