Origins: Golden Haired Girl

Subject: Origins: Golden Haired Girl
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Apr 22 - 04:14 AM

Sally Sloane was recorded singing this ditty:

There was once a simple maiden
went to Sydney on a trip
and her golden hair was laying down her back.

Oh Jane, you never looked the same
since you left the village you were shy.

Alas and alack ... she came back
with a nasty little twinkle in her eye.

You can hear her singing it at https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-214808984/listen/0-204~0-304

Does it ring bells with anyone?

Subject: RE: Origins: Golden Haired Girl
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 18 Apr 22 - 03:25 PM

There were 2 distinct versions published in the 1890s. If I remember aright Felix Mcglennon wrote one of them, 1894. It was very popular so you should easily find it by Googling. Title:
'And Her Golden Hair was hanging down her back'.

I have the sheet music to one of them and the words to the other on a words only sheet.

I think Sally's is probably the McGlennon version but both were equally popular on both sides of the Atlantic and would have been performed in Australian Music Halls. The other one was by Adrian Ross. Plenty of info in Kilgarriff.

Subject: RE: Origins: Golden Haired Girl
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Apr 22 - 08:45 AM

Thanks for that Steve. It must've been a well known song back then, and it's no surprise she picked it up along the way.