Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You

Subject: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: topical tom
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 02:19 PM

Many years ago I heard a song which I think was entitled "I Told The Stars About You".I believe it would be classed as a country song.The only words that I recall are the following:

          Last night I was standing by the window
          Gazing out at the blue sky.
          I told the stars all about you, my dear,
          While standing there on high...

I would like to know who wrote the song and the best-known people who sang it, as well as all the other lyrics.I found it to be a very good song. Help me if you can.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: ClaireBear
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 02:34 PM

Here's some source information from the Folk Music Index:

I Told the Stars About You [Me II-E89] - McFarland, Lester/Burton, Thos. Mac and Bob (Lester McFarland & Robert A. Gardner). Mac & Bob's WLS Book of Songs, Cole, fol (1931), p20

Also, I found a full audio version available for listening online, as recorded by the Bailey Brothers in the '4-s pr '50s (it doesn't speciify)
at the Roots Listening Room (search for "told the stars"). It's in the Juneberry CM201 group.

Cheers,
Claire

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 02:36 PM

Looks like that might be a good one. The Folk Music Index says "I Told the Stars About You was written in 1931 by Lester McFarland and Thomas Burton, performed by Mac and Bob (Lester McFarland & Robert A. Gardner). It was published in a book called Mac & Bob's WLS Book of Songs, Cole, fol (1931), p20.

I have some of those wonderful old WLS songbooks, but not the Mac & Bob one.

You'll find more about Mac & Bob at http://www.hillbilly-music.com. There is a more recent recording of the song by a group called the Warrior River Boys, but I couldn't find the Mac & Bob recording.

-Joe-

---

Aw, dang, Claire beat me to it, and she found a recording...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: topical tom
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 04:39 PM

Thanks so much, folks! So thorough and so quick! Now I remember hearing it sung by The Bailey Brothers back in the fifties.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: topical tom
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 04:48 PM

That's a great link, Claire! Sorry, Joe, maybe next time you'll beat her. Your links are very good too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: ClaireBear
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 05:04 PM

I only beat Joe by not taking time to proofread adequately (sorry!) or to rephrase the source citation. I had a feeling Joe -- or someone, anyway -- would be hot on my heels!

C

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: topical tom
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 05:44 PM

LOL! Someone's always breathing down your neck on these searches, I guess!

Subject: Lyr Add: I TOLD THE STARS ABOUT YOU
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Mar 09 - 12:26 AM

Here's my transcription from the MP3 file at JuneBerry78s.com:


I TOLD THE STARS ABOUT YOU
Thomas Burton, Lester McFarland
As sung by the Bailey Brothers

CHORUS: Last night, while standing by the window, gazing into the sky,
I told the stars all about you, my dear, while shining there on high.
Then they grew dim and they seemed to sigh, as it turned to a sparkling blue,
When I told them in sweet words of love that my heart belonged to you.

1. Someday, sweetheart, you'll be sorry that you were untrue to me.
I'm broken-hearted without you. In my dreams your face I see.

2. In all my dreams, we're together. I wish they all would come true.
Then I would be oh so happy, telling the stars about you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jun 18 - 10:24 PM

Re: I Told The Stars About You-
My Father, Thomas Avery Burton Sr wrote the words for this song, along with quite a few others for Lester McFarland. I am trying to find the words to all the songs he wrote for Lester McFarland. If anyone can help me find out where I can find them, please let me know. I have found all the copyrights and names of the songs, but not the words.
Rose Mary (Burton)Self.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Told The Stars About You
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Jun 18 - 05:57 PM

Rose Mary: I'd be glad to help with this, but I don't want to duplicate work you've already done. Do you have a list of songs in a format that you could cut and paste here?

I am pretty good at finding things if they exist anywhere on the internet, and I have already posted lyrics to hundreds of songs here at Mudcat. It's what I do! (I am not a musician.) I am also willing to transcribe lyrics from sheet music or from a recording if I can find them anywhere online. There are lots of websites that have sheet music if it was published in 1922 or earlier. And websites like The Internet Archive and YouTube and Spotify have thousands of old recordings, even if they are still under copyright.

So show me what you've got, and I'll show you what I can find.

I've already found that a songbook exists from 1931 called "Mac and Bob's Book of Songs" and it contains 3 of your father's songs:

I Told the Stars about You / Mac & Thomas Burton --
My Girl in Caroline / Mac & Thomas A. Burton --
Schoolhouse Dreams / Mac & Thomas Burton --

(I suppose Mac is Lester McFarland?)

I don't have the book, but I see that a library near me has it, and I suppose I could borrow it.

I could use a new project to work on since hardly anyone ever asks anymore for the kind of music I like.

Subject: Lyr Add: BACK HOME IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Jun 18 - 10:39 PM

Here's my transcription from the recording found on YouTube:


BACK HOME IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS
As recorded by Gene Autry in New York, June 30, 1932; released as Victor 23726.

1. The moon shines bright in my window.
The stars are shining too,
And it brings back to me
Sweet memory
Of the days when I wandered with you.

CHORUS: Back home in the Blue Ridge Mountains—
That's where I long to be.
I know that you'll be waiting
Beneath that old oak tree.
I [can] hear those mountains callin'.
Come home they seem to say,
And I'll not stop to tarry.
I'll soon be on my way.
[yodel]

2. I recall the night that we parted,
When fate took you away,
And you promised me
How true you would be
Until I returned some day. CHORUS

[The Discography of American Historical Recordings says:
"Victor ledgers attribute the composition of the song to Gene Autry and Thomas Burton; U.S. Copyright Office files credit Autry only."]