Lyr Req/Add: I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia

Subject: West of West Virginia
From:
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 10:42 PM

I am looking for the lyrics/music for an old song that I think is called "West of West Virginia" but may be called Back to West Virginia". We used to sing it all the time when I was a lot younger. I remember a few lines: I wanna go back, to West Virginia. I wanna go back to my home sweet home. Where the friends I knew were so kind and true, Take me back to west Virginia. That's all I remember. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Ernie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: Pene Azul
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 10:50 PM

It appears that this is a Spike Jones song called "I Wanna Go Back To West Virginia" from 1942. There's a description of a 4-CD set that contains it on this page. No luck finding lyrics yet. Still trying...

PA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From:
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 10:55 PM

I knew it was old but I had more luck finding Goebel Reeves lyrics than I have this one. Thanks Ernie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: Pene Azul
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 11:02 PM

It's also on Musical Depreciation (rel. 1996) which appears to be a single CD.

PA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: Pene Azul
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 11:04 PM

Wow, it's actually on half a dozen or so CDs.

PA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: GUEST,ernie
Date: 07 Jun 00 - 09:28 PM

I also found a version by another group called Slim (?) and the Fashioneers. Thanks for your help PA.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 10:09 PM

Here's an excerpt transcribed from sound samples I found at Yahoo! Music:

I WANNA GO BACK TO WEST VIRGINIA
(Crago/Shannon)

... West Virginia
Where the fields are filled with clover
And the mountains reach the sky;
Where the flowers bloom all over
Till they make you want to cry.
I want to go back to West Virginia.
I want to go back to the one I love.
When the world is free, that's the place for me.
Take me back to West Virginia.

[Recorded by Spike Jones and His City Slickers, and by Eddie Cantor.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 10 - 09:40 PM

I remember it being
I want to go back to West Virginia
I want to go back to the land I love
Where the skies are blue
And the gals are true
Take me back to West Virginia!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: Janie
Date: 09 Oct 10 - 11:07 PM

I thought I knew about every song there was about West Virginia, but this is not one I am familiar with. Anyone aware of a site where it is possible to take a listen?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 11:29 AM

What Janie said.

Russ (Permanent GUEST)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: Janie
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 11:39 AM

Spike Jones "I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia"

Subject: Lyr Add: I WANNA GO BACK TO WEST VIRGINIA
From: Janie
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 11:53 AM

Copied from www.lyricsplayground.com

I WANNA GO BACK TO WEST VIRGINIA
(Bill Crago / Grace Shannon)

Spike Jones & his City Slickers - 1942
(Vocal: Del Porter & The Boys in the Back Room)

Also recorded by: Eddie Cantor


I wanna go back to West Virginia
I wanna go back to the one I love
Where the skies are blue and the birds sing too
Take me back to West Virginia

They took me away from West Virginia
They took me away from my home sweet home
Where the friends I knew were so kind and true
Take me back to West Virginia

Where the fields are filled with clover
And the mountains reach the sky
Where the flowers bloom all over
Till they make you wanna cry

I wanna go back to West Virginia
I wanna go back to the one I love
When the world is free that's the place for me
Take me back to West Virginia.

(Musical Break)

I wanna go back to West Virginia
I wanna go back to the one I love
Where the skies are blue and the birds sing too
Take me back to West Virginia

They took me away from West Virginia
They took me away from my home sweet home
Where the friends I knew were so kind and true
Take me back to West Virginia

Where the fields are filled with clover
And the mountains reach the sky
Where the flowers bloom all over
Till they make you wanna cry

I wanna go back to West Virginia
I wanna go back to the one I love
When the world is free that's the place for me
Take me back to West Virginia.


(Contributed/Transcribed by Bill Huntley - October 2005)



Maybe the thread title could be changed to reflect the song title?

---

Note from Joe Offer: I compared this with the Spike Jones recording, and it's an exact transcription.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 02:05 PM

Not bad.
A bit generic ("your state's name here") but at least it mentions mountains.
The H-word does not appear.
A plesant surprise.

Russ (Permanent GUEST)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: West of West Virginia
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Oct 10 - 10:21 PM

Thanks for the info, Janie. I listened to the recording, and it sounds to me more like a song from 1920's than the 1940's. But the old-fashioned sound is a natural part of the humor.

Did you notice that the 78 shown in the video has info in a foreign language? I think it's Swedish.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Oct 10 - 02:11 PM

Leeneia: You have sharp eyes. I was about to tell you you were wrong, but then I looked very closely:


HIS MASTER'S VOICE
A. L. S. 5016
I WANNA TO BACK TO WEST VIRGINIA
(Crago-Shannon)
SPIKE JONES AND HIS CITY SLICKERS
Sang av Del Porter og The Boys in the Back Room
(Willie Spicer at the Collidophone)
N.C.B.
QA 072528
THE GRAMOPHONE CO. LTD.


It's only those little words "Sang av ... og ..." that give it away. Google identifies those words as Norwegian for "Song by ... and ..." The rest is English, as far as I can tell.

I assume "collidophone" is what the band called their assemblage of bicycle horns, train whistles, sirens, and miscellaneous percussible objects. The name is probably a pun on "collide" and "kaleidoscope."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia
From: GUEST,crazy little woman
Date: 12 Oct 10 - 03:58 PM

I found a video where you can see the actual collidoscope after 20 seconds.

If you close your eyes to the corny pictures, it becomes clear that they are playing some really FINE Dixieland there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 10:42 AM

Here's a link to a video of a group I heard last night here in Kansas City. The woman is playing something similar to the collidoscope.

old Irving Berlin tune

Warning! This video contains sexy music and a lovely woman moving sinuously.

Do not click if you are here only to debate 'What is folk?'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 09:32 PM

That's collidophone, not collidoscope.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 11:53 PM

Oops.

Did you listen to the sexy old piece?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia
From: Janie
Date: 14 Oct 10 - 12:02 AM

I did. leeneia. What fun!

Subject: RE: req/ADD: I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 14 Oct 10 - 11:03 AM

Thanks, Janie.

When I heard them do that piece, I said to myself, "It's Latin American. No, it's Yiddish. No, it's Latin American..."

It brings home the roots of the tango.