Video
Popular Love Songs of the 19th Century
Transcript
- ♪ Oh Shenandoah, I long to hear you ♪ ♪ Away you rolling river ♪ ♪ Oh Shenandoah I long to hear you ♪ ♪ Away I'm bound away ♪ ♪ 'Cross the wide Missouri ♪ ♪ Well a white man loved an Indian maiden ♪ ♪ Away you rolling river ♪ ♪ In my canoe with notions laden ♪ ♪ Away, we're bound away ♪ ♪ Across the wide Missouri ♪ ♪ Farewell, goodbye, I shall not grieve you ♪ ♪ Away you rolling river ♪ ♪ Oh Shenandoah, I'll not deceive you ♪ ♪ Away, we're bound away ♪ ♪ Cross the wide Missouri ♪ Hello and welcome to Ulysses S Grant national historic site. We are glad you have chosen to attend our program today. My name is Kristine Sneeringer. I am currently a volunteer in the park, although I was formerly a ranger here. I'm hoping that you will recall the love story of Ulysses S Grant and Julia Dent. Theirs is one of the most famous love stories in American history. As we sing, perhaps you could think about their love. During the 19th century live music was really the only form of musical entertainment available. Julia played the piano and Emma played guitar, Emma being her sister. Music was expressive then as now of daily life. "Shenandoah" which I have just sung for you is a song that is known today as a sea shanty. It originated in the area of the Missouri and the Mississippi river, so really not far from where we are now, and it was taken down river to New Orleans, and then it spread to the world. The song deals not with the Shenandoah river of Virginia, as you might imagine, but with chief Shenandoah and his maiden daughter. A young white man has fallen in love with her and she with him. And it is his intention to take her with him to share his life. They are not hiding this from chief Shenandoah. In fact, they are respectfully telling him what they're going to do. And so that makes the song not only a song about love between two sweethearts but also the father for his daughter, and she for him. The composer of the song is completely unknown, but every version varies. So I think you could say actually there have been many composers, So we're going to move on now. And we're going to do songs that talk about other aspects of love, for example, fun, longing, pain, romance, durability, and beauty. And I hope you'll enjoy the program. This next song is called "Cindy." It originated in the 19th century in Appalachia and it reached great popularity around 1850. It's very gay and happy and upbeat. And it was used for what is called a play party song. It was the sort of a game that young people could enjoy who were not allowed to touch each other, except perhaps fleetingly in a dance. The only musical accompaniment was often foot stamping, toe tapping, finger snapping, and this sort of thing. Although there might've been some musical instruments, but not necessarily so. So, let's hear about "Cindy." ♪ You ought to see my Cindy ♪ ♪ She lives way down south ♪ ♪ She's so sweet the honey bees ♪ ♪ They swarm around her mouth ♪ ♪ The first I seen my Cindy ♪ ♪ Was standing in the door ♪ ♪ Her shoes and stockings in her hand ♪ ♪ Her feet were down the floor ♪ ♪ Get along home Cindy Cindy ♪ ♪ Get along home Cindy Cindy ♪ ♪ Get along home Cindy Cindy ♪ ♪ I'll marry you some day ♪ ♪ I wish I was an apple ♪ ♪ A-hanging on a tree ♪ ♪ And every time that Cindy passed ♪ ♪ She'd take a bite of me ♪ ♪ If I were with a sugar ♪ ♪ Standing in the town ♪ ♪ Then every time my Cindy passed ♪ ♪ I'd shake some sugar down ♪ ♪ If I had thread and needle ♪ ♪ If I knew how to sew ♪ ♪ I'd sew that gal to my coat tail ♪ ♪ And down the road I'd go ♪ ♪ I want my Cindy, Cindy ♪ ♪ Her lips and arms and feet ♪ ♪ I never seen another gal ♪ ♪ That Cindy couldn't beat ♪ ♪ Get along home Cindy Cindy ♪ ♪ Get along home Cindy Cindy ♪ ♪ Get along home Cindy Cindy ♪ ♪ I'll marry you some day ♪ In addition to the fun song "Cindy" that we just heard, we're now going to hear "The Girl I Left Behind Me." It originated in about 1500, but it was printed first in Dublin in 1791. However, it was in America already in 1650. It was played by military bands, the melody being carried by the fife. So you can imagine what kind of gayness the fife engendered. ♪ All the dames of France are fond and free ♪ ♪ And Flemish lips are willing ♪ ♪ Very soft are maids of Italy ♪ ♪ And Spanish eyes are thrilling ♪ ♪ So although I bask beneath their smile ♪ ♪ Their charms fair to bind me ♪ ♪ And my heart fall back to Erin's Isle ♪ ♪ To the girl I left behind me ♪ ♪ The hours sad I left a maid ♪ ♪ A lingering farewell taking ♪ ♪ Whose sighs and tears my steps delayed ♪ ♪ I thought her heart was breaking ♪ ♪ In hurried words her name I blest ♪ ♪ I breathed the vows that bind me ♪ ♪ And to my heart in anguish pressed ♪ ♪ The girl I left behind me ♪ There is often a more serious side of love. And in this particular case, we're going to sing about longing. Julia and Ulysses often were separated and longed for the company of each other, which they often in their life did not have. There are other kinds of longing too. There's the longing of unrequited love. And the song we're going to do now is called "Lorena." It was written by Reverend Henry Henry De Lafayette Webster in about 1857. It happens that he was a Canadian living in Chicago. But it's based on a true story. Ella Blocksom broke off her engagement to the composer and married a lawyer who became chief justice of the Ohio Supreme court. The reason she did this was not because she didn't love him, but because her sister and her guardian who was her brother-in-law, insisted. So apparently Webster pained for her most of the rest of his life. And the song is beautiful, but sort of sad. It was often some in military camps, even in the South, even though it was published in the North, but eventually it was banned because it demoralized the troops so seriously and made them so homesick. And they often deserted as a result. So here we have "Lorena." ♪ The years creep slowly by, Lorena ♪ ♪ The snow is on the grass again ♪ ♪ The sun's low down the sky, Lorena ♪ ♪ The frost gleams where the flow'rs have been ♪ ♪ But my heart beats on as warmly now ♪ ♪ As when the summer days were nigh ♪ ♪ The sun can never dip so low ♪ ♪ Or down affections cloudless sky ♪ ♪ It matters little now, Lorena ♪ ♪ The past is in the eternal past ♪ ♪ Our heads will soon lie low, Lorena ♪ ♪ Life's tide is ebbing out so fast ♪ ♪ There is a future, o, thank God ♪ ♪ Of life this is so small a part ♪ ♪ 'Tis dust to dust beneath the sod ♪ ♪ But there, up there, 'tis heart to heart ♪ Love also envisions an aspect of pain at times. The song "Barbara Allen" tells about that pain, it was first found in about 1622 in England, Scotland and in America as well, probably enjoyed oral transmission being brought to America by the pilgrims. There are many variants and in some variants, Barbara Allen dies knowing that she has caused Jimmy to die of a broken heart. There are over 500 recordings of this particular song. ♪ Oh, in the merry month of May ♪ ♪ When green buds all were swellin' ♪ ♪ Young Jimmy on his death bed lay ♪ ♪ For love of Barbara Allen ♪ ♪ So slowly, slowly she got up ♪ ♪ And slowly she drew nigh him ♪ ♪ "Fear not," she said where there she came ♪ ♪ "Young man, I think you're dying ♪ ♪ If on your death-bed you do lie ♪ ♪ What needs the tale you're tellin' ♪ ♪ I cannot keep you from your death ♪ ♪ Farewell," said Barbara Allen ♪ Not exactly sympathetic, I don't think. All right, the next song that we're going to experience is "Stars of the Summer Night." And it is purely romantic as far as I'm concerned. The text was written in 1842 by Henry Longfellow. And it was written for a play called the "Spanish Student." Notice as I sing that there's a progression going on throughout the poem. For example, it begins with stars of the summer night and they have golden light, moon of the summer night comes next and it has silver light, wind comes next and it doesn't have any particular light except pinions light, pinions are one of a birds feathers, a particular feather, and then dreams of the summer night, and every verse, the first line ends with night and the third line ends with light. ♪ Stars of the summer night ♪ ♪ Far in yon azure deeps ♪ ♪ Hide, hide your golden light ♪ ♪ She sleeps, my lady sleeps ♪ ♪ She sleeps ♪ ♪ She sleeps, my lady sleeps ♪ ♪ Moon of the summer night ♪ ♪ Far down yon western steeps ♪ ♪ Sink, sink in silver light ♪ ♪ She sleeps, my lady sleeps ♪ ♪ She sleeps ♪ ♪ She sleeps, my lady sleeps ♪ ♪ Wind of the summer night ♪ ♪ Where yonder woodbine creeps ♪ ♪ Fold, fold thy pinions light ♪ ♪ She sleeps, my lady sleeps ♪ ♪ She sleeps ♪ ♪ She sleeps, my lady sleeps ♪ ♪ Dreams of the summer night ♪ ♪ Tell her, her lover keeps watch ♪ ♪ While in slumbers light ♪ ♪ She sleeps, my lady sleeps ♪ ♪ She sleeps ♪ ♪ She sleeps, my lady sleeps ♪ Oddly enough, there were an awful lot of songs in the 19th century that dealt with love and death. And normally it was the death of the female partner in the relationship. "All Through the Night," which went into print in 1784 in Wales is such a song. It was popular in America by 1825 when John Quincy Adams happened to be president. And it definitely is a song about the death of the beloved. ♪ Sleep, my love, and peace attend thee ♪ ♪ All through the night ♪ ♪ Guardian angels God will lend thee ♪ ♪ All through the night ♪ ♪ Soft the drowsy hours are creeping ♪ ♪ Hill and dale in slumber sleeping ♪ ♪ Love alone his watch is keeping ♪ ♪ All through the night ♪ ♪ Hark! a solemn bell is ringing ♪ ♪ Clear through the night ♪ ♪ Thou, my love, art heavenward winging ♪ ♪ Home through the night ♪ ♪ Earthly dust from off thee shaken ♪ ♪ Soul immortal thou shalt waken ♪ ♪ With thy last dim journey taken ♪ ♪ Home through the night ♪ Moving on. The next song is about the durability of love. And it was written in 1866 by a Canadian composer who was living in Chicago, and it was written for his beloved Maggie Clark. He was looking forward to growing old with her. And in this song, he looks forward to their old age and how they would feel about each other then. "When You and I Were Young, Maggie." ♪ I wandered today to the hills, Maggie ♪ ♪ To watch the scene below ♪ ♪ The creek and the old rusty mill, Maggie ♪ ♪ Where we set in a long long ago ♪ ♪ The green growth is gone from the hills, Maggie ♪ ♪ Where first the daisies had spring ♪ ♪ The old rusty mill is now still, Maggie ♪ ♪ Since you and I were young ♪ ♪ They say that I'm feeble with age, Maggie ♪ ♪ My steps slow strictly than then ♪ ♪ My face is a well written page, Maggie ♪ ♪ But then time, time along was the pen ♪ ♪ They say we are aged and gray, Maggie ♪ ♪ As spray by the white breakers flung ♪ ♪ To me you're as fair as you were, Maggie ♪ ♪ When you and I were young ♪ The last song that we're going to enjoy today is "Beautiful Dreamer." It was written in about 1864, and I think it is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. I am reminded of a dream that Julia had. She and Grant had been courting for some time but Grant had orders to move on to his next duty station. At about that same time, Julia acquired a new bed with posters and as was the custom at the time she named the posters. So one of them she named Grant. It happened that she was having a friend to spend the night with her and her friend was told the dream that Julia had the next morning. Julia had dreamed that Ulysses appeared at White Haven on Monday next, wearing civilian clothes. And the friend assured Julia, that this would not happen because Ulysses was already on his way down river. When Monday came, there was Grant dressed in civilian clothes, just as in Julia's dream. So the dream came true. Without further ado, let's listen to "Beautiful Dreamer." ♪ Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me ♪ ♪ Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee ♪ ♪ Sounds of the rude world heard in the day ♪ ♪ Lulled by the moonlight have all passed away ♪ ♪ Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song ♪ ♪ List while I woo thee with soft melody ♪ ♪ Gone are the cares of life's busy throng ♪ ♪ Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me ♪ ♪ Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me ♪ ♪ Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea ♪ ♪ Mermaids are chanting the wild Lorelei ♪ ♪ Over the streamlet vapors are borne ♪ ♪ Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn ♪ ♪ Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart ♪ ♪ Even as the morn on the streamlet and sea ♪ ♪ Then will all clouds of sorrow depart ♪ ♪ Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me ♪ ♪ Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me ♪ Valentine's day is the day we celebrate loves of many kinds. It may be love for sweetheart or a spouse. It may be love of a child or grandchildren, or it may be love of friends. Our lives though often seem touched by hatred. This is not really so different than it was during the Civil War era. We know for example, that within the Dent family there was a lot of disagreement and misunderstanding between the various family members. And this was only overcome with love. So make a point to love people every day, today and every day, even those who disagree with you. The world will be a better place for it. Thank you for attending our program today. I hope to see you at the park in the near future. Take care.
Description
Ulysses and Julia Grant's love story is considered to be one of the greatest in American history. Join park volunteer Kristine for a concert of popular love songs from the Grant's lifetime.
Songs: Shenandoah (00:00), Cindy (05:10), The Girl I Left Behind Me (07:09), Lorena (09:50), Barbara Allen (12:13), Stars of the Summer Night (14:07), All Through the Night (16:53), When You and I Were Young, Maggie (19:07), Beautiful Dreamer (22:07).
Duration
25 minutes, 44 seconds
Date Created
02/12/2021
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