Origins: My Carolina Home (McMichen, Layne, Stokes

Subject: Lyr Add: MY CAROLINA HOME
From: GUEST,Phil
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 04:01 PM

My mother sang this song to me. Then later she sang it to my kids, and still later to my grandkids -- her greats. These are the lyrics she used. It was a waltz. She always said she learned it from an old cylinder record way back when she was young. My mother was born in 1912. I'd sure love to locate it, find out who recorded it, and possibly find either some old sheet music for it, or even the cylinder record. Any ideas? I suppose the name of it was "Carolina Home".

MY CAROLINA HOME

Way down yonder in Carolina
There's where I long to be
There's where she's waiting
'Neath the old pine tree
I can hear those mountains calling
Come to your mountain home
Back to your Thelma
And to Carolina home.

Verse:
I've been so lonely since I left my home
All for you
There's where she's waiting
Never again will I roam

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Carolina Home'
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 10:21 AM

Google search produces the information that Laura Boosinger recorded a cover.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Carolina Home'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:44 AM

"My Carolina Home" was recorded by The Herald Angels on Old Time Music: On the Air, Vol. 2 (Rounder) [with sound clip].

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Carolina Home'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:53 AM

Vernon Dalhart also recorded "My Carolina Home", which is on Vernon Dalhart : Country Music Hall Of Fame 1981 [with sound clip].

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Carolina Home'
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:32 PM

Dalhart's recording omits the verse 'I've been so lonely ...' posted by Phil and repeats the four lines beginning 'I can hear those mountains ...'. He sings 'Beneath a lone pine tree' for line 4.


The Herald Angels, a female trio, sing it from a female perspective and thus 'Thelma' becomes 'Elmer'. The minor differences from the 8-line text above are: 'Way down in the hills of Carolina', 'he's waiting', 'my cabin home' and 'your Elmer'. It has a different verse:

Carolina moon keep shining
Shine on the one who waits for me
Back home in the Blue Ridge
That's where my heart longs to be

Then 'I can hear those mountains ... etc'.

The Herald Angels note that their version is adapted from a 1930s Columbia recording by Riley Puckett and Clayton McMichen.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Carolina Home'
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 01:21 AM

. . . and I thought I'd chime in with the info on the Laura Boosinger version, but at the moment, that CD seems to have gone missing, it must be out in the car.

I do remember that she does it as a medley with Carolina Moon, though.

I'll check for it tomorrow ~~ if I think of it.

Subject: ADD: My Carolina Home
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 03:00 AM

Stewie has all the information down, but let me put it all together:

MY CAROLINA HOME
(Clayton McMichen)

Way down down in the hills of Carolina
That's's where I long to be
That's where he's waiting
Beneath the old pine tree
I can hear the mountains calling
Come back to your cabin home
Back to your Elmer
And your Carolina home.

Carolina moon, keep shining
Shine on the one who waits for me
Back home in the Blue Ridge
That's where my heart longs to be
I can hear the mountains calling
Come back to your cabin home
Back to your Elmer
And your Carolina home.


transcribed from a recording by The Herald Angels (Alice Gerrard, Sharon Sandomirsky, and GailGillespie) - Old-Time Music on the Air CD. The lyrics share a couple of lines with Carolina Moon, but the tune is quite different.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Carolina Home'
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 04:16 PM

Not much to tell about Laura's version.

Credits are:
My Carolina Home - Clayton McMichen, Bert Layne, Lowe Stokes 1927 BMI
Carolina Moon - Benny David & Joe Burke 1926,1956 BMI
Thanks to the Luke Smathers Band of Canton, NC for sharing their style of "mountain swing."

Way down there in Carolina
There's where I long to be
There's where he's waiting
'Neath the old pine tree
Oh, I can hear those mountains calling
Come to your mountain home
Back to your sweetheart
And your Carolina home

That is mostly backed by her OT banjo, then it shifts gears into Carolina Moon with a David Holt harmonica break, followed by the Carolina Moon vocal.

More about this excellent singer/banjo player at lauraboosinger.com She has a new CD project with George Shuffler.   That's one of my priority "to order from Dick" choices.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Carolina Home'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 01:39 AM

Dale e-mailed me the Boosinger recording, which is very nice. It does segue into the actual "Carolina Moon" song. The Herald angels song does not - it continues to use the "Carolina Home" tune through the entire recording, even though the words match "Moon" for two lines.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Carolina Home'
From: GUEST,Laura Boosinger
Date: 06 Aug 03 - 10:45 PM

Hey Guys, Here's the deal......... When I got ready to record "Carolina Moon", Charles Gidney, Luke Smather's great nephew, sugested I add the "Carolina Home" part as the "verse" to the chorus of "Carolina Moon." I think he even brought me the sheet music. Anyway, it seemed like the right thing to do. It fit nicely and hearaled both Luke and people he heard on the radio in the 1920's-30's. by the way, Charles was the lead guitar player in Luke's band for mnay years, and on the June Appal records they made.
thanks,
www.lauraboosinger.com

Subject: Lyr Add: MY CAROLINA HOME (McMichen, Layne, Stokes
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Feb 08 - 11:51 PM

From the sheet music at Indiana University Sheet Music Collections:

MY CAROLINA HOME
Clayton McMichen, Bert Layne and Lowe Stokes
New York: Joseph M. Davis, 1927.

1. I've been so lonely since I left my home, all for you.
I know you are waiting. I love you true.
I'll never leave Carolina again, my old home.
There, dear, I'll always linger. Never again will I roam.

CHORUS: For way down there in Carolina, there's where I long to be.
There's where she's waiting, 'neath the old pine tree.
I can hear those mountains calling, "Come to your mountain home,
Back to your Thelma and your Carolina home."

2. Days are so long and the nights are so short, when away.
Thinking about you dear, I can't help say:
I keep regretting the time that I left, my old home.
I will promise to you, dear, never again will I roam.

---

Too many spam hits on this thread lately, so it is closed temporarily. Please contact a moderator if you wish it reopened to post something. --mudelf

Subject: RE: Origins: My Carolina Home (McMichen, Layne, Stokes
From: GUEST,Deb Williams
Date: 16 Oct 15 - 08:09 AM

To Guest.Phil

My Grandfather (Papa) sang this song to me exactly as you have typed.

Way down yonder in Carolina
There's where I long to be
There's where she's waiting
'Neath the old pine tree
I can hear those mountains calling
Come to your mountain home
Back to your Thelma
And YOUR Carolina home.

He never sang the verse. Papa was born in 1909 ....

Brings back sweet memories.