The Carter Family – Wildwood Flower, is a variant of the song “I’ll Twine ‘Mid the Ringlets” published in 1860 by composer Joseph Philbrick Webster, who wrote the music, with lyrics attributed to Maud Irving. Other versions of the song have evolved, such as “The Pale Amaranthus” (collected in Kentucky and North Carolina, reported in 1911), “Raven Black Hair” and “The Pale Wildwood Flower” (collected between 1915 and 1919) and “The Wild Wood Flower Frail “.
A.P. Carter recorded “Wildwood Flower” as his own after the recording of The Carter Family in 1928 (copyrighted on October 20, 1935), but the lyrics are almost identical to “I’ll Twine ‘Mid the Ringlets”. He converted it from a parlor song to a folk performance, and while Carter arguably does not guarantee it, he assigns adaptation status to Carter, so there is a separate grouping for “Wildwood Flower”.
Some versions:
Buddy Starcher 1947 (4 Star Records)
Maple Hill Boys 1949 (Perl Records)
Julia Ann Gilmer 1957 (ABC-Paramount)
Anita Carter 1964 (Mercury)
Jim Reeves 1968 (RCA Victor)
Larry Sparks and The Lonesome Ramblers 1970 (Pine Tree)
Stompin ‘Tom Connors 1971 (Boot Records)
Tom Collins 1972 (Starday Records)
The Carter Family – Wildwood Flower Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Oh, I’ll twine with my mingles and waving black hair
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
And the myrtle so bright with the emerald dew
The pale amanita and eyes look like blue
[Verse 2]
I will dance, I will sing, and my loft shall be gay
I will charm every heart, in his crown I will sway
When I woke from my dreaming my idol was clay
All portion of love had all flown away
[Verse 3]
Oh, he taught me to love him and promised to love
And to cherish me over all others above
How my heart is now wondering no misery can tell
He’s left me no warning, no words of farewell
[Verse 4]
Oh, he taught me to love him and called me his flower
That’s blooming to cheer him through life’s dreary hour
Oh, I long to see him and regret the dark hour
He’s gone and neglected this pale wildwood flower
LYRICSTRANSLATE
