Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair? / Vacant Chair

Subject: Chords, plz: Vacant Chair
From: WyoWoman
Date: 24 Jul 99 - 02:49 PM

Looking for chords to "The Vacant Chair," please.

(See how productive "The Saddest Song" thread was?)

WW

Subject: RE: Chords, plz: Vacant Chair
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jul 99 - 02:52 PM

Hmm. Now, how 'bout a little more specificity, WhataWoman? Is the song you're looking for the one in the database called THE VACANT CHAIR (WE SHALL MEET BUT WE SHALL MISS HIM)?
Sam question on the other thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Chords, plz: Vacant Chair
From: WyoWoman
Date: 24 Jul 99 - 02:56 PM

Joe, yes on this one. Don't know any more about the FAded Blue Coat, except that it was listed in the "Saddest Song" thread and I snagged it off the DT...

WWW

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: THE VACANT CHAIR
From: Margo
Date: 24 Jul 99 - 03:38 PM

Well, in my handy dandy book of Civil War Songs the chords are as follows:

           A
  We shall meet but we shall miss him,
                E7
  there will be one vacant chair,
               A             D
  We shall linger to car-ess him
            E7                  A
  While we breathe our evening pray'r;
  
         E      B7     E
  When a year a-go we gathered,
          B7               E
  joy was in his mild blue eye
         B7             E
  But a golden chord is severed,
           B7            E
  and our hopes in ruin lie. 
  

We shall meet but we shall miss him,
there will be one vacant chair,
we shall linger to caress him,
when we breathe our evening pray'r

At our fireside, sad and lonely,
Often will the bosom swell
At remembrance of the story,
how our noble Willie fell:

how he strove to bear our banner
Through the thickest of the fight
and uphold our country's honor,
In the strength of manhood's night.

True, they tell us wreaths of glory
Ever more will deck his brow,
But this soothes the anguish only,
Sweeping o'er our heartstrings now

Sleep today, oh early fallen,
In thy green and narrow bed,
Dirges from the pine and cypress
Mingle with the tears we shed

Chorus again.

Do you have the melody?

Margarita

Subject: RE: Chords, plz: Vacant Chair
From: Margo
Date: 24 Jul 99 - 03:48 PM

Well, I see that I screwed up. I don't have such an excellent handle on html. I will add to the above this way:

A is on "meet"
E7 is on "be"
A is on "linger"
D is on ""ress" of caress
E7 is on "breathe"
A is on "pray'r
E on "year"
B7 on "go" of ago
E on "gathered"
B7 on "in"
E on "eye"
B7 on "golden"
E on "severed"
B7 on "hopes"
E on "lie"

Does that help?

Margarita

PS I need some more html lessons!

Preformat <pre><pre> tags added to the beginning and end of the part with the chords. I think the tune is in the database, isn't it?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Chords, plz: Vacant Chair
From: Margo
Date: 24 Jul 99 - 04:19 PM

There is some really wierd twilight zone stuff going on here. The first time I posted, the chords were all bunched up at the beginning of the row, which prompted my second posting. Now they're in the proper place, which makes me wonder if I did the right thing in the first place! Too strange.

Margarita

Leprechauns, no doubt....

Subject: RE: Chords, plz: Vacant Chair
From: WyoWoman
Date: 24 Jul 99 - 05:35 PM

Thank you, Margarita. Came through just fine the first time. And yes, I got the tune off the DT. I can play all those chords except the B7. Plainly, I'm going to have to learn the Bs and Fs one of these days. ANyway, thank you much.

WW

Subject: RE: Chords, plz: Vacant Chair
From: Margo
Date: 24 Jul 99 - 06:15 PM

I know what you mean about learning the Bs and Fs. Keep doing them, and one day they'll be no big deal. I have small hands, and I don't mind the B7 at all.

Margarita

PS Joe fixed my first post, and told me how to maintain the spacing on the chords.

Subject: Empty Chair
From: GUEST,Marc
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 09:16 AM

Would anyone know of this Civil War song? I've been asked to sing it at a memorial service, and I don't think I've ever heard it. It was requested as Empty Chairs.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 09:25 AM

I have "The Vacant Chair"......

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: Sorcha
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 09:33 AM

Sorry, that last was from Sorcha--Honey has been deleting cookies again and din't tell me. Vacant Chair is in the DT, but when I click on the title, it tells me no doc found!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 09:34 AM

Marc- DigiTrad has strange powers. If you search for

chair @Civil

guess what you'll find!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 09:35 AM

There's a song in the DT called THE VACANT CHAIR which is probably what you're looking for.

I don't know why the search for [vacant chair] doesn't work!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 09:37 AM

Barbara- I don't know either. Hopefully, it's a glitch that will be fixed in the Spring 2000 release.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 12:59 PM

Any Mudcatters living in western Connecticut might be interested in a song titled "The Housatonic Valley" that is sung to the tune of the Civil War classic: "The Vacant Chair." I found it in Carl Carmer's book: Songs of the Rivers of America. Real sloppy, sentimental stuff. I'm almost embarrassed to sing it in public!

Sandy

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: Banjer
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 01:41 PM

Sandy, don't feel bad, with my inability to carry a tune I'm embarrassed to sing anything in public!!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: Susan A-R
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 01:45 PM

Just put your heart on your sleeve, Sandy. I love doing those old ones and just letting the emotions fly. It's the only way I can possibly do things like Somebody's Darling or Weeping Sad and Lonely.

Susan A-R

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: wildlone
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 02:24 PM

I found Vacant Chair at mp3.com the other day along with some more ACW songs performed by a group called Earthrise.
worth checking out

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 02:40 PM

I assume it's "The Vacant Chair" one of 1861 with tune by George F. Root. That and others are in the Levy sheet music collection (Mudcat's Links)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: Stewie
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 06:58 PM

There's a nice version by Kathy Mattea on Various Artists 'Songs of the Civil War' Columbia CK 48607 - an excellent CD all round.

--Stewie.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE VACANT CHAIR
From: tar_heel
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 10:21 PM

THE VACANT CHAIR

Introduction: During the Civil War, Lt. John William Grout was killed in battle at Balls Bluff, Virginia. His absence from his family's next thanksgiving, inspired ...

THE VACANT CHAIR
(Song is sung to the tune ...LIFE IS LIKE A MOUNTAIN RAILROAD.)

1. We shall meet, but we shall miss him
There will be one vacant chair
We shall linger to caress him
While we breathe our evening prayer;
When a year ago we gathered joy was in his mild blue eye,
But a golden chord is severed and our hopes in ruin lie.

CHORUS: We shall meet, but we shall miss him
There will be one vacant chair
We shall linger to caress him
While we breathe our evening prayer

2. At our fireside, sad and lonely,
Often will the bosom swell,
At remembrance of the story
How our noble Willie fell;
How he strove to bear our banner
Though the thickest of the fight,
And uphold our country's honor
In the strength of manhood's right.

3. True they tell us wreaths of glory
Ever more will deck his brow,
But this soothes the anguish only
Sweeping o'er our heartstrings now.
Sleep today, oh early fallen,
In thy green and narrow bed,
Dirges from the pine and cypress,
Mingle with the tears we shed.

Performed by the Hemrick Family Singers on Heritage Records "Memories of Home"

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: GUEST,Marc
Date: 05 Mar 00 - 07:18 AM

Thanks alot everyone. I checked the DT for empty chairs, but evidently was not creative enough to go any ferther. Once again thank you. You guys are great.Also Sandy I will check out that Housatonic Valley, I'm from Ct. and have no problems with sonic syrup once in a while.

Marc Bernier

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 05 Mar 00 - 06:44 PM

Sandy- You disappoint me. If you mention it, post it.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE HOUSATONIC VALLEY
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 05 Mar 00 - 09:07 PM

THE HOUSATONIC VALLEY

As the evening shadows lengthen,
And all nature is at rest,
All my thoughts are turning back there
To the place I love the best.
.... Oh, that quiet, peaceful valley
.... That I left so long ago,
.... Where we sat and dreamed together,
.... Watched the Housatonic flow.

this is used as a refrain, sung to the first part of the tune:

As the evening shadows lengthen,
And all nature is at rest,
All my thoughts are turning back there
To the place I love the best.

I still see the little cottage
Nestled in that Berkshire dell,
Where the birds were always singing
'Round the home we loved so well.
.... All was joy, and never sorrow
.... In that Eden of the blest,
.... And we knew that each tomorrow
.... Would bring peace and perfect rest.

(refrain)

Since I left that lovely valley,
Left a home and all behind,
I'm a wanderer in the wasteland,
Never knowing peace of mind.
.... But I soon will go back yonder,
.... For I know she'll waiting be;
.... In the Housatonic Valley
.... There'll be joy for her and me.

(refrain once again)

Words by Clayton E. Stickles
Melody by G. F. Root (The Vacant Chair)
Published in Carl Carmer's Songs of the Rivers of America (NY, 1942)

The Housatonic River runs from Western Massachusetts down through western Connecticut to the Sound. My boys grew up canoeing on the Housy, which forms the boundary between our town of Sharon and the neighboring Cornwall. Nice river, but you can't eat the trout taken from it, thanks to the PCBs deposited in it by the GE plant in Pittsfield.

Well, I warned you it was sentimental goo!

Sandy

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair? / Vacant Chair
From: deepdoc1
Date: 08 Nov 11 - 08:28 PM

Can anyone shed light on why the tune changed from the original to Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad? Was it likely someone didn't know the original so just winged it? Wung it? Wanged?

I do like the LILAMR version better, but is it a musical 'sin' to do that version? And yes, I know I can do it ant way I like, but I am curious as to proprieties and sensibilities on occasion.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Empty Chair? / Vacant Chair
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 May 12 - 01:02 PM

Heard this yesterday on NPR, it encapsulates the sorrow of family members.
Correct lyrics and attribution in DT.

Sheet music at American Memory (from Duke Univ., (music by G. F. Root) http://library.Duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/sheetmusic/n/n08/n0810-3-72dpi.html

Several song sheet publishers, inc. De Marsan. Very popular in the years following the War.