Lyr Req: High Noon (Do not forsake me)

01 Dec 99 - 05:08 AM (#143088)
Subject: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Wayne Cartright

REQ: High noon (Do not forsake me) Can't find it in the database - am I silly? It's popular like our national anthem :-) Thank you!

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01 Dec 99 - 05:17 AM (#143089)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Bugsy

I seem to remember another thread on this previously, Someone saying that Frankie Laine sang it and someone else proving otherwise. Maybe about one month ago. Try refreshing links for 2 months. you should find it then.

Cheers

Bugsy

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01 Dec 99 - 05:53 AM (#143092)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

It's a song which was sung by Tex Ritter (father to comedic actor John Ritter), and is available at Cowpie:

High Noon

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01 Dec 99 - 02:20 PM (#143260)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Easy Rider

Tex Ritter sang it for the movie sound track, but Frankie Lane also sang it in an album of cowboy songs he put out way way back a long time ago. I had the album, when I was a kid.

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01 Dec 99 - 03:02 PM (#143282)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From:

I remember most of the lyrics. Do not forsake me oh my darlin,
On this our wedding day.
Do not for sake me oh my darlin',
Wait, wait along.
I do not know what fate awaits me,
I only know I must be brave,
And I must face a man who hates me
Or lie a coward,
A craven coward,
Or lie a coward in my grave.

Do not forsake me oh my darlin,
You made that promise as a bride,
Do not forsake me, oh, my Darlin'
Now that I need you by my side.

He made a vow while in state prison,
Vowed it'd be my life or his'n,
I ain't afraid of death, but, o-oh,
What will I do if you leave me?

Oh, to be torn 'tween love and duty,
S'posin' I lose my fair-haired beauty,
I ain't afraid of death, but o-oh,
What would I do if you leave me?

Do not forsake me, oh my darlin,
You made a promise when we wed,
Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'--
Although I'm grievin'
I can't be leavin'
Until I've shot Frank Miller dead.

--Frankie Laine had a hit recording of the song before the movie came out, but Tex Ritter's original is much more moving, particularly if you've seen the film--very deserving of its best film Oscar. Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly as the retiring sheriff and his Quaker wife--who learn just after their wedding that Frank Miller, whom the sheriff put in prison has been released and is coming to town on a train to arrive at High Noon. Black and white, but Grace Kelly was never more beautiful.

--seed ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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01 Dec 99 - 03:31 PM (#143296)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Ferrara

Yeah. Great film. Good song, because the whole picture it evokes is so moving. She is against violence of any sort and wants him to leave town and she swears she'll leave him and go back east if he gets in a gunfight to the death with these guys.

Oh. Re-reading it, I have this suggestion for the words in the middle section as I remember it:

Oh, to be torn 'tween love and duty,
S'posin' I lose my fair-haired beauty,
Look at them big hands travel 'round,
Nearin' high noon --

He made a vow while in state prison,
Vowed it'd be my life or his'n,
I ain't afraid of death, but, o-oh,
What will I do if you leave me?

By the way, I've always believed that the following verse was *not* in the movie. We had the '78 by Frankie Laine, and I think that this verse was the last verse of his version, replacing the one about shooting Frank Miller dead.

Do not forsake me oh my darlin,
You made that promise as a bride,
Do not forsake me, oh, my Darlin'
Now that I need you by my side.

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01 Dec 99 - 04:34 PM (#143328)
Subject: Lyr Add: HIGH NOON (from Frankie Laine)
From: Gene

FWIW: Lyrics as transcribed from:
FRANKIE LAINE/COMMAND PERFORMANCE
COLUMBIA CL 625

HIGH NOON
As Recorded by: Frankie Laine
Writers: Washington & Tiompkin

Do not forsake me, oh, my darlin'
On this, our weddin' day
Do not forsake me, oh, my darlin'
Wait, wait along;

I do not know what fate awaits me
I only know I must be brave
And I must face a man who hates me
Or lie a coward, a craven coward
Or lie a coward in my grave;

Oh, to be torn 'twixt love and duty
S'posin' I lose my fair-haired beauty
Look at that big hand move along
Nearin' high noon;

He made a vow while in state prison
Vowed it would be my life or his'n
I'm not afraid of death, but, oh
What will I do if you leave me?

Do not forsake me, oh, my darlin'
You made that promise as a bride
Do not forsake me, oh, my darlin'
Although you're grievin', don't think of leavin'
Now that I need you by my side;

Wait along; (wait along)
wait along; (O-oh)
Wait along;
Wait along;
(Wait along); (Wait along)
(Wait along); (Wait along)
(Wait along); (Wait along)
(FADE/Wait -)

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02 Dec 99 - 08:21 AM (#143605)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Alan of Australia

Is this the only song ever to rhyme prison with his'n?. Gee I sure hope so. Maybe it just clashes with my Aussie ears.

Cheers,
Alan

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10 Aug 00 - 09:37 AM (#274979)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Easy Rider

Does anybody have a fingerstyle guitar arrangement of this song?

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10 Aug 00 - 10:13 AM (#275005)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: SINSULL

Hey Allen, it was the fifties. Davy Crockett was killing b'ars and his'n rhymed with prison. Believe it or not, it works with the right singer.

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10 Aug 00 - 11:00 AM (#275033)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Midchuck

He made a vow while in State's Prison, Vowed it would be my life or his'n Maybe it's good rhyme, maybe it isn' What can you do....?

Peter.

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19 Dec 06 - 02:47 AM (#1913342)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Seamus Kennedy

Does anyone have another verse - I think Tex Ritter may have sung it on a record which was NOT the movie's soundtrack - about shooting Frank Miller dead?
Something along the lines of:
Although you're grievin', don't think of leavin',
Till I shoot Frank Miller dead.

Or maybe my memories playing tricks again.

Seamus

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19 Dec 06 - 04:05 AM (#1913368)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Keith A of Hertford

No memory tricks.
Just scroll up the thread.
It is there.

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19 Dec 06 - 12:37 PM (#1913806)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Seamus Kennedy

Keith - good eye! How the hell did I miss it?

Thanks for not taking me to task for not reading the whole thread!
All the best.

Seamus

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20 Dec 06 - 07:06 AM (#1914570)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny

I seem to remember the second verse starting off:

The Noon Day train will bring Frank Miller
If I'm a man I must be Brave
For I must face a man who hates me
Or lie a coward ....... etc etc

I think this was Ritter's version.

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20 Dec 06 - 11:06 AM (#1914826)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

I found these: Article on the song. Also at Wikipedia they give the authors as Ned Washington for the words and Dmitri Tiomkin as the composer for the music.

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20 Dec 06 - 11:27 AM (#1914848)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Scrump

Interesting - I had seen the song credited to Rex Titter as writer - oops, sorry I meant Tex Ritter of course :-)

But it seems that was wrong. I have a record of him singing it somewhere but I would need to find it first.

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20 Dec 06 - 11:44 AM (#1914869)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: Peace

"The Ballad of High Noon" is the original title.

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21 Dec 06 - 06:07 AM (#1915535)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: High noon (Do not forsake me)
From: GUEST,MikeofNorthumbria (sans cookie)

Hi Folks,

Just a couple of thoughts on this one.

Firstly: the answer to the question "has anyone else rhymed prison with his'n?" is yes. John Masefield did it in his epic poem "The Everlasting Mercy". From memory, the line goes something like this:

As sure as Skilly's made in prison
The right to poach that copse is his'n.

Secondly: does anyone else remember this old chestnut?

"Knock knock"

"Who's there?"

"Doughnut"

"Doughnut who?"

"Doughnut forsake me, Oh my darling ..."

Wassail!

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