Lyr Add: Blackberry Blossom

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM (A P Graves)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Nov 10 - 07:52 AM

Being musically illiterate myself, or nearly so, I will leave it to others to figure out whether this is the same tune or a different one.

From Irish Folk-Songs the words by Alfred Perceval Graves; the airs arranged by Charles Wood (London: Boosey & Co., 1897), page 37. There is musical notation there for piano and one voice.


THE BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM.
Air.—"The Blackberry Blossom."

When I was but a wee shy boy,
My mother's pride, my father's joy,
My hands and mouth had full employ
    When blackberries grew ripe;
And oft my mammy she would squeeze
The thorns from out my arms and knees,
And my good dad to give me ease,
    Put by his fav'rite pipe;
And even since I've become a man
And dressed on quite a diff'rent plan,
I've still gone carrying the can,
    When blackberries grew sweet.
Yes! Trampling through the bramble brakes,
I'd court the keenest pains and aches
For two or three fair colleens' sakes
    Whose names I'll not repeat.

Till Norah of the amber hair,
Who'd been my partner here and there,
Around about and ev'rywhere,
    When blackberries came in;
When I just tried, with too much haste,
The richer, rarer fruit to taste,
That on her lips was goin' to waste,
    She tosses up her chin,
And marches by me night and morn,
Her grey eyes only glancing scorn,
Regardless of the bitter thorn
    That in my heart she's rooting.
Yet, somehow, something in my mind
Keeps murm'ring, when she's most unkind:
"Have patience! She'll make friends, you'll find,
    Ere blackberries finish fruiting—
    Ere blackberries finish fruiting."

Subject: Lyr Add: BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM (Richard L Matteson Jr
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Nov 10 - 07:11 AM

Below are the lyrics copied from the Bluegrass Messengers web site. (There is a lot more information on that page, including a discography and guitar tablature.)


BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM
Lyrics by Richard L. Matteson Jr. C 2009.

[A Part]
Blackberry blossom floatin' on the breeze
Skippin' through a meadow lined with White oak trees.
Blackberry blossom tumbles to the ground
Lands in a bubblin' brook doesn't make a sound.

Blackberry blossom pickin' out a tune,
we only get to see you, in the month of June.
Of all the many berries, I think it's plain to see.
Blackberry blossom is the one for me.

[B Part]
Lookout now, see that bear a rumblin'
Headed on down, to the berry patch.
There he is, you can see him stumblin'
Blackberry blossom, the perfect catch. (Repeat)

[A Part]
Blackberry blossom grows on a vine,
You can pick the berry, make a little wine.
You can pick the song, 'cause it's not very long,
Turn around twice and it'll be gone.

Blackberry blossom, gettin' near the end,
It's be fun pickin', you my friend
Of all the many berries, I think it's plain to see.
Blackberry blossom is the one for me.

[B Part] 2X


Demo of the song by Richard L. Matteson with vocal by his niece Kara in Dec. 2009:
Blackberry Blossom MP3
Bluegrass Messengers version on YouTube

Subject: RE: Blackberry Blossom: origin & lyrics
From: open mike
Date: 02 Nov 10 - 06:12 PM

The only lyrics I have heard to this are by Michelle Shocked
you can see them here..
http://www.michelleshocked.com/chords_blackberry_blossom.htm

Subject: RE: Blackberry Blossom: origin & lyrics
From: GUEST,Litttle Old Me
Date: 02 Nov 10 - 03:01 PM

Michelle Shocked recorded a charming version of Blackberry Blossom on her Arkansas Traveler album, released in 1992. I am pretty sure she wrote the lyrics she sang for it.

Subject: RE: Blackberry Blossom: origin & lyrics
From: Richie
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 10:07 AM

Thanks, Ted

I was talking to fiddler Sleepy Marlin, who played with Merle Travis in the 1930s and 40s. He learned Blackberry Blossom from Fiddlin' Arthur Smith in 1964. Sleepy was one of the last people to play with Smith in 1969 in a jam in Louisville. Sleepy credits Arthur with writing the tune. Several other historians have questioned Smith's authorship. I'm inclined to belive he arranged it and popularized it.

Bill Hensley, from NC, played the tune earlier than Smith and the B part is identical (although sloppy). Burnett recorded a version in G major in 1930 five years before Smith recorded his version, Smith claimed to write the song in 1932.

Ed Haley and Snake Chapman played the Gm tune which is called Garfield's Blackeberry Blossom which has been traced back to 1861- 1862 when Garfield was stationed on the Big Sandy River during the Civil War.

Richie

Subject: RE: Blackberry Blossom: origin & lyrics
From: M.Ted
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 05:24 PM

Really useful video, Ritchie. That is a tune that needs to be broken down, or you don't get it right--and once through your video clears up a lot of problems--

Subject: RE: Blackberry Blossom: origin & lyrics
From: Trevor Thomas
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 12:28 PM

Some years ago I saw Bluegrass Etc, with mandolin genius John Moore. One of the things I remember John Moore saying was "Everybody knows Arthur Smith wrote Blackberry Blossom".

Subject: Blackberry Blossom: origin & lyrics
From: Richie
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 12:14 PM

Hi,

I've recently started performing Blackberry Blossom with my group and did a lyrics version with me playing guitar while my niece is singing that I thought I'd share: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyTHXwyocSg

In the collage there's Fiddlin' Arthur Smith and Fiddlin' Bill Hensley who both played early versions. This is different than Garfield's Blackberry Blossom in Gm.

I also made a learn to play video with some background to help others learn some ways to play the tune on the guitar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT8nyw8ElDg

Are there any other lyric versions out there? The version in G major and Em (B part) is usually credited to Fiddlin' Arthur Smith. I doubt he wrote it but he arranged it. Does anyone know where I can find his 1935 version with the Delmores?

Richie