Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)

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Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)

06 Nov 00 - 04:15 PM (#335447)
Subject: Let someone play Dixie for me
From: GUEST,Fretless

Can someone point me to a Web source for the bluegrass song, Someone Play Dixie For Me? It has been recorded by the Dry Branch Fire Squad, among others.

06 Nov 00 - 04:32 PM (#335463)
Subject: Lyr Add: SOMEONE PLAY DIXIE FOR ME (Pete Roy)
From: bigchuck

SOMEONE PLAY DIXIE FOR ME
(Pete Roy)

In the year 64, we were fighting a war
For a reason that we hardly knew.
Many tears had been shed, many loved ones lay dead
In the fight between the Grey and the Blue

I recall a young lad, to his mother and dad
Said goodbye at the old garden gate.
And I heard his mother say, son we'll watch and we'll pray
If it takes you forever we'll wait.

Chorus
If they carry me back down that old Southern track
I hope you will answer my plea.
When they lower me down in that sweet Georgia ground
Have someone play Dixie for me.

Now a long year has passed when a letter at last
From his captain has finally come home
Said the one for whom you yearn, he will never return
For he's died in a camp way up north.

Chorus

With a rose upon his breast, we played his last request
What God gave he's taken away.
His battles being won, his last song was sung
When the tune from sweet Dixie did play.

Chorus

A fine song written by the late Pete Roy. When we do it, we finish with a very slow fiddle line from Dixie.
Sandy

07 Nov 00 - 09:23 AM (#335911)
Subject: RE: Let someone play Dixie for me
From: GUEST,Fretless

Many thanks. I'd first heard the song long ago at the now-defunct (alas!) Brandywine Mountain Music Convention, performed by the also now-defunct (alas, again!) Hotmud Family; but my tape of the performance was both distorted and lacking the first two verses. It's good to finally have them.

07 Nov 00 - 11:29 AM (#335994)
Subject: RE: Let someone play Dixie for me
From: Midchuck

Ahah! So Ron most likely learned it from The Queen.

Peter.

07 Nov 00 - 10:08 PM (#336383)
Subject: RE: Let someone play Dixie for me
From: Barbara Shaw

What has Suzanne Thomas been up to lately? I really miss her in Dry Branch Fire Squad.

27 Jun 01 - 06:19 PM (#493425)
Subject: will someone play dixie for me...
From: tar_heel

looking for the lyrics to an old civil war song....will someone play dixie for me....maybe some background info on the song too,if available.....thank you!

27 Jun 01 - 07:20 PM (#493492)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: will someone play dixie for me...
From: bigchuck

Well, I got it from the Dry Branch Fire Squad, who I think got it from the Hotmud Family by way of Suzanne Thomas. Suzanne told me couple of years ago that it was written by a Massachusettes singer named Pete Roy. So its not an old CW song at all. Great song, though.
Sandy

09 Nov 05 - 12:44 PM (#1600763)
Subject: Copyright Owner? 'Someone Play Dixie'
From: Barbara Shaw

All the songs on a CD I'm planning to release are public domain or traditional except for one. This one song is "Have Someone Play Dixie For Me" by someone named Pete Roy. I have tried Harry Fox Agency, BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, and various google searches. I've tried contacting Dry Branch Fire Squad, who recorded the same song, but got no leads except to suggest I talk to someone at Rounder Records. I left voice mail and email at Rounder's Happy Valley Publishing, but got no response.

Is there a "due diligence" which might apply here? Does anyone have any ideas on what else I might do to find the right person to give my money to for the mechanical license? Does anyone know Pete Roy?

09 Nov 05 - 01:22 PM (#1600783)
Subject: RE: Copyright Owner? 'Someone Play Dixie'
From: Gene

http://www.banjowizard.com/Hopkins.htm

you might get a lead from this post...

apparently the writer knew Pete Roy in the 50s-60s

FWIW DEPT:

I was stationed at Scott AFB during part of time frame mentioned.

09 Nov 05 - 01:42 PM (#1600798)
Subject: RE: Copyright Owner? 'Someone Play Dixie'
From: Barbara Shaw

Thanks, Gene. I just did a google search for Mike Longworth, who made that post, and discovered that he died in January of 2003. The search goes on...

13 Nov 05 - 09:04 AM (#1603692)
Subject: RE: Copyright Owner? 'Someone Play Dixie'
From: Barbara Shaw

In case anyone's interested, I posted this request on the New England Bluegrass list (run by the Boston Bluegrass Union) and got a response from someone who knew Pete Roy and his wife and had contact information.

Pete was from Massachusetts and died several years ago. He was apparently an accomplished musician who wrote many songs and attended many festivals. I spoke to his widow, who gave enthusiastic permission for me to use his song.

And what a great song it is, capturing the love of the southland and coming from a yankee!

13 Nov 05 - 09:46 AM (#1603713)
Subject: RE: Copyright Owner? 'Someone Play Dixie'
From: Midchuck

Interesting contrast is "Dixieland" by Steve Earle. Both Big Mick's group and us do it.

One of the relatively few great modern Civil War songs about the Yankee side - by a Texan.

P.

13 Nov 05 - 10:25 AM (#1603745)
Subject: RE: Copyright Owner? 'Someone Play Dixie'
From: Barbara Shaw

Midchuck, I've heard that Steve Earle "Dixieland" many times, because a friend of ours always does it in jams. But I never really listened closely to the lyrics, thinking more about trying to catch those quick chord changes. After your post I went and read the words. What a powerful song! We toured the Joshua Chamberlain house in Brunswick, ME one year and Frank is a big fan of this charismatic general.

We do a "Songs of the Civil War Era" program with our band, and I'm thinking it would be most interesting to do these two contemporary sympathetic songs back to back, one about the south written by a yankee, and one about the north written by a southerner.

05 Sep 06 - 03:36 PM (#1827694)
Subject: RE: Copyright Owner? 'Someone Play Dixie'
From: GUEST,Cliff Murphy

Hi there,

I'm doing some research on the history of country music in New England, and have also been interested in tracking down info about Pete Roy. Might you have contact info for his widow that you could pass along?

Thanks!

-Cliff Murphy
cliff.murphy@brown.edu

05 Sep 06 - 04:28 PM (#1827740)
Subject: RE: Copyright Owner? 'Someone Play Dixie'
From: Barbara Shaw

Cliff, I just sent you an email with contact info and also a couple more names to look into: Charlie Shefcyk in CT and Al Hawkes in ME.

20 Oct 10 - 12:10 AM (#3011212)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: GUEST,Orville Murphy

My partner and I would like to record "Someone Play Dixie for Me." Could anyone give me contact info about Pete Roy's widow? Orville

20 Oct 10 - 12:20 AM (#3011214)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: Joe Offer

Orville, if you contact me by e-mail, I can put you in touch with somebody who can help you contact Pete Roy's widow.
Please include the word "Mudcat" in the title of your e-mail.

It would be ideal if we could find a public address people can contact to obtain rights for recording this song.

-Joe Offer, Forum Moderator-
joe@mudcat.org

Orville, I enjoyed your YouTube Video of the song.

Here's a message from Barbara Shaw that ought to be repeated in this thread:

ShoreGrass Songs of the Civil War Era

Thanks, folks! I appreciate the comments.

Regarding the "fake," I'm assuming Q is referring to "Have Someone Play Dixie For Me." That one was actually written several years ago by a man named Pete Roy from Massachusetts, and it took awhile to find him. It turns out he died a few years ago, but I spoke to his widow for permission to use the song. He was an avid bluegrasser who wrote many good songs and attended festivals in the Northeast and elsewhere. The song is so popular that I found several civil war sites, especially Confederate sites, that use the song either as background or quoting the lyrics! So it's not authentic period, but very representative in some circles, and it fit the context I had in mind: namely a broad look at what people were singing and thinking then and now regarding this war.

Good luck with your project, Jerry.

19 Jul 12 - 09:30 PM (#3378959)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: Joe Offer

The Harry Fox Agency's licensing site, Songfile.com, has a song titled "Play Dixie For Me," by Watie Riley Pickens and Bobby Lee Cude, recorded by The Hard Hatters.

The Hard Hatters recording is on Spotify. Here's the chorus:

Still haven't found a reliable source to contact for rights to record Pete Roy's "Someone Play Dixie for Me."

-Joe-

07 Feb 13 - 11:08 AM (#3476782)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: GUEST,Late add

I went to a bluegrass jam last night in Greensboro, NC. One of our friends sang this song and it was very well received. I'd bet many of the attendees don't know the history of the song coming from Massachusetts.

When my friend got to the chorus I did the high tenor harmony. What's significant is that I just moved down to the NC Piedmont area from New England.

05 Sep 13 - 02:54 AM (#3556206)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: GUEST

I had known of the song in the early 90s as stated above. In the late 90s early 20s I took this added verse and altered chorus from what I remember was a Dry Branch Fire Squad live recording, I think. The Live! At Last album is the right time frame, but the recording is the same lyrics and on the Tried and True album

Anyone have any info on this
When did Pete Roy write this wonderful song

It's two thousand and four
And we're in another war
Many loved ones are lost that's true
If it's wrong or it's right
We're still in this fight

So support our nations red, white, and blue
When they carry me back
On that long southern track
I hope you will answer my plea
When they lower me down
In that sweet U. S. ground
Please play our nation's anthem for me
Please play our nation's anthem for me

07 Oct 13 - 09:03 AM (#3564906)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: Midchuck

Us Woodchucks, also, are coming out with a new CD for which we've recorded this same song, and I seem to be the designated tracker down of licensing contacts. Does anyone have anything definite, yet?

Peter

15 Jan 14 - 02:32 PM (#3592394)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: GUEST,Hard Hat Records

Hi! Mudcat, great site. Please accept the following comments as being made for correction of information on Mudcat concerning the the song, Play Dixie For Me aka The Yeee Haaa Song,. The writers: Bobby Lee Cude & Watie Riley Pickens, the label Hard Hat Records, The artist Hard Hatters. This song as a single may be purchased/ sampled free at CD BABY.COM . The song is widely available, including Amazon. It is also featured for world-wide listening by RADIO PLAY.

04 Apr 15 - 06:11 PM (#3699672)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: GUEST

28 Mar 17 - 09:49 PM (#3847264)
Subject: RE: Origins: Someone Play Dixie for Me (Pete Roy)
From: GUEST

Writer Bobby Lee Cude & Watie Riley Pickens wrote the song PLAY DIXIE FOR ME . 3 (three) of Bobby Lee Cude's Great Grand Uncles were casualties of the Civil War , fighting with the Texas Confederate Calvary .