Lyr Req: Missouri Waltz (Shannon/Eppel)

Subject: Missouri Waltz
From: GUEST,Oldtimemusic1
Date: 08 Mar 01 - 10:40 AM

Does anyone know the words to Missouri Waltz?? As I recall, it was Harry Truman's favorite tune. Can You help?

Subject: Lyr Add: MISSOURI WALTZ (Shannon/Eppel)
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Mar 01 - 10:55 AM

MISSOURI WALTZ
lyrics by J.R. Shannon, music by John Eppel

Hush-a-bye ma baby, slumber time is comin' soon.
Rest yo head upon my breast, while mommy hums a tune.
The sandman is calling, where shadows are falling,
While the soft breezes sigh as in days long gone by.

'Way down in Missouri where I heard this melody,
When I was a little child on my mommy's knee.
The old folks were hummin',
Their banjos were strummin',
So sweet and low.

Strum, strum, strum, strum, strum,
Seems I hear those banjos playing once again,
Hum, hum, hum, hum, hum,
That same old plaintive strain.

Hear that mournful melody,
It just haunts you the whole day long.
And you wander in dreams,
Back to Dixie it seems
When you hear that old song.

from

http://www.sowega.net/~chanhtu/missouri.html

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Missouri Waltz - Help anyone??
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Mar 01 - 10:59 AM

There is also a previous thread which has information about it. Please click here.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Missouri Waltz - Help anyone??
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Mar 01 - 10:59 AM

oops. sorry, kat. oh well.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Missouri Waltz - Help anyone??
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Mar 01 - 11:05 AM

No problem, Sorcha, I don't think the other thread had them posted as you've done, anyway. I did that the other day...went looking all over the internet for something and forgot to look right here first!:-)

kat

Subject: Lyr Add: HUSH-A-BYE, MA BABY (THE MISSOURI WALTZ)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 11:29 PM

The lyrics above have apparently been cleaned up/sanitized/politically-corrected, not to mention that 2 verses are missing.

Transcribed from the sheet music at The Library of Congress American Memory Collection:

HUSH-A-BYE, MA BABY (THE MISSOURI WALTZ)
Lyric by J. R. SHANNON. Music from an Original Melody procured by John Valentine Eppel. Arr. for piano by Frederic Knight Logan. 1914.

Hush-a-bye, ma baby, slumber-time is comin' soon;
Rest yo' head upon ma breast while Mammy hums a tune;
The sandman is callin' where shadows are fallin'
While the soft breezes sigh as in days long gone by.

'Way down in Missouri where I heard this melody,
When I was a Pickaninny on ma Mammy's knee;
The darkies were hummin'; their banjos were strummin'
So sweet and low.

Strum, strum, strum, strum, strum,
Seems I hear those banjos playin' once again,
Hum, hum, hum, hum, hum,
That same old plaintive strain.

Hear that mournful melody,
It just haunts you the whole day long,
And you wander in dreams back to Dixie it seems,
When you hear that old-time song.

Hushabye, ma baby, go to sleep on Mammy's knee,
Journey back to Dixieland in dreams again with me;
It seems like yo' Mammy was there once again,
And the darkies were strummin' that same old refrain.

'Way down in Missouri where I learned this lullaby,
When the stars were blinkin' and the moon was climbin' high,
And I hear Mammy Cloe, as in days long ago
Singin' hush–a–bye.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Missouri Waltz - Help anyone??
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 01:07 AM

'The Missouri Waltz' sung by Eddy Arnold is at The Record Lady's All-Time Country Favorites (REQUESTS PAGE NINE).

He sings: "The old folks were hummin'; their banjos were strummin'".

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Missouri Waltz - Help anyone??
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 11:58 AM

I think there is evidence to dispute the idea that Truman liked the song. He evidently thought it was less than good; played it reluctantly.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Missouri Waltz - Help anyone??
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 03:37 PM

Hey, was there ever a time that it was "Massa" instead of "Mammy"? Or am I making that up?

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Missouri Waltz - Help anyone??
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 03:56 PM

Over in Illinois I always heard it sung as

Way down in Missouri
Where I learned my ABC
Way down in Missouri
Where I learned to count to three.

I don't remember the rest, and it could have been that folks simply fit words to the tune because they didn't know the correct ones -- folkizing the thing, so to speak.