Lyr Req/Add: Have You Struck Ile (Oil)?

Subject: Lyr Req: Have You Struck Ile (Oil)?
From: GUEST,Gerard Carrier
Date: 12 May 04 - 03:20 PM

Looking for lyrics to this song; sung to the tune of The Irish Jaunting Car which is the same as the Bonny Blue Flag (Confederate Anthem)

Thank you...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Have You Struck Ile (Oil)?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 May 04 - 09:46 AM

The sheet music can be seen at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music.

Title: HAVE YOU STRUCK ILE? Song & Chorus.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger:
Publication: Cleveland: S. Brainard & Co., 203 Superior Str., 1865.
Form of Composition: strophic with chorus
Instrumentation: piano and voice
First Line: From California ocean laved to old Virginia's shore
First Line of Chorus: Hurrah! Hurrah! Rich treasures in our "Sile"

Subject: Lyr Add: HAVE YOU STRUCK ILE?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 May 04 - 08:47 PM

HAVE YOU STRUCK ILE?
Words, Joseph A. Quinby. "Arranged by A. Speculator." 1865.

1. From California ocean laved to old Virginia's shore,
And from the Gulf of Mexico to northern Labrador,
All o'er the land the word is now petroleum all the while
And all the borers and the bores inquire, "Have you struck Ile?"

CHORUS: Hurrah! Hurrah! Rich treasures in our "Sile"
What care we if all Europe rage? Our nation has struck "Ile."

2. Brown says to Jones, "Have you struck Ile?" and Jones in turn asks Brown,
And as the question goes along through country, state, and town,
Petroleum's the new-born wealth which issues from the soil,
And th' all-absorbing question now's "My friend, have you struck Ile?" CHORUS

3. But yesterday that man was poor who's now a millionaire,
For on his lands deemed worthless then, are found oil wells most rare.
His neighbors all, now half run mad, are boring through the soil,
And oleaginous signs they seek, all hoping to strike "Ile." CHORUS

4. Old Hobbs, the speculator's there, with greenbacks and with gold;
And anxiously the question asks—"if all the lands are sold."
If not, he offers then and there, of greenbacks a huge pile,
To the lucky chap who first shall strike a vein of rich coal Ile. CHORUS

5. All hail! the new-born wealth, all hail! now gushing from oil fountains,
In every part of our proud land, from valleys, plains, and mountains,
We've wealth untold in oil and gold, rich treasures in our soil.
What care we if all Europe rage? Our nation has struck "Ile." CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Have You Struck Ile (Oil)?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 May 04 - 11:16 PM

This song was written about six years after the first big discovery in the USA, in the Titusville-Oil Creek area of Pennsylvania. The area was spoken of as an "oil fountain" as noted in verse five. Although oil production was earlier in West Virginia and elsewhere, the first large discoveries in WV were also c. 1859. In the area of Ohio close to Titusville, I believe commercial oil also was found about the same time.
The sheet music was published in Cleveland, Ohio, not far from the area struck by oil fever. Cincinnati also was strongly affected, with oil barges headed towards and through that city. This time period saw the first big gambles by oil speculators.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Have You Struck Ile (Oil)?
From: GUEST,Gerard Carrier
Date: 17 May 04 - 01:23 PM

Thank you very much! I have been looking for these lyrics for quite some time. Thank you also for the great background info.

Subject: Lyr Add: HAVE YOU STRUCK ILE?
From: GUEST,Gerard Carrier
Date: 30 May 08 - 08:32 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HAVE YOU STRUCK ILE?
From: Amos
Date: 30 May 08 - 09:25 PM

Terrific song!! Thanks, Q!


A

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Have You Struck Ile (Oil)?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 May 08 - 11:45 PM

Hi, Gerard -
I combined the request and ADD threads, and deleted your repeat of the messages from the earlier thread. In general, it's not a good idea to copy lyrics from one thread and paste them to another. It's very confusing to the people who harvest songs for our Digital Tradition Folk Song Database. If you want to continue the discussion or bring the subject to attention again, it's better to just refresh the old thread by posting a new message to it. If you have nothing new to say, just put "refresh" in the text of your message.
Thanks.
-Joe Offer, Forum Moderator-