12 Jun 06 - 06:34 PM (#1758411) Subject: Chord Req: I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home From: HiHo_Silver I have played and sang this song (I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home) for a good number of years and have heard many different chord progressions (in G major) ranging from three basic chords to countless 7ths and minors. Would be interested to know how it was chorded originally and opinions of other musicians out there on how to chord this tune correctly. |
12 Jun 06 - 10:42 PM (#1758561) Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: HOMESTEAD ON THE FARM From: Joe Offer The lyrics in the Digital Tradition don't line up right. I think this is what they're supposed to look like: THE HOMESTEAD ON THE FARM
I don't see any source information, so it looks like we need to do more research on this one. I'm not going to be much help on chords, but I hope you don't mind my looking into the lyrics. The Mac Wiseman recording is just about like these lyrics. |
12 Jun 06 - 10:58 PM (#1758571) Subject: Lyr Add: THE HOMESTEAD ON THE FARM From: Joe Offer Here are the lyrics from a usually-reliable Carter Family Lyrics Site THE HOMESTEAD ON THE FARM Well, I wonder how the old folks are at home Well, I wonder if they miss me when I'm gone I wonder if they pray For the boy who went away And left his dear old parents all alone You could hear the cattle lowing in the lane You could almost see the fields of bluegrass green You could almost hear them cry As they kissed their boy goodbye I wonder how the old folks are at home [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK TO TUNE OF HOME, SWEET HOME] Just a village and a homestead on the farm And a mother's love to shield him from all harm A mother's love so true And a sweetheart brave and true A village and a homestead on the farm You could hear the cattle lowing in the lane You could almost see the fields of bluegrass green You could almost hear them cry As they kissed their boy goodbye I wonder how the old folks are at home [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK TO TUNE OF HOME, SWEET HOME] You could hear the cattle lowing in the lane You could almost see the fields of bluegrass green You could almost hear them cry As they kissed their boy goodbye I wonder how the old folks are at home The Carter Family recorded this in New York City May 10, 1935. I listened to the recording, and I think I'd agree with the transcription. |
12 Jun 06 - 11:05 PM (#1758572) Subject: Lyr Add: I WONDER HOW THE OLD FOLKS ARE AT HOME From: Joe Offer This Statler Brothers site has a 1957 version that's only very slightly different. I WONDER HOW THE OLD FOLKS ARE AT HOME(F.W. Vandersloot - Herbert S. Lambert)? ? '57 Jerry Vogel Music, ASCAP ? I wonder how the old folks are at home I wonder if they miss me while I roam I wonder if they pray for the boy who went away And left his dear old parents all alone You could hear the cattle lowin' in the lane You could almost see the fields of blue grass green You could almost hear them cry as they kiss their boy goodbye I wonder how the old folks are at home [ banjo ] Just a village and a homestead on the farm And a mother's love to keep you from all harm A mother's love so true a sweetheart that loves you Just a village and a homestead on the farm You could hear the cattle lowin'... I wonder how the old folks are at home ********** The Harry Fox agency licensing site, www.songfile.com, attributes songs of this title to Vandersloot/Lambert and to the Carter Family. There is a separate entry for a song titled "The Homestead on the Farm," attributed to A.P. Carter. |
13 Jun 06 - 12:05 AM (#1758605) Subject: Lyr Add: I WONDER HOW THE OLD FOLKS ARE AT HOME From: Joe Offer While I'm at it, here's my transcription of a slightly different version - much more of a bluegrass sound to this one. The only major difference in lyrics is the "down in the valley" couplet. I wonder How the Old Folks Are At Home (A.P. Carter, S. Carter, M. Carter) (as recorded by The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, 1962)
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13 Jun 06 - 01:40 AM (#1758629) Subject: RE: Chord Req: I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At H From: Mark Clark I believe the first line has a IV chord (C) in it as follows:
This has been done many ways, not all of them good. I remember that Mac Wiseman, during “the great folk scare,” recorded a version with a gratuitous relative minor thrown in. Shudder. - Mark |
13 Jun 06 - 11:52 AM (#1758923) Subject: RE: Chord Req: I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home From: Louie Roy I've been doing this song for years and I believe the correct chords are as follows.These were taken from an old song book of Mac Wiseman G C G Well I wonder how the old folks are at home G C I wonder if they miss me when I'm gone C I wonder if they pray G E for the boy who went away A D and left his dear old parent all alone |
13 Jun 06 - 05:52 PM (#1759219) Subject: RE: Chord Req: I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At H From: Mark Clark Yeah, Louie, I've heard it that way too. Can't say I care for Mac's alterations. HiLo, in the original post above, was asking how it was originally done. I think we have that nailed down. - Mark |
14 Jun 06 - 01:43 AM (#1759490) Subject: RE: Chord Req: I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At H From: Lin in Kansas No chords, but the original sheet music, dated 1909, is at this link: click here (the American Memory site). Search for "I Wonder How the Old Folks Are at Home," and you get 8 pages of sheet music. Lin |
14 Jun 06 - 05:13 PM (#1760111) Subject: Lyr Add: I WONDER HOW THE OLD FOLKS ARE AT HOME From: Joe Offer Thanks a lot, Lin. That sonlves the mystery. So, it's not originally a Carter Family song, but I'll betcha a lot of royalty money has been paid for it to the holders of the Carter copyrights. So, apparently the Statler Brothers were correct to attribute it to Herbert S. Lambert and F.W. Vandersloot, but the copyright was 1909. Here are the lyrics from the 1909 sheet music: I Wonder How the Old Folks Are At Home (Herbert S. Lambert and F.W. Vandersloot, 1909) 'Tis not so many years ago, when as a boy I played, Amid the scenes so dear to me, from morn 'til evening shade; No place so dear to childhood days, as my old country home, Until one day I said "goodbye" and went away to roam. The old folks said, "God bless you, boy, and may you soon return, Two broken hearts await you here, two souls will watch and yearn." The years have come and gone away, no news from son at home, No loving message to the boy, who went away to roam. CHORUS I wonder how the old folks are at home, I wonder if they miss me while I roam, I wonder if they pray for the boy that went away And left his kind old parents all alone, I hear the cattle lowing in the lane, And see again the fields of golden grain; I almost hear them sigh as they bade their boy goodbye, I wonder how the old folks are at home. This world grows weary day by day, I'm lonely and I'm sad, I long again to see the scenes, I knew when but a lad; To play with little brother as we whiled the hours away, No thought had we of sorrow then, our hearts were light and gay. I see again the old school-house, the church upon the hill, The lane that leads to Grandma's house, is fresh in memory still; A wandering boy alone tonight with thoughts of home sweet home, Still wonders how the old folks are, this boy who went to roam. CHORUS |
14 Jun 06 - 07:23 PM (#1760211) Subject: RE: Chord Req: I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home From: HiHo_Silver Thanks to all for the interesting information and discussion. Further, I am now trying to find a recording by someone who sang the song in it's entirity as the lyrics and melody is displayed on the sheet music and posted by Joe Offer. Thanks to all. Most enjoyable. |
20 Jun 06 - 08:50 PM (#1765137) Subject: Tune Add: I WONDER HOW THE OLD FOLKS ARE AT HOME From: HiHo_Silver Below is the ABC notation for this song transcribed from the sheet music link in an earlier post. Shaped notes seem to display correctly but the chorus does not seem to play correctly. Perhaps someone can rewrite the ABC notation to play in a better manner and perhaps put it through a "Chord writing Program" to determine the correct chords. Even the chorus seems to be somewhat different then the melody I know. Interesting note: Just A Village And A Homestead verse etc. does not appear anywhere on the sheet music. This should intrigue some inquisitive musicians on the forum. T:I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home M:1/8 L:1/8 K:Ab z4| z4 z2 z E|| "A Tempo"E> E A> G G F F> A|! G> A B c E2 z E|F> A G F A> E E> E|=D F c> _c B z E|! E> E A> G G F F> A| G> A B c E2 z E| F> A G F E c A> A|B F G> E| l:1/4 "Faster"A> A | L:1/8 A A G> F F =E G> G c| G A> B|L:1/4 A> A| l:1/8 A A B> =B c A E> E"Tempo 1"| =E F c> _c | L:1/4 B> E| L:1/8 E> E A> G G F F> A|G> F E B |l:1/4c> c| L:1/8c c e c B c "Hold F1/8 Note" F> F| B F c> _c "Hold Last B Note" (B2 B)||! "Chorus Slow"E c> =B c> B c A F> A|(F4 F2)z E| c> =B c> B c A "Hold On d Note" d> c|! (F4 F2) z F| B> =A B> A B2 _A> B| c> =B c> e| L:1/4A> c|! L:1/8B> F B> c B F "Hold on c in 7th position" _c/|(B4 B2)z E|c> =B c> B c A F> A|! (E4 E2) z E| c> =B c> B c A "Hold on d" d> c| (F4 F2) z F|! B> =A B> A B2 _A| c> B c> A|1 " Hold On Tied notes"(F4 _F2)| E c d> c B/ E> B2> c/| (1 A4 A2) z || 2"Last Time Only Ad Lib" (A4 A2) z2| z4 | z4 | z4 || |
24 Jun 06 - 06:01 PM (#1768287) Subject: RE: Chord Req: I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home From: HiHo_Silver Refresh |