Lyr Req: Two Brothers / Two Little Boys

Subject: help with civil war song
From:
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 09:51 PM

Hello, I have been trying to find the lyrics to a sone that I remember from the late 60's (or early 70's). The song, I seem to remember, was a Civil War type song, about two brothers, one on each side. The subject it thing was about them comming upon each other along a trail or in combat.

It was sung by a female singer, I think by the name of Brett or something simalar.

Does this ring a bell?

Thanks, Rick Wood [e-mail]

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 09:56 PM

"He was just a[blue eyed boston boy] might be the song you are looking for...harpgirl

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Benson
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 10:19 PM

There was a song called "Two Brothers".....or "One wore blue and one wore Grey..".....could that be the one??????

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 10:55 PM

Rick,
The song I meant to suggest is called "Two Soldiers". We had a thread on it a while back. Put two soldiers in the body of a forum search and see if that is it...harpgirl

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 10:57 PM

Two brothers on their way,

Two brothers on their way,

Two brothers on their way,

One wore blue and one wore grey,

Look on an album called Gibson and Camp under the title The First Battalions' Home. I think it was reissued by Electra a while back.

DonMeixner

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 11:08 PM

Oops, I meant to post here Two Soldiers (Hazel and Alice) as the old thread you might want to check out. It came up above this...I give up...it's not my day...harp

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 08:38 AM

Rick,

One version is in the DT, just CLICK HERE. I searched under [one wore blue and one wore]. I didn't add "gray" because of the spelling question (is it grey?).

This version was song by multitudes of folk oriented artists in the late 60's and early '70's. Of course, nothing folk (traditional) about it, a composed ditty.

The song that Harpgirl mentions was the subject of a recent thread and lyrics are there. Just CLICK HERE to find that.

Enjoy the song, whichever it is.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Rick Wood
Date: 28 Dec 98 - 06:02 PM

Well, With the help of the board and a net search I have found this song that I have been looking for for years!

Thanks to all.

I _believe_ (my memory you know) the song was Two Little Boys and can be seen at the following web page: http://ingeb.org/songs/twolittl.html

I guess the thing that would clinch it would be if I can find the artist that I am thinking of ?Brett? Something. Oh well, I think that is it.

Thanks again, Rick Wood

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Dec 98 - 06:40 PM

Hi, Rick - you may want to look at one of the online record places to see if you can find a recording, and a RealAudio sample to listen to. I went to www.tunes.com and found a recording on the "Tribute to the Blues Brothers" album, among others (yes, it IS the same song).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 24 Jul 00 - 09:30 PM

Thanks All: I just found this thread and I'm also seeking that song to put in a Civil WAr song book I'm working on as a dedication to a verry dear friend NeilakaIrish sergeant chanelling peter lorre late this evening

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Amos
Date: 24 Jul 00 - 09:45 PM

Vyy vould yew vant to do succch a think, deeeaarr Searggggeant? Hehhehheh.

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: richardw
Date: 24 Jul 00 - 10:00 PM

Two Brothers was also recorded by Theodore Bikel.

Richard Wright

Subject: RE: help with civil war song (2 Brothers)
From: GUEST,Palmer
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 07:01 AM

Does anyone have the chords you need to play this song? Be great if you can share it ?

Subject: RE: help with civil war song (2 Brothers)
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 09:23 AM

This Theodore Bikel?


Theodore Bikel, Actor

I'd assume so since it lists him as a folksinger. Wow. I'd only ever known of him as a fine character actor with a tendency to show up on Law & Order often! I feel incredibly stupid right now after reading he co-founded the Newport Folk festival. Blame it on my relative youth (I was born in 1964). Sometimes I see something here and just hit my head and say "D'oh!" ala Homer Simpson.

Subject: RE: help with civil war song (2 Brothers)
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 11:14 AM

"Blame it on my relative youth..." One is not expected to know everything--that is why we have sites like this--it is the excitement of learning something new each day that makes life fun. BTW, I had graduated college before you were born, but don't ask me anything about Homer Simpson, or Jessica for that matter, or I'll have to do a "D'oh".

Subject: RE: help with civil war song (2 Brothers)
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 01:02 PM

John on the Sunset Coast , you are entirely too kind. Given that I was field recording in my teens and that I eventually became a folklorist (until I figured out I could make more money in Hollywood) - you'd think I know such a fact. Also, my college roommate was a music performance major and as a result I wound up with enough credits for a minor in music myself but I wasn't permitted to claim it for a variety of record keeping reasons. (one of which was - at my univeristy, if you filed for two seperate degrees instead a double major, you could not have a minor. I had to ask for two degrees because one was a BS and the other a BA. The other was that I was pursuing a combined BA and MA to save tuition. More info than you needed I'm sure)

Sometimes I do feel like an incredible dunce when threading here and this was one of them. Thank heaven for the internet though - one can look up just about anything in a few seconds and come up to speed.

Bikel is a fine actor by the way, which is likely why he sees so much work from the various L&O franchises. They tend to draw from the same basic pool of NY acting talent and yet not suffer as a result. There are various L&O usergroups that delight in keeping track of the various characters played by reappearing actors. I know one of the fellows who runs one of those sites and should ask him if he knows of Bikel's Folk music cred!

Subject: RE: help with civil war song (2 Brothers)
From: pdq
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 04:14 PM

TWO LITTLE BOYS
Recorded by The Country Gentlemen
Words and music by D. Hawkins & H. Hawkins

[C] Two Little Boys - had two little toys
Each had a [C7] wooden [F] horse
Gaily they played - each [C] summer day
[D] Warriors both - of [G] course
[C] One little chap - had a mishap
And broke off his [C7] horse's [F] head
Wept for his toy - then [C] cried with joy
When [D] he heard his [G] brother [C] say:

"Do you think I could [F] leave you [C] cryin'
When there's room on my [C7] horse for [F] you
Climb up here, Jack - you [C] stop your cryin'
We'll [D] mend up your horse with [G] glue
When we [C] grow up - we'll [F] both be [C] soldiers
Our horses will [C7] not be [F] toys
And maybe you will re-[C] member
When [D] we were [G] Two Little [C] Boys."

Long years have passed - war came at last
Bravely they marched away
Cannons roared loud and in that wild crowd
Where wounded and dyin' - Joe lay
Then came a cry - a rider dashed by
Out from the ranks of Blue
Galloped away - to where Joe lay
Then he heard his brother say:

"Do you think I could leave you dyin'
When there's room on my horse for two
Climb up here, Joe - we'll soon be flyin'
To the ranks of the boys in Blue
Can't you see, Jack? I'm all a-tremble
It may be the flash and the noise
Or maybe because I remember
When we were Two Little Boys."

Subject: RE: help with civil war song (2 Brothers)
From: 12-stringer
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 07:49 PM

"Two Little Boys" is generally credited to Edward Madden (lyrics) and Theodore F Morse (music) and dates back to at least 1903. It's possible that Madden wrote it as a poem, even earlier, and that it was set to music not long after 1900. It has the sensibility of a late Victorian parlor-piece, though a little short-winded for one.

The Dixon Brothers recorded this for Victor in 1937, though it was issued only on the cheaper Montgomery Ward label. This seems to be the Ur-source for all the country versions. It had some popularity among bluegrassers in the 60s and 70s. The first time I ever heard it was a straight C&W version that got some minor airplay on WSM, in late 1969 or early 1970. That's where I learned the song. I've long since forgotten who was the artist.

Subject: RE: help with civil war song (2 Brothers)
From: Bonecruncher
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 08:20 PM

In the UK "Two Little Boys" became a pop hit, sung by Rolf Harris.
Colyn.

Subject: RE: help with civil war song (2 Brothers)
From: pdq
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 09:03 PM

12-stringer is of course correct about the song's writers. I was looking for chords and copied the lyrics from a sight dedicated to Hawkshaw Hawkins. Their credits are bogus.

TWO LITTLE BOYS
Lyrics by Edward Madden
Music by Theodore F. Morse

Madden is credited with "Moonlight Bay" and "By The Light Of The Silvery Moon".

Here is another take on Madden's career:

"Despite his successes, some of Madden's output looms a lot closer to that of his song-poem customers than to his legit-music colleagues. A song he wrote in 1907 bears the intriguingly song-poemish title, "Way Down In Colon Town," and in his lyric to "My Cousin Caruso" we find the immortal couplet, "His voice so dreamy / Like da peaches an' creamy." Caruso, upon hearing the song, is said to have belched."

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 13 Sep 08 - 09:31 AM

We released a live recording of "Two Little Boys" in 2005. You can hear a 2-minute sample at ShoreGrass: Songs of the Civil War Era.

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 13 Sep 08 - 09:34 AM

PS - and also "Boston Boy" (mentioned above) on that same recording.

Subject: RE: help with civil war song
From: Jayto
Date: 13 Sep 08 - 12:33 PM

The song that popped up in my mind when you said it (Probably no it) was Kennisaw Line. I doubt that is it but I love that song. I have heard a few different people play it.
cya
JT