|
Sweet Evelina/Dear Evelina
Old-Time and bluegrass waltz; Words and melody by composed and arranged for the Piano Forte, By Mrs. Parkhurst- 1863 Widely known; US
ARTIST: Original lyrics Mrs. Parkhurst
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
EARLIEST DATE: 1863
RECORDING INFO: Sweet Evalina [Me II-G 7]
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p142b
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p403
Chapple, Joseph Mitchell / Heart Songs, Chappell, Bk (1909), p417 (Dear Evalina, Sweet Evalina)
Sandburg, Helga (ed.) / Sweet Music, Dial, Bk (1963), p 82 (Dear Evelina)
Home Spun Songs, Treasure Chest, Fol (1935), p23 (Dear Evalina, Sweet Evalina)
Albert E Brumley's Songs of the Pioneers, Brumley, Fol (1970), 45
Briegel, George F. (ed.) / 44 Old Time Morman and Far west Songs, Kessinger, Sof (1933), P14/# 8 (Dear Evalina, Sweet Evalina)
Arkansas Woodchooper (Arkie, the Woodchopper). Lair, John (ed.) / 100 WLS Barn Dance Favorites, Cole, fol (1935), p27
Critton Hollow (String Band). Poor Boy, Yodel-Ay-Hee 108327, LP (1979), trk# 2 (Evalina)
Hayden, Marie Gladys. Pound, Louise (ed.) / American Ballads and Songs, Scribner, Sof (1972/1922), p211/#101 [1914] (Evalina)
Lang, Mrs. R. Z.. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume IV, Religous Songs and Others, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p344/#823 [1941/02/23]
Latty, Vee. Fever in the South, MSOTFA 101, Cas (1992), trk# 9
Lulu Belle & Scotty. Sweethearts Still, Starday SLP 351, LP (1976/1965), trk# 11
McCurdy, Ed. Best of Ed McCurdy, Tradition TLP 1051, LP (196?), trk# 1 (Dear Evelina)
McCurdy, Ed. Ballad Singer's Choice, Tradition TLP 1003, LP (1956), trk# A.06 (Sweet Evalina)
Reed, Ola Belle and Bud. All in One Evening, Folkways FA 2329, LP (1978), trk# A.O4
Smith, Lynn `Chirps'. Midwestern Harvest, Marimac 9059-CD, CD (1994), trk# 18
Arkansas Woodchopper [pseud. for Luther Ossenbrink], "Sweet Evalina" (Supertone 9643, 1930)
The Blue Sky Boys, "Sweet Evalina" (Bluebird 7348, c. 1938)
W. Lee O'Daniel & the Light Crust Doughboys, "Dear Evalina, Sweet Evalina" (Vocalion 04440, 1938)
Ola Belle & Bud Reed, "Sweet Evalina" (on Reeds01)
Phil Reeve & Ernest Moody, "Sweet Evalina" (Victor 21188, 1928)
OTHER NAMES: Elavina; Dear Elevina
SOURCES: Kuntz; Levy; Mudcat
PRINT SOURCES:
Online: American memory; Levy
Randolph 823, "Sweet Evelina" (1 text)
LPound-ABS, 101, pp. 211-212, "Evalina" (1 text)
Cambiaire, p. 87, "Sweet Evelena" (1 text)
Gilbert, p. 113, "(Sweet Evelina -- parody)" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 257 "Sweet Evelina" (1 text)
NOTES: This old-time waltz was written in 1863. It was recorded by the sevral old-time country groups including the Blue Sky Boys, Shelton Brothers, Asa Martin (Dear Evalina) and Arkansas Woodchopper. It is included by Kuntz as a fiddle tune:
American, Waltz and Song Tune. USA, Arkansas. D Major. Standard tuning. ABB. The title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954.
The essential lyrics from Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; pg. 142:
Way down in the meadow, where the lily first blows,
Where the wind from the mountain ne'er ruffles the rose
Lived fond Evelina, the sweet little dove,
The pride of the valley, the girl that I love.
Chorus: Sweet Evelina, dear Evelina,
My love for thee shall never, never die. (Ford)
The singer met Evalina "way down in the meadow." They courted for a time, but after three years he still has no money; though he cannot marry her, "Dear Evalina, Sweet Evalina, My love for thee shall never, never die."
The sheet music is in the Levy collection. Two song sheet editions (texts only) are at America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song Sheets (Library of Congress). Another song to the same tune ("The retreat of the grand army from Bull Run." Air.- "Sweet Evelina." Baltimore, Md. [n. d.]) is also there; this is a song about the Civil War.
SWEET EVELINA- Original sheet music
Sheet music at the Levy Collection is:
Title: Sweet Evelina.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Words by M. Melody by T. Composed and Arranged for the Piano Forte, By Mrs. Parkhurst.
T. Mrs. Parkhurst Publication: New York: Horace Waters, 481 Broadway, 1863.
Form of Composition: strophic with chorus
Instrumentation: piano and voice
First Line: 'Way down in the meadow where the lily first blows
First Line of Chorus: Sweet Evelina, dear Evelina, my love for thee shall never, never die
Performer: As Sung by all the Minstrel Bands.
SWEET EVELINA
1. Way down in the meadow where the lily first blows,
Where the wind from the mountain ne'er ruffles the rose;
Lives fond Evelina, the sweet little dove,
The pride of the valley, the girl that I love.
CHORUS: Sweet Evelina, dear Evelina,
My love for thee shall never, never die.
Dear Evelina, sweet Evelina,
My love for thee shall never, never die.
2. She's fair as a rose, like a lamb she is meek,
And she never was known to put paint on her cheek;
In the most graceful curls hangs her raven-black hair,
And she never requires perfumery there.
(CHORUS)
3. Evelina and I, one fine evening in June,
Took a walk all alone by the light of the moon;
The plants all shone for the heavens were clear,
And I felt round the heart, oh! most mightily queer.
(CHORUS)
4. Three years have gone by and I've not got a dollar,
Evelina still lives in the green valley holler,
Altho' I am fated to marry her never,
I'll love her I'm shure for ever and ever.
(CHORUS)
|