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Missouri Waltz/Hush-a-Bye, Ma Baby
Old-Time, Waltz. USA; Pa., Arizona.
ARTIST: Lyrics by J. R. Shannon; Melody by John Valentine Eppel; Arranged for piano by Frederick Knight Logan;
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1914;
RECORDING INFO: Marimac 9054, The Ill-Mo Boys - "Fine as Frog Hair" (1995); Jenkins, Snuffy; and Pappy Sherrill. Crazy Water Barn Dance, Rounder 0059, LP (1976), cut# 16; Mitchum, Johnny. Johnny Mitchum, Sircy 7304, LP (197?), cut#A.02; Mom and the Dads. 22 Favorite Waltzes with the Mom and Dads, GRT 2103-716, LP (1976), cut# 20; Whittington, Oscar. Old Time Waltzes, Rural Rhythm RR 174, LP (196?), cut# 6;
OTHER NAMES: Hush-a-Bye, Ma Baby
SOURCES: Miller, Archie. Learning the Fiddler's Ways, Penn State, Sof (1980), p 78; Archie Miller (Lewisbury, Pa.) [Guntharp]; Blaine Sprouse [Phillips]. Guntharp (Learning the Fiddler's Ways), 1980; pg. 78. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 2, 1995; pg. 283.
NOTES: F Major {Phillips}: G Major ('A' part) & E Minor ('B' part) {Guntharp}. Standard. AA' (Phillips). An "old standby" for Arizona fiddler Kenner C. Kartchner (early 20th century).
John Valentine Eppel is credited with the melody to the Waltz. He turned it over to Frederick Knight Logan who made an arrangement of the song and sought out a publishing company for it. The Forster Publishing Company of Chicago, Illinois, published the melody (it had no lyrics) in 1914. Forster hired James Royce Shannon to add lyrics and the song grew in popularity. It was played at the 1944 Democratic National Convention when Truman received the nomination for vice-president. In 1949, Representative Floyd Snyder of Independence, Missouri, introduced a bill to make the "Missouri Waltz" the official state song of Missouri. The Missouri legislature passed the legislation (House Bill No. 2) amidst protests from members of the legislature who said that some of the lyrics were offensive. Representative Noel Cox, an opponent of the bill, said "It does not portray the life of Missouri. It may be popular in Independence and Southeast Missouri, but songs like these are passing fancies. It does not link up any great historical event of the state." Representative Baxter Waters held a different view saying, "This is a period of racial consciousness. There are some phrases and nicknames in the song that have been handed down and are not meant to be objectionable."
Evidently, Harry Truman did not care for the "Missouri Waltz," the official state song of Missouri. Asked in a television interview how the "Missouri Waltz" became associated with him, Mr. Truman said, "It’s a ragtime song and if you let me say what I think-I don’t give a damn about it, but I can’t say it out loud because it’s the song of Missouri. It’s as bad as "The Star Spangled Banner" as far as music is concerned."
A 1958 article in the Kansas City Star reported that the song was played at nearly every public occasion during his 1948 presidential campaign and it became part of Missouri folklore that the "Missouri Waltz" was his favorite song. Truman said about the song, "I just got tired of it. After all, they played it 30,000 times or more during that 1948 presidential campaign." In 1962, Truman was a guest of honor at a private dinner in a hotel. He walked down the hall towards the restroom and the leader of an orchestra in the main ballroom saw him and had his band play the "Missouri Waltz." Truman remarked to a friend that had accompanied him, "It's getting so you can't go to the men's room anymore without them playing the song."
From the Boston Globe:
Q: What can you tell me about the history of the "Missouri Waltz"? What are the lyrics to the tune?
A: It was written by James Royce, using the pseudonym of J.R. Shannon. The music was provided by Fredrick Knight Logan, who is believed to have acquired the melody from a young African-American who sang it to him. The tune was originally published in 1914 as a piano instrumental. In 1949, the tune became the official state song of Missouri despite the objections of African-American legislators who took offense at references to "pickaninnies", "hummin' darkies", and other racist expressions. During Harry Truman's administration, it served as his unofficial theme song, but according to archivists at the Truman Library in Independence, MO., the president hated the song.
Here are the lyrics to the "Missouri Waltz:"
Hush-a-bye, ma baby, slumbertime is comin' soon;
Rest yo' head upon my breast while Mammy hums a tune;
The sandman is callin' where shadows are fallin',
While the soft breezes sigh as in days long gone by.
'Way down in Missouri where I heard this melody,
When I was a Pickaninny on ma Mammy's knee;
The darkies were hummin',
Their banjos were strummin'
So sweet and low.
Strum, strum, strum, strum, strum.
Seems I hear those banjos playin' once again,
Hum, hum, hum, hum, hum,
That same old plantive strain.
Hear that mournful melody,
It just haunts you the whole day long,
And you wander in dreams back to Dixie, it seems,
When you hear that oldtime song.
Hush-a-bye, ma baby, go to sleep on Mammy's knee.
Journey back to Dixie land in dreams again with me;
It seems like yo' Mammy was there once again,
And the darkies were strumin' that same old refrain
'Way down in Missouri where I learned this lullaby,
When the stars were blinkin' and the moon was climbin' high,
And I hear Mammy Cloe, as in days long ago
Singin' hush-a-bye.
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