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15 Aug 98 - 07:40 PM (#34940) Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: SWEET ROSEANNA (Bright Light Qt)^^ From: Joe Offer Sweet Roseanna Words and Music collected by the Bright Light Quartette (Lawrence Hodge, Arnold Fisher, James Campbell, Robert Beane, Shedrick Cain), and Alan Lomax. © Copyright 1960, Ludlow Music, Inc. Oh, Ro-se-anne, sweet Ro-se-anne, Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na I'm goin' away, but not to stay, And I won't be home tomorrow. Chorus: Bye bye, Bye bye, Bye bye, Bye bye, Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na Bye bye, Bye bye, Bye bye, Bye bye, And I won't be home tomorrow. I thought I heard the captain say, Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na Don't you want to go home on your next payday? And I won't be home tomorrow. The steamboat's comin' round the bend. Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na A-loaded down with fishermen, And I won't be home tomorrow. (verses below added by the Bright Light Quartet of Weems, Virginia) Sweet, Ro-se-anne, sweet Ro-se-anne, Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na I thought I heard my baby say I won't be home tomorrow. Sweet, Ro-se-anne, my darlin' child Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na Sweet, Ro-se-anne, my darlin' child And I won't be home tomorrow. The steamboat's comin' round the bend. Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na It's loaded down with harvest men, I won't be home tomorrow. Don't you want to go home on your next payday? Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na Don't you want to go home on your next payday? And I won't be home tomorrow. I'm goin' away, but not to stay Bye bye my Ro-se-an-na I'm goin' away, but not to stay But I won't be home tomorrow. (Pete Seeger spells the name "Rosyanne")
MIDI file: SWEETR~1.MID Timebase: 192 Name: Sweet Roseanna This program is worth the effort of learning it. To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here ABC format: X:1
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17 Aug 98 - 11:35 AM (#35127) Subject: RE: ADD LYRICS: Sweet Roseanne From: Barry Finn Joe, I don't believe the authorship you list can be correct this song was very well known in the Caribbean & also used as a net hauling shanty in the Manhaden Fisheries which by the 60's was dyiing out. If I can find more I'll post. Barry |
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17 Aug 98 - 02:21 PM (#35137) Subject: RE: ADD LYRICS: Sweet Roseanne From: Joe Offer Hi, Barry - The blurb the Sing Out! booklet had with the song was rather confusing, so I think the song could warrant more research. As I understand from the blurb, Lomax heard the Quartette sing this song and credited it to them, although only the last five verses actually came from the Quartette. I can't find the song in any of the Lomax songbooks, so I couldn't find out what Alan Lomax had to say. -Joe Offer- |
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17 Aug 98 - 05:12 PM (#35147) Subject: RE: ADD LYRICS: Sweet Roseanne From: Barry Finn Hi Joe, I can't find much through Lomax either. Some of the Manhaden Chanymen doubled as professional musicains/singers & taking on gigs with others & singing with the Searchlight four, the Morning Star Quartet, Beaufort's Community Male Chorus, the Black Diamond Quartet & the Fulcher Brothers & although I know nothing of the Northern Neck Chanty Singers (another group from the Manhaden Fisheries) I have no reason to think that they wouldn't be just as musically diverse, so as to how Rosianna came to or out of them I'd sure be interested. In comparing another shanty, Pay Me The Money down, a West Indian shanty, Hugill believes there was a connection to the more recently popular Pay Me My Money Down (made popular by who else Pete Seeger), as it turns out this (Pete's version) came from the Georgia Sea Islands (note that above the Bright Light Quartet was out of Virginia, close to both the Georgia Sea Islands & the Manhaden industries) , Lomax collected in both these areas, he should have more on this, just can't find it. There's quite a strong musical connection, specially sea music, between the Outer Islands & that area of the eastern seaboard, & the Caribbean & West Indies, aside from Lomax & Abrahams there hasn't been alot done with this connection. Any more Joe, i'd be interested, if I get more I'll post it. Barry |
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18 Aug 98 - 08:52 AM (#35217) Subject: RE: ADD LYRICS: Sweet Roseanne From: Bob Schwarer I recall an album by John Townley(& the Press Gang?). Something about 4 centuries of songs related to Chesapeake Bay. This song is on that disk, although probably spelled differently. I think "Sweet Roseanna" Bob S. |
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18 Aug 98 - 03:29 PM (#35254) Subject: RE: ADD LYRICS: Sweet Roseanne From: Joe Offer One more tidbit: In Henscratches and Flyspecks (1973), Pete Seeger says Lomax collected this song from Negro fishermen of the Virginia tidewater country. I take it that's the area around the Great Dismal Swamp, which is just north of the area Barry's referring to. Oh, and Seeger has a different syncopation to the rhythm, and says it's the way the song should be sung. Comin' right up. I hope MIDITXT can handle the syncopation.-Joe Offer- |
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18 Aug 98 - 03:58 PM (#35257) Subject: Tune Add: SWEET ROSEANNA (Bright Light Quartette) From: Joe Offer MIDI file: SWEETR~2.MID Timebase: 192 Name: Sweet Roseanna This program is worth the effort of learning it. To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here ABC format: X:1 The ABC rendition above is only an approximation, but the MIDI will be accurate if it is converted back through TXT2MID. |
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19 Dec 98 - 04:17 AM (#50162) Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: SWEET ROSEANNA (Bright Light Quartet From: Barry Finn I mentioned in the recent Parting Song's thread that I'd post the words to this, from the singing of the Menhaden Chanteymen but Joe had already Offered them up in an old thread so I'll repost Joe's old post. Hope it'll someday find it's way into the DT (strong hint). Here goes.
-Joe Offer- As mentioned in the old thread, it shoud've read collected from the Bright Light Quartette. A few more verses:
Bye bye, bye bye & that hope be long.
Roseanne, Roseanne you are so sweet
Joe, still haven't run across more info than what was in the old thread. Barry |
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04 Aug 07 - 12:04 PM (#2119027) Subject: Lyr Add: Roseanna From: EBarnacle I am a little surprised to find that Roseanna is not yet a listed song. Here's a version Lady Hillary does: BACK TO CONTENTS ROSEANNA Oh Roseanne, my Roseanne, Bye bye my Roseanna, Oh Roseanne, sweet Roseanne, I won't be home tomorrow Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye, bye bye, Bye bye my Roseanna, Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye, bye bye, I won't be home tomorrow Our ship is a-sailing at break of day, We're bound away across the bay. Our ship is a-sailing around the bend, All loaded down with fishermen. Well a dollar a day is a fisherman's pay, Its easy come, easy go away. Our ship is a-sailing across the bay, We won't be back for manys the day. So Roseanne, sweet Roseanne, Oh Roseanne, my Roseanne. Combined threads. Barry's post from 1998 has a tune and some info about origins, and it doesn't seem to have been harvested for the DT. -JC |
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04 Aug 07 - 12:51 PM (#2119053) Subject: RE: ADD LYRICS: Sweet Roseanna From: Joe Offer This song is certainly part of the "folk canon" by now, but it appears the only known source of the song is the 1960 Lomax recording (popularized, of course, by Pete Seeger). I couldn't find reference to the song in the Roud Folksong Index or the Traditional Ballad Index. -Joe- The field recording is on the first volume of the Lomax Southern Journey series. Here are Matthew Barton's CD notes for the song:
Performed by the Bright Light Quartet, vocals and guitar Recorded April 6, 1960, in Weems, Virginia Lomax wrote, "We were in Shedrick Cain's front parlor talking over songs when somebody began to hum this tune. It is not often that a song hunter hears a new piece which has the recognizable quality of a new national song. It has happened only a few times in my twenty-eight years of recording, when I heard "Down in the Valley" in 1933, "Irene, Goodnight" in 1934 and "Rock Island Line" in 1938. Here was one of those that all America will be singing someday, I thought." Lomax worked closely with the singers to develop a strong arrangement, and helped them copyright the song in the hopes that it would sweep the country. It's a fine song and Lomax's hopes for it were well founded, as a number of folk songs like "Tom Dooley" and "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" had struck pop gold around that time. But this was not to be for "Sweet Roseanne," although the song was featured in one of his 1960's songbooks. This is an easygoing, wistful piece that mixes the responsorial style of the chantey with the smoother harmonies of commercial quartets. I'd sure like to hear the song as Lomax first heard it. The Lomax recording is certainly not what I'd call a "field recording." It shows strong evidence of having been arranged and produced - by Lomax, I suppose to make it commercially acceptable. I like it, but it would be nice to hear the raw material. -Joe- |
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04 Aug 07 - 04:36 PM (#2119167) Subject: Lyr Add: BYE BYE MY ROSEANNE (chantey) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Both broken English and Dutch lyrics to "Bye, bye, my Roseanne," here: http://www.trossenlos.com/Shanties/Bye,%20bye,%20my%20Roseanna.htm Bye, Bye, my Roseanna Following the title is "(Bron: Jan Verbiest)" A note in Dutch mentions verses by Johnny Collins and Jimmy Mageean and the cd "Coming of Age." A further note calls it a 'parting' shanty, and says it was collected from Blacks in the vicinity of Beaufort, North Carolina. No mention of Lomax, but this may be where he ties in. Lyr. Add: BYE, BYE, MY ROSEANNE (Bron: Jan Verbiest) 1. Oh, Rosiann, my Rosiann byebey, my Rosianna Oh, Rosiann, sweet Rosiann I will be home tomorrow. Chorus: ByeBye, ByeBye, ByeBye, ByeBye, ByeBye my Rosianna ByeBye, ByeBye, ByeBye, ByeBye, And we all be home tomorrow. 2. I ship-ped and sail-ed around the bank. koor*; Byebye, my Rosianna Oh load it down with Fisherman Koor; I will be home tomorrow. *koor = chorus response Chorus 3. Oh a dollar a day is a fisherman's pay koor; ByeBye, my Rosianna It's easy come, easy go away koor; I will be home tomorrow Chorus 4. We'll bound away across the bay koor; ByeBye, my Rosianna We bound away at break of day koor; I will be home tomorrow Chorus 5. So Rosiann, my Rosiann koor; ByeBye, my Rosianna Oh Rosiann, sweet Rosiann koor: I will be home tomorrow. Chorus I have not changed any of the spelling or capitalization. Note that the last line of each verse begins 'I will,' not 'I won't'. I seem to recall "We're bound away across the bay" belongs to a song that das discussed before on Mudcat (Goodbye, my lover, goodbye?). Anyone remember it and the thread number? |
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29 Aug 07 - 03:32 PM (#2136260) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sweet Roseanna/Sweet Roseanne From: SINSULL Elizabeth LaPrelle does a slightly diferent version of this on her new CD, The Lizard In Spring. Sweet Roseanne Sweet Roseanne Bye Bye Sweet Roseanna. I thought I heard my baby say I won't be home tomorrow. Sweet Roseanne my darling child Bye Bye Sweet Roseanna. Sweet Roseanne my darling child I won't be home tomorrow. CHORUS The steamboat comin' 'round the bend. Bye Bye Sweet Roseanna She's loaded down with harvest men. I won't be home tomorrow Don't you want to go home on your next payday? Bye bye Sweet Roseanna Don't you want to go home on your next payday? I won't be home tomorrow. CHORUS I'm going away but not to stay Bye Bye Sweet Roseanna I'm going away but not to stay I won't be home tomorrow Sweet Roseanne Sweet Roseanne Bye Bye Sweet Roseanna Sweet Roseanne Sweet Roseanne Bye Bye Sweet Roseanna |
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04 Mar 14 - 04:05 PM (#3607230) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sweet Roseanna/Sweet Roseanne From: GUEST,Wm, Riley Heard this song at a Clearwater festival....a good group singalong.... Taught this to a 4th grade and they loved it..... all waved their hands on the "bye, bye, bye bye" lines.... lots of verses added thru the "process" |
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04 Mar 22 - 09:15 AM (#4138341) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sweet Roseanna/Sweet Roseanne From: GUEST,Lady Elizabeth Mainly Norfolk referred to Roud and here it is - https://www.vwml.org/roudnumber/12380 Roud says it traditional but then refers to Lomax 1960. An interesting reference to a similar song sung by menhaden fishermen sometime. No date sadly but some time after 1947 https://chesapeakebaymagazine.com/all-my-work-is-just-the-water/ - When he returned, Jones started working on one of the boats out of Reedville, fishing for menhaden. “I was the one who pushed myself into it,” he says. “I was just interested in it, that’s all. I respect the water. I loved the water, all the time.” He served as a rigger, pulling up heavy nets alongside a dozen other men. They’d keep the rhythm with chanties as they heaved the nets over the side of the vessel: “Bye bye bye sweet Roseanne Bye bye sweet Roseanna I thought I heard my loving baby say I won’t be home tomorrow” |
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07 Aug 22 - 01:39 PM (#4149645) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sweet Roseanna/Sweet Roseanne From: Dan Schatz While poking round for information on this song I happened on this thread. Lomax collected it from menhaden fishermen in Virginia, and there's some good lore at this link. The Lomax archives have several different versions of this song, all with exquisite harmony. The first, done a capella, is the most traditional, with the pauses and "chatter" between after each refrain that characterizes menhaden chanties. Interestingly, it does not have the "Bye bye, bye bye" chorus, although the other versions (with guitar accompaniment) do. That leaves me wondering whether the chorus was traditional but they just didn't do it the first time around, was suggested by Lomax, or was worked up by all of them together when they were coming up with their more "commercial" arrangement. Here's a link to the Lomax recording of Sweet Rosie Anna, a capella and with chatter. One fun thing to note - unlike the Northern Neck Chanteymen, the chatter these guys do is oriented toward the singing rather than the work done. This group was clearly used to performance. Dan |
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07 Aug 22 - 01:45 PM (#4149646) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sweet Roseanna/Sweet Roseanne From: Dan Schatz I forgot to mention - in this case the "harvest" did not refer to crops, but to the menhaden fish, which were caught using heavy nets which would be dragged up between lines. The "Steamboat" was the fishing boat, not a paddleboat. Once you understand these two things, the song makes a lot more sense. The other thing I note about this song as sung by the Bright Lights Quartette is that "Rose Anna" might refer not to a lover but to a child. To me this makes it all the sweeter. Dan |