LITTLE YELLOW ROSES
Editorial Note added 31 July 2012
Below there is a letter from Trevor Peacock who wrote the song in 1962. He says that he does not recall that he wrote the song specifically about the Spanish Civil War but rather that it is about all freedom fighters.
Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: mikesamwild - PM
Date: 17 Mar 10 - 07:33 AM
Fay Hield sings Yellow Roses, which is I think a Translation . The words are in Forest Schools songbook it will be on her forthcoming Topic CD.
.............and his suggestion that The words of Yellow Roses are from the Forest Schools songbook. I followed a Google trail and found this
Forest Schools Camps
which has a section called Glee where the words are printed.It doesn't tell us the background - but I know Fay Hield has posted on Mudcat before so perhaps she might come on and tell us what she knows?
Yellow Roses
I lay on my back with the sun in my eyes
Soon I shall know what no living man knows
All of my life's been a fight against lies
Death brings the truth, now it's my turn to know
Send my mother a lock of my hair
Send my father the watch that he gave me
Tell my brother to follow me if he dare
Tell them I'm lost now, and no-one can save me
Remember, remember, send my love little yellow roses
My father taught me that all men are equal
Whatever colour, religion or land
Told me to fight for the things I believed in
This I have done, with a gun in my hand
Send my mother a lock of my hair....
I met my love in a garden of roses
She pricked her finger - how sharp the thorn grows
We made a promise that till Death did part us
We'd never look on that wild yellow rose
Send my mother a lock of my hair
Send my father the watch that he gave me
Tell my brother to follow me if he dare
Tell them I'm lost now, and no-one can save me
Remember, remember, send my love little yellow roses
Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: Folkiedave - PM
Date: 18 Mar 10 - 05:24 PM
"Little Yellow Roses" sung by the Fay Hield Trio on the EP Looking Glass - to be a Topic CD around September. And do catch them if you get chance they are good.
I haven't been able to recover where I first read this as a Spanish Civil song but I definitely did and Fay believes it dates from then. I have a vague memory about the words being passed through the bar of a cell by a dying man.
Fay got it from a camp fire song book.
Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: Folkiedave - PM
Date: 18 Mar 10 - 08:46 PM
I couldn't remember the name of the outfit - but that is the one.
Interestingly if you type "Little Yellow Roses+Lyrics" into Google you get the Jackie DeShannon Song which seems to have some borrowings. If it is a Spanish Civil War song then she seems to have knicked her chorus.
Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes - PM
Date: 19 Mar 10 - 10:20 AM
Thank you Folkiedave for the Jackie DeShannon information. I have googled and her song is here
Very corny and not related to this one at all.
I have just received a reply to the letter which I wrote to Trevor Peacock enquiring about the origin of the song Little Yellow Roses I reproduce the letter below, in full .
Thank you for giving us the provenance of your song Trevor.