, etc.I've heard people express doubt that Old Time music actually descends from British roots. If they noticed the number of sea-related songs in the old-time repertoire, they might change their minds.
Of course, Wait Till the Clouds Roll By is not a true old-time song. It was, in fact, originally a parlor piece, with words by J. T. Wood and music by H. J. Fulmer, published in 1894.
Then something funny happened: Uncle Dave Macon got his hands on it. (He may have been intrigued by the banjo accompaniment, but I don't know.) He recorded it in 1939, doing the usual Uncle Dave job of messing up the words -- apart from oddities such as "bound'ring," he managed to combine the second and third verses [see note below]. In a way that's sad, because this song is pretty enough that I wish it would go on longer. But the result is probably better than the original (even if it doesn't have any deep meaning). For this reason, I've decided to use Uncle Dave's version rather than the sheet music form (well, that, plus the fact that I've never seen the original....)
I've always been a bit amused by the first line, where it says "loved one" rather than "lover." Those Victorians -- they couldn't even say "lover" if the two weren't married. (Fie! For shame!)
This is not one of Uncle Dave's best-known songs, and it doesn't seem to have turned up in tradition, so there really isn't much else to say about it. But in trying to figure out how to play it, I learned something I've had occasion to use since.
The trick is this: If you're trying to learn a song from a recording, and you just can't do it, try listening to someone else play the piece. I first heard this song about ten years ago on a recording by Cathy Barton and Dave Para. For years I tried to learn it, and failed. Then, recently, I heard Bob Bovee and Gail Heil sing it. Just once. But that was enough. Two days later I pulled out the banjo, and voilà! I could play it.
From the shape of the piece, this "ought' to be a guitar melody,
and I've included a guitar part in the tab. But it's just boring on the
guitar (you can add a little spice by sliding from the C to the D
chords,
but not much). So I've included a banjo part as well. It's only a
sketch
- Finale, my music program, won't do real banjo tab, so I could only
show
the notes on the four lower strings. But it's a start. It's also, I
think,
a good piece to practice up-the-neck playing, because it uses only
three
chords (G, C, D), but uses both the first-fret positions and the
fifth-fret
positions. I've marked these high chords with an upward arrow, i.e.: , etc.
Jenny, my own true loved one,
I'm going far away,
Out on the bound'ring* billows,
Out on the deep blue sea.
How I will miss you, my darling,
There where the storm's raging high,
Cheer up and don't be lonely,
Wait till the clouds roll by.
Wait till the clouds roll by, Jenny,
Wait till the clouds roll by,
Jenny, my own true loved one,
Wait till the clouds roll by.
Jenny, when far from thee, love,
I'm on the ocean deep,
Each thought of thee forever,
Loving, sweet vigil keep.
Then I will come to you, my darling,
Take courage, dear, never cry,
Cheer up and don't be lonely,
Wait till the clouds roll by.
Wait till the clouds roll by, Jenny,
Wait till the clouds roll by,
Jenny, my own true loved one,
Wait till the clouds roll by.
* "Bound'ring" is one of those Uncle Dave non-words. It's a blatant error, but it sings better than the original's mundane reading"rolling."