Lyr Req: Little Nonie (Gordon Waller)

Subject: poor little nonie
From: GUEST,teddi
Date: 05 May 01 - 02:02 PM

Does anyone remember and old mountian song called something like "poor little nonie"? It's about a little girl who was killed by her mother.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: poor little nonie
From: okthen
Date: 07 May 01 - 11:40 AM

Don't know the song, but knew someone called Nonie, often wondered what it was short for, any ideas anyone?

cheers

bill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: poor little nonie
From: chip a
Date: 07 May 01 - 12:28 PM

You don't mean the ballad of Omi Wise do you? Part of it is "poor little Omi Wise" When Clarence Ashley sang it it sounded like "poor little old me, why!"

Chip

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: poor little nonie
From: chip a
Date: 07 May 01 - 12:29 PM

Omi Wise is in the data base

Chip

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: poor little nonie
From: Snuffy
Date: 07 May 01 - 01:47 PM

Its in once as NAOMI Wise, and two versions as OMIE Wise

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: poor little nonie
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 May 01 - 02:24 PM

Poor Omie/ Little Omie Wise (or Omie Bell, Poor Naomi and so on) is usually killed by her boyfriend John Lewis rather than by her mother.  That song seems to be modelled on the Oxford Girl/ Witham Miller series of songs.  The only Little Nonie that I can find any reference to was a song written by Gordon Waller and Sharon Sheeley in the late 1960s, and released in 1967 (Capitol 5886, in the US) as the b side of a single, Speak For Me.  That's the Gordon of "Peter and Gordon", incidentally, who described themselves as "folksingers", which meant "singer-songwriters", really, though I believe they did once record a set of Barbara Allan.  Mind you, so did everybody else.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: poor little nonie
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 May 01 - 04:26 AM

Malcolm, that was marvelous. Now, if somebody could come up with the Gordon Waller/Sharon Sheeley lyrics???? This has made me curious.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: LITTLE NONIE (Gordon Waller)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Dec 11 - 10:03 AM

This song can be found on Spotify, although Allmusic.com lists neither the song nor the album. I continue to be amazed at the depth of Spotify's catalog. This is my transcription. The song is "over-produced" in my opinion (too many studio musicians).


LITTLE NONIE
As sung by Gordon Waller on "Travelling Man" (2011)

1. As a child it always made me cry inside,
Knowing things I couldn't say and had to hide.
Little lady, face(?) of tears,
Here's [or "hears"?] the end of every year.
Now the time is drawing near.
What will we do when her time is here?

CHORUS: She sees the water running faster down the street.
She walks along on worn and weary feet.
She tried to climb the step but she is oh so weak.
Help her. Help her.

2. Now it's cold; my little lady's growing old.
Memories are all that she has left to hold:
Sorrow she won't let you see.
Ever' day brings two or three.
She's had many more than we.
Still she doesn't look for sympathy. CHORUS

Help her now, someone who isn't running.
Help her now because you know her time will soon be coming.

As a child, it always made me cry.