Origin: Over the River and through the Woods

Subject: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: Genie
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 03:55 PM

I can't find this song in DT and can only find 2 verses in the forum. There is a verse about the dinner (pie, etc.) that helps pin it down as a Thanksgiving song, as does the 3rd verse.

Anyone know all three verses?

Genie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 03:59 PM

Hi, Genie - if you look for grandmother's house we go in the Digitrad and Forum Search, you'll find this (click) in the Digital Tradition.
Titles can be deceiving - it's best to search for a distinctive phrase from the song (although over the river and through the woods works on this one if you spell "through" right).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: nutty
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 04:02 PM

There are lots of verses on this site

OVER THE RIVER

---

Lyrics below copy-pasted from an archive of the Website Nutty linked to. -Joe Offer-

Over the river and through the wood To Grandfather's house we go.      The horse knows the way      To carry the sleigh Through white and drifted snow. Over the river and through the wood -- Oh, how the wind does blow!      It stings the toes      And bites the nose, As over the ground we go. Over the river and through the wood To have a first-rate play.      Hear the bells ring,      Ting-a-ling-ling! Hurrah forThanksgiving Day!

Over the river and through the wood, Trot fast, my dapple gray!      Spring over the ground      Like a hunting hound, For this is Thanksgiving Day. Over the river and through the wood, And straight through the barnyard gate.      We seem to go      Extremely slow -- It is so hard to wait! Over the river and through the wood -- Now Grandmother's cap I spy!      Hurrah for fun!      Is the pudding done? Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Subject: ADD: New England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 04:13 PM

LYDIA MARIA CHILD (1802-1880)

THE NEW-ENGLAND BOY'S SONG ABOUT THANKSGIVING DAY

---

• Original Text: L. Maria Child, Flowers for Children, II (New York: C. S. Francis, 1845): 25-28. Facsimile in Yankee Doodle's Literary Sampler of Prose, Poetry, & Pictures Being an Anthology of Diverse Works Published for the Edification and/or Entertainment of Young Readers in America Before 1900, Selected from the Rare Book Collections of the Library of Congress and Introduced by Virginia Haviland and Margaret N. Coughlan (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1974): 164-67. Z 1232 H38 1974 Robarts Library.
• First Publication Date: 1845.
• Representative Poetry On-line: Editor, I. Lancashire; Publisher, Web Development Group, Inf. Tech. Services, Univ. of Toronto Lib.
• Edition: RPO 2000. © I. Lancashire, Dept. of English (Univ. of Toronto), and Univ. of Toronto Press 2000.

In-text Notes are keyed to line numbers.

---

1     Over the river, and through the wood,
2         To grandfather's house we go;
3             The horse knows the way,
4             To carry the sleigh,
5         Through the white and drifted snow.

6     Over the river, and through the wood,
7         To grandfather's house away!
8             We would not stop
9             For doll or top,
10       For 't is Thanksgiving day.

11   Over the river, and through the wood,
12       Oh, how the wind does blow!
13           It stings the toes,
14           And bites the nose,
15       As over the ground we go.

16   Over the river, and through the wood,
17       With a clear blue winter sky,
18           The dogs do bark,
19           And children hark,
20       As we go jingling by.

21   Over the river, and through the wood,
22       To have a first-rate play --
23           Hear the bells ring
24           Ting a ling ding,
25       Hurra for Thanksgiving day!

26   Over the river, and through the wood --
27       No matter for winds that blow;
28           Or if we get
29           The sleigh upset,
30       Into a bank of snow.

31   Over the river, and through the wood,
32       To see little John and Ann;
33           We will kiss them all,
34           And play snow-ball,
35       And stay as long as we can.

36   Over the river, and through the wood,
37       Trot fast, my dapple grey!
38           Spring over the ground,
39           Like a hunting hound,
40       For 't is Thanksgiving day!

41   Over the river, and through the wood,
42       And straight through the barn-yard gate;
43           We seem to go
44           Extremely slow,
45       It is so hard to wait.

46   Over the river, and through the wood,
47       Old Jowler hears our bells;
48           He shakes his pow,
49           With a loud bow wow,
50       And thus the news he tells.

51   Over the river, and through the wood --
52       When grandmother sees us come,
53           She will say, Oh dear,
54           The children are here,
55       Bring a pie for every one.

56   Over the river, and through the wood --
57       Now grandmother's cap I spy!
58           Hurra for the fun!
59           Is the pudding done?
60       Hurra for the pumpkin pie!

Source: http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/poems/childlm1.html (archive)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: SharonA
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 04:18 PM

The DT version has a footnote that says the song won't work at all for Independence Day (substituted in the lyrics for Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day), but I think that all depends on where you live!

Of course, it won't work without a horse and a sleigh, either, and who has them anymore? Sheesh!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 04:24 PM

I think there were "RG" initials on the Independence Day comment, Sharon. Comes from a guy named Greenhaus. [grin]
Need I say more?
Happy Thanksgiving!
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 11:24 PM

I believe that Lydia Marie Child originally wrote it as a poem. I don't know when it was set to music or by whom. The verses in the DT are the ones that are usually sung. I've been singing it for the past 2 weeks at school and I'm done with it for this year- whoopee!!

Subject: Lyr Add: OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS
From: Ferrara
Date: 22 Nov 01 - 12:20 AM

Here is my mother's version which she learned in Georgia in the 20's I think....

Over the river and through the woods
To Grandmother's house we go
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh
Through the white and drifting snow....

Over the river and through the woods
Speed fast, my dapple grey,
Spring over the ground
Like a hunting hound
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

[First half of second verse is lost. Don't know if Mom lost it, or I did. Drat that Age-Assisted ADD!]

... Over the river and through the woods,
Now Grandmother's house I spy
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

I learned a lot of songs this way, folk-processed by the folks in Georgia. For example, Mom said that "Buffalo Gals" was sung as "Alabama Gals" when she was growing up.

Well, you know, they say the folk processor does to songs, what a food processor does to food....

Thanks for all these verses. I suspect we still don't quite have the song, as published (as compared and contrasted to/with the poem). No sheet music on Levy's I guess?

Rita

HTML line breaks added --JoeClone, 27-Nov-01.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: Genie
Date: 22 Nov 01 - 12:27 AM

Joe,
I searched in the DT and forum by typing in "Over The River" and I found nothing that way.  Then I looked in the other
Thanksgiving threads and found two verses.

Nutty and Joe, thanks for all the verses and the background.  This thread has produced more than I had hoped for, and it's
great to get all this info!
 

Genie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 08:14 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 11:25 PM

The construction of the poem, with each of the twelve verses starting with the line "Over the river, and through the wood," and the rhyme scheme comprising two verses, abccb, adeed, makes for easy memorization.
The correct title is "The New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day," which is not easy to remember!
In addition to the Toronto site, the poem also is on line in www.poets -corner.org. or go to the poem at New-England Boy's

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: Haruo
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 11:31 PM

It's properly six ten-line verses, not twelve five-liners. Unless one of you has a different and antecedent tune to the one I'm accustomed to. The DT is correct as to versification, though deficient as to verses.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 11:37 PM

Yeah, Haruo, it makes me think it was first a recited poem, and the music added later - as indicated by comments above. I suppose you could look on it as couplets of verses, with the tune of the second verse resolving the first.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Tune Add: OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS
From: Haruo
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 11:50 PM

I already added this in another thread, but here it is again; anybody know who composed it or when or where autc.:

MIDI file: overrivr.mid

Timebase: 192

Name: OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS
Text: Generated by NoteWorthy Composer
Tempo: 090 (666666 microsec/crotchet)
TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Start
0000 1 66 110 0070 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0070 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0070 0 66 000 0002 1 63 110 0070 0 63 000 0002 1 64 110 0046 0 64 000 0002 1 66 110 0142 0 66 000 0002 1 68 110 0046 0 68 000 0002 1 66 110 0142 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 71 110 0070 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0070 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0046 0 71 000 0002 1 70 110 0142 0 70 000 0002 1 68 110 0046 0 68 000 0002 1 66 110 0334 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 64 110 0070 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0070 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0046 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0142 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0046 0 64 000 0002 1 63 110 0070 0 63 000 0002 1 63 110 0070 0 63 000 0002 1 63 110 0046 0 63 000 0002 1 63 110 0142 0 63 000 0002 1 63 110 0046 0 63 000 0002 1 61 110 0142 0 61 000 0002 1 61 110 0046 0 61 000 0002 1 61 110 0142 0 61 000 0002 1 63 110 0046 0 63 000 0002 1 61 110 0160 0 61 000 0032 1 66 110 0160 0 66 000 0032 1 66 110 0070 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0070 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0070 0 66 000 0002 1 63 110 0070 0 63 000 0002 1 64 110 0046 0 64 000 0002 1 66 110 0142 0 66 000 0002 1 68 110 0046 0 68 000 0002 1 66 110 0142 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 71 110 0142 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0046 0 71 000 0002 1 70 110 0142 0 70 000 0002 1 68 110 0046 0 68 000 0002 1 66 110 0334 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 71 110 0142 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0046 0 71 000 0002 1 70 110 0142 0 70 000 0002 1 68 110 0046 0 68 000 0002 1 66 110 0142 0 66 000 0002 1 63 110 0046 0 63 000 0002 1 59 110 0142 0 59 000 0002 1 61 110 0046 0 61 000 0002 1 63 110 0070 0 63 000 0002 1 66 110 0070 0 66 000 0002 1 64 110 0046 0 64 000 0002 1 63 110 0142 0 63 000 0002 1 61 110 0046 0 61 000 0002 1 59 110 0336 0 59 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the latest version of MIDItext and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Over the River and Through the Woods
M:4/4
Q:1/4=90
K:C
^F3/4^F3/4^F/2^F3/4^D3/4E/2^F3/2^G/2^F3/2^F/2|
B3/4B3/4B/2^A3/2^G/2^F7/2^F/2|E3/4E3/4E/2E3/2E/2^D3/4^D3/4^D/2^D3/2^D/2|
^C3/2^C/2^C3/2^D/2^C2^F2|^F3/4^F3/4^F/2^F3/4^D3/4E/2^F3/2^G/2^F3/2^F/2|
B3/2B/2^A3/2^G/2^F7/2^F/2|B3/2B/2^A3/2^G/2^F3/2^D/2B,3/2^C/2|
^D3/4^F3/4E/2^D3/2^C/2B,7/2||

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 12:29 AM

Also wondering if any one knows when music was added and by whom? My wife vaguely recalls that the version converted to Christmas was sung in an early movie (doesn't think it was Bing Crosby). She doesn't remember the Thanksgiving original ever being sung. Harao mentioned 1938, he thinks from Dick Greenhaus (in the other thread). If the tune (or tunes) are 20th century, we should be able to find the source.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: Haruo
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 01:59 AM

Here's a link to Dick's remark I had recalled seeing.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Over River Thru Woods - All 3 Verses
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 11:31 AM

Does anyone remember a parody from either late '50s or '60s:

"Over the highway via the cloverleaf
To Grandma's house we go.
Daddy-o knows the way
To drive the freeway
On a route that's free of a toll."

Probably heard on TV while wasting my youth on TV and Mad Magazine. Then again, it could be from Mad.

Anyone else remember?

Linn

Subject: Lyr Add: UP THE STREAM! THROUGH THE WOOD! (Mackay)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 08:30 PM

Lyr. Add: UP THE STREAM! THROUGH THE WOOD!
Charles Mackay

Up the stream! Through the wood! Winter is past,
Hush'd is the cold angry voice of the blast;
Soft blow the breezes, and bright shines the day;
The fountains are gushing, the roses are blushing,
And rivers are rushing; away, lads, away!
Unruffled and blue, with the light on her breast,
Lake Erie lies calm, like an ocean at rest.
So gather, make ready, with rifle and bow,
And up the stream! through the woods! row, my lads, row!

Up the stream, through the wood, thousands of miles!
Breasting the rapids, and rounding the isles;
Ours is the wilderness, come when we may,
Teeming with treasure, and all for our pleasure,-
Our pleasure and profit; away, lads, away!
The nuggets we find are the squirrel and coon,
The beaver and white wolf that howls to the moon;
So gather, make ready, with rifle and bow,
And up the stream! through the woods! row, my lads. row!

Up the stream, through the wood, hardy and bold,-
'Twould curb our free souls to go digging for gold;
There's wealth in the forest- black, white, brown, and gray;
Our sport is to find it, and danger- who'd mind it?
'Tis danger gives pleasure- away lads, away!
The full-bosom'd rivers flow merrily on;
The summer is short, 'tis our time to be gone;
Ao gather, make ready, with rifle and bow,
And up the stream! through the woods! now, my lads, row!~

Song XI, "Songs for Music," in The Poetical Works of Charles Mackay," 1876, Warne and Co., London. Scribner, Welford and Armstrong, NY. P. 552.

Perhaps the inspiration for "The New England Boys Song," or "Over the River...."

Subject: RE: Origin: Over the River and through the Woods
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Nov 17 - 02:47 AM

The little girl next door stopped by this afternoon and asked if I had lyrics for "Over the River and Through the Woods." I printed her a copy of the four-verse version from the Digital Tradition; and she skipped off singing, pleased to have one or two verses she hadn't known.

What would her family think of me if I had given her the 12-verse version I posted above in 2001? I couldn't give it to her because I botched it up when I was trying to make it more printable. But Max made some major fixes to Mudcat today and I was able to fix the 12-verse version into even better shape that it had been when I first posted it.

So, I'm very thankful for Max, and for Mudcat, and for the little, 8-year-old girl next door who sings.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Origin: Over the River and through the Woods
From: GUEST,Marcia Palmater
Date: 22 Nov 17 - 08:10 PM

No one has mentioned where this was! The river was the Mystic and the "woods" were in Medford, Massachusetts.