Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina

Subject: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Tradsinger
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 11:51 AM

I have just recorded a singer singing a song about "Sweet Carolina, the girl I adore". The first line is "It was out in Alberta where the snow's falling thick." The only trace I can find on the Internet is a fragmentary bawdy version, along my singer;s version was quite clean. Come on, you Americans(or Canadians), help me out on this one. What's the origin?

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 12:48 PM

I live in Alberta, and seem to vaguely recall the song.

Could you give a few lines to help my memory?

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Lighter
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 12:57 PM

A "quite clean" version of this song would be worth posting.

Dirty versions seem to have been ultimately inspired by the sentimental Victorian song, "Sweet Evelina" (1863), which begins, "'Way down in the meadow where the lily first blows,/ Where the wind from the mountain n'er ruffles the rose...."

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Tradsinger
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 01:12 PM

Here's verse 1 and the chorus:

It was out in Alberta where the snow's falling thick
Us cowboys all gathered and drink followed drink
It was there that I met her upon the dance floor
Sweet Carolina, the girl I adore.

She was Sweet Carolina
She was my Carolina
I fear there's only coffee and beer
For me and my lady love

Ring any bells?

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Tradsinger
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 05:48 PM

Thank you to Lighter for the information. "Sweet Evelina" does seem to be the origin of the song I heard, but after 150 years of oral transmission, it has changed quite a bit. I listened to a rendering of "Sweet Evelina" on YouTube and the tune is fairly similar to the version I got. So in the absence of any other information, we'll call that a result. I wonder what path it took from a cowboy song to rural Gloucestershire? We'll never know.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Lighter
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 07:25 PM

My guess is that the clean version of "Carolina" is an oddly intentional rewrite of the bawdy song, rather than a direct descendant of "Evelina."

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: GUEST
Date: 17 May 18 - 09:46 PM

I have only heard the bawdy song.

A way down in Texas
where the bullshit grows thick
one hand on my saddle
one hand on my prick

I'm riding to Texas
to the girl I adore
Sweet Molly Maloney (not Carolina in this version)
The cowpunchers whore.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: GUEST
Date: 17 May 18 - 09:59 PM

The next verse that I recall
makes this an English version.

She'll shag for a tanner
she'll shag for a bob
it only depends on the size of your knob.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 18 May 18 - 03:34 AM

The version I remember from my rugby playing days:

Way down Alabama where the cow dung lies thick,
The girls are so pretty that babies come quick.
There lives Carolina the girl I adore.
Carolina, Carolina, the cow-punchers' whore.

She's randy, she's bandy, she shags in the street.
If ever you meet her, she's always 'on heat'.
If you leave your flies open she's after your 'meat'.
And the smell of her c*** knocks strong men off their feet.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 18 May 18 - 03:40 AM

Guest's line:
She'll shag for a tanner
she'll shag for a bob
it only depends on the size of your knob.

May have been captured into this song from the bawdy version of _Peggy O'Neill

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: topical tom
Date: 18 May 18 - 01:01 PM

All those versions of the song are hilarious! However, when I saw the title it reminded me of another song. The only words are remember are:
                  Sweet Carolina,_______Carolina,
                  My love for you will never never die...
Does anyone remember that song? Sorry for the thread shift.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 18 May 18 - 06:02 PM

topical tom,

The song you mean is "Sweet Evelina" (dear Evelina, etc.)

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: topical tom
Date: 19 May 18 - 03:52 PM

GUEST, Bob Coltman: You are right. That is the song I meant.I believe that it is a pre-Civil War song.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: oldhippie
Date: 19 May 18 - 08:06 PM

Possibly UK singer Pat Turner is the singer of Sweet Carolina.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Tradsinger
Date: 20 May 18 - 05:42 PM

Do you mean Pat Turner from Arlingham, Gloucestershire? I have a recording of him singing it.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: oldhippie
Date: 20 May 18 - 09:41 PM

No Tradsinger, the Pat Turner is a she and sings with Lynne Heraud.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 21 May 18 - 02:46 AM

Didn't Coope Boyes and Simpson record this?

Robin

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: Tradsinger
Date: 21 May 18 - 03:49 AM

Hello oldhippie,

That's an amazing coincidence of name then!

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: leeneia
Date: 22 May 18 - 03:02 PM

The sheet music for Sweet Evelina can be found at the Lester Levy sheet music site. It's a pretty waltz in C. Get out your ax and play it.

Subject: RE: Anyone know this song? Sweet Carolina
From: GUEST,Gren
Date: 07 Mar 24 - 11:42 AM

....when all of a sudden my horse did backfire
and shot Carolina right into the mire.

I saw Carolina all covered in muck
and she said oh my dear what a glorious *uck
She cut off the horses and lay on the floor
And that was the end of the cow punchers whore.