Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal (Robert Schmertz)

Subject: Monongahela Sal
From: M. Morris
Date: 14 Dec 98 - 11:32 PM

I have heard the song Monongahela Sal twice and fell in love with it. After a reather exhaustive/exasperating search I have found the lyrics but no music or recording. The recording would be best but at this point I would be happy with either music or a recording. Can anyone help here?

Subject: RE: Monongahela Sal
From: big J
Date: 18 Dec 98 - 07:51 PM

Pete Seeger sang Monongahela Sal on his 1961 LP PETE SEEGER - STORY SONGS on CBS (I think). It also included Way Out There/ The Half Hitch/ Hobo's Lullaby/ Washington Square/ Aimee PacPherson/ Buffalo Skinners/ and The Foolish Frog. There's so much of Pete's stuff still in catalogues it may be worth trying one of the CD-seller's d'bases.

Subject: RE: Monongahela Sal
From: Songbob
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 12:25 AM

"Monongahela Sal" was written by Pittsburgh native Bob Schmertz circa 1955(?). I'm sorta surprised it's not in Digitrad. I learned it from local folkies in DC (the "Ring Shouters") and have been singing it for 30 years, give or take a week. If it needs adding, I'll give it a try.

Bob Clayton

Subject: Lyr Add: MONONGAHELA SAL (Bob Schmertz)
From: Songbob
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 12:46 AM

So it's not in Digitrad (I looked). Here are the lyrics:


Monongahela Sal

Copyright 1950 by Bob Schmertz

She was born in an old Menessan alley,
Her ma and her pa they called her "Sal."
She grew up to be the pride of the valley,
A typical Monongahela gal.

Chorus

Roll on, roll on, Monongahela.
Roll on past the Ohio.
Roll on past Alequippa (pron. "Alequippi")
Down to the Mississippi,
Clear to the Gulf of Mexico.

Sal wandered one day by the river,
And there she saw the "Jason" steaming by.
Her heart gave a leap and a quiver,
When she caught that handsome pilot's roving eye.

His name, you must know, was Moat Stanley,
And he wore a fancy sportin' coat.
He was tall, dark and handsome, and manly,
Slickest pilot ever steered a boat.

*Repeat Chorus*

Moat gave a "toot" on the whistle,
And the Jason churned water at her stern,
And Sal, stepping light as a thistle,
Reached up and took Moat Stanley's hand in her'n.

It was love, careless love, by the river.
Love, careless love by the shore.
And I'm sure the good Lord will forgive her,
'Cause she never knew what love was like before.

Repeat Chorus

He swore that he always would love her,
As they locked through that old Ensworth Dam,
But that night, overboard he did shover her,
And then Moat Stanley took it on the lam.

Now, no one could say Sal was sickly,
She didn't even take time out to bawl.
She just high-tailed it right down for Sewickly,
Slappin' out a fast Australian crawl.

She hopped a fast freight to Rochester,
And there she saw the Jason close to shore.
Froma yard-bull who tried to molest her,
She up and swiped a number forty-four.

Repeat chorus

Slowly raising that bib shooting iron,
She pumped six bullets into Moat.
And when she laid down that revolver,
She had sure messed up that fancy sportin' coat.

Repeat chorus


** The original chorus changed between verses, and I think may have been sung more times than I sing it. Some of the changes were topical, and I still sing one of 'em, but the others have gotten lost from my version. The one I DO sing:

So roll on, roll on, Monongahela.
Where the catfish and the carp left long ago.
You used to be so pure, but now you're just a sewer,
Messin' up the Gulf of Mexico.


That's all I recall, and it's lots more interesting with the guitar part I cribbed off of Mike Rivers.

Bob Clayton

Subject: RE: Monongahela Sal
From:
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 12:42 PM

Complete words are so in the DT. Just checked 'em out.

MONONGAHELA SAL (Robert Schmertz: recorded 1947.)
She was born in an old Mannessan Alley
Her Ma and her Pa named her Sal
She Grew up to be the pride of the valley,
Typical Monongahela gal.

She was smart, she was pert, she was pretty---
And the bloom of health was on her cheeks
But she bought it in Monongahela City
And the druggist swore that it would last for weeks.

cho: Roll on, roll on Monongahela,
Roll on past the O-Hi-O
Roll past the All-i-quippy, Down to the Mississippi
Clear to the Gulf of Mexico.

One night Sal was strollin' by the river
When she saw the "Jason" standing nigh
Her heart gave a leap and a quiver
When she spied the handsome pilot's roving eye.

His name, you must know, was Moat Stanley
And he wore a fancy sporting coat.
He was tall, dark and handsome, and manly
Slickest pilot ever steered a boat.

cho: Roll On, roll on Monongahela,
Where the catfish and the carp left long ago.
You used to be so pure, But now you're just a sewer,
You're messing up the Gulf of Mexico.

Well, Moat gave a toot on the whistle
And the "Jason" backed water at the stern,

And Sal, stepping light as a thistle
Stepped up and took Moat Stanley's hand in her'n.

It was love, careless love, by the river
It was love, careless love, by the shore.
And I'm sure that the good Lord will forgive her,
For she never knew what love was like before.

cho: Roll On, roll on Monongahela.
Away from the ice and snow,
I think you're mighty lucky >To roll past old Kentucky,
Clear to the Gulf of Mexico.

He swore that he always would love her
As they locked through the old Amsworth dam.
But that night, overboard he did shove her
And then Moat Stanley took it on the lam.

Well, no one could say our Sal was sickly.
She didn't even take time out to bawl.
She just high-tailed it out for Souickly
Slappin' out a fast Australian crawl.

cho: So Roll on, roll on, Monongahela
And lap the waters gently at Dravo
Where they're back to making barges At much more normal charges
Than the LSTs they made a year ago.

Then Sal jumped a freight for Rochester
She swore she would have Moat Stanley's gore.
From a yard bull who tried to molest her
She went and took a great big '44.

Now Sal hit the grit, right at Beaver
And the Jason was a-comin' round the bend
In the pilot house stood Moat, the gay deceiver
Says Sal," I'm sure to get him in the end."

cho: Roll on, roll on, Monongahela,
And blow, gentle breezes, blow
'Cause it's getting mighty smoggy And the folks are getting groggy
I've lived here all my life and I should know.

and So raisin' that big shooting iron
Sal pumped six bullets into Moat
And when she had finished her firin'
She'd sure messed up that fancy sporting coat.

Now Sal to the judge said, "Good Mornin!"
The jury foreman said," Not Guilty, gal";
So let all you pilots take warnin'
Don't mess around Monongahela Sal!
cho:

From: Penn. Songs and Legends, Korson et al, Johns Hopkins Press
@water @love @m^^^

Subject: RE: Monongahela Sal
From: M. Morris
Date: 24 Dec 98 - 11:51 PM

Thanks for the info. I found the lyrics but have only heard the song twice at live performances. It's a little difficult to learn it from that. A recording would be nice, I'll look for the Pete Seeger recording and I have found another group Dear Friends that have it on a cassette named "Roll On MAnangahela".

Subject: RE: Monongahela Sal
From: Liam's Sister-in-law
Date: 26 Dec 98 - 01:03 PM

What and/or where is Mannessan Alley? Thanks.

All the best,
Bonnie

Subject: RE: Monongahela Sal
From: Songbob
Date: 27 Dec 98 - 12:52 AM

Manessa is a town south of Pittsburgh, so a "Manessan alley" is an alley in that town.

Subject: RE: Monongahela Sal
From: Liam's Sister-in-Law
Date: 27 Dec 98 - 03:35 PM

Thank you, Songbob.

Subject: RE: Monongahela Sal
From: Midchuck
Date: 14 Jan 00 - 07:29 AM

Thanks. I've been singing the verses that Pete Seeger recorded for many years. I should have known he'd have edited it and politicly-correctized it some. These are an improvement.

Peter.

Subject: DTCorr: Monongahela Sal
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Nov 03 - 01:21 AM

There are a number of mistakes in the Digital Tradition version of this song, so I thought I'd post the correct lyrics, from George Korson's Pennsylvania Songs and Legends (1949)

MONONGAHELA SAL
(Robert Schmertz)

1. She was born in an old Monessen alley
And her Ma and her Paw, they called her Sal
She grew up to be the pride of the valley,
A typical Monongahela gal.

2. She was smart, she was pert, she was pretty---
And the bloom of health was on her cheeks
But she bought it in Monongahela City
And the druggist swore that it would last for weeks.

FIRST CHORUS
Roll on, Monongahela,
Roll on to the O-Hi-O
Roll on past Alliquippi, Down to the Mississippi
Clear to the Gulf of Mexico.

3. She wandered one day by the river,
And she watched the Jason steaming by;
And her heart gave a leap, and a quiver,
As she caught the handsome pilot's roving eye.

4. His name, so they say, was Moat Hanley,
And he wore a fancy sparkin' coat;
He was tall, dark and handsome and manly,
And the best durn pilot ever steered a boat.

SECOND CHORUS
Roll on, Monongahela,
Where the catfish and the carp left long ago;
You used to be so pure,
But now you're just a sewer,
Messin' up the Gulf of Mexico.

5. Moat gave a toot on his whistle,
And the Jason churned the water at her stern;
And Sal steppin' light as a thistle,
Reached up and took Moat Hanley's hand in her'n.

(Stanza 6 sung to tune of "Careless Love")
6. It was love, careless love, on the river,
It was love, careless love, by the shore;
And I know that the Lord will forgive her,
'Cause she never knew what love was like before.

THIRD CHORUS
Roll on, Monongahela,
Away from the ice and snow;
I think you're mighty lucky,
To roll past old Kentucky,
Clear to the Gulf of Mexico.

(Return to the regular tune)
7. He swore that he always would love her,
As they locked through the old Emsworth dam;
But that night overboard he did shove her,
And then Moat Hanley took it on the lam.

FOURTH CHORUS
Roll on, Monongahela,
And lap the waters gently at Dravo;
Where they're back to making barges
At much more normal charges,
Than the L.S.T.'s they made a year ago.

(tune changes for this verse only)
8. But no one could say Sal was sickly
She didn't even take time out to bawl
But she hightailed it down to Sewickley
Slappin' out a fast Australian crawl

(Return to the regular tune)
9. So she hopped a fast freight by Rochester,
She swore she'd have Moat Hanley's gore;
From a yard-bull who tried to molest her,
She up and swiped a great big forty-four.

10. Now Sal hit the grit, right at Beaver,
And the Jason was a-comin' 'round the bend;
In the pilot house stood Moat, the gay deceiver.
Says Sal, "I'm sure to get 'im in the end."

FIFTH CHORUS
Roll on, Monongahela,
And blow, gentle breezes, blow;
'Cause it's getting mighty smoggy,
And the folks are getting groggy—
I've lived here all my life and I should know.

11. She raised up that big shootin' iron,
She banged six shots right into Moat;
And when she had fin'ly ceased firing,
She'd sure messed up that fancy sportin' coat.

12. Now Sal to the judge said, "Good mornin'!"
The jury foreman said, "Not guilty, gal";
So let all you pilots take warnin',
Don't mess around Monongahela Sal!

---

Click to play

---

The tune is a variant of "Red River Valley," with strains of other songs thrown in. Verse 6 has the tune of "Careless Love" (if you can match the words to the tune), and verse 8 has a very strange tune. The MIDI includes the basic verse and chorus tune, and the tune for verse 8.

Korson's notes:

Monongahela Sal
(Sung by Robert Schmertz, the copyright holder, at Pittsburgh, l947
and used by his permission. Recorded by Jacob A. Evanson.)

For some years past, people have asked me, "Do you know 'Monongahela Sal'?" I finally caught up with the man who made it, Robert Schmertz, an architect and a member of the faculty of Carnegie Institute of Technology.
"I'm nuts about hillbilly," said Schmertz. "Years ago somebody left a long-neck banjo at my house. I don't know anything about music, but I figured out how to play a few chords on it, and I've been making up songs ever since."
These songs were made to be rendered tongue-in-cheek, as it were, and Schmertz sings them with a straight face. He plays the banjo in perfectly steady rhythm but sings the melody with such free and intricate rhythms and pitches that only by writing out each stanza can justice be done. Only the basic melodic structure, which is a variant of "Red River Valley," is given here, together with the rolling chorus-tune and a special tune for stanza 8. I have included all stanzas and choruses of the long narrative song, which is in the rootin'-tootin'-shootin' "he done her wrong" tradition. Schmertz has a grand sense of the place names of this region that "roll on the tongue with venison richness": Monongahela, Monessen, Ohio, Aliquippa (Alliquippi for a rhyme with Mississippi), Emsworth, Sewickley, Dravo.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From: clueless don
Date: 19 Nov 03 - 10:35 AM

I like the melody Pete Seegar sings better than the one given in the MIDI above. It isn't a whole lot different, but it is different. Also, Pete gives the song a different swing than the MIDI version.

Songbob, I remember hearing you sing this at FSGW open sings, back when I used to attend them (a previous life!) Nice stuff! I have always felt that I should learn this song, since I married a woman from the Pittsburgh area. It's still on my "to do" list.

Don

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 01:49 AM

What were the lyrics Seeger used?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: MONONGAHELA SAL (from Pete Seeger)
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 11:12 AM

Hi Joe
Pete's lyrics with mondegrenic & spelling corrections cribbed from previous postngs :>)

        MONONGAHELA SAL
ASB Pete Seeger on 1961 LP PETE SEEGER - STORY SONGS

She was born in an old Menessan alley,      (Pete sings Monessan)
Her maw and paw called her Sal
She grew up to be the pride of the valley,
A typical Monongahela gal.

She wandered one day by the river,
And she saw the Jason steaming by,
Her heart gave a leap and a quiver,
As she caught the handsome pilot's rovin eye.

Now his name you must know was Moat Stanley,
And he wore a fancy sporting coat,
He was tall dark and handsome and manly,
The slickest pilot ever steered a boat.

Roll on roll on Monongahela,
Roll on to the Ohio,
Roll on past Alequippi down to the Mississippi,
Clear to the Gulf of Mexico.

Moat gave a "toot"on his whistle,
As the Jason churned the water at her stern,
And Sal leaping light as a thistle,
Reached up and took Mote Stanley's hand in her'n.

It was love careless love by the river,
It was love careless love by the shore,
And I'm sure the dear lord will forgive her,
For she never knew what love was like before.

He swore that he always would love her,
As they locked thro the old Ensworth Dam
But that night overboard he did shove her,
And then Moat Stanley took it on the lam

Well no one could say Sal she was sickly,
She didn't even take time out to bawl,
But she high-tailed it right down for Sewickly,
Slapping out a fast Australian crawl

She hopped a fast freight for Rochester,
And there was Moat a'steaming by the shore
From a yard bull who tried to molest her,
She up and swiped a great big forty-four

She raised up that big shooting iron,
And fired six shots into Moat
And when she'd laid down that revolver,
She sure messed up that sporting coat

Roll on roll on Monongahela,
Where the catfish and the carp left long ago
You used to be so pure but now you're just a sewer,
Messing about the gulf of Mexico

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 11:18 AM

Thanks a lot, Kenny. Is there no chorus? Is the "roll on" just a final verse?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 02:01 PM

The first-given Roll On quatrain is the chorus, used after each two verses, as I recall.

Also, as I recall Seeger's singing, it's "And Sal, stepping light as a thistle", rather than "leaping".

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 07:52 PM

Dave O
Youre correct about "stepping" in place of leaping , maybe Joe Clone will change it. Sorry about that
She was perhaps overanxious the day I first heard it.
BTW I have converted the LP to CD. ?? PM me if you want more info about any of the songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From:
Date: 10 Jan 04 - 10:24 PM

does anyone have the chord changes to the pete seeger version?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From:
Date: 03 Mar 05 - 07:09 AM

I have the first two of what I am told was four albums. I have digitized them but they were is about as bad shape as you might imagine. The lyrics are on the back of the album. My partents used to go hear him in Shadyside at soires. He sold the albums at these get togethers. I have written to Vivian Richmand who I was told several years ago had started performing again. No response. I would love to find the fourth album. I am told that the third one was a live thing at some festival in New York. Not liking Pete Seeger much after reading his biography I much prefer the recordings of Burl Ives.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From: Azizi
Date: 03 Mar 05 - 08:06 AM

Having lived in Pittsburgh since 1969, it's a pleasant surprise to learn of this song. I not sure how many Pittsburger's known it. Probably FAR less than those who know the song about another Western Pennsylvania city that is about 2hrs away-Erie, PA
{'The Erie Canal'}..

For those interested, here's a little bit of promo on Pittsburgh:
"If you mentioned Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to many people years ago, the image it conjured up was either of a dirty steel mill city or one that was working its way into a more diversified economy and nice place to live without the industrial dirt it was long known for.


Today, Pittsburgh is well into its third redevelopment renaissance, as home to nine members of the Fortune 500, with two new sports stadiums, a planned new convention center, the Andy Warhol Museum and a plethora of other cultural activities. Hand in hand with that are numerous new hotels and expansions at existing hotels as developers and hotel owners are spending millions of dollars to keep up with demand for rooms. When the new convention center is completed at the edge of downtown, there will also be a new hotel with 500 to 750 rooms.

While steel is what has made Pittsburgh famous over the years, it has also been identified as the home of Public Television's Mister Rogers and the place where Heinz Ketchup is made. But it's much more than that. Its natural beauty and hilly topography make it stand out among cities.

What is always striking about Pittsburgh on the ride in from Pittsburgh International Airport is that once you get past the airport corridor and the nearby typical suburban sprawl, you travel through a small mountain via the Fort Pitt Tunnel. Then, presto - on the other side of the tunnel sits the city's downtown, with a breathtaking view of the skyline and the three rivers that give the city added spice: the Allegheny, Monongahela and the Ohio..."

http://www.hellopittsburgh.com/

The clicky thingy wouldn't work for me this morning for some strange reason, but that site continues with hotel info & other need to know touristy stuff so it's no biggy.

But here's a a website that has a slide presentation of Pittsburgh: http://www.virtourist.com/america/pittsburgh/

BTW, as most Pittsburghers learn, the Allegheny & Monongahela rivers meet downtown Pittsburgh at THE POINT to form the mighty Ohio river.
{see the last sentence above in that quoted promo}. Therefore so many things in Pittsburgh refer to "Three Rivers" [like 'Three Rivers Hauling" for example -a fictitous example that might actually be true..] 'Allegheny' is the name of the county in which Pittsburgh is located..

And FWIW, I live less than 10 minutes from the house where composer Stephen Foster lived. There is also a very controversial statue of Stephen Foster {"Old Kentucky Home"; "Old Black Joe" etc} outside our main Carnegie Library and Museum [about 20 minutes for where I live} that shows Foster standing with a writing tablet & pen in his hand while a Black man seats by his feet grinning and playing a banjo. It would be an understatement to say that most African Americans aren't fond of this statue..

Thanks for the song!

Azizi

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From:
Date: 17 Aug 05 - 09:43 AM

Does anyone have a recording of Pete Seeger's version of Monongahela Sal? We would like our entertainer to learn the song and would like him to hear the Pete Seeger version.

www.riverboattwilight.com

Carrie

Subject: DT Corr: Monongahela Sal (Robert Schmertz)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 04:16 AM

In the process of looing for lyrics to Queen Anne Front, I came across a Website for Robert Schmertz, www.robertschmertz.com. Here are the "Monongahela Sal" lyrics from the Schmertz website. Not that they're quite different from what's in Korson's book.
-Joe Offer-

---

MONONGAHELA SAL
(Robert Schmertz)

She was born in an old Monessen Alley
And her ma and her pa, they called her "Sal".
She grew up to be the pride of the Valley,
A typical Monongahela gal.

She wandered one day by the river
Where she watched the "Jason" steaming by,
And her heart gave a leap and a quiver
When she caught the handsome pilot's roving eye.

His name, so they say, was Mote Stanley
And he wore a fancy sportin' coat.
He was tall dark and handsome and manly
And the best durn pilot ever steered a boat.

CHORUS 1
Roll on Monongahela, Roll on to the O-hi-o
Roll on past Aliquippi, down to the Mississippi
Clear to the Gulf of Mexico

Then Mote gave a toot of his whistle
And the "Jason" churned the water at her stern,
And Sal, steppin' light as a thistle,
Reached up and took Mote Stanley's hand in her'n.

It was love, careless love on the river,
It was love careless love by the shore;
But I know that the Lord will forgive her
'Cause she never knew what love was like before.

He swore that he always would love her
As they locked through the old Emsworth dam.
But that night overboard he did shove her
And then Mote Stanley took it on the lam!

CHORUS 2
Roll on Monongahela,
And lap the waters gently at Dra-vo.
Where they're back to makin' barges at much more normal charges
Than the LST's they made some years ago!

Now, no one could say that Sal was sickly;
She didn't even take time out to bawl.
She just high-tailed right down to Sewickley
Slappin' out a fast Australian crawl.

Then Sal hit the grit at Rochester
Where the "Jason" was a-steaming close to shore.
From a yard bull who tried to arrest her
She up and swiped a great big forty-four.

She raised up that big shootin' iron
And she banged six shots right into Mote.
And when she had fin'lly ceased firin'
She'd sure messed up that fancy sportin' coat!

CHORUS 3
Roll on Monongahela,
Where the catfish and carp left long ago.
You used to be so pewer, but now you're just a sewer -
Messin' up the Gulf of Mexico!

Then Sal to the judges said "Good Mornin'!"
And the jury foreman said "Not guilty, gal!"
So let all you pilots take warnin'
Don't mess around Monongahela Sal!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal
From: GUEST,Read Hudson, Dunedin, New Zealand
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 11:42 PM

I sang this song close to 40 years ago - one of the first folk songs I ever learned. The folk club I'm a member of is having a bit of 'remember when' to honour the club that was the forerunner of the current club. One former memeber said to me quite recently - 'what was that song you used to sing years ago - the one about Monongahela Sal?.

I wasn't too sure about all of the words, but decided to Google it - and there it was!

So, that song has made it all the way to southern New Zealand, probably via a Pete Seeger recording - the guy I learned it from all those years ago was a keen old time country and bluegrass fan, who travelled a fair bit.
Regards
Read Hudson

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal (Robert Schmertz)
From: GUEST,Windscreen
Date: 11 Dec 09 - 03:10 PM

The Pittsburgh band the NewLanders(www.newlanders.com) recorded Mon Sal. It's on their record "Where the Allegheny Flows".

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal (Robert Schmertz)
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 11 Dec 09 - 04:57 PM

So this must be the self-same Monongahela River mentioned in Guy Marks'
'Loving You Has Made Me Bananas'- another classic, though of an entirely different sort.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal (Robert Schmertz)
From: GUEST,Capt. Mote's Grandaughter!
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 09:48 AM

There is a recording by Pete Seeger.My mother will be so excited,we will try to get it posted! Along with "his real" story!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal (Robert Schmertz)
From: mrfritz
Date: 08 Apr 11 - 06:39 PM

The previously posted lyrics for Pete Seeger's version of this song are incorrect. I have always loved his version and I do have the recording. Recently I digitized it for myself. This is Pete's only album which was never re-released. Maybe there is a copyright issue.

Anyway, here are the correct lyrics:

================

MONONGAHELA SAL
ASB Pete Seeger on the 1961 LP "PETE SEEGER - STORY SONGS"
Recorded live from the Village Gate in New York City, NY

================

She was born in an old Monessant (sic) alley.
Her Ma and her Pa they called her Sal.
She grew up to be the pride of the valley,
A typical Monongahela gal.

She wandered one day by the river.
And she watched the Jason steaming by.
Her heart gave a leap and a quiver.
As she caught the handsome pilot's roving eye.

Now his name you must know was Moat Stanley.
And he wore a fancy sporting coat.
He was tall dark and handsome and manly.
The slickest pilot ever steered a boat.

Roll on roll on Monongahela.
Roll on to the Ohio.
Roll on past Alequippi (sic) down to the Mississippi.
Clear up to the Gulf of Mexico.

Now Moat gave a toot on his whistle.
And the Jason churned the water at her stern.
And Sal stepping light as a thistle,
Reached up and took Mote Stanley's hand in hers.

It was love careless love by the river.
It was love careless love by the shore.
And I'm sure the Good Lord will forgive her,
For she never knew what love was like before.

He swore that he always would love her,
As they locked through the old Emsworth Dam.
But that night overboard he did shove her,
And then Moat Stanley took it on the lam.

Well no one could say Sal was sickly.
She didn't even take time out to bawl.
But she high-tailed it right down for Sewickley,
Slapping out a fast Australian crawl.

She hopped a fast freight for Rochester,
And there was Moat a' steaming close to shore.
From a Yard Bull who tried to molest her,
She up and swiped a great big forty-four.

She raised up that big shooting iron,
And she fired six shots into Moat.
And when she'd laid down that revolver,
She sure messed up that fancy sporting coat.

Roll on roll on Monongahela,
Where the catfish and the carp left long ago.
You used to be so pure but now you're just a sewer,
Messing up the Gulf of Mexico.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal (Robert Schmertz)
From: PHJim
Date: 09 Apr 11 - 12:44 PM

Although I learned this song in the mid sixties from the Pete Seeger record mentioned above, the first time I performed this song in public was in January of 1988 right after one of the worst inland oil spills ever occurred in the Monongahela River. I thought the last verse was very appropriate and it has become a part of my repertoire even though no one seems to recall the environmental disaster of 1988.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Monongahela Sal (Robert Schmertz)
From: GUEST,bill
Date: 09 Jul 11 - 02:57 PM

I was cleaning up some of my deceased father's things and found an old Robt. Schmertz album, Ladies Beware of an architect. I'd like to get it to someone who'd appreciate it - if you'd like it, just email me at bkerr(at)dom(dot)edu and I'll send it your way.
Bill Kerr