Lyr Req: One Morning in May/Wild Rippling Waters

Subject: Lyr Req: One Morning in May
From: jbeanmusic
Date: 10 Aug 07 - 10:26 PM

There is a recording of One Morning in May (Hear the Nightingales sing)
by the (Doc)Watson Family. Does anyone have the lyrics. It sounds like "to see the wall ahllits (wild ????) and hear the nightingales sing."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: One Morning in May
From: Barry Finn
Date: 10 Aug 07 - 11:55 PM

To see the waters gliding hear the nighting gales sing??

Could that be what you're looking for.

As I was out a walking & a-rambling one day
I spied a young couple a-making their way
One was a lady & a lady was she
The other was a cowboy & a brave one was he
the other was a cowboy & a brave one was he.

"The Wild Rippling Waters" is in Lomax's 'Cowboy Songs' he sings it on his 'Texas Folksongs' if it's the same song as the one you're looking for. He collected it from Alec Moore, it's an American version of the Soldier/Sailor & the Lady or "The Nightingale".
I post the rest if this is what you're after

Barry

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WILD RIPPLING WATERS
From: Barry Finn
Date: 11 Aug 07 - 12:25 AM

Might as well post it anyway.
It's in the DT, slighty from what I have see, "Wild Rippling Waters". Here's what I sing which is how I remember how Lomax sang it (my memory not even close to good though)

THE WILD RIPPLING WATERS

I was out walking an' a-ramblin' one day;
I spied a fair couple a-making their way;
One was a lady an' a ladly was she
An' the other a cowboy, an' a brave one was he,
An' the other a cowboy, an' a brave one was he.

"Where are you goin', my pretty fair maid?"
"Just down by the river, just down by the shade,
Just down by the river, just down by the spring,
See the waters gliding hear the nightingale sing,
See the waters gliding hear the nightingale sing."

They hadn't been there but an hour or so
Out of his satchel drew fiddle and bow;
He played his fiddle all on the high string,
An' he played this tune over an' over again,
An' he played this tune over an' over again.

He tuned up his fiddle and he rosined his bow;
He played her a lecture, he played it all o'er;
He played her a lecture that made the valley ring.
"Hark! Hark!" said the fair maid. "Hear the nightingale sing.
Hark! Hark! " said the fair maid. "Hear the nightingale sing."

"Now," said the cowboy, "I should have been gone."
"Oh no," said the fair maid, "just play one more song.
I'd rather hear the fiddle just played on one string
Then to see the waters gliding hear the nightingale sing
Then to see the waters gliding hear the nightingale sing."

She said, "Now dear cowboy, will you marry me?"
"Oh no, My dear lady, that can never be.
I have a wife in Arizona, an' a lady is she;
One wife on a cow-ranch is a plenty for me,
One wife on a cow-ranch is a plenty for me."

"I think I'll go to Mexico, I'll stay 'bout a year;
I'll drink red wine, I'll drink lot's of beer.
If I ever return, it'll be in the spring,
To see the waters gliding, hear the nightingale sing,
To see the waters gliding, hear the nightingale sing."

Come all you fair maidens, take warning from me;
Never place your affections in a cowboy so free;
He'll go away an' leave you like mine did me;
Leave you to rock cradles, sing "Bye-o-babee";
Leave you to rock cradles, sing "Bye-o-babee".

Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: One Morning in May
From: Amos
Date: 11 Aug 07 - 02:12 AM

Amazing how that piece migrated from an English soldier to an Arizona rope-hand.\


A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: One Morning in May
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 10:14 PM

There's a description of the album jbeanmusic was apparently referring to at Rounder Records. There is more information in a review by The Oregon Bluegrass Association.
The CD is "The Doc Watson Family: Tradition," released in 2005 from recordings made in 1964. The singer is Doc's cousin Tina Greer.

I transcribed this from a sound sample:

... in May,
I spied a fair couple come walkin' this way,
And one was a lady, a lady so fair,
The other a soldier, a brave volunteer.

Together, together this couple did go
To the banks of ... (?) where the deep waters flow.
They set down together at the cool of the spring,
To ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: One Morning in May
From: Genie
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 02:09 PM

Am I right in thinking that to "godown by the water to hear the nightingale sing" is not really about bird-watching (or listening)?

In any event, this song really does seem to run the "folk process" gamut, doesn't it?   The guy's variously a "brave volunteer," a "bold grenadier," a cowboy, etc., and the tune and other lyrics seem to vary widely too. Maybe we need a modern urban version such as:

I was out riding the metro one day;
I spied a young couple a-making their way;
One was a cool chick with bright neon hair,
And the other a geeky dude, a software engineer ... .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: One Morning in May/Wild Rippling Waters
From: Janie
Date: 14 Oct 13 - 09:53 AM

>       The Logger (source: Melvin Wine, Copen, W. Va.
>
>One morning, one morning, one morning in May
>I spied a young couple a-going away,
>They were going down yonder to the foot of a stream
>To hear the waters gliding, hear the nightingale sing.
>
>They had not been there but a moment or two
>When out of his pocket a fiddle he drew,
>He played and he played till he made the hills ring,
>"Hark, hark" said the lady, "How the logger can sing!"
>
>"And now" said the lady, "Just play one tune more."
>"Oh no," said the logger, "It's time to give o'er,"
>But he tuned up the fiddle, raised higher the string,
>And then he played the same tune over and over again.
>
>"And now" said the lady, "Will you marry me?"
>"Oh no," said the logger, "That never can be,
>For I've a wife in old Ireland, and children twice three;
>Two wives makes an army, too many for me!
>
>"But I'll go back to Ireland and stay there a year,
>I'll drink sweet water instead of strong beer,
>But if ever I return, it will be in the spring,
>To hear the waters gliding, hear the nightingale sing.

I copied the above lyrics from http://listserv.brown.edu/archives/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0009C&L=fiddle-l&F=&S=&P=6268

Slightly different Melvin lyrics from http://www.drfiddle.com/pdf/MW_One_Morning_in_May_-_Melody.pdf. Notes: From the Melvin Wine Collection at http://www.DrFiddle.com
Transcribed by Austin Rogers, PhD from a field recording found at the Digital Library of Appalachia
http://dla.acaweb.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/berea/id/746/rec/1
Verse 1:
One morning, one morning, one morning in May
I spied a fair couple a−makin' their way
And one was a lady, a lady so fair
And the other was a logger with waving black hair
Verse 2:
Oh, where are you goin', this morning so soon?
Come down to the river for a place to sit down
He pulled out his fiddle and he tuned up the string
And he played the waters glidin', hear the nightingale sing
Verse 3:
Said the logger to the lady, it's time to give o'er
Oh no, said the lady, please play one tune more
I'd rather hear you fiddle, or the touch of one string
Than to see the waters glidin', hear the nightingale sing
Verse 4:
Said the lady to the logger, won't you marry me?
Oh no, said the logger, that never can be
I've a wife in old Ireland and children twice three
One wife is a−plenty too many for me
Verse 5:
I'll go back to old Ireland and I'll stay just one year
I'll drink of the wine and I'll drink of the beer
And if ever I return it will be in the spring
To see the waters glidin', hear the nightingale sing



My sister Annie also learned this from Melvin with slight variations in the lyrics, including the verse that Melvin stopped singing in mixed company. When I can get the lyrics she learned from Melvin I'll post them.

the drfiddle website has the music and the lyrics (again slightly different in places) transscribed from a recording at the Digital Library of Appalachia at