Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz (John Hartford)

Subject: Delta Queen Waltz
From: Knicke
Date: 04 Oct 99 - 08:36 PM

Looking for the chords and lyrics to J. Hartford's "Delta Queen Waltz". (my dad has the L.P. and is 16 hours away).

Subject: Lyr Add: DELTA QUEEN WALTZ (John Hartford)^^
From: GUEST,Riverboat Annie
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 12:38 AM

Delta Queen Waltz
(John Hartford)

Oh we boarded the boat on the breast of the river so wide
And we left old St. Louis on the crest of that brown muddy tide
To the strains of the Delta Queen's band
I found myself holding your hand
The way we had hoped we would do all that summer and fall
Oh the whistle came out, such a deep mellow sound in the night
And the echo came back from the shoreline of twinkling lights
There was nothing we really could say
The river had swept us away
Like a present hereafter, the warm sound of laughter
As we danced to the Delta Queen Waltz

As the big wheel keeps rolling I find myself holding you near
With the night time unfolding I'm lucky just having you here
As a single wave curls down the shore, we're waltzing away cross the floor
As our heart beats assemble, the boat lightly trembles
As we dance to the Delta Queen Waltz


^^

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: Spud Murphy
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 02:43 AM

I am confused. Both the Delta Queen and the Delta King were Sacramento River Boats, plying the waters of the Delta between San Francisco and Stockton and Sacramento.

In the 1930's, Governor Rolfe would occasionally charter the Queen or the King and entertain various officials and dignitaries with an overnight cruise from Sacramento to SF, returning on the following day. My father's group, the Sierra Ranch hands, was the governor's orchestra of choice, and they often made the trip to furnish entertainment and music for dancing.

Both boats were retired toward the end of the thirties, the Queen spending the war years tied up to a dock on the Sacramento riverfront and the King serving as a floating power generting plant for an aluminum smelting operation on the coast of British Columbia. After the war, the Queen was bought by some Mississippi tourist/gambling interests and after being refurbished ventured through the Canal and into Mississippi waters, where I believe her homeport is Louisville. I understand she engages The Belle Of Louisville in an annual race at the time of the Kentucky Derby. Within the last 15 years the King has been saved from an inglorious end at Kittimat, BC, and returned to Sacramento where she was refurbished and serves as a floating restaurant on the riverfront and an historic link to California's past.

I have confirmed the fact that no other Mississippi river boat ever bore the Queen's name. I would dearly love to know what year the "Delta Queen Waltz" was written. I never heard of it and it is not in any of my father's orchestral arrangements. Thanks for any info you can provide.

Spud

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 06:05 AM

You beat me to the punch, Spud. The Delta Queen is indeed a Sacramento riverboat (although she and the King were built in Scotland, about 1926). The Delta Queen has been on the Mississippi River for at least 20 years, probably more like 30 years.
I kind of choke when the ads go on and on about the historic Delta Queen - they always forget to mention that her history was on the Sacramento River.

I saw the Delta King at the Sacramento riverfront just the other day, alive and well and looking pretty.

John Hartford is one heck of a musician, but I think he's also a Mississippi riverboat pilot.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: Art Thieme
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 11:49 AM

Yep, John Hartford is a licensed pilot. Many of his songs are about boats and the rivers.

The Delta Queen, some say, got it's name when gamblers were having a poker game for the ownership of the boat. One of 'em needed a particular card to win. He was dealt a queen----and he won. So the boat was named the Delta Queen. ;-)

I don't think "The Delta Queen Waltz" was written until the early 1980s or so. It's a beautiful song.

Every so often John Hartford would come on board the Julia Belle Swain for a week or so to pilot the boat when I was the folksinger/storyteller on that steamboat through the '80s and into the '90s. He always brought his instruments and we had some fine times. On the wall in front of me is a photo I took of the back of one of John's fiddles. Below an inlaid steamboat are the words of John Hartford's mentor, Captain Fred Way: Nothing Is Real But The River And All Else Is Sham.

I first saw the Delta Queen in 1961 on the Ohio River passing Evansville, Indiana. I was swimming in the river when it came by. These days it mostly runs on the lower Mississippi between St.Louis and New Orleans. A few times a year it runs on the Upper Mississippi all the way to Minneapolis.

CATHY BARTON and DAVE PARRA play their old-time music and Civil War songs on the Delta Queen a goodly portion of the summers now.

Art Thieme

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: harpgirl
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 10:05 PM

Joe, Can we link this song to the other thread with John Hartford songs? Do you want to harvest it?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 11:00 PM

Good idea, Harpy. I harvested the song and added it to the John Hartford song index in this thread (click)
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: Melani
Date: 22 Apr 01 - 04:42 PM

The beautiful Delta Queen became the bane of my life in the summer of 1999, when the outfit I work for raffled off a cruise aboard her. This involved a 750-piece mailing that still gives me nightmares, but we learned a number of technological lessons in the process. We also learned that over half the names on that huge mailing list were no longer valid, and we pared it down accordingly.

The cruise was won by an older couple who were totally delighted, and throughout the cruise they sent us ecstatic postcards with pictures of the beautifully restored boat, raving about the scenery and amenities. The guy died three months later. I have always been glad he had such a good time in his last months.

I have just visited John Hartford's website and gotten ordering info for the album, "Down on the River." Thanks, Joe, for the link.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: harpgirl
Date: 26 Oct 01 - 10:14 AM

for mister fairquest

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: Art Thieme
Date: 26 Oct 01 - 10:19 PM

There is a sad article in a recent issue of THE WATERWAYS JOURNAL about what Sept. 11th has done to the Delta Queen Company. The D.Q. is possibly the only boat of theirs that will possibly survive the downturn in folks taking those rather expensive river trips.

I believe the article is on line at the Waterways Journal website.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: GUEST,Laurel17
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 11:03 AM

To the persons who monitor this board. My name is Laurel White Hartley, and I am trying to get back in touch with Cathy Barton Parra and Dave Parra. They used to have a website, but I have been unable to locate it. Cathy and I went to high school together, so she is an old and good friend. And she is SO TALENTED, as is Dave. She is basically self-taught. If someone could let them know I am trying to reach them, I would really appreciate it. My email is [e-mail]. Just please pass this on to them, please. Thanks for your time, and this is a great forum!

Laurel White Hartley

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 10:57 PM

Part of your problem may be your spelling of Para. Look for Cathy and Dave here ~~ http://shorock.com/para/

They recently made a trip to the Ozark Folk Center and as usual put on a great show and as you would expect, were well received by the crowd in attendance.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: GUEST,guest /small farm music
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 11:38 AM

anyone out there know chords for "Delta Queen Waltz"?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: GUEST,redwolf
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 07:47 PM

In 1975''76' and maybe more years I worked on the Mississippi Queen the sister ship to the Delta Queen. In fact we would have the great steamboat race each summer with both boats headed out for the 2 week race. John Hartford, was indeed a riverboat pilot, after he would play, and when the bars would close for the night, he would let us sit behind the pilot's chair as long as we stayed quiet. He filmed a concert on the Mississippi Queen all those years ago, I would love to find a copy, if anyone knows, my e-mail address is [e-mail] thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: GUEST,riverboat annie
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 08:11 PM

I'd like to see that video, as well! Tell us some more, redwolf. Do you play?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Delta Queen Waltz
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 09:47 PM

To see the River Years photos I took on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers---plus many of John Hartford and the Delta Queen, go to:

http://rudegnu.com/art_thieme.html

There is one of the Delta Queen when it was HINGED so it could negotiate tight bends in the river better!!!!! ;-)

My folk scene photos are there too...

Art Thieme