Little Mohea - variants from Mississippi

Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: GUEST,Anonymous
Date: 07 Feb 12 - 10:57 PM

asl I went out walking for pleasure one day. The scenes of creation. Were pleasant to see. As I sat amusing .myself on the grass.who should l spy near me. But a fair indian lass.she sat down beside me and took up my hand.said you are a stranger. And in a strange land. Land. But if you will follow. You are welme to come. And live in a cottage. That I call my home.oh no Ph no my fair maiden. That At never could be. For I have a sweetheart. far over the sea. I will never forsake her. I know she ti
loves me I will go spend my days with. The little mohee.
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a.Pphre ar me ut a fair Eeindianshpuld I spy neR me. But a fair indian lass. She sat down besidm. And topk up my hand. Said you are a stranger and in a strange
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Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 06:40 PM

Maumee River in Northern Ohio runs to Lake Erie near Toledo. Seems to come from in or near Fort Wayne, Indiana

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 04:43 PM

The song is known in West Virginia as "Pretty Maumee," or "The Little Maumee." See J. H. Cox, 1927 (1967 Dover reprint), Folk-Songs of the South, no. 116, pp. 372-374.
Versions A and B have the line "Remember the maiden in the cocoanot grove," and C has "Till we come to the river where the cocoanuts grow." In this one (coll. 1916) is the verse:

"If you will agree, sir, to stay here with me,
I will teach you the language of the pretty Maumee,
And together we'll wander, and together we'll go,
Till we come to the river where the cocoanuts grow."


It would be nice if Joe would combine this thread with two others offering lyrics of the versions and historical data. Since he has nothing else to do- ha! The title of this thread hides content.

Thread 54394, Lass of Mohee: Lass of Mohee
Thread 26336, Lyr. Req. Indian Lass: Indian Lass
Song of the Indian Lass

Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 08:14 AM

Stan Hugill sings his version on his CD "Sailing Days" (1992). It's a hybrid of both "The Lass of Mohee" and "The Indian Lass," to an odd modal tune. When he sang it at Mystic in '88 or '89, somebody said, "That's not in any of your books, is it?" Stan replied, "I know plenty of songs that aren't in my books !"

Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 04:01 AM

9 editions of "Indian Lass" are at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads.

Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 01:22 AM

"The Lass of Mohee" (Alternate title: "The Little Mohee"), sung by John McCready and recorded by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Groveland, California on August 2, 1939, is at California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties.

These recordings are at the Max Hunter Collection:

0297 Little Mohee
0441 Lass of Mohee
1126 Little Mohee
1533 Pretty Mohee

And at the Wolf Collection:

The Little Mohee (The Pretty Mohee) sung by W.P. Detherow
The Little Mohee (The Pretty Mohee; The Indian Lass) sung by Kenneth Harber
The Little Mohee (The Pretty Mohee) sung by Mrs. Alice Isringhouse

Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 01:05 AM

harpgirl's version is in Arthur Palmer Hudson's Folksongs of Mississippi and Their Background (Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1936, pp. 162-3; version A); "Communicated by Mr. T.A. Bickerstaff. The MS. was given him by Mr. F.J. Welch, Tishomingo, who sang it." "Cocoanut Grove" is version B.

Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Sep 03 - 03:44 PM

William Owens, "Texas Folk Songs," 1950, says the song was popular in his childhood and is still widely known in Texas. Those who support the Maui-Mohwe (from Cook's map) origin may get some support here, for this seems to be the only version that mentions the South Sea:

"Oh, no, pretty maiden, this never can be;
I have a true lover all o'er the South Sea;
I could not forsake her and live here with thee,
For her heart beats as true as the little Mohea."

Most is similar to the version posted by Harpgirl.
Here are the last two verses, which differ.

The last time I saw her, she stood on the sand,
As our ship passed by she waved me her hand,
Saying "When you get back to the girl that you love,
Just think of little Mohea in the coconut grove."

Now I am safe landed on Hudson's green shore,
Where my friends and companions can view me once more;
The girls all crowd around me, but none do I see
That can compare with my little Mohea.

Mrs. C. H. Burke, Silsbee, Texas, in Owens, pp. 102-104, with music.

Subject: RE: Broadside variants from Mississippi
From: harpgirl
Date: 27 Dec 99 - 12:18 AM

...oh, and another variant is known as "Cocoanut Grove"

Subject: ADD: Little Mohea ^^
From: harpgirl
Date: 27 Dec 99 - 12:16 AM

...Gargoyle...Little Mohea is a broadside variant from oral circulation in Mississippi from Mr. J.F. Welch in Tishomongo who sang it.

LITTLE MOHEA

As I went out walking for pleasure one day
In sweet recreation to wear time away
As I sat amusing myself on the grass
Oh, who could I spy but a fair Indian lass

She took her seat by me and took my hand
Says, "You are a stranger and in a strange land
But if you'll follow, you're welcome to come
And dwell in my cottage which I call my home

The sun had passed shining across the deep sea
As I wandered along with my pretty Mohea
Together we wandered, together did rove
Till we came to the cottage in the cocoanut grove

This kind of expression she made unto me
"If you will consent,sir, to stay here with me
And go no more roving across the deep sea
I'll teach you the language of pretty Mohea

"Oh, no, my dear maiden, that never could be
For I have a true love in my own country
And I'll not forsake her, for I know she loves me
Her heart is as true as the pretty Mohea

It was early one morning, one morning in May
This kind of expression I made unto her
"I'm going to leave you, for my boat is now here
The ship's sails are spreading, and homeward I must steer

The last time I saw her she was standing on the strand
And as my boat passed her she waved me her hand
Says, "When you have landed, with the girl that you love
Think of little Mohea and the cocoanut grove

And when I have landed on my own native shore
With friends and relations around me once more
I looked all around me, but none could I see
Who was fit to compare with the little Mohea

The girl I had trusted proved untrue to me
I'll turn my course backward, from this land I'll flee
I'll turn my course backward, from this land I'll flee
I'll go spend my days with my pretty Mohea

^^

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Little Mohee/Mohea, or the Indian Lass, is in DT with music. Search on (Laws) 'H8'. DT #648 gives that and another song.