Peter:

The accepted wisdom seems to be that Maybelline was a rework of a standard named "Ida Red.” I am little puzzled by this, because the scansion is so different.

IDA RED (one version, anyway) goes:

Ida Red, Ida Green
Prettiest gal I ever seen.
Ida Red lives in town
Weighs three hundred and forty pounds.
Ida red, Ida Red
I'm plumb crazy about Ida Red.

Ida Red, Ida Blue
Ida bit a hoecake half in two.
Ida Red, Ida Red
Everybody's crazy 'bout Ida Red.

If I'd 'a listened to what Ida said
I'd 'a been sleepin' in Ida's bed.

If Ida said that she'd be mine
I'd be Ida's all the time.

If Ida said she'd be my wife
I'd be happy all my life.

Woody Guthrie is among those who have recorded it although I do not believe he wrote it. According to one interview, I forget with whom, the name for Maybelline was randomly taken from a mascara case that was on the table while they were working up the song.

A

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 21-Feb-02. Thread #23672   Message #276341
Posted By: Sorcha
12-Aug-00 - 01:52 PM
Thread Name: Tune Add: Please Post Tunes Here I
Subject: RE: Tune Add: Please Post Tunes Here I

file name [ IDARED
X: 1
T:IDA RED
M:2/4
L:1/16
Q:120
K:C
B2B2 A3A | G2G2 E4| G2G2 AGE2 | [1D2G2 G3A :|[2 D2G2 G4 [|:B4 d4 | B4 G4 | A2A2 BAG2 |[1 D2G2 G3 A :|[2 D2 G2 G4 |]

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click for related thread (Ida Red)