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Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow

02 Jun 04 - 05:40 PM (#1198792)
Subject: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: GUEST,jenna

Can anyone help me out with the chords to this song? It's starts out with the words: I want to wake up in the mountains where the rhododendrons grow. I've got most of the chords figured out, but there are a couple that are just not quite right. Thanks

03 Jun 04 - 05:25 AM (#1199046)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: Joe Offer

Hi, Jenna - I haven't heard this one. Could you post the lyrics if they're different from what's below?
-Joe Offer-

This page says "Where the Rhododendrons Grow" was apparently published in 1936, Music by L.D. Pack; words by A.J. Ritchie.


Camp Strawderman has its own version:
    RHODODENDRONS

    I want to wake up in the morning
    Where the rhododendrons grow,
    Where the sum comes a-peepin’
    In the cabin where I’m sleepin’
    And the song birds say, “Hello.”
    I want to wander through the wildwood
    Where the fragrant breezes blow,
    And come drifting back to Strawderman,
    Where the rhododendrons grow.
Camp Lightfoot has this version:
    RHODODENDRON

    I want to wake up in the morning
    Where the rhododendrons grow;
    Where the sun comes a-peeping
    Into where I'm a-sleeping
    And the songbirds say, "Hello."
    I want to wander thru' the wildwood
    Where the fragrant breezes blow
    And drift back to the mountains
    Where the rhododendrons grow.

    I want to climb up on the mountain
    Where the rhododendrons grow;
    Where the Lord is so near me
    When I breathe He can hear me
    And the whole world sings below.
    I want to lay down all my burdens
    And forget my worldly woes,
    And stay here in West Virginia
    Where the rhododendrons grow.

03 Jun 04 - 05:35 PM (#1199634)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: GUEST,jenna

The Camp Lightfoot version is the version that I'm familiar with. I looked on those websites, but there are no chords. Thanks for the info, Joe; it was neat to find out a little more about the song. Anyone else know the chords?
jenna

04 Jun 04 - 01:11 PM (#1200374)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: Barry T

Try this, Jenna...

I want to [G] wake up in the [G7] morning
Where the [C] rhododendrons [G] grow,
Where the [D] sun comes a-peepin'
In the [Em] cabin where I'm sleepin'
And the [A7] song birds say, "Hell- [D] o." [D7]
I want to [G] wander through the [G7] wildwood
Where the [C] fragrant breezes [B7] blow,
And [G] drift back to the [Fdim] mountains,
Where the [D7] rhododendrons [G] grow.

05 Jun 04 - 09:58 AM (#1200924)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: GUEST

Is there a sound clip/file available for this song?

05 Jun 04 - 12:57 PM (#1200995)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: Barry T

This is a test... of my memory. For whatever reason, Jenna's message recalled this song as stored on my cerebral hard drive about fifty years ago. My Dad had an LP of a Minstrel Show with this song on it. I think I have it right. Perhaps others can confirm that.

Where the Rhododendrons Grow Midi File

Grab it quick 'cause this file isn't going to be here for long!

05 Jun 04 - 01:58 PM (#1201011)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: Cruiser

Thanks Barry T. I have never heard this song before, but I was interested in the melody.

30 Jan 14 - 01:04 PM (#3596818)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: GUEST,Nancy

Learned this @ The Meeting School in 1958, only it was "purple lilacs " not rhododendrons, and "drift back to New Hampshire ". Lovely memory. I was 15.

30 Jan 14 - 03:07 PM (#3596841)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: GUEST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqKGJ8QseOA

You can hear it at that Youtube link.

30 Jan 14 - 09:25 PM (#3596931)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Where the rhododendrons grow
From: GUEST,leeneia

This song was published in 1917 as "Where the Morning Glories Grow."   So far I've heard of the flowers being changed to orange blossoms, purple lilacs, and now rhododendrons. There have been a lot of threads on this, and in one of them, somebody linked to a website with the original sheet music.

I made myself a MIDI of the tune and worked out the chords in the key of G. Now this tune is what you might call a tin-pan alley tune, and one of the features of tin-pan alley is that the composers used quite a few extra sharp and flat notes in the songs. This means that simple chords are not going to harmonize. Fortunately for this song, most of the bad notes come at the end of the measure. So let your hands drift off the guitar whenever your ears tell you to "lay off!" This will often be on the fourth beat.

Just for the record, in addition to the usual notes for the key of G, this song contains B-flat, E-flat, C#, and A-flat.

The chords below are simpler than those provided above.

N.C. means no chord. Don't play guitar

A 8 means just pluck your A string a couple times(2nd string down from your chin)

N.C. I want to
G wake up in the morning where the
C rhododendrons
G grow. Where the
D sun comes peeping into
G where I'm a-sleeping and the
A songbirds say, "Hel-
D lo."
N.C. I want to
G wander thru' the wildwood where the
C fragrant breezes
G blow And
C drift back to the
G mountains Where the
A8 rhododen-
Bm drons *
G grow.


*The Bm is the intellectual part.