Lyr Req: The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee

Subject: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: topical tom
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 12:07 PM

I recently heard a version of this song by Norman and Nancy Blake and loved their rendition. I would love to learn the lyrics and ,if available, hear the melody or the song in its entirety. Help, please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 12:40 PM

"The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee" is available on one of their cds.
I can't find any lyrics to "Little Home in Sunny Tennessee," except as a title listed in a book. They may not have recorded it.
Any more information?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: pdq
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 01:09 PM

"The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee" is found on Norman Blake's classic record "Whiskey Before Breakfast". It was done again a couple of years ago on "Back Home in Sulphur Springs"[Norman & Nancy Blake].

They give no writing credit ("traditional") but this song sure sounds like a classic Tin Pan Alley effort, cica 1900.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GIRL I LOVED IN SUNNY TENNESSEE
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 01:54 PM

Charlie Poole recorded it in 1925

Lyrics from http://www.jerrydallal.com/charlie_poole.htm

THE GIRL I LOVED IN SUNNY TENNESSEE

On one morning bright and clear
My old homestead I drew near
It's a village down in sunny Tennessee
I was speeding on a train
That would carry me back again
To that girl I loved in sunny Tennessee

    You could hear those darkies singing
    As she bid farewell to me
    Far across the fields of cotton
    My old homestead I could see
    But as the moon rose in the glory
    There I told the saddest story
    To that girl I loved in sunny Tennessee

It has been but quite a few years
Since I kissed away her tears
As I left her at my dear old mother's side
And each day we've been apart
She's grown nearer to my heart
As the night I asked of her to be my bride

As the train run in at last
Those familiar scenes I passed
When I kissed my mother at the station door
When the crowd gathered round
Tears on every face I found
But I missed the one who I'd been waiting for

As I whispered "Mother dear
Where is Mary?" "She's not here."
All the world seems lonely, sadness came to me
As she pointed to a spot
In the little churchyard lot
Where my sweetheart sleeps in sunny Tennessee

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 02:39 PM

"The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee" (aka, The Girl I Loved ...) was composed by Harry Braisted and Stanley Carter in 1899. See Traditional Ballad Index. There are a number of folk and cover versions by Poole, Stoneman, Mainer and others and versions appear in Randolph, Wolf and others.

It is not clear that this is the song Topical Tom is looking for, since I have seen mention of a song with his exact title.

Also see "My Sunny Old Tennessee Home," Albert B. Wilson, 1882; sheet music at American Memory.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 02:51 PM

Norman Blake's "The Girl I left in Sunny Tennessee" may be downloaded at last.fm-
Left in Sunny

As noted, this may not be the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: topical tom
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 04:54 PM

Q: That is the song I was seeking. Thanks, GUEST,DWR for the lyrics. Thanks, also, pdq, for telling me where the song can be found.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: RangerSteve
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 05:23 PM

Thanks for those words. The second verse is almost never sung, and as far as I know, only shows up in the Charlie Poole version.

Subject: Lyr Add: GIRL I LEFT IN SUNNY TENNESSEE (Blake)
From: Gene
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 06:35 PM

Sounds like this to me...

As Recorded by Nancy & Norman Blake

On the morning bright and clear
To my old home I drew near
A village down in sunny Tennessee
I'd been speeding on a train
That would take me home again
To the girl I left in sunny Tennessee.

REFRAIN:
    You could hear
    Whippoorwills calling
    As she bid farewell to me
    Far across those fields-a cotton
    My old homestead I could see
    As the moon rose in it's glory
    Then I told my saddest story
    To that girl I left in sunny Tennessee.

NEXT VERSE NOT ON THIS RECORDING
It has been but quite a few years
Since I kissed away her tears
As I left her at my dear old mother's side
And each day we've been apart
She's grown nearer to my heart
As the night I asked of her to be my bride.

As that train drew up at last
Old familiar scenes had passed
I kissed my mother at the station door
Good-time friends all gathered 'round
Smiles on ev'ry face I found
I missed the one that I'd been searching for.

And I just whispered "Mother dear
Where's Mary?" "She's not here."
The world grew dark and sadness came to me
She just pointed to the spot
In the little churchyard lot
Where my Mary sleeps in sunny Tennessee.

REPEAT REFRAIN:

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: GUEST,BanjoRay
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 07:52 PM

Debby McClatchy (a Charlie Poole fan and expert) does a lovely version of this.
Ray

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GIRL I LOVED IN SUNNY TENNESSEE
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 08:40 PM

Couldn't find the sheet music to this old parlor song, but it must have been widely disseminated and copied. Two versions sung by Almeida Riddle and Mrs. W. B. Apple for the Wolf Collection and a version in Randolph
are almost identical, so probably they are very close to the lyrics of the sheet music by Braisted and Carter, 1899. If anyone finds the sheet music, please compare with the following:

THE GIRL I LOVED IN SUNNY TENNESSEE
Harry Braisted and Stanley Carter, 1899

1
On a morning bright and clear,
To my old home I drew near,
Just a village down in sunny Tennessee.
I was speeding on a train
That would bring me back again
To my sweetheart, who was waiting there for me.
It was but a few short years
Since I kissed away her tears,
And I left her at my dear old mother's side,
And each day we've been apart,
She grew dearer to my heart
Than the night she promised she would be my bride.

Chorus
We could hear the darkies singing
As she said farewell to me,
Far across the fields of cotton
My old homestead I could see.
As the moon rose in its glory
Then I told life's sweetest story
To the girl I loved in sunny Tennessee.

As the train drew up at last,
Old familiar scenes I passed,
And I kissed my mother at the station door;
Then, as old friends gathered round,
Tears on every face I found,
And I missed the one that I'd been longing for.
And I whispered "Mother, dear,
Where is Mary? She's not here."
All the world seemed lost and sadness came to me,
For she told me of a spot, in the churchyard's little lot
Where my sweetheart sleeps in sunny Tennessee.

No. 810, "The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee," Farmington, Arkansas, 1941, Vance Randolph, vol. IV, Ozark Folksongs.
"The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee," Mrs. W. B. Apple, Wolf Collection. Girl I Loved
Also Almeida Riddle, Wolf Collection.

The Blakes made a necessary substitution of whippoorwills for darkies in the chorus.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: pdq
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 08:47 PM

In the Bill Clifton version (a great one, methinks) he simply substitutes "people". Recorded in November 1958.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: kendall
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 09:28 PM

I recorded this one also. I got it from "Pop" Stoneman many years ago. Others on the same CD:
1.I wonder where you are tonight
2. The girl I left in sunny Tennessee
3. Over the hill to the poor house
4. Gold watch and chain
5.Jesse James
6.Little darling pal of mine
7. Rolling home

These are left over from my bluegrass days. There are only 7 cuts, so the price is $10.00 plus postage.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 09:32 PM

I think I have the old Poole record with "Sunny Tennessee"on it, but I'd have to dig it out. Some years ago, someone had asked me to help with early old-time songs for a planned Broadway play (it didn't happen), and I went to Moe Asch to ask for the loan of some old 78s from the appropriate era. Moe just went to a shelf, took down about a dozen 10" records, put them in a paper bag and said, "Here- you can keep them. NO charge!" So, I came home and did my research, then put them in "a safe place," as they're quite fragile.....haven't seen them since.

Now, if I ever DO find the Charlie Poole, should I put it in our auction?
Advice, please.                      Jean

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Artful Codger
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 10:05 PM

John Prine also recorded it with The Chieftains on Further Down the Old Plank Road, where it is just titled "The Girl I Left Behind".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: topical tom
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 11:50 PM

Many thanks, Gene, for those lyrics. I must apologize to all for misleading you by mangling the title. The title is, indeed, "The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee". Could someone please change the thread title? When will I ever learn not to trust my faltering memory but to search for the exact title. Anyway, thanks all.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 12:11 PM

Is "The Girl I Left Behind" by John Prine the same song?
There is the old English ballad, "The Girl I Left Behind;" the man sails away and marries a Scot and his gal dies of a broken-heart (It became a cowboy ballad).
Then there is "The Girl I Left Behind Me;" the singer talks of returning to his gal, again with old English roots (Often used as a dance tune).
Then there is "The Girl I left Behind Me; a Scot emigrates.
Then- -----,

I would suspect Prine is singing one of the English songs, but haven't heard the cd. No telling what might show up on a Chieftains cd, however, they are pretty eclectic.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Artful Codger
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 04:25 PM

Yes, the Prine song is the same. You might make this kind of mistake, but I tend to check first.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 08:33 PM

Not being a follower of G. O. O. performrs and failing to find a clip on friendly old Amazon, I thought a kindly mudcatter might explicate. Of course you never err.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Artful Codger
Date: 19 Jan 09 - 03:19 AM

Nice of you to notice. ;-}

Did you check the Barnes & Noble site for a sound clip? They have one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 09:50 PM

You can see a copy of the sheet music to THE GIRL I LOVED IN SUNNY TENNESSEE at Indiana University Sheet Music Collections.

Words, Harry Braisted. Music, Stanley Carter. 1899.

Words are the same as those posted by Q above, except:

Verse 1, line 8: Since I'd kissed away her tears,
Verse 1, line 11: She's grown dearer to my heart
Verse 1, line 12: Than the night I asked of her to be my bride.
Chorus, line 5: When the moon rose in its glory
Verse 2, line 4: But, as old friends gathered round,
Verse 2, line 10: For she pointed to a spot,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: bald headed step child
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:29 AM

Thanks for that link J D.

That's one I didn't have in my favorites yet.

It looks like a pretty good site.

I'm especially intrigued by the Hoagy Carmichael collection.

I think it will be a valuable resource.

BHSC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:55 AM

Thanks, Jim. Didn't look there. I see they wrote another 'hit', "She was bred in old Kentucky."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Home in Sunny Tennessee
From: kendall
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 01:11 PM

I'd be glad to put my recording of it on the auction if anyone wants it.