Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)

Subject: Lindy lou
From:
Date: 30 Jun 99 - 04:10 AM

Looking for the lyrics of an early 20th century song I think is called Lindy Lou. As I recall, part of the lyrics go:

Lindy, did you hear that mockin' bird sing last night? Honey, he was singin' so sweet in the moonlight. Down in that old Magnolia tree, bustin his heart with melody, Lindy Lou, My little Lindy Lou

Oh Lindy Lou, my Lindy Lou, I'd lay me down and die If I could sing like that bird sang to you My little Lindy Lou.

Regards,

Jim Walsh

Subject: RE: Lindy lou
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 30 Jun 99 - 04:48 AM

I'm surprised this isn't in the DT. An old ? Burl Ives favourite most of us learned at our mother's knee [funny place to keep a radio but not as strange as Aunty Mary's bloody canary] but, in my case, now mostly forgotten. As usual, if the memory man, Joe Offer, doesn't come up with it I'll look at my Burl Ives recordings & see if it is there (but may not be for a while, I'll be off to Alderney in the Channel Isles on Friday for ten days indulging my nissophilia -it's not yet ilegal).

Subject: RE: Lindy Lou
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Jun 99 - 05:07 AM

Sounds like a dare, Roger. I don't think I'm up to it, though. I can't recall having heard the song. My sources say "Mah Lindy Lou" (by Strickland) was on a Burl Ives Columbia album called Return of the Wayfaring Stranger, that came out in the 1970's. The baton is hereby passed to you. You can do it, Roger. We know you can...
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: MAH LINDY LOU (Lily Strickland)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Jun 99 - 01:10 PM

OK, so I lied. I couldn't resist the challenge.
-Joe Offer-

MAH LINDY LOU
[Words and music by Lily Strickland (1920)]

Lindy, did you hear that mockingbird sing last night?
Honey, he was singing so sweet in the moonlight
In the old magnolia tree, bustin' his heart with melody.
I know he was singing of you, Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou
I'd lay right down and die, and die,
If I could sing like that bird sings to you,
Mah little Lindy Lou.

Lindy, did you smell that honeysuckle vine last night?
Honey, he was smelling so sweet in the moonlight
Clinging 'round my cabin door, reckon it's 'cause he loves you so.
Honey, that's the way I love you, Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou
I'd lay right down and die, and die
If I could be as sweet as that to you,
Mah little Lindy Lou.

Lindy, did you feel that south wind blow last night?
Honey, he was kissing you sweet in the moonlight
Blowing from the old bayou, seems to say it loves you so.
Honey, that's the way I love you, Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou
I'd lay right down and die, and die,
If I could be that wind a-kissin' you,
Mah little Lindy Lou.

(Essentially an art song, it entered the popular repertory through repeated performances by ballad singers in vaudeville in the 1920's. Recorded in more recent years by Burl Ives and Paul Robeson. This is a transcript of a Robeson recording. The third line in each verse is heard to understand, so I guessed as best I could.)

JRO

Can anybody help out with corrections?

Subject: RE: Lindy lou
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 01 Jul 99 - 03:44 AM

.. I knew you could do it , Joe! I went home and listened to my solitary Burl Ives record ( I don't know why I'M answerng folk enquiries, I have several hundred -thousand SHE says- jazz & blues recordings from piano rolls to CDs but fewer than 2 dozen folk recordings) "Return to the Wayfaring Stranger", Hallmark 514- originally recorded 1960 on CBS) and got much the same result. His second verse third line is:
Clingin' round my cabin door, reckon it's 'cos she loves it so,
Before skiffle in the '50s about the only folk I heard on the radio was Burl Ives, Paul Robeson or Elton Hayes (songs to a small guitar) [NOT another tiple joke].

Subject: RE: Lindy lou
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Jul 99 - 01:50 AM

Thanks, Roger - your suggestion made the song completely clear, and I corrected the lyrics I posted. I think it's "reckon it's 'cause HE loves you so." Seems to fit the context better, I think.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: MAH LINDY LOU (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST,Guaracy Carioca RJ - BRA
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 01:05 PM

I heard a record of this song by Paul Robeson and he changes some little things (Songs Of Free Men: A Paul Robeson Recital)
He sings it this way:

MAH LINDY LOU
Words and music by Lily Strickland (1920)

1. Honey, did you hear that mockin’bird sing last night?
O Lord, he was singin’ so sweet in the moonlight,
In that old magnolia tree,
Bustin’ his heart with melody.
I know he was singin’ of you,
Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou.
O Lord, I’d lay right down and die
If I could sing like that bird sings to you,
Mah little Lindy Lou.

2. Lindy, did you smell that honeysuckle vine last night?
O Lord, it was smellin’ so sweet in the moonlight,
Clingin’ ’round my cabin door.
Reckon it’s ’cause he loves it so.
Honey, that’s the way I love you,
Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou.
O Lord, I’d lay right down and die
If I could be as sweet as that to you,
Mah little Lindy Lou.

3. Lindy, did you feel that south wind blow last night?
Honey, it was kissin’ you sweet in the moonlight,
Blowin’ from that old bayo’.
Seemed to say it loves you so.
Honey, that’s the way I love you,
Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou.
O Lord, I’d lay right down and die
If I could be that wind a-kissin’ you,
Mah little Lindy Lou.

Thank You very much. I was looking for those lyrics for three days and found it here. My mother is asking me to put her old longplays to mp3 so I'm looking for the lyrics also to make a good job!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 02:23 PM

There were predecessor Lindy Lou's.
"By the Watermelon Vine, Lindy Lou," 1904, words and music by Thomas S. Allen, perhaps related.

Chorus:
Lindy, Lindy, sweet as the sugar cane,
Lindy, Lindy, say you'll be mine,
When the moon am a-shining,
Then my heart am a-pining,
Meet me pretty Lindy by the watermelon vine.

American Memory, African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920.

Also "Sugar Moon," 1910, lyrics Stanley Murphy, music Percy Renwich.
First line-
"Lindy Lou and Jasper in the fields of sugar cane,"

Lily Strickland, 1884-1958, credited with 395 compositions. Her papers are in the Converse College archives. "Mah Lindy Lou" was her most popular song, and still a favorite with many people. Madame Galli-Curci, the famous opera and art song singer, was the first to make it widely known.

Sheet music of "Mah Lindy Lou" is held by The National Library of Australia, pub. and copyright G. Schirmer, NY, 1920. Published by Chappell in London, 1920, and in Sidney, Australia, 1921.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-vn311902

Subject: Lyr Add: MAH LINDY LOU (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 02:48 PM

The lyrics posted by Joe are those of the sheet music, but there they are in dialect, thus:

MAH LINDY LOU
Words and music by Lily Strickland, ©1920.

1. Lindy, did you heah dat mockin’bird sing las’ night?
Honey, he wuz singin’ so sweet in de moonlight!
In de ol’ magnolia tree,
Bustin’ his heart wid melody!
I know he wuz singin’ ob you,
Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou!
I’d lay right down an’ die, an’ die,
Ef I could sing lak dat bird sings to you,
Mah liddle Lindy Lou!

2. Lindy, did you smell dat honeysuckle vine las’ night?
Honey, he wuz smellin’ so sweet in de moonlight!
Clingin’ ’roun’ ma cabin do’,
Reckon it’s ’cause he loves hit so!
Honey, dat’s de way I love you,
Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou!
I’d lay right down an’ die, an’ die
Ef I could be as sweet as dat to you,
Mah liddle Lindy Lou!

3. Lindy, did you feel dat souf win’ blow las’ night?
Honey, hit wuz kissin’ you sweet in de moonlight!
Blowin’ from de ol’ Bayou,
Seemed to say hit love you so!
Honey, dat’s de way I love you,
Mah Lindy Lou, Lindy Lou!
I’d lay right down an’ die, an’ die,
Ef I could be dat win’ a-kissin’ you,
Mah liddle Lindy Lou!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jun 09 - 08:54 AM

markcus

Thanks a million.Been serching for these lyrics for years.

Always associated them with Paul Robeson who i believe refuse permission for publication of most of his songs,am I right?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST,another guest
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 01:46 AM

My late father who sang snippets of many '20s ballads to the cows from an early age reputedly, often sang this one when I was young [some 50 + years back].
The refrain he applied to the end of each stanza was a little different:
'Lindy dat's de way I love you
Lindy Lou oh Lindy Lou mah darlin
My little Lindy lou'

But that may be due to imperfect interpretation of the lyrics most likely gleaned from radio, or an arrangement he came up with.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 02:53 AM

Hi, 1:46 AM Guest-
I don't think of Paul Robeson as a songwriter. Most of what he sang (maybe all), was written by somebody else - so he wouldn't have been able to restrict permission for publication of songs he recorded but didn't write.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 01:07 PM

John Charles Thomas was another well-known singer of "Mah Lindy Loo."

It appears together with "The Green Eyed Dragon," "Swing Low...," "Home on the Range," "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit," and others on a Nimbus cd titled "Prima Voce."

An excellent collection, issued in 1992.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST,JFL
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 01:40 AM

Coming somewhat late to the table and from far away (Canberra , Australia) this was a song I think I first heard in the early 50s by Paul Robeson and I heard it again yesterday on an old time music show on a Radio for the Sight Impaired network. Again I think it was Paul Robeson - it seemed a little too rich for John Charles Thomas, and it was a bit scratchy but so beautiful that it was probably improved by its imperfections. The lyrics fit the melody so beautifully and the melody is exquisite.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST,anon
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 04:39 PM

I think the arrangements in Robeson's version deserve most of the credit when it comes to it's charming beauty (no that i dislike robeson's interpretation)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST,Alison Kerruish, uk
Date: 10 Mar 15 - 05:35 AM

Coming even later to this chat..... My father, 87, who has dementia, has a magnolia tree in his garden that cost 2s 6d, 60 years ago from Woolworths. He always talks about it in every phone call and visit I make, so hundreds of times, about what it looks like, buds on it etc. Today he suddenly burst into song... About a Magnolia GROVE... He mentioned lindy Lou too. So I googled it and here I am... Does anyone know a version with the word grove in it?. Despite his memory problems he thought it was from the southern US. I will take some YouTube recordings to him this week. I am just amazed this came bouncing up thru his memory. I suspect it was Paul Robeson or Bert Ives. My father grew up in a mining town in Lancashire and they might have had a wireless at some point, but most likely he saw it at the pictures (cinema), as they may not have afforded a wireless.
I am stunned at the power of music.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 15 - 02:20 PM

My husband sings this song! He learned it from his father, who won a contest as a boy, singing "Lindy Lou". This would have been in the late 20's/30's. My husband actually recorded it to piano and flute, way back in 1983!

Jan Jordan Walters

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 15 - 12:49 PM

Does anyone know of an instrumental recording of this song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mah Lindy Lou (Lily Strickland, 1920)
From: GUEST,steve Miller
Date: 28 Mar 19 - 03:48 AM

There’s also a performance of it sung by Harold Browning, accompanied on piano by Eubie Blake, on the album Eubie Blake vol. 1, published by Eubie Blake Music around 1971.