Origin: The Leaves Mustn't Fall (Moon Mullican)

Subject: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: EuGene
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 02:42 PM

Many years ago, I had heard from an uncle who was born in the 1870s what he said was an old 19th century ballad (folk song?) about a fellow whose girlfriend or wife (Nellie, I think was her name) was dying and the Doc said she would be gone by the time the Autumn leaves fell. Well, the fellow was tying the leaves on the trees so they wouldn't fall in the wasted hope that it would keep her alive.

Then somewhere in the 1940/1950 time frame, Moon Mullican recorded a song about an orphan boy whose baby sister was dying, and the boy was asking the singer/narrator to help him tie the leaves to the trees.

I have an old recording of the Mullican song and was wondering if there really was an older ballad that was the inspiration for the Mullican recording, or was my uncle's memory a little mixed up . . . or (golly!!) maybe mine is shot? Eu

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 02:45 PM

Found this:

"


Tying the Leaves

Don Stott

You all remember the old song, don't you? (Actually, if you are pre-menopausal, you might not!) At any rate, this little gal is singing that she is "Tying the leaves, so they won't fall down, so the wind won't blow them away…" (It's a 1959 song). In other words, summer is flying past, all to quickly, and those leaves are falling to the ground. Harsh winter is coming, and she wants to postpone it if she can. I agree. The last leaves are falling here where I live, and it was a bit below freezing this morning. The mountains 30 miles away have a lot of snow already, so we must face it. Winter's here. I love summer, find spring and fall hopeful and peaceful, and dislike winter totally. At least we only have a few inches of snow here all winter.

Then there's another poem, by who, I don't know, part of which goes, " The leaves mustn't fall, oh no, they mustn't fall. I'm tying the leaves so they will stay. I've lost my Mom and Dad, now sister's all I have. Don't let the falling leaves take her away."

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 02:52 PM

This 1907 song might be the one: I'm Tying The Leaves So They Won't Come Down by E.S.S. Huntington and J. Fred Helf.


Mick

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 03:01 PM

This song is a Bluegrass favorite and has been recorded by at least 2 bands that I know of: Nothin Fancy on their album "Field Of Dreams" and Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass on his album "The Tradition Continues". Paisley, in his liner notes credits the song to a man named Charlie Moore whom he heard perform the song at a club in Baltimore in the 1950s.

                                              SOL

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 03:05 PM

Please see this old thread: click here.

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 03:18 PM

You can hear Harlan's song on this site.

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: EuGene
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 03:31 PM

Peace: The first one you mentioned sounds like it is the one in the link that Mick tosses up. In the second instance, those words are pretty much the same as in the Moon Mullican song from the 40s/50s era, especially, "I've lost my Mom and Dad, little sister is all I have, . . .".

Mick: Golly, that's gotta be the one I'm looking for . . . what with the sick girl named Nellie and the boy tying the leaves, then the uncle I first heard sing and play it (he was a fiddler)was an active local string band performer during the early 1900s. He would have been acquainted with much of the bluegrass music from the early 1900s, and often entertained us in the 1950s & 1960s with older songs from that era.

Now, if I can find the melody to "I'm Tying the Leaves So They Won't Come Down" I'll truly be in hog heaven! Eu

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 03:38 PM

EuGene - if you follow the link give above by kat (to the old thread - thinks - must remember to check mudcat more often!) there you'll find a link to Duke University's sheet music archive. If you do a search there for tying the leaves you'll get 2 copies returned for 1907-9 (IIRC). You can look at them page by page for the music.

Mick

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 03:49 PM

EnGene--try here. It's a link from a link from a link from the suggestion from a thread from some advice from . . . .

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: EuGene
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 04:11 PM

My many thanks to everyone for all your help . . . and kat, I don't know how I got by your link without seeing it . . . you laid the music out right under my nose!!! . . . and here I was still scratching around trying to track it down. E(duh!)u

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Stewie
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:06 PM

In a similar vein: O'Henry story.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: SharonA
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 09:07 PM

Aw, Stewie beat me to it. I was thinking of the O. Henry story as well.

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 12:31 AM

That's okay, EuGene!:-) I have a particular fondness for this song. I didn't know about until a Mudcatter sang it in HearMe one day. Made me sob my eyes out. I've since heard it on CD, but don't remember whose!

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 07:42 PM

Nothin Fancy and Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass are 2 Bluegrass bands that have recorded it. I have both recordings in my collection.

                                              SOL

Subject: Lyr Add: LEAVES MUSTN'T FALL (from Moon Mullican)
From: GUEST,Carrie Cooke
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 03:48 AM

The Leaves Mustn't Fall

Verse 1

The Autumn leaves were fallin'
And the snow was soon to come,
As I was walkin' down a lonely road,
I spied a little feller, who was sittin' all alone
And catchin' leaves as they began to fall.

          Chorus

The leave mustn't fall, oh no they mustn't fall,
I'm tyin' the leaves so they will stay,
I lost my mommy and dad, now my sister's all I have,
Don't let the fallin' leaves take her away.

Verse 2

My little sister's seven and such a purty thing,
as purty as a picture on a wall,
But the doctor came last summer, and said that she would die,
When Autumn leaves would turn and start to fall.

Verse 3

So won't you help me mister, won't you help me tie the leaves,
And tie them to the branches good and strong,
And if we tie them tightly, it will keep my sister here,
And show the Doctor man that he is wrong

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: GUEST,Patrick Wall
Date: 11 Feb 10 - 08:54 AM

This is the title track of my third album - I learned it from Moon Mullican, who is one of my favorite country and blues singers.

Subject: RE: Folk source for The Leaves Mustn't Fall?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 11 Feb 10 - 02:24 PM

There is an excellent video on YouTube of Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass performing this song at The Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival