Brad Edwards: Five American Folk Song Sketches for French Horn and Trombone Duet

It is a tricky thing to refer to any folk song as being “American.”

As immigrants came to this country, they brought their language, traditions and naturally, their folk music. While some may quibble over the true origins of many American folk tunes, few can question the imprint that folk songs have made on the American soul.

Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair is a yearning Appalachian song dating roughly from the early 20th century. It has been recorded many times and was included in Luciano Berio’s cycle of folk songs.

The singer speaks wistfully of her true love:

Black, black, black is the color of my true love's hair.
His lips are something wond'rous fair
The purest eyes and the bravest hands.
I love the grass whereon he stands.
I love my love and well he knows,
I love the ground whereon he goes
And if my love no more I see
My life would quickly fade away.
Black, black, black is the color of my true love's hair.

The title Soldier Boy has been connected to a number of melodies and sets of lyrics. This particular version captures the rousing spirit of young men as they march off to war and is reminiscent of the better-known "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again".

Shenandoah is widely beloved melody to which different lyrics have been written.
Over the course of multiple verses these lyrics sometimes tell a love story or speak with nostalgia for the beautiful Shenandoah river valley.

Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you,
Away you rolling river.
Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you,
Away, I'm bound away, across the wide Missouri.

The lullaby, All the Pretty Little Horses, is another song with unclear origins. It may have been sung by slaves although some of the lyrics seem to indicate Irish or English origins. In all instances, however, the singer is trying to lull a child to sleep with promises of good things when the child wakes.

Hush-by, Don't you cry
Go to sleepy little baby
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses
Blacks and bays, dapples and grays
Coach and six a little horses
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses

It appears clear that our friend, Dunderbeck, was not a vegetarian. Let’s just
say that neither rats nor cats were harmed in the setting of this rousing little tune.

Oh Dunderbeck, oh Dunderbeck, how could you be so mean
To ever have invented the sausage meat machine?
Now long tailed rats and pussy cats will never more be seen,
They`ll all be ground to sausage meat in Dunderbeck`s machine.