Lyr Req: Oklahoma Rose (Percy French)

Subject: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 11:47 AM

I heard Frank Hennessy talking about French on his Celtic Heartbeats show and was suprised that he wrote "Eileen Oge," which Ian and Sylvia did, as well as Abul.

I see on a French website that he wrote a song called "Oklahoma Rose" in 1910, but Mr. Google cannot locate the words. Can anyone supply the words? Sounds interesting.

1910 was a good year for music - google on Baby Rose and Billy Murray for a recording of that great song.

Thanks for the help, Chris in Wheaton.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Big Tim
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:33 PM

I've got the song in a book. If nobody can find the song online, I'll post them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: ard mhacha
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 03:00 PM

The Cassette and likely the CD can still be purchased in various shops around Ireland, I have Brendan O`Dowda singing Percy French songs and Oklahoma Rose is included on each.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 04:37 PM

I see that cd's of the 1950's O'Dowda lp's have been released. -

But I'm wondering Big Tim if you could post at least a bit of the song, so I can see if it is something that I might do.

Thanks, Chris

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OKLAHOMA ROSE (Percy French)
From: Big Tim
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 03:43 AM

THE OKLAHOMA ROSE - words and music by Percy French

All round de moon, clouds are hangin' high and hazy,
On de lagoon, moonbeams are lyin' lazy,
Dat's when dis coon's g'wine to meet ma Maisie,
An' I'm singin' de same old song.
It's not about ma Dinah 'way down in Carolina,
Ma lastest love is finer dan any flower grows,
In fact, she don't remind me of gals I've left behind me,
For true love chains dey bind me to Oklahoma's rose.

She can trip like moonbeams on de water,
Every step dis coloured coon he taught her,
Just one clip around her waist I caught her,
When de band played "Mumblin' Mose".
She's ma rose, ma lily and ma daisy,
Whar she goes, de coloured coons go crazy,
All I knows ia ma Aminta [sic] Maisie am de Olkahoma Rose, Oklahoma Rose.

There's another verse and a chorus but I doubt you'll want them!
Percy toured the US in 1910 and he wrote the song there and then. I don't think Brendan O'Dowda ever recorded this one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 04:58 AM

Well, I don't suppose I'll ever sing the song, Tim - but I'd be interested in seeing the rest of it. It's quite different from the other Percy French songs I've heard.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Big Tim
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 05:50 AM

OK Joe.

All through de day she keeps lookin' down demurely,
Much as to say - "I can't be a woman surely!
I still can play with ma doll securely,
For dis ain't de time to spoon".
But when de sun am sinkin' her eyes begin a winkin',
An' den I know she's thinkin' of dis yer coloured coon.
Oh! Ain't I glad I found her. In love chains I have bound her,
Her face is rather rounder - it's rounder dan de moon.

Chorus
She hears me call an' she comes a-creepin', creepin',
Over de wall she sees me leapin', leapin',
Big folks and small quietly are sleepin',
When I meet ma lily belle,
Up and down de ladder, I'm slippin' like a shadder[sic][shadow?],
No one could be gladder dan me, I don't suppose,
I'm coaxin' her an teasin', I'm kissin' her an' squeezin',
It seems to me it's pleasin' to Oklahoma's Rose.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 05:56 AM

Thanks, Tim. Yes, it is a truly awful song.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: ard mhacha
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 06:54 AM

Joe yes a bloody awful song, French wrote a few more awful songs, but none as bad as this, Brendan O`Dowda must have sang this at gunpoint.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Noreen
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 06:57 AM

LOL!! Of its time, but exceedingly surprising that it should come from the pen of Mr French.

Interesting though- the clever internal rhyming popular in Irish songs and his other work is there:
Dinah/Carolina/finer
and particularly:
Oh! Ain't I glad I found her. In love chains I have bound her,
Her face is rather rounder... is lovely, in its way :0)

I wonder if the song achieved any popularity in its time? I can't hear Brendan O'Dowda (or Joe Offer) singing it!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 10:35 AM

Oh well, I'll stick with Pride of Petovar and Mountains of Mourne - thanks for your efforts.
Even Irving Berlin had some clunkers.
Are there any recordings of Percy? I'd like to hear his banjo.
Guess he didn't have quite as good a press agent as Harry Lauder -
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Big Tim
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 12:38 PM

Some other lesser know French songs include:

Ballinaddy,
Celestial Paintings,
Comic Advertisement,
Cremorne,
Cruise of the Pirate Bus,
End of the Holiday,
Excelsior,
Fisherman's Wife,
Fitzwilliam Square,
Galloping Hogan,
George Grossmith,
Goosey, Goosey, Gander
Hiawatha's Motoring,
How Hiawatha Won the Cup,
If I was a Lady,
In Exile,
In the Studio,
Islands of Aran,
Kindly Welcome,
Later On,
L'Envoi,
Lines in a Swiss Hotel,
Lines Written in Praise of Joan Phyllis French [one of his daughters],
Little Girl's Prayer,
Mother's Fairies,
Musician to His Love,
Not Lost but Gone Before,
Nursery Rhymes,
Off to the West Indies,
Only Way Out of It,
Otter King,
Painter and the Pianist,
Paradise,
People I Don't Want to Meet,
Queen's Advice to Lord Zetland,
Queen's After-dinner Speech,
"Reaction",
Red Letter Days,
Retrospection,
Roley, Poley,
Smiles,
Sweet Lavender,
Tell Me, O Captain,
Tennis Tournament,
Things That Matter,
To E.R.
The the West,
Valley of Dunloe.

Coincidentally, I also asked on a recent Percy Thread, if he had ever been recorded. I think the answer is "No'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: ard mhacha
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 01:56 PM

No, it is, that last word again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: MartinRyan
Date: 26 Mar 05 - 06:02 AM

It's tempting to think of "Oklahoma Rose" as the "Revenge of the Oirish"!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Wrinkles
Date: 26 Mar 05 - 06:50 AM

French's attempt to use black vernacular (a kind of pseudo-gullah) _is_ unintentionally funny, particularly from today's post-PC viewpoint.

Linguistically however, it is interesting to see in his "sight spelling" exactly how a middle class Hibernian English speaker heard this accent, or perhaps imagined it.

Ironically, "sight spelling" only works when the writer and performer share exactly the same accent, so no American (of any color) or English person can ever perform this tune as intended!

Wrinkles

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: ard mhacha
Date: 26 Mar 05 - 08:08 AM

We should all be thankful that, "no American or English person can perform this tune as intended", all French people steer clear.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: GUEST,Chris in Wheaton
Date: 26 Mar 05 - 08:27 AM

so - Big Tim - what hidden gems are there in that list?
Our song circle likes interesting songs with a chorus that you go home singing.
Is there one in the list that you'd recommend?
Shame that he was never recorded.
Did anybody listen to Billy Murray doing Baby Rose? (#1 on google list) Jim Watson (of Robin and Linda fame) has a great updated version - and the song circle liked it too!!
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French - Oklahoma Rose
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Mar 05 - 04:37 PM

Hey, Tim - I know you don't like the song, but do you suppose you could post the entire thing, all together, so were sure what order the verses some in?
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OKLAHOMA ROSE (Percy French)
From: Big Tim
Date: 27 Mar 05 - 05:08 AM

THE OKLAHOMA ROSE

All round de moon clouds are hangin' high an' hazy,
On da lagoon moonbeams are lyin' lazy,
Dat's when dis coon's 'gwine to meet ma Maisie,
An' I'm singin' de same old song.
It's not about ma Dinah 'way down in Carolina,
Ma latest love is finer dan any flow'r dat blows.
In fact, she don't remind me of gals I've left behind me,
For true love chains dey bind me to Oklahoma's rose.

Chorus
She can trip like moonbeams on de water,
Ev'ry step dis colour'd coon he taught her,
Just one clip around her waist I caught her,
When de band played "Mumbling Rose",
She's ma rose, ma lily an' ma daisy,
Whar she goes, de colour'd coons go crazy,
All I knows in ma Aminta [sic] Maisie                                     Am de Oklahoma Rose.

All through de day she keeps lookin' down demurely,
Much as to say – I can't be a woman surely"!
I can still play with ma doll securely,
For dis ain't de time to spoon".
But when de sun am sinkin' her eyes begin a winkin',
An' den I know she's thinkin' of dis yer colour'd coon,
Oh! ain't I glad I found her. In love chains I have bound her.
Her face is rather rounder – it's rounder dan de moon.

Chorus
She hears me call an' she comes a-creepin', creepin',
Over de wall she see me leapin', leapin',
Big folks an' small quietly are sleepin'
When I meet ma lily belle.
Up an' down de ladder I'm slippin' like a shadder,
No one could be gladder dan me, I don't suppose,
I'm coaxin' her an' teasin', I'm kissin' her an' squeezin',
It seems to me it's pleasin' to Oklahoma's Rose.

Source: "Percy French and His Songs" by James N. Healy. Mercier Press, 1966.

"After some appearances in Canada, the entertainers [Percy French and Houston Collisson] opened in the Mendelssohn Hall, New York on the 4th of November [1910], to a splendid reception and thereafter gave their "Unique Recitals, Humours of Art and Music" [Percy French was a talented painter] in other American centres before completing the tour with engagements at Bermuda, the West Indies and Panama en route to England.
There are a couple of souvenirs in the way of songs resulting from their American tour - one of then "The Oklahoma Rose", which French originally incorporated in a humorous sketch; and "That Why We're Burying Him".
The second shows the American influence, for the lyric has a distinct music-hall echo, when compared with many of the vintage songs". (From page 93 of above book).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oklahoma Rose (Percy French)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 May 08 - 07:39 AM

Being from Oklahoma (but now living in Northern Ireland) I was first excited when learning of French's song 'Oklahoma Rose.' I had visions of my Derry husband being able to sing it to me. After reading the lyrics, I don't even want to hear the tune. It is gawd-awful. How about someone doing a re-write? Couldn't it be salvaged in some way? Take out the affected accent (even the Blacks in Oklahoma never talked that bad)? It was a disappointment indeed as I do like other of French's songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oklahoma Rose (Percy French)
From: Big Tim
Date: 21 May 08 - 11:31 AM

God, I was hoping we had heard the last of this one!

Ard, are you sure O'Dowda recorded this embarrassing clunker? I have his album of French songs and it's not on it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oklahoma Rose (Percy French)
From: GUEST,Q as guest
Date: 21 May 08 - 02:57 PM

Rex Allen Jr. sang "Oklahoma Rose" and Wilf Carter sang "My Oklahoma Rose."
No, couldn't be the same song!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oklahoma Rose (Percy French)
From: Big Tim
Date: 22 May 08 - 10:46 AM

This song tho does raise the question, for me, of applying standards of a more 'modern' era to one long gone by. Percy French was an honourable, decent, generous man thoughout his life. Today, he would probably still have written great songs - but nothing like Oklahoma Rose.

Would uou and I be as wise, liberal, tolerant, etc if we had lived in times past?

Didn't George Washington keep slaves?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oklahoma Rose (Percy French)
From: Gulliver
Date: 22 May 08 - 11:50 AM

I know someone who sings this song, just one verse and the chorus, slightly modernised, as an intro to Ukelele Lady. The melody is quite nice. Pity about the lyrics--but the author was a child of his time.

Don