Lyr Add: In the Shadow of the Pines (Lummis, Long)

Subject: Lyr Add: IN THE SHADOW OF THE PINES (Lummis, Long)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 03:49 PM

IN THE SHADOW OF THE PINES
Hattie Lummis, music G. O. Long, 1890?

1
We wandered in the shadow of the pines, my love and I
As the wind was blowing freshly from the sea;
But a sudden fearful darkness stole across the summer sky,
And a shadow came between my love and me.
Some hasty words were spoken, and then almost unawares,
Hasty answers to unthinking anger led.
And our heartsick bitter longing, and our weeping and our pray'rs
Ne'er can make those false and cruel words unsaid.

Chorus:
Come back to me, sweetheart, and love me as before.
Come back, back to me, sweetheart, and leave me nevermore.
In life's dull pathway the sun no longer shines.
Come, love, and meet me in the shadow of the pines.

2
You took the ring I gave you, nor cast a glance at me
As you held the jewel'd trinket in your hand;
And then you turned and toss'd it in the waters of the sea,
Where the waves are splashing idly on the sand.
You went your way, and not a word was said
But my stubborn heart was breaking underneath its mask of pride,
And the pine trees sobb'd in pity overhead.

3
I wake from bitter dreaming but to call aloud your name,
I sleep again to dream of you once more;
And my stubborn pride has left me, I admit I was to blame,
Forgive me, dear, and love me as before.
For the furure is o'ershadow'd with the darkness of despair,
In the sky of life, love's sun no longer shines
And I'd give the whole world gladly once again to meet you there,
Reunited in the shadow of the pines.

Sheet music at American Memory, Legg Brothers, Kansas City, MO., and National Library of Australia, Chas. Sheard & Co., London, and Allan & Co., Melbourne. No dates, but American Memory dates it 1890.
One printing indicates that the words by Hattie Lummis are by permission of "Godey's Magazine," so the first printing seems to have been in that popular journal.

This song was taken up by many singers, including Bascomb Lamar Lunsford and the Carter Family. Also sung by Kelly Harrell, Buell Kazee and Ernest Stoneman.
A note in the Traditional Ballad Index, which gives the date as 1895, says that both Lunsford and Harrell sang the last line of the chorus 'out of tempo,' but in different ways. Roud 4289.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: In the Shadow of the Pines (Lummis, Lang
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 04:05 PM

Bascomb Lamar Lunsford sings the song as written by Hattie Lummis, but changes the odd word. His chorus is slightly different:

Come back to me, sweetheart, and love me as before.
Fly back to me, sweetheart, and leave me nevermore;
In life's dark pathway the sun no longer shines,
Come, love, and meet me, in the shadow of the pines.

The song, as sung by Lunsford, with the 4/4 musical score, is printed in North Carolina Folklore, 1962, vol. 3, The Music of the Folk Songs, ed. Jan Philip Schinhan, no. 694, pp. 431-433.
Other texts were received from North Carolina, one with two additional stanzas.

Subject: Lyr Add: IN THE SHADOW OF THE PINES (f/Carter)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Mar 09 - 04:35 PM

IN THE SHADOW OF THE PINES
Carter Family version

1
We had wandered in the shadow of the pines
The moon looked down on you and me
And a darkness stole across the summer sky
And a shadow came between my love and me.

Chorus:
Oh, darling, come love me as before
Come back to leave me nevermore
At that spot I'm sad and lonely and the sun no longer shines
Come and meet me in the shadow of the pines.

(instrumental break)
2
Oh, you went away and left me and my tears I could not hide
You went away and not a word was said
While my throbbing heart was breaking underneath its load of pride
And the pine trees sobbed in pity o'er my head.

Chorus:
(Instrumental break)

3
All our future is o'ershadowed by the darkness of despair
And across life's path the sun no longer shines
Oh, I'd give this whole world gladly once again to meet her there
And reunite in the shadow of the pines.


The Carter re-write leaves out mention of the sea, and the ring. The 8-line stanzas are reduced to 4-line, and much of the poetic imagery of the original is lost.
http://www.bluegrasswest.com/ideas/carter3.htm#pines
(and other websites)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: In the Shadow of the Pines (Lummis, Long)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Mar 09 - 10:41 PM

According to the sheet music at Duke University, the composer's name is Lang, not Long.

You can hear two recordings of IN THE SHADOW OF THE PINES—one by Vernon Archibald and Royal Fish (1913) and the other by Byron G. Harlan and Frank C. Stanley (1903) at The Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project.

You can hear another recording by the Fiddling Doc Roberts Trio at Honking Duck.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: In the Shadow of the Pines (Lummis, Long)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Mar 09 - 11:42 PM

It is also Lang in the sheet music printed by "Allan's' in the National Library of Australia. 'Long' on some internet sites seems to be a mistake.

It got confused in my mind; Jim Dixon is correct.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: In the Shadow of the Pines (Lummis, Long)
From: GEST
Date: 27 Mar 09 - 11:00 PM

Here is a variant sung by Judy Brazil of Trepassey, NL, on her 2001 album I'll Be There with a YouTube video:

http://wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/25/shadows.htm

GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: In the Shadow of the Pines (Lummis, Long)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Mar 13 - 10:27 AM

The text in the opening message is missing a line.

Verse 2 line 5:
You went your way unheeding the tears I could not hide;