Origins: The Wisconsin Emigrant / Rolling Stone

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wisconsin Emigrant / Rolling Stone
From: meself
Date: 29 Oct 21 - 09:45 PM

So, the guy's sick of farming, so he wants to move to Wisconsin and ... buy a farm??

GUEST, Kim ... : I've seen that kind of thing a couple of times before; it seemed to be a natural thing to do when you'd written out the lyrics of a song in the 1800s, and it just meant that you'd written them out. However, it could mean more, and there is a grey area as well: was the writer claiming to have originated the song, and had they? Had they added to or re-worked an existing song? Sometimes it's easy to find the answers; sometimes it's impossible. The 'Traditional Ballad Index' above cites "a possible English source from 1734" .... It's wonderful to have that letter, though!

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wisconsin Emigrant / Rolling Stone
From: GUEST,Kim Townsend Spangrude
Date: 29 Oct 21 - 04:06 PM

Today I was looking at some of the documents in my possession from my family during the Civil War, and I discovered an original hand written letter to my 2X great grandfather, James C. Vinsonhaler who served in Company E, 34th Iowa Infantry during the Civil War. The letter was written by an Edward C. Burnell, with the exact words of this song with the exception of the words "Pikes Peak" instead of California or Wisconsin. He signed the letter "written by Edward C. Burnell September 19, 1865, Colorado Territory, for James Vinsonhaler. Was he simply writing the words to a song down to give to my great great grandfather, or did he write the original song?
Thanks, Kim Townsend Spangrude
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wisconsin Emigrant / Rolling Stone
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 28 Apr 20 - 08:33 PM

https://www.loc.gov/item/2017701380/

Ben Rice singing it in 1936.

Subject: Origins: Rolling Stone
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Apr 20 - 01:14 AM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Rolling Stone, The [Laws B25]

DESCRIPTION: Hard times leave a husband wanting to move to (California/Wisconsin); his wife wishes to stay at home. She wins the argument by pointing out that they might be killed by Indians on their way
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1856 (Thompson-Pioneer)
KEYWORDS: poverty hardtimes travel settler
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MA,MW,NE,Ro,So)
REFERENCES (15 citations):
Laws B25, "The Rolling Stone"
Thompson-Pioneer 57, "Wisconsin" (1 text)
Belden, pp. 351-352, "The Rolling Stone" (1 text plus mention of 1 more)
Randolph 194, "The Rolling Stone" (4 texts, 1 tune)
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 186-188, "The Rolling Stone" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 194A)
Fuson, p. 100, "The Stone that Is Rolling" (1 text)
FSCatskills 87, "The Rolling Stone" (1 text, 1 tune)
Flanders-NewGreen, pp. 106-108, "The Wisconsin Emigrant's Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
Musick-Larkin 14, "The California Song" (1 text)
Peters, p. 43, "Away to Wisconsin" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hubbard, #162, "A Rolling Stone Will Gather No Moss" (1 text)
Cohen-AFS2, pp. 428-429, "[Wisconsin] Emigrant's Song" (1 text plus an excerpt and a text of a possible English source from 1734)
Scott-BoA, pp. 161-163, "The Wisconsin Emigrant" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT 387, ROLLNGST*
ADDITIONAL: David C. Peterson, "Wisconsin Folksongs," chapter in _Badger History: Wisconsin Folklore_, State Historical Society of Wisconsin (Volume XXV, Number 2, November 1973), pp. 50-51, "Away to Wisconsin" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #710
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Husband's Departure" (form, lyrics)
File: LB25

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2020 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

---

THE ROLLING STONE (Digital Tradition Lyrics>

"Since the times have grown harder, I've a mind to leave home
Since the times have growed harder, my plow, drag and cart,
I will go to Wisconsin, some comfort to view,
I will double my fortune like other folks do,
While here we must labor each day in the field,
The winter destroys all the summer can yield."

"Oh husband, I've took with a sorrowful heart
Long time you've neglected your plow, drag and cart;
Your sheep are disordered [and] the land they run on,
And your new Sunday jacket goes everyday on.
Stick to your farm, and you'll suffer no loss,
[For] the stone that goes rolling will gather no moss. "

"Oh wife, let us go; don't let us stand,
I'll buy a farm all clear to my hand."
"Husband, remember the land is to clear,
'Twill cost you the labor of many long year;
There you might labor each day in the field,
And the winter will consume all the summer will yield.
Stick to your farm, and you'll suffer no loss,
[For] the stone that goes rolling will gather no moss."

"Wife, let us go; don't let us wait,
For I long to be there, and I long to be great.
You may be a rich lady, and who know but I
Might be a great Governor ere long,'fore I die."

"Husband, remember the land of delight,
'Tis surrounded by Indians and it's p'undered by night;
Your house may be plundered and burnt to the ground,
And your wife and your children lays mangled around:
Stick to your farm, and you'll suffer no loss,
The stone that goes rolling will gather no moss."

"Oh wife you've convinced me; I'll argue no more,
I never once thought of your dying before.
I love my dear children, although they are small,
It is you my dear wife, I love better than all.
I'll stay on the farm, and I'll suffer the loss,
For the stone that goes rolling will gather no moss."

From Folk Songs of the Catskills, Cazden Haufrecht and Studer
Collected from George Edwards
DT #387
Laws B25
@farm @family @pioneer
filename[ ROLLNGST
TUNE FILE: ROLLNGST
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

Popup Midi Player

Subject: ADD: The Wisconsin Emigrant
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Apr 20 - 01:11 AM

THE WISCONSIN EMIGRANT

Since times are so hard, I've thought, my true heart
Of leaving my oxen, my plough, and my cart
And away to Wisconsin, a journey we'd go
To double our fortune as other folks do
While here I must labor each day in the field
And the winter consumes all the summer doth yield

Oh husband, I've noticed with sorrowful heart
You've neglected your oxen, your plough, and your cart
Your sheep are disordered; at random they run
And your new Sunday suit is now every day on
Oh, stay on the farm and you'll suffer no loss
For the stone that keeps rolling will gather no moss

Oh wife, let's go; oh, don't let us wait
Oh, I long to be there; oh, I long to be great
While you some rich lady - and who knows but I
Some governor may be before that I die?
While here I must labor each day in the field
And the winter consumes all the summer doth yield

Oh husband, remember that land is to clear
Which will cost you the labor of many a year
Where horses, sheep, cattle, and hogs are to buy
And you'll scarcely get settled before you must die
Oh, stay on the farm and you'll suffer no loss
For the stone that keeps rolling will gather no moss

Oh wife, let's go; oh, don't let us stay
I will buy me a farm that is cleared by the way
Where horses, sheep, cattle, and hogs are not dear
And we'll feast on fat buffalo half of the year
While here I must labor each day in the field
And the winter consumes all the summer doth yield

Oh husband, remember that land of delight
Is surrounded by Indians who murder by night
Your house they will plunder and burn to the ground
While your wife and your children lie murdered around
Oh, stay on the farm, and you'll suffer no loss
For the stone that keeps rolling will gather no moss

Now wife, you've convinced me; I'll argue no more
I never had thought of your dying before
I love my dear children, although they are small
But you, my dear wife, are more precious than all
We'll stay on the farm, and suffer no loss
For the stone that keeps rolling will gather no moss

Recordings

From the Helen Hartness Flanders Ballad Collection

• Amy Perkins (Rutland, Vermont), 1931 - starts at 17:29
• James H. Kneeland (Searsport, Maine), 1941 - starts at 3:54
• Abe Washburn (Colebrook, New Hampshire), 4-23-1942 - starts at 25:29

Matthew Sabatella and the Rambling String Band's version of "The Wisconsin Emigrant" is adapted from the printed lyrics, chords, and melody in The Ballad of America: The History of the United States in Song and Story by John Anthony Scott.

Source: https://www.balladofamerica.org/the-wisconsin-emigrant/

Notes: In 1931, 1941, and 1942 ballad collector Helen Hartness Flanders made recordings of "The Wisconsin Emigrant" from three different singers in New England. Between 1930 and 1958 Flanders, a native of Vermont, collected traditional songs and ballads throughout New England. Her collection of nearly 4,500 field recordings, transcriptions, and analyses are housed at the Flanders Ballad Collection at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to Wisconsin?
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 08:58 PM

http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/american-songs--ballads--pioneering-themes.aspx

Just a wee bit down the page.

Subject: Lyr Req: Off to Wisconsin?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 08:53 PM

Abby Sale Sang this. I'd like the rest of the lyrics.

I did find this:

I’ve a mind to quit farming I’ll tell my sweetheart
I’ve a mind to forsake my plow and my cart
Off to Wisconsin on a journey I’ll go
To double my fortunes as other folks do

https://www.theepochtimes.com/new-yorks-folk-music-found_1492275.html

also The Wisconsin Emigrant - https://www.balladofamerica.org/the-wisconsin-emigrant/