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Wildwood Flower

Composer: Traditional / A.P. Carter / Maud Irving / J.P. Webster


Jerry Garcia

info Good Old Boys Live: Drink Up And Go Home, Good Old Boys, 2018

Recordings

no info Carter Family, 1928
info Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachian Mountains, Tom Paley, 1953
info North Carolina Ballads, Artus Moser, 1955
no info EP, Sonny Osborne, 1956
no info Mickey Miller Sings American Folk Songs, Mickey Miller, 1959
no info Pickin' and Blowin', George Pegram and Red Parham, 195?
info Joan Baez, Joan Baez, 1960
no info EP, Buddy Starcher, 1960
no info Most Exciting Guitar, Ray Latham, 1961
no info Single, Stanley Brothers , 1961
info Long Journey Home, The Stanley Brothers, 1961
no info Original and Great Carter Family, The Carter Family, 1962
info The Stanleys in Person, Stanley Brothers, 1962
info Folk Banjo Styles, Eric Weissberg, Tom Paley, Art Rosenbaum, Marshall Brickman, 1962
info 50 Guitars Go Country, Tommy Garrett, 1962
info The Sound of a Bluegrass Banjo: Native American Melodies Bluegrass Style, Charles Trent, 1962
info Mountain Music Played on the Autoharp, Various Artists (Kilby Snow), 1962
no info Dick Farina and Erich Von Schmidt, Richard Farina and Erich Von Schmidt, 1963
info 12 String Guitar, The Folkswingers, 1963
no info The Ventures Play the Country Classics, Ventures, 1963
info 12 String Guitar, Billy Strange, 1963?
info Bluegrass Breakdown, Lilly Brothers, 1964
info Anita and Helen Carter, Anita and Helen Carter, 1964
no info Music From The Ozarks, Various Artists, 1964
no info Modern Country, Kai Winding, 1964
info The Electric 12 String Guitar, Tom Tedesco, 1964
info The Best of the Stanley Brothers, The Stanley Brothers, 1966
no info American Banjo, Gene Cox, 1966
info The Flat-Picker's Guitar Guide: An Advanced Instruction Record, Jerry Silverman, 1966
no info Play Country Guitar with Jimmy Bryant, Guitar Phonics, Volume 5, Jimmy Bryant, 1966
info Funk Harmonica, Billy Lee Riley, 1966
info More Old Time Mountain Music, J.E. Mainer & His Mountaineers, 1967
no info Single, Les Hall and the Bluegrass Mastertone Boys, 1968
info All-Time Great Country Instrumentals, Jim & Jesse, 1968
info Dawn Of The Stonemans Age, The Stonemans, 1969
no info Songs Of The Famous Carter Family, Flatt and Scruggs and The Foggy Mountain Boys, 196?
no info George Pegram, George Pegram, 1970
info Country Moog: Switched on Nashville, Gil Trythall, 1970
no info Second Generation Bluegrass, Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs, 1971
info Sounds of the Smokies, Bill Davis and his Singing Dulcimer, 1971
no info Star Portrait, Johnny Cash, 1972
info Country Boots, Boots Randolph, 1972
info Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1972
info Tarzana Kid, John Sebastian, 1974
no info Wind That Shakes The Barley, John McCutcheon, 1977
no info Fare Well, Traveller, Mark Cohen, 1977
no info Sing The Carter Family, Wilma Lee Cooper and Stoney Cooper, 1977
no info Legendary Performer, Chet Atkins, 1978
no info Country Guitar Giants, Merle Travis and Joe Maphis, 1979
no info Blue Grass Banjos: Flaming Banjos, Homer and The Barnstormers, 197?
info Clarence White And The Kentucky Colonels, Kentucky Colonels, 1980
info My Old Paint Mare, Country Ham, 1980
no info Songs Of This That and The Other, Tim Broadbent, 1981
info Autoharp Centennial Celebration, Various Artists, 1981
no info The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music, Various Artists (Carter Family), 1981
no info Seeing The Country, Al Doherty, 1982
no info Appalachian Fiddle Tunes For Finger Style Guitar, Seth Austen, 1982
no info The Fabulous Duane Eddy, Duane Eddy, 1983
no info Across the Blueridge Mountains, Harry Allen, 1983
info Bluegrass, David and Billie Ray Johnson, 1983
no info Rockin' On The Radio, Sid King and The Five Strings, 1984
no info Norman and Nancy Blake Compact Disk, Norman and Nancy Blake, 1986
no info Ballad Of Sally Rose, Emmylou Harris, 1986
no info Guitar Man, Duane Eddy, 1986
no info Bluegrass Favorites, The Wood Brothers, 1989
info Ring of Fire, Anita Carter, 1989
info Steve Kilby, Steve Kilby, 198?
info American Banjo: Three Finger and Scruggs Style, Various Artists (Eugene Cox and Veronica Stoneman Cox), 1990
no info Classic Country Music, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Carter Family), 1990
no info Diamonds - Best of the Vanguard Years, Joan Baez, 1991
no info J Miller Sessions, Rusty and Doug, 1991
info Guitar Player Presents: Legends of Guitar: Country, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Carter Family), 1991
info 1959-1963, Flatt and Scruggs, 1992
no info Lonnie On The Move, Lonnie Mack, 1992
no info Anchored In Love - Their Complete Victor, 1927, The Carter Family, 1993
no info Galloping Guitar, Chet Atkins, 1993
info Tone Poems: The Sounds of the Great Vintage Guitars and Mandolins, David Grisman and Tony Rice, 1994
info Old Time Music, The New Lost City Ramblers & Friends, 1994
info Early Starday-King Years 1958-1961, The Stanley Brothers, 1994
no info Bluegrass '95, Various Artists, 1995
info Folk Music At Newport, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Maybelle Carter), 1995
info The Real Music Box: 25 Years of Rounder Records, Various Artists (D.L. Menard), 1995
info Railroad Man (comp), Billy Strange, 1995
info The Man in Black: 1963-1969, Johnny Cash, 1996
no info Vintage, Hank Thompson, 1996
info Crown of Jewels, Randy Scruggs, 1998
info Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall!: Complete Concert, Flatt and Scruggs, 1998
info Prestige/Folklore Years, Vol. 5: Have a Feast Here Tonight, The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, 1999
no info Music of the Ozarks, Various Artists (Jean Simmons), 19??
no info Grandfather's Greatest Hits, David Hold, 19??
no info Mountain Ballads and Old Hymns, Asher Sizemore and Little Jimmie, 19??
no info 60 Years Of Country Music, Various Artists (Carter Family), 19??
no info The Smithsonian Collection Of Classic Country Music, Various Artists (Carter Family), 19??
no info The Legendary Carter Family, Carter Family, 19??
no info Single, Alex Campbell, Ola Belle and Deacon, 19??
no info Jimmy and His Banjo EP, Jimmie Henley, 19??
info In the Shadow of Clinch Mountain, The Carter Family, 2000
info 33 Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals, Clarence White, 2000
info American Roots Music, Various Artists (Carter Family), 2000
info Around the World to Poor Valley, Bill Clifton, 2001
info Neighbor Girl, Cary Fridley, 2001
info Front Porch Pickin': 24 Great Bluegrass Instrument, Various Artists (Earl Taylor), 2001
info The Carter Family: 1927-1934, The Carter Family, 2002
info Classic Mountain Songs, Various Artists (Kilby Snow), 2002
info Tribute to Bluegrass, Chet Atkins, 2002
info The Carter Family: 1935-1941, The Carter Family, 2003
info American Folk and Country Music Festival, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 2003
info Keep on the Sunny Side: Bluegrass Salutes the Carter Family, Various Artists (Joe Maphis / Merle Travis), 2003
info All Songs Considered: 4 CD Box Set Collection, Various Artists (Grisman & Rice), 2004
info All Songs Considered, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Grisman & Rice), 2004
info All Smiles Tonight: An Anthology of Heritage Music from Hampshire County, Various Artists, 2004
info Appalachian Angel: Her Recordings 1950-1972, Anita Carter, 2004
info In Sacred Trust: The 1963 Fleming Brown Tapes, Hobart Smith, 2005 info Flatpicking 2001, Various Artists (Wyatt Rice), 2005
info The Best of Mac Wiseman: Essential Original Masters, Mac Wiseman, 2006
info At Madison Square Garden, Johnny Cash, 2002
info The Legend, Johnny Cash, 2005
info Fonotone Records, Various Artists (The Hillbilly Boys), 2005
info The Appalachians, Various Artists (David Grisman & Tony Rice), 2005
info Into the Twangy-First Century / Row vs. Wade, Run C&W, 2006
info Union, Sam Pacetti & Gabriel Valla, 2006
no info Sound Traditions: Burnin' Up the Strings, Various Artists (Earl Taylor & Jim McCall), 2006
info Masters of Old-time Country Autoharp, Various Artists (Kilby Snow and Mike Seeger), 2006
info Songbird: Rare Tracks & Forgotten Gems, Emmylou Harris, 2007
info Old Time Mountain Music / More Old Time Mountain Music, J.E. Mainer & His Mountaineers, 2007
info Early Southern Guitar Styles, Mike Seeger, 2007
info True Bluegrass Instrumentals, Various Artists (Keith Whitley & Ricky Skaggs), 2007
info Front Porch Pickin', Various Artists (Mac Wiseman), 2008
info Rambling Boy, Charlie Haden Family & Friends, 2008
info The Complete Tone Poems, David Grisman and Tony Rice, 2009
info Tone Poems Deluxe Edition, David Grisman / Tony Rice, 2013
info Divided & United: The Songs of the Civil War, Various Artists (Sam Amidon), 2013
info Dawg and 'T': Live At Acoustic Stage, David Grisman and Tony Rice, 2017
info The Book Of The Dawg: Dawg Roots, David Grisman, 2021
info At The Carousel Ballroom: April 24, 1968, Johnny Cash, 2021

Notes

Played by Jerry Garcia, Marshall Leicester and Robert Hunter at the Carlos Bookstall in San Carlos in July 1961. Played by the Good Old Boys, with Jerry Garcia sitting in, in 1975.

The lyrics used by Garcia on the San Carlos tape vary in small details from the Carter Family version and are as follows;

I will twine with my mingles and [waving] black hair
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
And the meadow so bright with it's emerald hue
The pale and the leader and eyes look [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
I woke from all dreaming, all idols was clay
All portions of love then had all flown away

But he told me to love him and promised to love
And to cherish me over all others above
My poor heart is wondering no misery can tell
I'm left with no warning, no word of farewell

Well you told me you love me and called me your flower
That was blooming to cheer you through life's dreary hour
I long to see him [and regret] life's dark hour
He's gone and neglected this pale wildwood flower.

This song is often credited to A. P. Carter on LP/CDs. However Maybelle Carter recalled hearing the song, sung by her grandmother, when she was a child. It's thought that a number of existing songs provided source material for Wildwood Flower. One major source for some of the lyrics is an 1860 song written by Maud Irving and J.P. Webster called I'll Twine Mid The Ringlets. The strange opening line of Wildwood Flower is thought to be based on a mis-hearing of the first line of I'll Twine Mid The Ringlets Another song that is sometimes suggested as a source for parts of the song is The Pale Amaryllis. However it is the Carter Family version of the song, first recorded in 1928, that forms the basis of subsequent versions.

The lyrics of I'll Twine Mid The Ringlets are;

I'll twine 'mid the ringlets of my raven black hair
The lilies so pale and the roses so fair
The myrtle so bright with an emerald hue
And the pale aronatus with eyes of bright blue.

I'll sing and I'll dance, my laugh shall be gay
I'll cease this wild weeping, drive sorrow away.
Tho' my heart is now breaking, he never shall know
That his name made me tremble and my pale cheeks to glow.

I'll think of him never, I'll be wildly gay
I'll charm ev'ry heart, and the crowd I will sway.
I'll live yet to see him regret the dark hour
When he won, then neglected, the frail wildwood flower.

He told me he loved me, and promis'd to love
Trough ill and misfortune, all others above
Another has won him; ah, misery to tell
He left me in silence, no word of farewell.

He taught me to love him, he call'd me his flower
That blossom'd for him all the brighter each hour
But I woke from my dreaming, my idol was clay
My visions of love have all faded away.