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Origins: Dixie Darling (A Gillespie & P Wenrich)

11 Dec 99 - 11:00 AM (#148078)
Subject: Dixie Darling
From: lubanes@jps.net

I am looking for verses (and chorus) to the song Dixie Darling. The chorus goes something like this: My Dixie Darling Listen to the song I sing Beneath the silver moon With the banjo right in tune My heart is ever true I love no one but you My Dixie Darling, my Dixie Queen.

11 Dec 99 - 11:04 AM (#148082)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Micca

Maybe our tame Skiffler can help as I think this was a Skiffle standard, with a s**t hot banjo solo. I think it may have been Johnny Duncan did it.

11 Dec 99 - 11:25 AM (#148092)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Dale Rose

I am not saying the version mentioned by Micca is not a good one, but it is actually far older than that. The Carter Family recorded it in 1936 during their time with Decca, but it dates from 1916 and was written by Percy Wenrich. I have seen the sheet music ~~ it is a song that I have been meaning to check into more fully.

11 Dec 99 - 11:52 AM (#148106)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Dale Rose

I forgot I had a bookmark for the Primeline Midi Library, check out this page for a midi of Dixie Darlings and a whole lot more! Some of my favorites are Hannah's Promenade, Black and White Rag, and Alabama Dream ~~ really to many to mention. There are links to other midi pages at the top.

Note, the page lists 1907 as the date of publication.

11 Dec 99 - 12:25 PM (#148113)
Subject: Lyr Add: DIXIE DARLING^^
From: bseed(charleskratz)

From the Once-Born's song book:

DIXIE DARLING

Way down below the Mason-Dixon Line,
There's where the honeysuckles are entwined,
There's where the Southern winds are blowing,
There's where the daisy's growing.
Girls in the North in their gay finery,
Whirling around in society,
Singing the song of my Dixie Darling,
Where I long to be

(chorus)
My Dixie Darling,
Listen to the song I sing,
Beneath the silv'ry moon,
With my banjo right in tune,
My heart is ever true,
I love no one but you,
My Dixie Darling,
My Dixie queen.

Going down South, gonna have a big time,
See my girl down in old Caroline,
Drink my booze and do as I please
For all the girls I long to squeeze,
Singing the song of my Dixie Darling,
There's where I long to be going,
There's where the jelly roll's rolling
With my Dixie queen.

--seed

11 Dec 99 - 12:34 PM (#148117)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Dale Rose

I suppose that if I were better organized, I could have done this in one post rather than three! I happened to remember that David Holt performed the song on the King Pup Radio Show with Phil and Gaye Johnson. link to the show here Just click on the Begin Program link. At least for me, it is one of those sites that will not allow me to slide ahead in the show, so you'll likely have to listen to the whole show, but that is not all bad as you'll get to hear Gaye (one of my favorite singers) do Maid Freed From The Gallows. David does Dixie Darlin' at the 8 minute mark. Follow the link to the King Pup Program Guide for other shows. Recommended listening.

11 Dec 99 - 12:35 PM (#148118)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: McGrath of Harlow

Woody Guthrie used the tune for "This land is my land". He adjusted it a bit, but not much.

11 Dec 99 - 02:02 PM (#148154)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: The Archivist

see also Carter Family Song

11 Dec 99 - 04:31 PM (#148197)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Pixie

Tom Rozum and Laurie Lewis also recorded it on "The Oak and The Laurel"....check it out with Rounder Records..

15 Dec 99 - 05:33 PM (#149994)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Bert

Roger the Skiff, Do you by any chance happen to have the words to the version St. Lonnie used to sing?

16 Dec 99 - 11:47 AM (#150351)
Subject: Lyr Add: MY DIXIE DARLING (sung by Lonnie Donegan)
From: Will Bakker

Here is Lonnie Donegan's "My Dixie Darling":

CHORUS:
My Dixie Darling
Listen to the song I sing
Beneath the silvery moon
With a banjo right in tune
I love no one but you
My heart is always true
My Dixie Darling
My Dixie Belle

Well I just got back from out of town
I've been rambling round and round
I met lots of Southern belles
But I've no romance to tell
I've been as true as true can be
I swear that on my bended knee
There is no one half as swell
As my Dixie

CHORUS

I like whisky I like gin
I like the horses when they win
Gambling at Kentucky races
I meet lots of pretty faces
But there is one thing I will bet
My Dixie belle is the prettiest yet
There is no one half as swell
As my Dixie

CHORUS

I'm gonna marry, settle down
Settle down in a southern town
Buy myself a small homestead
Live in peace until I'm dead
There is no one half as swell
Listen here, I wanna tell
There is no one half as swell
As my Dixie

CHORUS

Will the Skiffler.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 10-Mar-02.

16 Dec 99 - 11:49 AM (#150352)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Bert

Wow! thanks, I'm gonna have to learn that one.

16 Dec 99 - 02:34 PM (#150429)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: --seed

McGrath is right about the Woody using the tune for Dixie Darling--but he used only the chorus. The verse tune is rather different.

--seed

16 Dec 99 - 02:35 PM (#150433)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From:

proughfride, seed

Woody, not "the Woody"

--seed

16 Dec 99 - 04:22 PM (#150469)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Bill in Alabama

Funny--I've always read (and heard) that the song Guthrie used for This Land is Your Land was Little Darling, Pal of Mine. The tune fits perfectly, verse and chorus; and it ain't the same as Dixie Darling.

19 Apr 00 - 09:05 PM (#214718)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: GUEST,Sandra : lgraham@sympatico.ca

Iam looking for the words to "Little Darling Pal of Mine" probably sung by the Carter Family.

08 Mar 02 - 01:27 PM (#665179)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Jim Krause

Going down South, gonna have a big time,
See my girl down in old Caroline,
Drink my booze and do as I please
For all the girls I long to squeeze,
Singing the song of my Dixie Darling,
There's where I long to be going,
There's where the jelly roll's rolling
With my Dixie queen.

So, what is meant by jelly roll? I doubt that it is a reference to the pastry, or the famous New Orleans jazz pianist either. I've seen this euphamism in several lyrics. I suspect something sexual, since the phrase appears in some blues now and then.
Jim

08 Mar 02 - 04:04 PM (#665300)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Mark Clark

“Little Darling Pal of Mine”

And I thought we just discussed jelly roll but I haven't been able to find the thread.

They arrested me for murder in the first degree
The judge's wife said “Let that man go free”
He is the jelly roll baker, he bakes the best jelly roll in town
That man bakes jelly roll with his damper down.

      - Mark

08 Mar 02 - 09:10 PM (#665489)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: masato sakurai

The tune to "This Land Is Your Land" comes from "When the World's On Fire" (see THIS THREAD). The Carter Family's "When the World's On Fire" can be heard HERE.

~Masato

08 Mar 02 - 09:54 PM (#665505)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: greg stephens

I dont think Dixie Darling is anything like ThisLand is your Land. Same notes,maybe, but in a different order.

08 Mar 02 - 10:17 PM (#665522)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Jelly roll, salty dog and associated concepts were authoritatively discussed in thread 44023 What

19 May 05 - 07:57 AM (#1487980)
Subject: Lyr Add: DIXIE DARLING (A Gillespie, P Wenrich)
From: Jim Dixon

The University of South Carolina Sheet Music Collection:

DIXIE DARLING*
Words, Arthur Gillespie. Music, Percy Wenrich. 1909.

1. Way down below the Mason-Dixon line,
Down where the honeysuckles entwine,
Where southern winds are forever a-blowing,
Roses abloom and magnolias a-growing,
There's where the girls fill my heart with delight,
Banjos in tune while the moon's shining bright,
Singing a song to my own Dixie darling,
Singing a song of love.

CHORUS: My Dixie darling,
List to this song I sing
Beneath a silv'ry moon
With banjo right in tune.
My heart is ever true.
I want no one but you,
My Dixie darling, my Dixie queen.

2. Girls of the north in their gay finery,
Whirling around in society,
Somehow to me never seemed so appealing.
Over me now comes a feeling a-stealing.
Let me go back to my old southern home,
There with my darlings to ramble and roam.
There's where my heart is forever returning.
There's where I long to be.

[Note: The title on the cover is DIXIE DARLINGS. The title on page 1 of music is DIXIE DARLING.]

19 May 05 - 09:28 AM (#1488064)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: GUEST

Jim, thanks. I like the original words better than what the Carter Family sang. I think I'll learn the version you added to the thread.

19 May 05 - 10:18 PM (#1488765)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: harpgirl

I sang this for Marty Schuman, the late great autoharp player and he liked it so much, he recorded my version on his first CD. He loved to sing and play it!

19 May 05 - 10:22 PM (#1488769)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: GUEST

Ooooo

20 May 05 - 09:16 AM (#1489096)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dixie Darling
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler via the catflap

I don't know how I missed the earlier appearances of this thread. Sorry! Thanks to Will for saving me the trouble of transcribing it! It's one I always singalong to the chorus, now I've no excuse for not learning the verses!

Rt(not-so-tame)S