Lyr Req: True Blue Bill (from Gene Autry)

Subject: True Blue Bill
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jan 98 - 01:26 PM

On the songs with dates thread, Sir posted this tantalizing line:

Gene Autry's True Blue Bill "Waded 40 ft. of snow on the 31st of June"

Sir, do you have lyrics you can post? A tune? anybody? This sounds like a song that's too good to pass up, one suited for the 10,000 Years Ago thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: True Blue OOPS!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jan 98 - 01:31 PM

....and if I had done a forum search instead of just searching the database, I would have found this. Well, DUH - or whatever it is my kids say.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE:
From: mandola man
Date: 10 Jan 98 - 06:29 PM

Hi Joe I followed your link, and it certainly seems to link to Gene Autry, which must centre it in the USA, but "True Blue" is a real Aussie expression, or at least I had never heard it used until I visited Oz.

The Australian, John Williamson, uses and I think he wrote, a song called "True Blue" virtually as his signature tune.

Macquarie (the Australian dictionary) defines it as "unchanging, unwavering, staunch, true", which hardly seems to scratch the surface of the meaning in Oz. It's the best compliment you can ever pay an Aussie.

Here in the UK it takes the second meaning that Macquarie defines, staunchly conservative, although in the UK conservative is "Conservative", the political party, and it is definately not an expression you would use to describe anyone who did not strongly support that party, unless you were really trying to annoy them.

Is the expression used in your part of the world, and what have the Aussies got to say about it.

Cheers, Alan

Subject: RE:
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 10 Jan 98 - 07:57 PM

G'day,
Well I looked at this thread expecting to find an Aussie song!

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE:
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 10 Jan 98 - 07:58 PM

And can anybody post a tune???

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE:
From: Will
Date: 11 Jan 98 - 12:36 AM

And in the US, it means a life-long employee of IBM. Or was that "Big Blue"?

Subject: True Blue
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jan 98 - 12:53 AM

I dunno, Alan. I thought "True Blue" was a fairly common expression where I grew up in Michigan and Wisconsin, meaning steadfast and loyal. I think the phrase is fairly universal in use among English-speaking peoples, although shades of meaning may vary from one area to another. I think I recall hearing members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police referred to as true-blue - but that may be due to the cold weather. [groan]
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE:
From: Alice
Date: 11 Jan 98 - 12:24 PM

And in Montana, a cowboy's loyal horse can be considered "true blue" (or a true blue sweetheart, etc. etc.) Joe is correct. It is a universal English language expression. In my Webster's dictionary it says that it is from the "old association of blue with constancy". Alice in MT

Subject: RE:
From:
Date: 11 Jan 98 - 05:57 PM

The OED defines "true blue" as "completely true to one's principles; firmly loyal." Unfortunately it doesn't say whence the expression comes.

It wouldn't be the Mounties. Their dress uniforms are red and their everyday uniforms aren't blue.

Subject: RE: True Blue
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jan 98 - 06:10 PM

I KNEW it would be you who would say that, Tim. (grin)
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE:
From: Bo
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 04:52 AM

The blue in True blue probably comes from the Royal Blue or Conservative\whig blue. The Battle of Sherra-Moor a song about the 18th C. has the lines:

'But had ye seen the philibegs, And skyrin tartan trews, man; When in the teeth they daur'd our Whigs, And Covenant trueblues, man!

I think we're all reflecting our British heritage her folks.

Bo

Subject: RE:
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 10:56 AM

The blue, in True Blue, as I said above, comes from the color being an old symbol of constancy. Ever hear the saying for weddings, "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,"? That is one traditional example of how the color was connected to being "true" or loyal. alice, mt

Subject: RE:
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 03:15 PM

And, besides all that, "true" doesn't rhyme with "yellow." Ponder that awhile.....
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE:true blue
From: judy
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 05:37 PM

My favorite site for word origins, word-detective.com, didn't have "true blue". I once had a site that told the meanings of colors but I threw the bookmark away. Like Alice, I believe it meant "faithful".

judy

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 06:09 PM

"True blue [indigo] will never stain". See ZN249 in my broadside ballad index for that as a tune title in the 17th century.

www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ballads/17thc_index.html

Subject: RE:
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 06:52 PM

judy....this may not be the bookmark you had...but it has a lot of stuff..

click

Subject: RE:
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 07:39 PM

It looks like we are headed toward a thread about songs that use rhymes with colors. (Mellow Yellow?) Anyone care to pick up this hot potato? Alice in MT

Subject: RE:"True Blue Bill" - Sir????
From: judy
Date: 13 Jan 98 - 01:15 AM

Bill,

Holy moly!! Everything you never wanted to know about colors. Oddly enough I didn't see the site I remember. But what the heck, those should be enough for anyone

Thanks Bill, you're a true blue friend judy

Subject: RE:
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Jan 98 - 07:42 PM

awwww...*blushing a shocking shade of pink*

Subject: RE:
From: Jon W.
Date: 14 Jan 98 - 10:06 AM

Back in the old days when the first true blue Bill thread was posted, we had no way of posting tunes, so I didn't post the one I use. Now that we do, I'll try to post it sooner or later (sooner if I haven't deleted it from my computer at home, later if I have).

True Blue Jon.

PS. how about a whiter shade of pale?

Subject: RE:
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 14 Jan 98 - 01:17 PM

I see your true blue, and I want it painted black.

(Incidentally, I would hear "true blue" as old-fashioned and possibly not serious. I didn't know it was current in Australia.)

Subject: RE:
From:
Date: 14 Jan 98 - 07:05 PM

That's a useful looking index, Bruce, which I shall bookmark.

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 14 Jan 98 - 07:41 PM

A new version of the broadside ballad index was posted last night. A headnote tells how to contact Steve Roud for information about his broadside, and separate folksong indices.

Subject: RE:
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Jan 98 - 12:06 AM

Get crackin' on that tune, Jon. America wants to hear this song.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Tune Add: TRUE BLUE BILL
From: Jon W.
Date: 16 Jan 98 - 05:08 PM

Wonder of wonders, I got on my home machine and found the tune so here it is:

MIDI file: TBBILL.MID

Timebase: 192

Text: True Blue Bill
Copyright: Copyright © 1995 All Rights Reserved
TimeSig: 2/4 24 8
Name: Unnamed-000
Start
0000 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0352 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0544 0 62 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0352 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0544 0 60 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0352 0 67 000 0128 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0544 0 62 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0544 0 60 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 67 110 0352 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 67 110 0336 0 67 000 0048 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0256 0 60 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0352 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0544 0 60 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the January 15 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Unnamed-000
M:2/4
Q:1/4=120
K:C
G2G2C7/2z/2|C7/2z/2C7/2z/2|E7/2z/2G7/2z/2|
G15/2z/2|E2E2G7/2z/2|G7/2z/2F7/2z/2|E7/2z/2D4|
-D15/2z/2|G2G2C7/2z/2|C7/2z/2C7/2z/2|E7/2z/2G7/2z/2|
G15/2z/2|E2E2G7/2z/2|F7/2z/2E7/2z/2|D7/2z/2C4|
-C15/2z/2|G7/2z/2C7/2z/2|C7/2z/2C7/2z/2|E7/2z/2G7/2z/2|
G15/2z/2|z2E2G7/2z/2|G7/2z/2F7/2z/2|E7/2z/2D4|
-D15/2z/2|G2G2C7/2z/2|C7/2z/2C7/2z/2|E7/2z/2G7/2z/2|
G7/2z/2G7/2z/2|E2E2G7/2z/2|F7/2z/2E7/2z/2|
D7/2z/2C4|-C15/2z/2|G7/2z/2A4|-A3/2z/2A2c7/2z/2|
c7/2z/2A7/2z/2|G15/2z/2|G7/2z/2A7/2z/2|A7/2z/2c7/2z/2|
c7/2z/2G4|-G3zA7/2z/2|C7/2z/2C7/2z/2|C11/2z/2E2|
G7/2z/2G4|-G7/2z/2E2E2|G7/2z/2F7/2z/2|E7/2z/2D7/2z/2|
C8|-C7/2||

Subject: RE:
From: Jon W.
Date: 16 Jan 98 - 05:38 PM

I retrieved the above ABC notation and played it, and it seems to have quite a few extra notes thrown in for some reason. I don't know how the MIDI is but this is the correct tune in ABC:

X: 1
T: TRUE BLUE BILL
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:C % 0 sharps
V:1
G/2G/2|CCCE GG2E/2E/2|GGFE D3G/2G/2|CCCE GG2E/2E/2|GFED C3G|
CCCE GG2 z/2 E/2|GGFE D3G/2G/2|CCCE GGGE/2E/2|GFED C3G|
A3/2A/2cc AG2G|AAcc G2AC|CC3/2E/2G G2E/2E/2G|FEDC3|

Subject: RE:
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Jan 98 - 04:09 AM

The MIDI and ABC tune seem fine, Jon - the main difference is that your ABC tune is more compact and a bit smoother.
-Joe-

Subject: RE:
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 02:11 AM

Hi Jon W, according to Max's new search engine your's was the first third party posting to use Alan's MIDITEXT program to send a MIDI to Mudcat. With almost exactly two years gone let me retrospectively congratulate you as well as thanking Alan for his outstanding addition to the Mudcat armory. How perfectly fitting it is that we can now thank Alan yet again for making available a dedicated Web site for Mudcat MIDIs, and to Alison and Joe for selflessly assisting with the latest efforts to post tunes there. Many thanks, John