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J. K. The Yellow Rose of Texas Song & Chorus. ...
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Description
J. K. The Yellow Rose of Texas Song & Chorus. Composed and Arranged Expressly for Charles H. Brown by J.L. New York: Firth, Pond & Co, 1858.FIRST SEPARTE PRINTING. Five pages. Folio, 9.75" x 13.25". Housed in a custom quarter smooth brown calf and marble board case.
A rare printing of this Texas folklore song of which there are reportedly no more than half a dozen in existence. The lyrics read, in part, "Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew, You may talk about your Dearest May, 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, She walks along the river in the quiet summer night; She thinks if I remember when we parted long ago, I promis'd to come back again, and not to leave her so."
An iconic song in the state's history, "The Yellow Rose of Texas" has received much attention from scholars surrounding the subject and meaning of the lyrics. Dating back to the period of the Texas Revolution, early legends suggested that the song was written by a free black man about his lost lover, Emily West (alternatively, Emily Morgan). According to the lore, West/Morgan "aided the Texas revolutionary cause by (either willing or unwillingly) being in Santa Anna's bed at the time of the battle of San Jacinto." Although proponents of this theory disagree on the nature of the encounter, all insist that West/Morgan, a black woman, contributed to the revolutionary cause through her sacrifice. Though the myth surrounding this song has obscured its true history, it still serves as an important symbol for Texas pride centuries after its creation.
The earliest known version of the song was included in an 1853 songbook published by Edwin Pearce Christy, a blackface minstrel show founder in Philadelphia. Five years later, it was altered and a piano accompaniment was added, of which a copy is featured here. The song gained popularity throughout the Civil War as Confederate soldiers in the Texas Brigade used it as a marching song. "The Yellow Rose of Texas" has been numerous times throughout the twentieth century by artists such as Johnny Desmond, Johnny Lee, and Lane Brody. In 1984, Lee and Brody's collaboration became the number-one country song of the year.
Condition: Toning and foxing throughout. Particularly along margins. Archival tape to the last page verso. Pencil notations to the front page.
References: Kenneth L. Untiedt, Celebrating 100 Years of the Texas Folklore Society, 1909 - 2009.
Auction Info
2023 December 2 The Ted Lusher Texas History Collection, Part One Signature® Auction #6281 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2023
2nd
Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 2
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