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09 Jul 03 - 03:05 AM (#979554) Subject: The Telephone Girl From: GUEST,Anders Faergeman, Denmark, andersvf@worldonl Hi, I'm looking for the lyrics to The Telephone Girl by Arville Reed according to the liner notes on an LP by the Red Clay Ramblers called Twisted Laurel. I'm having a hard time getting all the words. Any help will be greatly appreciated. |
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09 Jul 03 - 03:56 AM (#979566) Subject: RE: The Telephone Girl From: Joe Offer Hi, anders - this won't help you much, but Sylvia Herold has a brief clip of her recording of the song here (click). Sounds like she had trouble figuring out the lyrics, too. If all else fails, you might e-mail Sylvia for the lyrics. -Joe Offer- |
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09 Jul 03 - 05:14 AM (#979595) Subject: Lyr Add: TELEPHONE GIRL (from Red Clay Ramblers) From: Stewie Anders, here is how I hear the Ramblers' recording. They mistakenly sing 'moonlight' instead of 'woodland' in the first chorus. They sing 'woodland' in every subsequent chorus, but also maintain Arville's quaint 'say' instead of 'says'. TELEPHONE GIRL My heart is broke, it ain't no joke I'm happy and I'm sad I feel so queer, I sometimes fear That thing will drive me mad A little girl with frizzen curls Came here a week ago To work upon that telephone And say hello, hello Chorus: Hello, hello, hello, hello Her voice with music rings It's sweeter than the whippoorwill That in the moonlight sings [Should be 'woodland'] Across the floor, beside the door As I march to and fro She leans upon that telephone And say(s) hello, hello I have not spoken to her yet I've been in such a daze Although she sometimes looks at me With sort of a distant gaze I feel too weak, I cannot speak My heart is beating so Like when she reach(ed) that telephone And said hello, hello Chorus I see her as she walks along In sunshine and in rain I hear her midst the jingle Of the elevated train Every sound that comes around Above and down below It seems to say the livelong day Hello, hello, hello Chorus I tell you what, I'll buy a spot Not very far from town And if she'll 'gree to marry me We both will settle down Where the wild honeysuckles bloom And the fragrant flowers grow She'll meet me at the garden gate And say hello, hello Chorus Source: transcription from Red Clay Ramblers 'Twisted Laurel' reissued on Flying Fish CD FF70055. Note: Arville Reed's recording, the RCR's source, may be found on Blind Alfred Reed 'Complete Recorded Works 1927-1929' Document DOCD-8022. Arville was Blind Alfred's son and played guitar on many of his father's recordings. In his note to the Document CD, Tony Russell suggests that it was possibly not written by Arville because 'it sounds like a topical composition from earlier in the century when Alexander Graham Bell's invention was still a novelty'. --Stewie. |
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10 Jul 03 - 01:55 AM (#980314) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: GUEST Hi Stewie, Thanks a million for the lyrics. It's a great help, although I did get most of it right myself, but there are some tricky words that are hard to get. I think that moonlight in the chorus is logical as the whip-poor-will does "sing" at dusk or nighttime, but why they sing it as they do beats me. Thanks again. I'll be back if I need help another time. All the best Anders |
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25 Oct 06 - 08:10 AM (#1868071) Subject: Chord Req: TELEPHONE GIRL From: GUEST,Martoons howdy folks. I've been trying to work out the chords for the above tune and am a bit stuck near the end of the verse and in the chorus. Here's what I have so far, but I could use some help. The' C' doesn't sound quite right to me. TIA. TELEPHONE GIRL Blind Alfred Reed G My heart is broke, it ain't no joke D G I'm happy and I'm sad D I feel so queer, I sometimes fear G That thing will drive me mad G - C G A little girl with frizzen curls D G Came here a week ago To work upon that telephone And say hello, hello Chorus: G Hello, hello, hello, hello D G Her voice with music rings D It's sweeter than the whippoorwill G That in the woodland sings G Across the floor, beside the door D G As I march to and fro C G She leans upon that telephone D G And say(s) hello, hello |
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25 Oct 06 - 11:17 AM (#1868312) Subject: RE: Chord Req: TELEPHONE GIRL From: radriano Sylvia Herold, a friend of mine, recorded this. I'll ask her what chords she uses. |
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25 Oct 06 - 12:11 PM (#1868362) Subject: RE: Chord Req: TELEPHONE GIRL From: Scoville Also on the Red Clay Ramblers' Twisted Laurel; I didn't know it was a Blind Alfred Reed (although I'm not surprised now that I hear it) and I don't know how similar are the two versions, but if all else fails, I can check when I get home this evening. |
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25 Oct 06 - 12:22 PM (#1868377) Subject: RE: Chord Req: TELEPHONE GIRL From: GUEST,Dale Another version is by Doc Watson on the Legacy set with David Holt. I could be wrong because I haven't listened to either the RCR or Reed versions lately, but it seems to me that Doc's version may be more complete. Certainly it is a lot longer than Martoon's version. |
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25 Oct 06 - 09:53 PM (#1868770) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req/ADD: The Telephone Girl From: GUEST,Dale The lyrics as sung by Doc Watson are significantly different. He and David Holt will be at the Ozark Folk Center on Saturday night, but unfortunately I have other commitments for the evening. Otherwise I would make it a point to ask Doc what his source for the lyrics was. I like his version better. The Telephone Girl as sung by Doc Watson on Legacy, High Windy 1258, 2002 Here of late I feel so strange I'm happy and I'm sad The way my feelings are sometimes I think they'll drive me mad A pretty little girl with frizzy curls Came here a week ago To work upon the telephone And sh'said, hello, hello Hello, hello, her sweet hello Her voice like music rings It's sweeter than the whippoorwill That in the moonlight sings As the bell boy here at this hotel I'm always on the go And then she'll ring that telephone And say hello, hello I haven't spoken to her yet I've been in such a daze Although sometimes she looks at me With a sort of a distant gaze That I feel so weak, I cannot speak My heart is beating so And then she'll ring that telephone And say hello, hello I see her as she walks along In sunshine and in rain I can hear her midst the jangle Of the elevated train I'd buy for us a little place Where honeysuckles grow She could meet me at the garden gate And say hello, hello In about a year, she married me And then we settled down In a pretty little bungalow Not very far from town At night as I go home from work My heart is beating so She'll kiss me at the door And say . . . hello . . . hello . . . hello |
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26 Oct 06 - 04:55 PM (#1869399) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req/ADD: The Telephone Girl From: Artful Codger So is this song by Arville or by Alfred, and is it in the public domain or not? |
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26 Oct 06 - 07:49 PM (#1869524) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req/ADD: The Telephone Girl From: Scoville Hmm, I can't tell any better than the chords posted above. Good luck. |
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26 Oct 06 - 09:42 PM (#1869592) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req/ADD: The Telephone Girl From: GUEST,Richie Blind Alfred Reed's son is Arville. Apparently Springsteen has recorded it. Lyrics anyone? Richie |
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30 Oct 06 - 06:22 AM (#1872032) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: GUEST,Martoons Thanks again for all the help. I love this place. |
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30 Oct 06 - 06:37 PM (#1872541) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: Jim Dixon The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music has images of the sheet music of several songs from a musical play (or perhaps a revue) described as follows: The Telephone Girl. The Great Musical Success As Produced at the New York Casino Words by Hugh Morton; Music by Gustave Kerker; Staged by Geo. W. Lederer. Publication: New York: T.B. Harms & Co., 18 East 22nd St., 1898. Here are the songs for which the Levy Collection has sheet music with lyrics: THE OLD DAYS First Line: Do you remember the old, old days? First Line of Chorus: The old days, the old days, Oh, they were the silver and gold days! MY ESTELLE. First Line: The Queen of the Telephone girls is my Estelle First Line of Chorus: Oh, my Estelle, she is the belle LITTLE BIRDIES LEARNING HOW TO FLY. First Line: I'm a giddy, gay Lothario and sinner First Line of Chorus: Blushing maid is, The little bird that's learning how to fly LITTLE YALLER BOY. First Line: Eatin' a piece of watermilyum, on der rail fence over yonder First Line of Chorus: I wants to hold yer right on my knee AND THE BELL GOES TING A LING LING. First Line: Oh, the telephone is a dangerous thing, and it throw you when it can The Levy Collection also has the sheet music of a piano arrangement (no lyrics) called "Selection from The Telephone Girl." Judging from the section headings within this arrangement, and the titles listed on the covers of the above songs, there are several missing songs. I wonder if the "folk process" went to work on one of these songs, and the title of the production got attached to the song? |
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30 Oct 06 - 08:26 PM (#1872621) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: GUEST,Richie Jim, IMHO these songs are different. It seems like this is based on a parlor song from around 1900 tho. Richie |
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31 Oct 06 - 01:19 AM (#1872747) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: Artful Codger I ask again: By Arville (the son) or Alfred (the father)? |
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31 Oct 06 - 04:49 AM (#1872816) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: GUEST,Hootenanny ORVILLE Reed I believe. |
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31 Oct 06 - 10:37 PM (#1873552) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: Arkie He was listed as Arville on the recording. |
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31 Oct 06 - 10:56 PM (#1873568) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: GUEST,Richie This is from memory and it was a while ago, can't remember the source: There was a discussion about the copyright concerning Springsteen's use of the song. The song was done by Blind Alfred Reed. Arville, his son, (who played with his dad) copyrighted the song. The origin of the song is in doubt but is usually credited to Arville as the copyright holder. There was a complaint in the forum about Springsteen's free use of the song. I'd like to find the origin myself. Richie |
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21 Jun 07 - 12:02 PM (#2083162) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl From: Debbie in Utah If anyone is still interested, my father used to sing this, and these are the chords he gave me. His might have been different, because he was a much better guitar player than I am, and we converted some of the songs he sang into the chord of G, which is the easiest for me to play. G C G My heart is broke, it ain't no joke C G I'm happy and I'm sad C G E7 I feel so queer, I sometimes fear A7 D7 that things will drive me mad G C G A little girl in frizzled (or golden) curls C G came here one week ago C G E7 She leaned against the telephone A7 D7 G and said, "Hello, hello." C G (CH) Hello, hello, hello, hello C G her voice with music rings C G E7 It's sweeter than the whipporill A7 D7 out in the moonlight sings G C G Across the floor, beside the door C G as I walked to and fro C G E7 She leaned against the telephone A7 D7 G and said, "Hello, hello." His notes say he "learned the song from (his) older brother, Roscoe H Mabry, who learned it from relatives of 'Old Virginia.' Roscoe couldn't sing, but he could read the music and tell you if you were singing it right or wrong." It is one of the earliest songs my father remembers; born outside Woodlawn VA in 1908. |
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22 Oct 10 - 07:18 AM (#3012883) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl (Arville Reed) From: GUEST,Bill Hicks The "moonlight"/"woodland" thing mentioned early in this thread comes from the Reed recording. We simply stayed with his recorded version. These days the Craver/Hicks/Watson/Newberry Band has done backslid to singing only "woodland," as we're geezers and who wants to remember these persnickety details, it's as bad as an extra beat in a fiddle tune. But--it was "originally" as the Ramblers did it. Just sayin'. |
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31 Jul 13 - 11:24 PM (#3544169) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Telephone Girl (Arville Reed) From: GUEST,Alison Well, somebody ought to thank Electric Bill for his contribution. So I will. Thanks! |