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I was thinking about my mom always singing something while she did house work and laundry. She liked a lot of church music. She sang “Amazing Grace” a lot and that “Old Rugged Cross” I think it’s called, but there was some song about Kentucky that she liked to sing…..”Blue Moon of Kentucky” I’m thinking. But there’s one she would sing to me whenever I asked and it went something like, “Way down south in Louisiana, just about a mile from Texarkana, in them ol’ cotton fields back home” Then there was something about, “When them cotton balls get wrotten you cain’t pick very much cotton, in them ol’ cotton fields back home.” 🙂 Has anyone ever heard this? I wish I could recall the whole thing. If anyone knows this song, I’d love the words. are there cotton fields in Indiana? Where did this song originate? 😉 I would love any and all input. Love & Light and look foreward to someone sharing some songs here with me and stories about what occasions they were sang, etc. Lynella.
Lynella,
Here are your lyrics to Cotton Fields.
http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?hid=pNbzPEv%2FXQY%3D
And here’s your Blue Moon of Kentucky.
http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?hid=A6rI224iT0E%3D
We used to sing both songs around our house too! I come from a very musical family. Mom & Dad met singing in a Church choir together. As a young couple they used to get together with either side of the family for sing-alongs and jam sessions.
My daddy liked to sing (and play harmonica) these songs.
On Top of Old Smoky
Wolverton Mountain
Red River Valley
Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley
Wreck of the Old 97
Springtime in Alaska
and 16 Tons……. you load 16 tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt……. St Peter, don’t you call me cause I can’t go….. I owe my soul to the company store. Tennessee Ernie Ford
Amazing Grace was another favorite, especially with my Grandma.
The following are things I’ve heard or read, don’t know if they’re fact or not, but I thought I’d share them anyway.
I read somewhere that Amazing Grace is a special song among the Cherokee, that they sang it on the Trail of Tears.
The tune is an ancient Scottish marching tune and was played by the Scots on bagpipes in times of war. The Scots & Irish had histories of living in clans, so in some cases they assimilated with Indians quite well, rather than the reverse.
If you’ve never heard the recording done by The Blind Boys of Alabama you’re missing something real special. It will absolutely move your heart to hear them sing Amazing Grace. The guitar playing actually reminds me of “House of the Rising Sun”, if you can imagine that! It is awesome, and you can pick up one of their CD’s quite cheap on Ebay.
I’ve also read that the song, Shenandoah, is relavent to NA’s of the southeastern US because the song is actually talking about being literally forced to leave your home.
When it says, “away, we’re bound away, ‘cross the wide Missouri” it’s talking about being forced to leave the Shenandoah Valley.
I have a theory about why my own ancestors left NC. All lines of my family left during the time that NC was enacting laws against mixed marriages. At the same time, the census takers were busy defining who was white and who was not.
If the census taker decided you weren’t white you lost the right to sue in court, your marriage could be considered void and all your children illegitimate. You could even lose your property. So, in many cases it was in someone’s own self interest to decide you just weren’t “white” enough.
At that time (late 1700’s to early 1800’s) Kentucky had no such laws. I’ve had some Kentucky researchers tell me that it was always younger sons who moved to KY because they didn’t inherit anything from their fathers…..but I’ve not found that to be the case in my family records. They are usually moving with wives and a houseful of children AND taking their parents with them.
Patty,
😀 How awsome is that! Thank you for those links, that just made this a very special holiday! I think I’ll buy them both!
And family jam sessions! That would sure make for some wonderful memories. 😀 You’re just the best! Love & Light, Lynella.
Dreaminghawk,
😀 Hey! Way cool! My dad played harmonica a little too, and he had one of those juice harps that makes the twangy-doingy sound.:o I don’t know how else to describe it. It always made me laugh. But oh, Red River Valley, 16 Tons and that one by Jimmy Dean, “At the bottom of that mine lies a big, big man, big john.” Sounds like my dad and your dad would have gotten along great! Thank you so much for sharing that. I love those old songs!:D Love & Light, Lynella.
Patty,
You are so sweet!:) 🙂 🙂 Thank you again! I never heard any of those tales about the songs. I think that’s pretty cool. I’ve heard Carlos Nakais version of Amazing Grace with just the flute. It’s very beautiful. I’ll see if I can’t find that one by The Blind Boys of Alabama. I really have to hear that.
That sounds like a very reasonable theory too. It makes sense. Wow! This has just been totally awsome!:D Love & Light and THANK YOU, Lynella.
When I was in the service and stationed in Germany (1974-78); I heard a member of the Army Band play Amazing Grace on the Bagpipes. It was the most beautiful thing I ever heard.
Kerry,
Ooh! Bagpipes would be cool too! I wonder if “Q” could do that for me. Hmmmmmm. He’s one of our Sheriff’s deputies up here. He’s Scottish and plays a bagpipe.
I wanted to ask you, Fred sang two songs when mom passed. I know the one, but the second one I cant remember and I want to so bad, cause’ momma always sang it when she was hanging laundry. When Fred sang it, I had such a clear image of mom, almost like an entire body memory, like I was right there, just little and she was singing it. But it has since faded from my goofy brain and I want so badly to remember that song. It wasn’t a hymn or anything like that, just a song. 🙂 Love Ya’, Me.
Kerry,
This is the song I was talking about.:) “In The Garden”
1. I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses; And the voice I hear, Falling on my ear; The son of God discloses.
(Chorus) And this is the part that I recall.
–And he walks with me, And he talks with me, And he tells me I am his own, And the joy we share as we tary there, none other has ever known.
Then there is 2 more verses with the chorus in between and at the end.
😀
Of all places, I had to get it from Nelda.;) Bless her! Love & Light, Lynella.
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