Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama

Subject: Rose of Alabama
From: Kevin Ryan
Date: 10 Oct 98 - 11:33 PM

Can anyone help me with this song. Need the lyrics and, if possible, chords (tho' I probably can work them out if no one has 'em). Thanks.

Subject: RE: Rose of Alabama
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Oct 98 - 01:58 AM

Kevin,

Hello! Nice meetin' you here.

I know I've got it sung by Frank Warner somewhere. It may take some time to locate it. I'll post it as soon as I can find it.

Regards,

Art Thieme

Subject: Lyr Add: ROSE OF ALABAMA
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 12 Oct 98 - 06:16 AM

I have a copy of the sheet music somewhere. By the time I found the music I had already collected the song from the oral tradition and learned it for performance, so that the version here may vary somewhat from printed sources and from that of other singers.

Across from Mississippi’s vale,
With my old hat set for a sail
I crossed upon a cotton bale,
To Rose of Alabama
And when I reached that flow’ry bank
I sat down on a splint’ry plank
And there I made my banjo twank
For Rose of Alabama.

CHO: O brown Rosie,
Rose of Alabama
A sweet tobacco posy
Is my Rose of Alabama

After directly, by and by,
The moon rose white as Rosie’s eye
And like a young ‘coon out so sly
Stole Rose of Alabama
I said ‘sit down jus’ where you please’—
Across my lap she took her ease;
‘It’s sweet to sit upon your knees,’
Said Rose of Alabama.

CHORUS

The river roll, the cricket sing,
The light’nin’ bug he flash his wing
Jus’ like a rope my arms I fling
‘Round Rose of Alabama.
How long we hugged I cannot tell;
But Rosie seemed to like it well
My banjo in the river fell
O! Rose of Alabama.

CHORUS

Like alligator after prey
I jump in, but it float away
And as it float it seemed to say,
"O, Rose of Alabama.
Now every night, by moon or show’r
I hunt that banjo for an hour
And visit my tobacco flower,
The Rose of Alabama.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 12-Feb-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 02:27 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: Peace
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 03:27 PM

Go to

jaybuckey.com/free_tablature.htm

Scroll down to title and click Rose of Alabama, Guitar.

Chords are there. It's some weird thing I can't copy/paste.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: Peace
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 05:38 PM

It is word-wise slightly different from that posted above, but same song nevertheless.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: Lighter
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 10:27 AM

The song featured in the neato western "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976) along with "Louisville Hornpipe" and "Old 1812 Quickstep."

Subject: Lyr Add: ROSE OF ALABAMA (S. S. Steele)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 06:54 PM

Here's my transcription from the sheet music at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music. I have kept the original spelling, including dialect. Although I don't recommend singing it this way, I find it interesting to see how the dialect was written:

(WORDS USED BY PERMISSION OF TURNER & FISHER).
THE ROSE OF ALABAMA
Words by S. S. Steele Sung by
A. F. WINNEMORE & HIS BAND OF SERENADERS
Boston: Geo. P. Reed, 17 Tremont Row
1846

1. Away from Mississippi's vale,
Wid my ole hat dar for a sail,
I cross'd upon a cotton bale
To Rose ob Alabama.

CHORUS: Oh, brown Rosey,
De Rose ob Alabama.
A sweet tobacco posey
Is de Rose of Alabama.
A sweet tobacco posey
Is de Rose of Alabama.

2. I landed on de sand bank.
I sat upon a holler plank,
An' dare I made the banjo twank,
For Rose ob Alabama.

3. Oh, arter d'reckley, by an' by,
De moon rose white as Rosey's eye,
Den like a young coon out so sly,
Stole Rose ob Alabama.

4. I axe her set down whar she please,
So cross my legs she took her ease.
"It's good to go upon de knees,"
Says Rose ob Alabama.

5. De river rolled, de crickets sing,
De lightnin' bug he flash'd his wing,
And like a rope my arms I fling
Round Rose of Alabama.

6. I hug so long I cannot tell,
For Rosey seemed to like it well.
My banjo in de river fell,
Oh, Rose ob Alabama.

7. Like alligator arter prey,
I plunge in, but it float away,
And all de time it seemed to say,
"Oh, Rose ob Alabam."

8. And ev'ry night in moon or shower,
I hunt dat banjo for an hour,
I meet my sweet tobacco flower,
Oh, Rose ob Alabama.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: Ernest
Date: 10 Sep 06 - 06:51 AM

Great Song! Try this:

www.jaybuckey.com/free_tablature.htm

Best

Ernest

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Sep 06 - 05:39 PM

http://jaybuckey.com/free_tablature.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 04:59 PM

I have two extra verses not shown in this thread;

Ever since the day I left the farm
A dusky maid has kept me warm
But still I long for the tawny charms
Of the Rose of Alabama

So fair thee well little Liza-Jane
And fair thee well you Belles of Spain
For all your charms are put to shame
By the Rose of Alabama

Although all the versions I have found have the straight forward verse/chorus/verse/chorus....., I find the song rather long and so prefer to sing it as 2 verses/chorus/2 verses/chorus.......


DC

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 05:06 PM

OK, so I've just checked the DT to find that my last verse is in there already, but at least I've managed to add one verse.

DC

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: GUEST,george myers
Date: 11 Apr 08 - 12:55 PM

Hello,somebody told me Bobby Bare had recorded a song called Rose of Alabama also Faron Young. anybody know? thanks George

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Rose of Alabama
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Apr 08 - 02:38 PM

Both recorded a song called "Alabama Rose," which may be a different song. Composer is listed as "Wanda Alley."
Faron Young recorded it in 1970 on an album called "Occasional Wife" (no composer cited at allmusic site).

Subject: Lyr Add: THE ROSE OF ALABAMA (A. B. Meek, 1847)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Oct 24 - 10:57 AM

Another interesting variant, from the sheet music at Tulane University:


THE ROSE OF ALABAMA
A. B. Meek, 1847
Published by W. T. Mayo of New Orleans

VERSE 1: I loved, in boyhood’s happy time,
When life was like a minstrel’s rhyme
And cloudless as my native clime,
The Rose of Alabama.

CHORUS: Oh! lovely Rose! The Rose of Alabama,
The sweetest flower that earth knows
Is the Rose of Alabama.
The sweetest flower that earth knows
Is the Rose of Alabama.

2. One pleasant, balmy night in June
When swung in silvery floods, the moon,
My heart awoke love’s vesper tune
For Rose of Alabama!

3. She caught the strain, and to the bower,
Impelled by love and music’s power,
Stole like an angel at that hour
The Rose of Alabama!

4. Beside me there her form she placed.
My arm stole gently round her waist
And earth seemed with new beauty graced
By Rose of Alabama!

5. The breeze and streamlet ceased their tune.
Like wingèd gems the fireflies shone.
The flowers gazed envious on my own
Sweet Rose of Alabama.

6. ’Tis vain our mutual vows to tell;
One strain upon my plaintive shell
And then I bade a sad farewell
To Rose of Alabama!

7. Long years have passed; by fortune driven,
I wander ’neath a stranger heaven,
But ah! Love’s ties are not yet riven
From Rose of Alabama!

8. Hope smiles upon my pilgrim way;
Ere long, my feet shall homeward stray
And time bring ’round my nuptial day
With Rose of Alabama!

9. Then, shrine-like, in my native land—
Love’s Eden!—shall my cottage stand
With happiness on every hand!
Sweet Rose of Alabama!