Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)

Subject: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Dale Rose
Date: 13 May 98 - 07:50 PM

This is another of those songs that are normally done only as instrumentals, but which have very nice lyrics~~when you can find them! Does anyone have them? I would like to get them for musician friends who want to perform the song.

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Feb 99 - 08:13 PM

Since no one can enter NEW threads, I figured this would be a good time to resurrect an old one that I did not get a response to. Still looking!

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Feb 99 - 03:49 AM

You lonesome over here, Dale? Did I see you post this request on the Christian Deer Hunters thread? I did a Web search for the song, but the only versions I found were instrumentals.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Alice
Date: 09 Feb 99 - 09:01 PM

Who have you heard sing it, Dale?

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Dale Rose
Date: 10 Feb 99 - 06:50 PM

That is part of the problem~~I don't remember. I heard the words long ago, probably on a 78. Recent recordings, of which there are several actually, have all been instrumental versions. It seems that quite a few songs have gone this route over the years. Other examples that I can think of at the moment are Peekaboo Waltz, Wolves a'Howling, Darkness on the Delta, Orange Blossom Special~~while I have heard the words to all of them, nine times out of ten or better, they are played just as fiddle tunes.

I am asking for musician friends who would like to sing the song, but don't know nearly enough of the words to try it. I'm no help because I don't remember any of them, except for Georgiana Moon! That reminds me of Kenny Hall and the Sweets Mill String Band years ago. They recorded Angeline the Baker, and I guess they could not remember any of the words, so they just threw in Angeline the Baker every now and then.

OK, I am done rambling.

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Dale Rose
Date: 29 Nov 99 - 12:25 AM

Every now and then it seems worthwhile to try again on requests that have not been answered. It is possible that someone new to the forum has exactly the information that I have been looking for.

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Stewie
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 04:00 AM

Dale, unfortunately, I do not have the song but I know who wrote it and recorded it. It was recorded for Decca by the Geogia Wildcats which was formed by McMichen after leaving the Skillet Lickers. This was McMichen moving into new territory - as he always wanted - getting away from what he regarded as the archaism of the Skillet Lickers. However, the new stuff did not sell of fraction of what the old hoedowns had sold. 'Georgiana Moon' was a McMichen original and its lack of success was especially bitter for him. In later years, he said: 'It was one of the most beautiful tunes I ever wrote in my life. We thought we were going to get rich on it. Heh. We didn't sell enough to pay for the first pressing. I got about 75 or 80 cents for writing it'. As Charles Wolfe has pointed out, ironically, it 'has become a standard at festivals throughout the country and is often thought of as a public domain song'.

Regards, Stewie.

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Dale Rose
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 11:51 AM

Thanks for the info. I certainly never would have thought to connect it to Clayton McMichen! That definitely gives me a couple of new directions to pursue.

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Stewie
Date: 08 Dec 99 - 07:29 PM

Dale, I have found 3 versions of 'Georgiana Moon' in my collection but, unfortunately, they are all instrumental! The first is Asa Martin and The Cumberland Rangers 'Dr Ginger Blue: Timely Old Tunes' Rounder LP 0034. Nicely done with Jim Gaskin on fiddle, Gilbert Thomas on mandolin and Asa on guitar. Asa said he learned it directly from McMichen. The notes give the details of the original Decca recording: McMichen's Georgia Wildcats 'Georgiana Moon' De 5441, 22 July 1937. The composer credits on the Decca recording went to Clayton McMichen and 'Slim' Bryant. On the Asa Martin recording, it is called 'Dreamy Georgiana Moon'. The second recording is a lovely banjo and fiddle duet on Snuffy Jenkins and Pappy Sherrill '33 Years of Pickin' and Pluckin' Rounder LP 005. Pappy said he learned it in Atlanta directly from McMichen. Sherrill and Jenkins also call it 'Dreamy Georgiana Moon'. The third is from the great fiddler from Monroe's band: Kenny Baker 'Farmyard Swing' County 775. Here it called 'Georgianna Moon', but spelt with 2 'n's. Credit is simply 'arr Baker'.

This does not take you much further forward, but the couple of extra details might assist your search. If we are patient, no doubt Johnny Parth will reissue the original Wilcats' version in due course! Regards, Stewie.

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Stewie
Date: 08 Dec 99 - 08:07 PM

Dale, I'll post this here, as others may be interested in it too. The following is the URL for a site that has a listing of tracks on roots music anthologies (various artists only). Unfortunately, 'Georgiana' is not there. It is run by a bloke in Kansas by the name of Tim (don't know his surname). It seems to have come to a temporary standstill of late (he tells me he is busy sorting out his Y2K bugs). It is an ongoing project that will be of great value to oltimey and blues lovers. He is very amenable to additions and corrections - I have sent him a few. Because it is simply a list, it takes an inordinate time to load - you simply have to be patient; it gets there eventually.

http://members.aol.com/nnnnbody/roots.html

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: Lyr Add: DREAMY GEORGIANA MOON (McMichen/Bryant)
From: Dale Rose
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 11:02 PM

Sometimes it takes a while, and sometimes you wind up doing it yourself. Found it today in Folio of Songs by "Slim" Bryant and his Wildcats, Vol. IV, 1940.

DREAMY GEORGIANA MOON
Words and Music by Clayton McMichen & Hoyt "Slim" Bryant, copyright 1935.

Dreamy Georgiana moon,
No one was there but you,
When I looked into your eyes,
With a sigh, whispered I would be true,

Each night brings sorrow to my heart,
Tell her that I'll be returning soon,
My love's still true, though we're many miles apart,
Tell her dreamy Georgiana moon.

DWR

I have put up the sheet music from Bryant's book, first page here and second page here. Thanks to Stewie for giving me a shove in the right direction.

Subject: RE: need lyrics: Georgiana Moon
From: Stewie
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 11:15 PM

Well done, Dale. I should mention that the site I referred to - Tim in Kansas - has disappeared without trace and so has his email address. I am kicking myself for not downloading his index when I had the chance.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)
From: GUEST,Norma Campbell
Date: 14 Oct 05 - 01:03 AM

Hi, my late father was a radio entertainer(musician and singer). He began back in the late 1920's and early 30's(way before I was born). I grew up hearing him play instruments(he played about 8 equally well)such as the guitar, and sing. I heard one that stayed with me with its haunting beauty and rhyme. It was "Georgianna Moon". From the first time I ever heard it, I just loved it. I very much want the words to it...can anyone help me get them? I would be most grateful. My email addy is [e-mail].......Norma

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)
From: GUEST,Norma..
Date: 17 Oct 05 - 07:09 PM

I finally noticed someone had written the song here. BUT I thought that there were more verses. I could be wrong tho...Glad to find them as much as I love this beautiful song.

Subject: Want McMichen's original Georgiana Moon recording
From:
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 08:11 PM

Does anyone have the original Calyton Mcmichen recording of "Georgiana Moon" I'de like to get maybe a casette of it. I play a version of this song & have a few different recordings but can't seem to find C. M.'s original- it appears to be very rare. Please email if you can help- Thanx- Matt Rich

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Brya
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 08:24 PM

If anyone here knows if it has shown up in the last few years, it would be Stewie. No doubt he will see this and respond.

By the way, those links to the sheet music that I posted on 28 Oct 00 no longer work as a direct link. You CAN fool Tripod by copying the link location, then pasting it into the address bar and hitting enter.

Here they are again for easier copy and paste.

http://goodoldsongs.tripod.com/georgianamoon1.jpg

http://goodoldsongs.tripod.com/georgianamoon2.jpg

This thread is one of the more badly jumbled from a Mudcat crash of last year. You have to skip around to make sense of what is being said.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Brya
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 08:27 PM

Answering Norma's question, which I hadn't seen until tonight, they used to abbreviate lyrics quite a bit in order to put more songs in their books. Sometimes they only gave one verse. It is the best we have at the moment, though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)
From: GUEST,NORMA
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 10:01 PM

Thanks Dale. The reason I knew of the song is...my late Father was a pioneer in our part of Va, in early country/western music radio. He was a multi-talented individual, very musical. It was an attribute several in his family shared. He played about 6-8 different instruments, by ear, and very well. Had won contests with fiddle and guitar. He was also a good singer. Dad used to sing that beautiful song..."Dreamy Georgiana Moom". I always loved it, even as a child. Had some unexpected circumstances not intervened in a tragic way in the mid forties...no doubt he would have gone to Nashville, and I have no doubt could have hit it big there. There is a mini bio, and pics of my Father in the archives in Ferrum, Va about my Dad, where they keep records of Va's music history...and in several museums too. He passed away at 89 years old, in 2001. He had a cousin who did do well in Nashville as a bass guitar player...played for many big names, such as George Jones, Billy Walker, and others. Also played with the Grand Ole Opry house band for about 8 years. However died fairly young in the late '80's from a second heart attack. They both played a lot of good music in their time. Thanks for the reply.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 12:09 PM

Well thanks for YOUR reply, Norma, and for that welcome addition to our knowledge!

This is another of those fascinating Mudcat threads with a life all of its own.

1998 I ask for the lyrics

1999 There were no responses, so in a period that we are unable to post new threads at Mudcat, I revive the thread. Also in 1999, Joe, Alice and Stewie post helpful thoughts. Stewie points me in the right direction.

2000 I find the lyrics and music in a song book, posting a link to the music. Stewie has a followup post.

2005 Norma posted twice, but I didn't see it.

2006 Matt Rich revives the thread asking for a recording. (We still don't have one) I repeat how to get to the music. Those links still work!

2009 Here's Norma again!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 12:16 PM

Norma, I DO have the Asa Martin version that Stewie mentioned. Though it is an instrumental, you might get some enjoyment out of it. If you'd like to have it, drop me a note at dale8r AT hotmail DOT com.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 09:27 PM

Hi Dale, good to see that you still pop in to Mudcat. I have yet to come across a reissue of the original McMichen recording. There are some Wildcats recordings available for download from the Western Swing on 78 blog, but alas not 'Georgiana Moon': Western Swing on 78.

I did come across this video on Youtube - an instrumental versionby 3 oldtimers - that is well worth a look: Georgiana Moon.

Regards, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 09:39 PM

I found those at the Western Swing blog, too, Stewie. The 78 of Please Don't Sell My Pappy No More Rum b/w Put Your Arms Around Me Honey was among my very earliest purchases with my own money. It was sure good to hear it again.

I'll give the youtube a listen, thanks.

Dale

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreamy Georgiana Moon (McMichen, Bryant)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Dec 16 - 07:07 AM

Am a fiddler and do not hear Georgiana Moon played very much--why not??