YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS, THE
(Traditional - USA c.1853 / Later altered lyrics attributed to Don George)
Ben Jarrell - 1927
Gene Autry & Jimmy Long - 1933
Lee Boswell - 1934
Milton Brown & His Brownies - 1936
Bill Boyd & His Cowboy Ramblers - 1937
Roy Rogers (feat in the film "The Yellow Rose Of Texas") - 1944
The Ranch House Boys - 1946
Red River Dave & The Texas Tophands - 1946
Jesse Rogers - 1946
Jesse Rodgers - 1950
Ernest Tubb & His Texas Troubadours - 1955
Mitch Miller, His Orch. & Chorus - 1955
Stan Freberg - 1955 (Parody Version)
Johnny Desmond - 1955
"Texas" Bill Strength - 1955
Peter Pan Orch. & Chorus - 1955
Ronnie Hilton - 1955
Gary Miller - 1955
Billy Cotton & His Band (vocal: The Bandits) - 1955
Michael Holliday - 1955
Regent Ballroom Orch. (Instr.) - 1955
Vieno Kekkonen - 1955 (Finnish title "Preerian Keltainen Ruusu")
Bruce Low - 1955 (German title "Wenn die Sonne scheint in Texas")
Bert Jansen - 1956 ("Wenn die Sonne scheint in Texas")
Kenny Arnott - 1956
Dario Moreno - 1956 (French title "Je Vais Revoir Ma Blonde")
Claire Victoire - 1957 ("Je Vais Revoir Ma Blonde")
Dickson Hall & The Country All-Stars - 1958
Tex Morton - 1960
Tuula-Anneli Rantanen - 1961 (Finnish title "Keltaruusu")
Ray Conniff, His Orch. & Chorus - 1962
Bill Shepherd Orch. & Chorus - 1962
The Cliff Adams Singers - 1963
Elvis Presley (feat. in the film "Viva Las Vegas") - 1964
Roland Shaw & His Orch. (Instr.) - 1964
Clay Hart - 1964
Cisco Kidd & The Texas Rangers - 1973
Audrey Landers - 1987
Also recorded by:
Sons Of The Pioneers; Lester Lanin & His Orch.; Jo Ann Castle;
Jay Lawrence & Major Bill's Texans; Jimmy Carroll & His Orch.;
Hal Hidey; Bob Hartley ......... and many others.
ORIGINAL LYRICS:
There's a yellow girl in Texas that I'm going down to see
No other darkies know her, no darkie, only me
She cried so when I left her that it like to broke my heart
And if I ever find her, we never more will part
She's the sweetest girl of colour that this darkie ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, and sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Dearest Mae and sing of Rosa Lee
But the yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee
Where the Rio Grande is flowing and the starry skies are bright
Oh, she walks along the river in the quiet summer night
And she thinks if I remember when we parted long ago
I promised to come back again and not to leave her so
She's the sweetest girl of colour that this darkie ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, and sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Dearest Mae and sing of Rosa Lee
But the yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee
Oh, I'm going now to find her, for my heart is full of woe
And we'll sing the songs together that we sang so long ago
We'll play the banjo gaily and we'll sing our sorrows o'er
And the yellow Rose of Texas shall be mine forever more
She's the sweetest girl of colour that this darkie ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, and sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Dearest Mae and sing of Rosa Lee
But the yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee
********************
As recorded by ROY ROGERS:
There's a yellow rose in Texas I'm goin' there to see
No other fellah knows her, nobody, only me
She cried so when I left her, it like to broke my heart
And if we ever meet again, we never more shall part
She's the sweetest rose of colour a cowboy ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Dearest Mai and sing of Rosa Lee
But the Yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee
Where the Rio Grande is flowin' and the stars are shinin' bright
We walked along the river on a quiet Summer night
She said, "If you remember, we parted long ago
You promised to come back again and never let me go"
She's the sweetest rose of colour a cowboy ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Dearest Mai and sing of Rosa Lee
But the Yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee
(Instrumental Break)
I'm gonna back to find her, my heart is full of woe
We'll sing the songs together we sang so long ago
I'll pick the banjo gaily and sing the song of yore
And the Yellow Rose of Texas, she'll be mine for evermore
She's the sweetest rose of colour a cowboy ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Dearest Mai and sing of Rosa Lee
But the Yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - March 2016)
********************
As recorded by GARY MILLER
with the Beryl Stott Chorus and Dennis Wilson & his Orch.:
(scat)
There's a yellow rose in Texas that I am going to see,
Nobody else can miss her, not half as much as me.
She cried so when I left her, it like to broke my heart,
And if I ever find her, we never more will part.
She's the sweetest little rosebud that Texas ever knew,
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew.
You may talk about your Clementine and sing of Rosalie,
But the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only girl for me.
(scat)
Where the Rio Grande is flowing and starry skies are bright,
She walks along the river in the quiet Summer night.
I know that she remembers when we parted long ago;
I promised to return, and not to leave her so.
She's the sweetest little rosebud that Texas ever knew,
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew.
You may talk about your Clementine and sing of Rosalie,
But the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only girl for me.
And now I'm gonna find her, for my heart is full of woe;
We'll do the things together we did so long ago.
We'll play the banjo gaily, she'll love me like before,
And the Yellow Rose of Texas will be mine for evermore.
She's the sweetest little rosebud that Texas ever knew,
Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew.
You may talk about your Clementine and sing of Rosalie,
But the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only girl for me.
(Transcribed by Peter Akers - January 2013)
********************
As performed by ELVIS PRESLEY in the 1964 film
"VIVA LAS VEGAS" (UK title "LOVE IN LAS VEGAS")
Recorded July 10th 1963, Hollywood, California:
Oh, the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only gal I love
Her eyes are even bluer than Texas skies above
Her heart's as big as Texas and wherever I may go
I'll remember her forever because I love her so
There are so many roses that bloom along the way
But my heart's in Amarillo and that's where it will stay
With the Yellow Rose of Texas, so I'd better get there fast
'Cause I know I was her first love and I wanta be her last
The Yellow Rose of Texas is the only gal I love
Her eyes are even bluer than Texas skies above
Her heart's as big as Texas and wherever I may go
I'll remember her forever because I love her so
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - March 2016)
