'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Chet W.
Date: 07 Jul 98 - 10:14 PM

Barbara, Don't give up. Having trouble finding the record. Will post to this thread.

Chet W.

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Bert
Date: 07 Jul 98 - 08:45 AM

Another snippet I got from Dad...

You may talk about that Old Fashioned Mother of yours
in the chorus that you bawl
If it wasn't for your Old Fashioned Father
She wouldn't have been a Mother at all.

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Jul 98 - 11:02 PM

To everyone- If you know a song, DON'T just post the title, dammit! If we don't have it, we want it!Lyrics, please!

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From:
Date: 06 Jul 98 - 10:36 PM

My tear-jerker favorite is Ernest Tubb's "SOLDIER'S LAST LETTER". I have been singing it for over 15 years, and it still chokes me up every time I do!

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From:
Date: 06 Jul 98 - 08:46 PM

There is also "MY YIDDISHE MOMME" which was discussed a little bit in this thread.

Murray

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Brack&
Date: 06 Jul 98 - 07:23 PM

Here's some.....

A MOTHER'S LOVE'S A BLESSING,
GOODBYE JOHNNY DEAR,
MEDALS FOR MOTHERS,
PAL OF MY CRADLE DAYS,
and The Cottage on the Hill.

Mick

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Moira Cameron
Date: 06 Jul 98 - 07:05 PM

I'm surprised no one's mentioned "LEAVING NANCY" by Eric Bogle. He wrote it about his mother when he left Scotland for Australia. It's a real tear jerker.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SWEETEST GIFT, A MOTHER'S SMILE^^
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 10:22 PM

The Sweetest Gift, A Mother's Smile
James B. Coats

  	      E  
One day a mother came to the prison  
	     B7			E  
To see an erring but precious son  
She told the warden how much she loved him  
	    B7			E  
It did not matter what he had done.  
  
 (Chorus)  
		E  
She did not bring (to) him  
Parole or pardon (free)  
		   B7  
She brought no silver (or gold)  
		E  
No pomp or style (to see)  
It was a halo (bright)  
		     A  
Sent down from heaven('s light)  
		E       B7	    E  
The sweetest gift, a mother's smile.

Her boy had drifted far from the fireside
Tho' she had pleaded with him each night
Yet not a word did she ever utter
And tho' her heart ached, her smile was bright.

She left a smile son, you can remember
She's gone to heaven, from heartache free
The bars around you could never change her
You were her baby, and e'er will be.

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Chet W.
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 10:19 PM

will do, barbara. give me a couple of days to find it.

chet w.

Subject: Request: By and By, I'm Going to See the King
From: Barbara
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 08:32 PM

Chet, could I talk you into posting 'By and By, I'm going to see the King'? Heard that sung not too long ago and it was wonderful, fine tune and upbeat, as I recall.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From:
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 08:32 PM

Then there is Jimmie Rodgers' "WHISPER YOUR MOTHER'S NAME" recorded c.1929.

Murray

Subject: Lyr Add: THE ANGELS REJOICED^^
From: Chet W.
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 08:20 PM

One of my favorite sub-genres, which we irreverently call "dead mother songs". One of my favorites that I currently perform is "The Angels Rejoiced" which I learned from a friend - sounds like a Louvin Brothers song - not sure.

THE ANGELS REJOICED

A house, not a home, was the picture Satan painted
For sweet little sister and me
Our daddy would frown while mother was praying
His heart was so hardened that he would not believe
In anger he'd swear, his voice cold and loud
His Sundays were spent out with the gambling crowd
I never saw my daddy inside a house of God
While Satan held his hand down the path of sin he trod

Not long ago our circle was broken
When God called on mother one night
In a voice sweet and low her last words were spoken
Asking our daddy to raise her children right
The angels rejoiced in heaven last night
I heard my daddy praying, Dear God make it right
He was smiling and singing with tears in his eyes
While mother with the angels rejoiced last night

If you can top that, I'd really like to hear it. It seems the dead mother songs with some religious context are the best. Also would like to know origin of this song if anyone knows. Send more songs.

Another great one is "By and By, I'm going to see the King" by preacher/dulceola player Washington Philips. I think the real title might be "A MOTHER'S LAST WORDS TO HER DAUGHTER".

Not morbidly,
Chet W.

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Alice
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 06:06 PM

You can search the data base with the word @tearjerker, and get a list that includes "Mother" tearjerkers, such as THE BAGGAGE COACH AHEAD.

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 04:43 PM

Dear Greg,

I think no such list would be complete without the classic "MOTHER, THE QUEEN OF MY HEART" which resides right here in the DT database, complete with chords, no less!

I saw Arlo do an especially poignant version in concert some 20-odd years ago. I think he recorded a version on one of the "Pete Seeger/Arlo Guthrie" live compilations, too.

Subject: RE: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 04:33 PM

'LIGHTNING EXPRESS' is a great tearjerker about a penniless boy trying to get home to attend to his dying mother.

'THEY'RE ALL GOIN' HOME BUT ONE' is also great, as is 'WHEN IT'S LAMP LIGHTIN' TIME IN THE VALLEY.'

Subject: 'Mother Songs' of the tear-jerker variety
From: Greg F.
Date: 01 Jul 98 - 04:06 PM

The BREAK THE NEWS TO MOTHER 08-June-98 posting jogged what's left of my memory regarding a whole mid-to-late 19th C. genre of these: MOTHER WAS A LADY, etc. Any additional contributions?