Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: Stewart
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 05:23 PM

Wow 1851, thanks Jim

Looks like considerable "folk processing" over the years
I think I like the Helen Schneyer/Norma Waterson version better
I'll add this info to my song book here

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: Lyr Add: FADED FLOWERS (J H Brown/James Power)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 04:13 PM

From the sheet music in the Levy collection:

"Melodies of the Harmoneons"
Faded Flowers.
Words by J. H. Brown; music by James Power.
Boston: G.P. Reed & Co., 1851.

Oh, the flow'rs that I saw in the wildwood,
    Have since drooped their beautiful leaves
And the many dear friends of my childhood
    Have slumber'd for years in their graves!
Oh, the bloom of the flow'rs I remember,
    And the smiles I shall never more shall see;
For the cold chilly mists of December
    Stole my flow'rs and companions from me.

Other roses may bloom on the morrow,
    And many a friend have I won;
Yet my heart it can part but with sorrow,
    When I think of the ones that have gone.
'Tis no wonder that I broken hearted,
    And stricken with sorrow should be!
We have met, we have lov'd, we have parted,
    My flow'rs, my companions, and me!

Oh! how dark looks this world, and how dreary,
    When we part from the ones that we love;
But there's rest for the faint and the weary,
    And friends meet with lost ones above!
And in Heaven I can but remember,
    When from Earth my proud soul shall be free,
Then no cold chilly winds of December,
    Can part my companions from me!

Subject: Lyr Add: FADED FLOWERS
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 03:32 PM

From The Jack Morgan Songster "compiled by a Capt. in Gen. Lee's Army" (Raleigh, N.C.: Branson & Farrar, 1864), page 50:

Faded Flowers.

The flowers that I saw in the wildwood
    Have since drooped their beautiful leaves,
And the many dear friends of my childhood
    Have slumbered for years in their graves.
Oh! the bloom of the flowers I remember,
    But the faces I never more shall see,
For the cold chilly winds of December
    Stole my flowers, my companions from me.

The roses may bloom on the morrow,
    And many a friend have I won;
Yet my heart will bow down with its sorrow,
    When I think how the loved ones are gone.
'Tis no wonder that I'm broken hearted,
    And stricken with sorrow should be,
We have met, we have loved, we have parted,
    My flowers, my companions and me.

How dark looks this world, and how dreary,
    When we think of the ones that we love,
Yet there's rest for the faint and the weary,
    When friends meet with lost ones above.
Yet in heaven I can but remember
    When from earth my proud soul shall be free:
Then no cold chilly winds of December
    Can part my companions and me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 03:00 PM

Pedant alert!

From an article, "Department of Rhetoric" by Homer B. Sprague, in The Student's Journal, Vol 34 No 2 (New York: Andrew J. Graham & Co., Feb 1905), page 113:

More [errors].
"We have met, we have loved, we have parted—
My flowers, my companions, and me."
—From the song Fairest Flowers, by J. H. Brown and James Power.

Cured.
We have met, we have loved, we have parted,
My flowers, my companions, and I.
—(The sense is, My flowers, my companions, and I have met, loved, etc. Therefore say I, not 'me.'—Ed.)

[Interesting because it establishes a date and a possible source.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: Brian Peters
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 12:21 PM

Hope you're well, Stewart. Maybe I'll happen by again sometime.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: Stewart
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 12:16 PM

Hi Brian, it is me, still doing the Pacific NW Folklore Society events and other music in Seattle.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: Brian Peters
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 12:06 PM

It's a lovely song. I learned it from a CD of Alice Gerrard, and it went down very well at my local old-timey session.

If that's my friend Stewart in Seattle, then, Hi! Though of course there may be more than one of that name, in that city.

Brian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: Stewart
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 12:57 PM

Here's the sheet music with chords

There are other versions of this song

Faded Flowers is a slightly different version sung by the Carter Family

And Pharis and Jason Romero sing an even different version on their CD "A Passing Glimpse"

It's a beautiful song and I'd like to learn more about its origins.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: GUEST,bruce bartlett
Date: 07 Jan 08 - 05:47 PM

I am looking for the chords or sheet music for My flower my companion and me. I cannot find it anywhere. Do you know them or where to find them?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 12:41 AM

Helen Bonchek Schneyer, who taught the song to Norma Waterson, actually sings the chorus as:

And it's no wonder I'm brokenhearted,
And stricken with sorrow must be.
We have met, we have loved, we have parted,
My flower, my companion and me.

She tells us that the real name of the song is "Lost Love." Helen learned it from Craig Johnson (of the Double Decker String Band), who learned it from an old recording of Asa Martin, who lived neare Covington in northern Kentucky.

Helen has recorded it on her CD, Somber, Sacred and Silly, which is available from Folk-Legacy, of course. The Folk-Legacy web site is at www.folklegacy.com. (Too late tonight to try to make a blue clickie thing!)

Sandy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: RangerSteve
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 07:32 AM

Thanks, Pene Azul, that's the song I wanted.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 02:36 AM

Sorry? I've always heard "sorrow" there when Caroline sings it. Are we wrong?

Sandy

Subject: Lyr Add: MY FLOWER MY COMPANION AND ME
From: Pene Azul
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 02:10 AM

Is this it? I found it on this page.


My Flower My Companion and Me

Sung by Norma Waterson on Bright Shiny Morning.


Oh the flowers that I loved in the wildwood
They have sent off their beautiful blooms
And the many dear friends of my childhood
Have slumbered for years in their tombs
It's no wonder I'm broken-hearted
Stricken with sorry to be
We have met we have loved we have parted
Oh my flower my companion and me

Oh the rose that I loved I remember
And the smile that I never more shall see
Since the cold bitter winds of December
Stole my flower my companion from me

It's no wonder I'm broken-hearted
Stricken with sorry to be
We have met we have loved we have parted
Oh my flower my companion and me

Ah but think of that bright shiny morning
When our spirits from earth shall be free
And we meet those we've loved in that dawning
Oh my flower my companion and me

It's no wonder I'm broken-hearted
Stricken with sorry to be
We have met we have loved we have parted
Oh my flower my companion and me

It's no wonder I'm broken-hearted
Stricken with sorry to be
We have met we have loved we have parted
Oh my flower my companion and me

We have met we have loved we have parted
Oh my flower my companion and me


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norma Waterson's note from the CD insert:
From the wonderful Helen Schneyer. Helen has a fund of the most wonderful songs and this she sang to us in her house in the woods in Vermont with humming birds on the porch. One of those memories which cling.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transcription by Garry Gillard

Subject: My Flower, My Companion and Me
From: RangerSteve
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 06:05 PM

This should be easy. I need the last verse for "My Flower, My Companion and Me. The verse about meeting everyone in heaven. I know you guys will come through for me.