The Wildwood Flower

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This week the Tuesday Guitar 3 class at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, studied the Wildwood Flower. 

The Wildwood Flower is an American song with a beautiful melody, best known through the performances and recordings of the Carter Family. The song was written in 1860 under the title was I'll Twine Mid the Ringlets, words by Maud Irving and music by Joseph Philbrick Webster. 

Woody Guthrie used the tune for his song, The Sinking of the Reuben James, but constructed an original melody for his memorable chorus. Download the tablature here.


THE WILDWOOD FLOWER

I will twine I will mingle my waving black hair

with the roses so red and the lilies so fair

and the myrtle so bright with the emerald hue

the pale emanita and the hyssop so blue


I will dance I will sing and my laugh shall be gay

I will charm every heart in his crown I will sway

when woke from my dreaming, my idols were clay

all portions of loving had all flown away


But 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 left with no warning, no words of farewell


Oh he taught me to love him and called me his flower

that was blooming to cheer him through life's weary hour

oh I long to see him and regret the dark hour

he's gone and neglected this pale wildwood flower


Watch Maybelle Carter sing and pick it here. Download the free tab here.

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