ADD: Black Hills Waltz / Dreary Black Hills

Subject: Black Hills Waltz
From: GUEST,Ely (on mom's computer)
Date: 02 Apr 02 - 01:22 PM

I've been asked for this tune by a member of our music club and I know I've heard it but I don't actually know it. All I need is a very basic tune to convert to dulcimer tab. (If you know any background history, I'd like that, too, but it's not really necessary.)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Apr 02 - 02:10 PM

The lyrics of this old Mormon song are here" Black Hills

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Melody: https://tunearch.org/wiki/Black_Hills_Waltz_(The)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Apr 02 - 02:15 PM

I was looking for 48 bar waltzes and someone put a link on to 4000 Waltzes on that thread.
search for "48" within the last month.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Apr 02 - 02:26 PM

That would probably have been me, and it was only 2,900 something. They were from JC's and I didn't find Black Hills there. Or anywhere else for that matter. Just the lyrics Dicho linked.

Subject: ADD: Black Hills Waltz
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Apr 02 - 02:57 PM

A short bit of the tune is on the website I posted. The song is not in DT, so here it is:


BLACK HILLS WALTZ

Here, far in the realm of Missouri
I sit and sing and tell thee a story
Of how many trials I have crossed o'er
Before I found this dwelling in peace.

Here in my grove, where water is springing,
My ears are charmed to hear the birds singing
With songs so sweet, they keep the grove ringing,
While here at home I live and have peace.

Here in my fields all things are growing,
And on the prairie I have been mowing
That I may have feed to keep my stock growing
While here at home I live and have peace.

The ground is covered here with strawberries
And in the grove, the plums and the cherries,
And I will thank my God and be merry
For giving me this dwelling in peace.

May we love God forever and ever
For peace bestowed upon the believer
And turn from Him, O never, O never,
But always love the spirit of peace.

Levi Hancock, 1830s?, (early settler in Jackson Co., MO), music by Hal Cannon of the Deseret String Band, based on an old tune. Levi Hancock wrote "The Bullfight on the San Pedro;" he was a member of the famous Mormon Battalion of the "Mexican" War. @Mormon @religion @waltz


Notes from Cathy Barton and Dave Para: We learned this song from a visitors' introductory film at the Mormon visitors' center in Independence, Mo. We easily recognized Hal Cannon of the Deseret String Band as the singer. Levi Hancock, a prominent Mormon settler in Jackson County in the early 1830s, is credited with writing the poetry, which Hal set to an old tune.

http://www.bartonpara.com/discog/missouri/mormon.htm

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 03 Apr 02 - 10:34 PM

When I listen to the Missouri/Mormon tune on the above site I don't hear the tune I know as the Black Hills Waltz. I think they're two different beasts. The one I know is referenced by Ceolas Fiddler's Companion as coming from an Arizona fiddler. Unfortunately no ABC!

"BLACK HILLS WALTZ. American, Waltz. USA, Arizona. A Major. AEAE. AABB. Kartchner said, "it goes at least back to 1890." Source for notated version: Kenner C. Kartchner (Arizona) [Shumway]. Shumway (Frontier Fiddler), 1990; pg. 265. Rounder CD 0359, Skip Gorman - "Lonesome Prairie Love" (1996)."

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Apr 02 - 10:42 PM

This may be the one (sound clip by Rafe Stefanini on Glory on the Big String)>.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Apr 02 - 10:53 PM

There is a piano piece (suitable for conversion to fiddle? at this site at the American Memory website. It is by H. R. Marcyes and was published in 1877. Go to Waltz
Click on Search and type Black Hills Waltz in the blank. One item of sheet music is indicated. This may be the one. I wouldn't doubt but that there are others. It is also possible that some other tune is called "Black Hills Waltz locally.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: Les B
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 12:17 AM

Yep - the Rafe Stefanini piece is what the fiddlers around here (Montana) call the Black Hills Waltz. I believe it is also on one of the Deseret String Band albums (or an album by one of the members of that group) but there were no words associated with it, if I remember correctly.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: GUEST,gogo
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 05:22 PM

I would like to verify the authorship of the Black Hills Waltz. We think that its author was our great grandfather, Hiram R. Marcyes. We think that he wrote it round the time that the Federal Govornment ordered all of the white settlers out of the Black Hills, one of whom was my great grandfather.
gordon

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Black Hills Waltz
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 May 21 - 04:31 PM

Thread #6228   Message #36117
Posted By: Art Thieme
27-Aug-98 - 11:38 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Gold Miners' Songs (American)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE DREARY BLACK HILLS^^

Here's one from the gold rush of 1874 in the Black Hills of Dakota. There was a small amount of gold in the Black Hills; just enough to perpetrate a legitimate hoax. An officer of the Northern Pacific railroad started the rush to stimulate business. General George Custer was part of the plan and he spread the word. The folks that came forced the Sioux Indians off their treatied/native lands. This was a travesty as the Black Hills were sacred to the Indians. Eventually Custer was repaid by the Sioux for this offense at the Battle of Little Big Horn where Custer and his Seventh Cavalry was defeated and slain. The army took out it's frustration on the Indians at the battle of Wounded Knee by slaughtering everyone there--mostly women and children. I first learned this from Frank Hamilton, a former member of the WEAVERS, about 1961---a tape of him I made of a concert he did at the University of Illinois--Chicago (Navy Pier--2 year branch.)---We used to say that was the only university that could be torpedoed! ;-) Later, Jim Ringer did a great version of this song on his wonderful Folk Legacy LP---the one with "California Joe" (Folk Legacy will make custom cassettes from any of their wondrous LPs for anyone desiring to purchase one---a great service and resource.Check out their website ! I'm there too.

THE DREARY BLACK HILLS

Kind friends won't you listen to my horrible tale,
I'm an object of pity and I'm feelin' quite stale,
I gave up my job selling Wright's Patent Pills,
To go hunting for gold in the dreary Black Hills.

CHORUS)
Don't go away, stay to home if you can,
Stay away from that city--they call it Cheyenne,
Where Chief Crazy Horse and old Sittin' Bull,
They,ll lift up your scalps in the dreary Black Hills.

As I went out ridin' one morning in May,
I spied old Kit Carson---he was ridin' away,
He was riding out west with Buffalo Bill,
Gone to huntin' the gold in the dreary Black Hills.

The roundhouse at Cheyenne is filled every night,
With loafers and bummers of most every plight,
On their backs is no clothes, in their pockets no bills,
Each day they keep startin' for the dreary Black Hills.

When I got to Cheyenned no gold could I find,
I thought of the lunch route that I'd left behind,
Through rain, hail and snow---froze plumb to the gills,
They called me the orphan of the dreary Black Hills.

I wish that the man that started this sell,
Was captive and Crazy Horse had him in hell,
But there's no use moanin' or swearin' like pitch,
'Cause the man who'd stay here is a son of a bitch.

And so, my kind friends, this advice I'll unfold,
Don't go to them Black Hills a-diggin' for gold,
For the railroad speculators, their pockets you'll fill,
From takin' that trip to the dreary Black Hills.

Subject: DT Correction: Dreary Black Hills
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 May 21 - 03:04 AM

Here is the Traditional Ballad Index entry for Dreary Black Hills.

Dreary Black Hills, The

DESCRIPTION: The singer arrives in the Black Hills to find "loafers and bummers" filling the streets of Cheyenne -- but there is no gold to be found. He misses his home, and warns others against going there; all they are doing is making the railroad speculators rich
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: c.1885 (see the comment on the ADDITIONAL Wehman reference); 1909 (Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety)
KEYWORDS: gold hardtimes railroading
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1875 - Announcement that gold has been found in the Black Hills
FOUND IN: US(MA,MW,NE,Ro,So)
REFERENCES (16 citations):
Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety, pp. 249-350, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text plus mention of 1 more)
Peters-FolkSongsOutOfWisconsin, pp. 116-117, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text, 1 tune)
Flanders/Ballard/Brown/Barry-NewGreenMountainSongster, pp. 108-109, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text)
Sandburg-TheAmericanSongbag, pp. 264-265, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-FolkSongsOfNorthAmerica 176, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax/Lomax-AmericanBalladsAndFolkSongs, pp. 438-440, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fife/Fife-CowboyAndWesternSongs 24, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text, 1 tune)
Pound-AmericanBalladsAndSongs, 87, pp. 185-186, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text)
Welsch-NebraskaPioneerLore, pp. 9-10, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text)
Hubbard-BalladsAndSongsFromUtah, #161, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text plus a fragment, 1 tune)
Larkin-SingingCowboy, pp. 95-97, "Dreary Black Hills" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cohen-AmericanFolkSongsARegionalEncyclopedia2, pp. 480-481 "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text plus a broadside print)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 59, "The Dreary Black Hills" (1 text)
cf. Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan, p. 478, "The Dreary Black Hills" (source notes only)
DT, DREARBLK*
ADDITIONAL: Wehman's [Universal Songster] Collection of 96 Songs No. 6 (New York, n.d., digitized by Internet Archive), p. 26, "The Black Hills" [see notes re source]
Roud #3604
RECORDINGS:
Bill Bender (The Happy Cowboy), "Dreary Black Hills" (Varsity 5150, n.d.; rec. 1939)
Harry Stephens, "The Dreary Black Hills" (AFS, 1940s; on LC28)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Captain Old Blue" (tune)
SAME TUNE:
Captain Old Blue (File: PrivCOBl)
NOTES [87 words]: Regarding Wehman's Collection Norm Cohen writes, "Songbook #6 was undated, but most likely 1884-5." Each page except the first is headed Wehman's Universal Songster. The first page is undated but states, "Published Quarterly -- January, April, July and October. Norm Cohen's Finding List ... has WE29, Universal Songster as "monthly serial ... [beginning] 1881 (Norm Cohen, A Finding List of American Secular Songsters Published Between 1860 and 1899 (Middle Tennessee State University,Murfreesboro,2002), p. 150). - BS
Last updated in version 3.8
File: San264

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The Ballad Index Copyright 2021 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

DREARY BLACK HILLS (Digital Tradition lyrics) Kind friends, you must pity my horrible tale, An object of pity, l'm looking quite stale, I gave up my trade selling Wright's Patent Pills To go hunting gold in the dreary Black Hills. Don't go away, stay at home if you can, Stay away from that city, they call it Cheyenne, For big Wallipee or Comanche Bill They will lift up your hair on the dreary Black Hills The roundhouse at Cheyenne is filled every night With loafers and bummers of most every plight; On their backs is no clothes, in their pockets no bills, Each day they keep starting for the dreary Black Hills. I got to Cheyenne, no gold could I find, I thought of the lunch route l'd left far behind; Through rain, hail, and snow, froze plumb to the gills, They call me the orphan of the dreary Black Hills. Oh, I wish the man who started this sell Was a captive, and Crazy Horse had him in hell. There's no use in groaning or swearing like pitch, But the man who would stay here is a son of a bitch. Kind friend to conclude my advice I'll unfold Don't go to the Black Hills a hunter for gold Railroad speculators their pockets you'll fill By taking a trip to the dreary Black Hills Don't go away, stay at home if you can, Stay away from that city, they call it Cheyenne, For old Sitting Bull or Comanche Bill They will take off your scalp on the dreary Black Hills.

DREARY BLACK HILLS (corrections in bold from Lomax 1916) Kind friends, you must pity my horrible tale, I am an object of pity, I am looking quite stale, I gave up my trade selling Right's Patent Pills To go hunting gold in the dreary Black Hills.     Don't go away, stay at home if you can,     Stay away from that city, they call it Cheyenne,     For big Walipe or Comanche Bills     They will lift up your hair on the dreary Black Hills The round-house at Cheyenne is filled every night With loafers and bummers of most every plight; On their backs is no clothes, in their pockets no bills, Each day they keep starting for the dreary Black Hills. I got to Cheyenne, no gold could I find, I thought of the lunch route I'd left far behind; Through rain, hail, and snow, frozen plumb to the gills,— They call me the orphan of the dreary Black Hills. Oh, I wish the man who started this sell Was a captive, and Crazy Horse had him in hell. There's no use in groaning or swearing like pitch, But the man who would stay here is a son of a bitch. Kind friend to conclude, my advice I'll unfold Don't go to the Black Hills a-hunting for gold Railroad speculators their pockets you'll fill By taking a trip to the dreary Black Hills     Don't go away, stay at home if you can,     Stay away from that city, they call it Cheyenne,     For old Sitting Bull or Comanche Bills     They will take off your scalp on the dreary Black Hills.

From Lomax, Cowboy Songs
@mining @gold @home
filename[ DREARBLK
TUNE FILE: DREARBLK
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

Popup Midi Player

Subject: ADD Version: Dreary Black Hills (Alan Lomax)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 May 21 - 03:53 AM

Here's #176 in The Folk Songs of North America, by Alan Lomax (1960). Alan Lomax says he got the song from John Lomax's Cowboy Songs, (1910, 1938). The lyrics are a bit closer to what's in the Digital Tradition.

DREARY BLACK HILLS (Lomax 1960)

Kind friends, you must pity my horrible tale,
I'm an object of pity, I'm looking quite stale,
I gave up my trade selling Right's Patent Pills
To go hunting gold in the dreary Black Hills.

CHORUS
Don't go away, stay at home if you can,
Stay away from that city, they call it Cheyenne,
For big Wallipee* or Comanche Bills
They will lift up your hair on the Dreary Black Hills

The roundhouse at Cheyenne is filled every night
With loafers and bummers of most every plight,
On their backs is no clothes, in their pockets no bills,
Each day they keep starting for the dreary Black Hills.

One morning so early, one morning in May,
I met Kit Carson a-goin' away,
He was goin' away with Buffalo Bill,
He was goin' a-minin' in the Dreary Black Hills.

I got to Cheyenne, no gold could I find,
I thought of the lunch route I'd left far behind,
Through rain, hail, and snow, frozen plumb to the gills,
They call me the orphan of the Dreary Black Hills.

Oh, I wish the man who started this sell
Was a captive, and Crazy Horse had him in hell.
There's no use in grieving or swearing like pitch,
But the man who would stay here is a son-of-a-gun.

Kind friend to conclude my advice I'll unfold
Don't go to the Black Hills a hunter for gold
Railroad speculators their pockets you'll fill
By taking a trip to the dreary Black Hills

Don't go away, stay at home if you can,
Stay away from that city, they call it Cheyenne,
For old Sitting Bull or Comanche Bill
They will take off your scalp on the dreary Black Hills.


* Or "Old Sitting Bull"