Author Topic: Period Correct Campfire Songs  (Read 9605 times)

Offline Hambone Dave

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Period Correct Campfire Songs
« on: April 03, 2013, 11:34:55 AM »
Anybody have a list of campfire songs that would be period correct?
There are alot of lyrics documented but no way of knowing how the tune goes.
Any good websites for the music notation and lyrics?

Here are some old standards but don't know if these are correct:

Coming round the Mountain
Oh Susannah
When Johnnie Comes Marching Home
Home on the Range
Shenandoah
Yellow Rose of Texas
My Darling Clementine
Camptown Races
Dixie
Swanee River
Rock of Ages
Amazing Grace
Down in the Valley
Red River Valley

Any others?

Offline Calico Kirby

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2013, 03:39:21 PM »
Basically, "Cowboy Songs" can fit into one of two categories.  Songs ABOUT cowboys and songs SUNG BY cowboys.

The former category is certainly more well documented however, most of what falls into this category was written in the early 20th Century or later.  Not that they aren't good songs - some of them are among my favorites - but most of them would not have been heard or sung until WELL after the era of the cattle drives.

The latter category is much harder to document and, typically, less well known....at least that's been my experience in cowboy circles.  As a general rule of thumb, songs from the War of Northern Aggression are a good starting point for period correct tunes.  Also, many of the early minstrel and parlor songs were still very popular during the late 60's, 70's and 80's.

For starters, you may want to check out some of the artists listed below.  There are certainly others, but this would be a good starting point.  You can always check out track lists on Amazon and then do a little further digging for an idea of what songs are correct.  There will inevitably be a few non-period, or wrong period songs in some of these albums, but as a general rule, they're good.

2nd South Carolina Sting Band
Wayne Erbsen
The Black River Boys
David Kincaid
Jerry Ernst
The Camptown Shakers
Mark Gardner
Rex Rideout


Always drink upstream from the herd...

Offline Forty Rod

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2013, 03:41:41 PM »
Kumbaya probably won't make the list.   ::)
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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #3 on: Today at 08:22:24 PM »

Offline Delmonico

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2013, 04:23:08 PM »
I'd like to see some of the ones Nathan "Jack" Thrope didn't write down because he thought they were too vulgar, more likey the songs most young cowboys away from home for the first time would have sung. 

There were 300 and some written down verses to "Old Chisom Trail," the ones not written down would really show us what the cowboy was. 
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Offline River City John

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2013, 05:02:42 PM »
"I was born by the river in a little tent, and just like the river I've been running ever since." - Sam Cooke
"He who will not look backward with reverence, will not look forward with hope." - Edmund Burke
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Offline Big Goose

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2013, 06:52:31 PM »
One of my favorite sites for historical music:
http://www.contemplator.com/america/index.html

Offline Delmonico

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2013, 07:46:50 PM »
I must say I've sat around a lot of camp fires in a lot of historical camps and yet to have anyone decide to sing.

I'm guessing RCJ is going to lead out in July. ;)
Mongrel Historian


Always get the water for the coffee upstream from the herd.

Ab Ovo Usque ad Mala

The time has passed so quick, the years all run together now.

Offline WaddWatsonEllis

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2013, 07:41:01 AM »
Hi,

This subject made me think about Don Edwards:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Edwards_%28cowboy_singer%29









My moniker is my great grandfather's name. He served with the 2nd Florida Mounted Regiment in the Civil War. Afterward, he came home, packed his wife into a wagon, and was one of the first NorteAmericanos on the Frio River southwest of San Antonio ..... Kinda where present day Dilley is ...

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway." John Wayne
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Offline Delmonico

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2013, 08:21:05 AM »
Remember Cowboy music is still alive and still progressing, (no I'm not talking about that trash they play on the top 40 stations.)

Cris LeDoux is gone but Ian Tyson is still out there writing and performing, to be honest I'd expect one of his to be heard around one of my campfires before some of the others.  I'm sure the doors on a pick-up have been opened and his CD's put on at a lot of modern round-ups around the evening fire:


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EasZaSxaxYs[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8_n3EW2S00[/youtube]

Others out there, sound quality on this on is poor, but a good one:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ra3DLU2kL8[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsSvKx_SW4E[/youtube]
Mongrel Historian


Always get the water for the coffee upstream from the herd.

Ab Ovo Usque ad Mala

The time has passed so quick, the years all run together now.

Offline Professor Marvel

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2013, 02:39:33 AM »
I must say I've sat around a lot of camp fires in a lot of historical camps and yet to have anyone decide to sing.

I'm guessing RCJ is going to lead out in July. ;)

If you had any folk of scots or irish (or welsh) descent you would have gotten a song from "the auld country" since a-capella singing was a regular past time. However, they did not usually gravitate towards "cowboying" work but rather shipwork, mining, railroading, or farming.

If you crave a period-correct scots or irish song, just peruse any of the albums of the genre, as the songs haven't changed for nearly 200 years. Some that come to mind are "Jonny I hardly knew Ye";  "Black Jack Davy"; or any of the old rebellion songs.

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Offline WaddWatsonEllis

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2013, 09:46:45 AM »
Professore,

Of course, a celtic 'revolution' song brings to mind, "The Rising of the Moon'

http://www.elyrics.net/read/d/dubliners-lyrics/the-rising-of-the-moon-lyrics.html
My moniker is my great grandfather's name. He served with the 2nd Florida Mounted Regiment in the Civil War. Afterward, he came home, packed his wife into a wagon, and was one of the first NorteAmericanos on the Frio River southwest of San Antonio ..... Kinda where present day Dilley is ...

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway." John Wayne
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Offline GunClick Rick

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2013, 09:37:38 PM »
There's always my neighbors :)

http://www.thesons.com/


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Offline WaddWatsonEllis

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2013, 11:42:39 PM »
As many of you know, i volunteer as a reenactor with the Old Sacramento Living History, and ever second Saturday , and hour before meeting time, the parlor singers meet ...

Our Fearless Leader, an ex-President of the whole enchilada, has put out a book of this period and it is true enough to sell on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Ed%27s+New+California+Songster

Age of songs begins about 1850 ....
My moniker is my great grandfather's name. He served with the 2nd Florida Mounted Regiment in the Civil War. Afterward, he came home, packed his wife into a wagon, and was one of the first NorteAmericanos on the Frio River southwest of San Antonio ..... Kinda where present day Dilley is ...

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway." John Wayne
NCOWS #3403

Offline Montana Slim

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #13 on: September 03, 2013, 05:00:48 PM »
I was inspired by several musicians I've witnessed at past NCOWS events....and decided to teach myself basic guitar a few years ago. My repertoire is fairly short, and limited to playing melodies (little interest in chords and vocalization on my part), but I can make "noise" for at least 10 minutes non-stop. If people tell me I remind them of a Ken Burns documentary, I take it as a compliment that they've heard one or more of the songs. A handful I have memorized include:

garryowen, just before the battle mother, battle cry of the republic, battle cry of freedom girl I left behind, tramp tramp tramp,
yellow rose of texas, shall we gather at the river, Hot time in the old town, minstrel boy, shall we gather at the river, and a few more...I forget the titles.

Not to forget...For my confederate friends: bonnie blue flag & i'm a good ol rebel

Currently working on: red, white & blue & marching through georgia

While I don't generally consider these "cowboy" songs, they were among the most recognized of the day...and potentially heard in any setting. I'm playing on a Mitchell, standard-size, 6-string acoustic guitar.....anyone have a better idea of the typical size/style of a 19th century guitar?

Thanks,
Slim
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Offline GunClick Rick

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #14 on: September 03, 2013, 07:04:14 PM »
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohgU2KR5_3Y[/youtube]
Bunch a ole scudders!

Offline GunClick Rick

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #15 on: September 03, 2013, 08:37:48 PM »
We should have a Play us a Tune forum,i would sure like to hear Randy play that banjo,you play geetar,i'll blow some spit whistle whoever else could chime in :) :) :)

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Offline Tsalagidave

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #16 on: September 08, 2013, 09:11:18 PM »
I think the dominance of Stephen Foster's songs in the mid-nineteenth century culture is evident in its survival into modern days being taught in schools as classic American "folk" music. However, there are a lot of resources to consult.

Here is a great source of early American music:
http://www.contemplator.com/america/

I also recommend contacting the Smithsonian and Library of Congress. They have files you can actually order. Lyrics, songsheets, etc.

-Dave
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Offline Trailrider

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #17 on: September 08, 2013, 10:21:54 PM »
I once asked a military re-enactment band if they would play "Marching Through Georgia".  They declined, saying it started too many fistfights! (And this was in Colorado!)  ::)

Elvis Presley sang "Love Me Tender", which is "Ora Lea" with different words. "Lorena" was popular on both sides of the front during the CW.  There are a bunch of military songs from the post-CW Army that would work around a campfire, with no references to the "late unpleasantness". "Gary Owen", of course, comes to mind, and a number of versions of "The Girl I Left Behind Me", (including some not fit for polite company), "It's Old Arizona Again" (probably from the 3rd Cav, when they were ordered back there after the Sioux campaign of 1876).
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Offline Tsalagidave

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Re: Period Correct Campfire Songs
« Reply #18 on: September 08, 2013, 11:06:41 PM »
I've lullaby'd my little girl to sleep with "Dear Evelina, Sweet Evalina" for years now.

-Dave
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