Tune Req: Girl of the West

Subject: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: open mike
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 11:57 PM

Hello folks--I am writing on behalf of Frank Coffman,
a fellow who posted this request
on an old time music list..any answers out there?

(He calls it "untitled" but Girl of the West seems to repeat....)
Frank says:
"I'm ... a lover of music (esp. folk, bluegrass,
traditional ethnic (various), and Civil War era).


I'm also a scholar on the work of Robert E. Howard --
yeah, the CONAN guy -- and, believe it or not, a pretty good poet.
[ see http://www.robert-e-howard.org
and/or http://www.robert-e-howard.org/crossplainsman
and/or http://www.rehupa.com ]


I'm trying to track down a song/poem Howard records in one of his letters. I include it below. Supposedly, it was collected and memorized from a drifter or hobo who claimed to have learned it from one of his rail-riding chums who had once been a cowboy -- so hobo folk music or maybe cowboy folk?


Just as possible, is that REH was spoofing his friend and he composed it himself, possibly inspired by either the Puccini opera (La Fanciulla del West) or maybe the stage play by David Belasco. It seems to be of the "short ballad" variety, only rhymed on the more "literary" ABAB.


At any rate, here it is. If anyone sees an antecedent, an inspiration, or knows this lyric as is! --
please let me know. And, of course, a MELODY! would
be wonderful! It was in a letter from REH to Robert W. Gordon of ADVENTURE magazine who had been collecting "Old Songs That Men Have
Sung" for that magazine:


(untitled)


Now the stars are all gleaming
And the sun sinks to rest
And my camp fire is beaming
And the birds seek their nest.


When the stars are all gleaming
And the birds seek their nest
By my camp fire I'm dreaming
Of my girl of the West.


There's a far lonely cabin
On a dim Western hill
And the song birds are singing
All around the white rill.


When the stars are all gleaming
And the sun sinks to rest
Of me she is dreaming
My girl of the West.


I'll rise in the morning
And catch a fast train
And speed far away
O'er the wide dusty plain.


The wheels will be humming
And clicking their best
Oh, its then I'll be coming
To my girl of the West.


At last in the twilight
I'll come to her door
And the gleam of her firelight
Will great me once more.


When the stars are all gleaming
And the birds seek their nest
In my arms she'll be dreaming
My girl of the West.


Hello again, and thanks for considering my post.


Frank Coffman
Prof. of English and Journalism
Rock Valley College, Rockford, Illinois

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: open mike
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 01:46 AM

here is the "opera" the previolus poster referred to:
Girl of the West

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: open mike
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 03:06 AM

here is a mention of the film based on the opera:
Girl of the Golden West
there is a list of the songs in the movie, there were 4.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: open mike
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 03:10 AM

more: a Utah opera company does this production:
http://www.ufoc.org/rentalsandprops/goldenwest.html

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: masato sakurai
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 04:12 AM

La Fanciulla del West (vocal score) is HERE.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: Private Brown
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 02:01 PM

My thanks to all who have responded to this thread thus far -- and to my friend from the other list who posted my request here. Especially interesting is the vocal score (I had web searched for this in vain) and the fact that it includes both Italian and English.

I'm guessing that neither the alledged hobo singer (if Robt. E. Howard was acting simply as the "Walter Scott" or "F. J. Child" in this case) NOR Robert. E. Howard himself (if he indeed did compose the song) was much aware of the Puccini opera, except perhaps by title or translation.

But one never knows. If it has any cowboy or hobo actual folk antecedents or variants (Howard was a Texan [1906-1936]) that would be very interesting indeed. Do any of the individual lines (maybe "stock lines" or variants from other songs) ring any bells.

Thanks again,

Frank Coffman (Private Brown on this today-joined forum, after my g grandfather, Pvt John Landrum Brown, Co. D., 73rd IL INF)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: Private Brown
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 02:17 PM

The Nelson Eddy/Jeannette Macdonald film (or songs therefrom) came out too late to have been an influence on Robert E. Howard. It came out (1938) two years after his death (1936).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: masato sakurai
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 08:32 PM

I have looked through two books by and on Robert Winslow Gordon (Gordon, Folk-Songs of America, National Service Bureau, 1938; and Debora Kodish, Good Friends and Bad Enemies: Robert Winslow Gordon and the Study of American Folksong, U. of Illinois Pr., 1986), but it doesn't seem that the song is mentioned or quoted.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: open mike
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 02:54 PM

welcome private brown...
glad you found your way here from the yahoo
old time music list!
I saw reeference in one of the links i posted
to a movie which had an earlier date -
maybe even 1911?
i knew masats could dig up some info on this-
an incredible searcher & re-searcher.
laurel a.k.a. open mike

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Girl of the West
From: Private Brown
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 03:33 PM

Hi again, Laurel,

Yes, I think there were at least two earlier movies than the Eddy & Macdonald (1938). Both in the silent era though, I think. Although maybe, since they used to do piano accompaniment to silents, there may have been the occasional voice accompaniment? Also, the Belasco stage play (ca 1905) might have inspired (likely didn't include) some songs.

Thanks again -- this is indeed a wonderful resource and a very helpful and knowledgable web site and discussion group!

Best Regards,
Frank Coffman