Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe

Subject: Darlin' Chloe
From: Andy
Date: 07 Nov 99 - 10:13 PM

My mother heard this song from her father and has never heard or seen it it again. "Chloe" may be spelled Clowe, or Cloe, or ? If anyone knows any source history on the song, so much the better.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 Nov 99 - 09:29 PM

reflesh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe
From: Andy
Date: 09 Nov 99 - 03:52 PM

Sorry Rick, I'm a newbie here. What is meant by reflesh? Assuming it means reflesh the request with more info, Darling Cloe was an old family slave, much loved by the youngsters of the master's house, whom she had much to do with raising. The singer of the song is "going back to see my Darling Cloe." Probably doesn't help, but there it is.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe
From: DougR
Date: 09 Nov 99 - 11:40 PM

Andy: I thought you might have the song you were asking about confused with Darling Cory, but evidently I was wrong. I've been wrong before so no big deal.

DougR

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe
From: Vixen
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 09:33 AM

Andy--

I think Rick meant "refresh" to bring your query back up to the top of the forum. I admit, I thought you were after Darlin' Corey, but your explanation clarified that, so I can't help you with the lyric request.

V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe
From: Andy
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 02:23 PM

Thanks, Darlin' Cory's a great song. We had it on a 78, sung by Burl Ives. When the Kingston Trio came out with it I was not impressed (sorry Dave). I expect Darling Cloe is lost to the ages. Anybody know of sites for obscure old stuff?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 03:53 PM

Hi- I'll transcribe it once I get the chance, unless someone beats me to it (hint!) but if you go to the Levy collection of sheet music and search for Chloe, you'll find it there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe
From: Andy
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 08:40 PM

Dick, thanks for the Levy suggestion, but unfortunately that wasn't it, even though it's by the same title and from the same era. I'm going to get what lyrics my mother knows and see if that helps. By transcribe (sorry, I'm a newbie) did you mean simply downloading the sheet music from Levy?

Subject: Lyr Add: DARLING CHLOE
From: Andy
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 07:09 AM

Finally got the words from my mother. Apparently she thinks she has all the words, but wants to know the source of the song.

DARLING CHLOE

In the old Carolina state,
Where the sweet magnolias bloom
And the pickaninny darkies are all gay,
There is one I long to see
She was always good to me
And I left her many, many years ago.

(second tune)
In the cotton and the corn
Where we both were bred and born
And together in the fields we used to hoe,
It's been twenty years or more
since I crossed the cabin door
And I'm going back to see my Darling Chloe.

(refrain)
Darling Chloe, Darling Chloe
Your sweet face I soon shall see I know.
Where the sunny southern breeze
Fans the tall palmetto trees
I am going back to see my Darling Chloe.

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M GOING HOME TO CLO (Mitchell, Huntley)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 07:12 PM

From the sheet music images at Duke University's 'Historic American Sheet Music' collection:

I'M GOING HOME TO CLO
(Words, Samuel N. Mitchell; music, William A. Huntley; 1879.)

1. In the old Car'lina state where the sweet magnolia blooms,
And the picaninie darkey learns to hoe,
There is one I long to see. She was always true to me,
But I left her many, many years ago.
'Mid the cotton and corn, there we both were bred and born,
And together in the field we used to sow;
But 'tis twenty years or more since I left the cabin door,
So I'm going back to see my darling Clo'.

CHORUS: Darling Clo (darling Clo), darling Clo (darling Clo),
Your sweet face I soon shall see, I know,
Where the southern sunny breeze fans the old palmetto trees,
So I'm going home to see my darling Clo.

2. In that dear old sunny home where the songsters always sing,
And the mockingbird is singing all the day,
She is waiting for her Joe, and I long to see my Clo,
For like me I know her hair has turned to gray.
The plantation is no more, and the day of toil is o'er,
For she's creeping very close to eighty-three,
But she'll wait till I come back, by the coon and possum track,
For I have not seen her since we all were free. CHORUS

3. 'Neath the genial southern skies where the sweetest blossoms grow
And the music-loving darkies all are gay,
I am bound to see my Clo and 'tis very sad to know
That ere long they'll lay my poor old love away.
When they place her 'neath the sod upon which we often trod,
Then this world will have no other charms for me.
Then close by my Cloie's side this poor form will there abide
'Neath the shadeless and the tall palmetto tree.

[I suspect Clo is short for Chloë, but I have left the spelling of the name as I found it in the sheet music.]

Subject: Lyr Add: IN THE OLD CAROLINA STATE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 07:16 PM

Uncle Dave Macon recorded a song called IN THE OLD CAROLINA STATE in 1926.

I copied the following transcription from here,

IN THE OLD CAROLINA STATE

In the old Carolina state where the sweet magnolias bloom,
There the picaninny darkies learn to hoe.
There is one I long to see, she was always true to me,
But I haven't seen her since we all were free.

Mid the cotton and corn [...]
And together in the fields we used to go
It's been twenty years or more, since I left the cabin door,
So I'm going back to see my darling Clo.

CHORUS: Darling Clo, darling Clo,
Your sweet face I soon shall see I know,
Where the sunny southern breeze fans the old Palmetto trees,
So I'm going back to see my darling Clo.

In that happy southern home, where the songs I loved to sing,
And the mockingbird is singing all the day,
She is waiting for her Joe, and I'm bound to see my Clo
For I know her hair has almost turned to gray.

The plantation is no more, and the tall lilac is o'er
For I she's creeping close to eighty-three,
But she'll wait till I come back, by the coon and possum track,
For I have not seen her since we all were free. CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Darlin' Chloe
From: masato sakurai
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 09:41 PM

"I'm Going Home to Clo" (original sheet music) is also at Levy, and at California Sheet Music Project (with larger & clearer images).