°-¥ Yellow Rose of Texas (1853)

Southern rock, melodic piano, country, halfstep techno, alternative/indie rock

[Instrumental bridge]
Heading back...

[Chorus acapella]
She's the sweetest girl of color
That this darkey ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds
And sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your
You may talk about your Dearest Mae 
And sing of Rosa Lee
But the yellow Rose of Texas
Beats the belles of Tennessee

[Verse]
Where the Rio Grande is flowing
And the starry skies are bright
Oh, she walks along the river
In the quiet summer night
And she thinks if I remember
When we parted long ago
I promised to come back again
And not to leave her so

[Verse]
Oh, I'm going now to find her
For my heart is full of woe
And we'll sing the songs together
That we sang so long ago
We'll play the banjo gaily
And we'll sing our sorrows o'er
And the yellow Rose of Texas
shall be mine forever more

[Chorus]
She's the sweetest girl of color
That this darkey ever knew
Her eyes are bright as diamonds
And sparkle like the dew
You may talk about your Dearest Mae 
And sing of Rosa Lee
But the yellow Rose of Texas
Beats the belles of Tennessee

The "The Yellow Rose of Texas" published in 1853. It was written from the perspective of an African American man (referred to as a "darkey") who is longing to return to his sweetheart, a "yellow girl" (a common 19th-century term for a mixed-race woman). In early versions, the "Yellow Rose" was described as the "sweetest rose of color". By the 1858 sheet music publication, the term "yellow girl" was changed to "yellow rose

Over time, as the song evolved, becoming a patriotic Texas anthem, and these racial references were removed. Modern versions replaced "darky" with words like "soldier" or "cowboy" to distance the song from its minstrel show origins. But the version you just heard was the original heartfelt longing of the elusive "JK" who wrote it in 1853.

2018/7500

There's a yellow girl in Texas That I'm going down to see No other darkies know her No darkey, only me She cried so when I left her That it like to broke my heart, And if I only find her We never more will part [Instrumental bridge] Heading back... [Chorus acapella] She's the sweetest girl of color That this darkey ever knew Her eyes are bright as diamonds And sparkle like the dew You may talk about your You may talk about your Dearest Mae And sing of Rosa Lee But the yellow Rose of Texas Beats the belles of Tennessee [Verse] Where the Rio Grande is flowing And the starry skies are bright Oh, she walks along the river In the quiet summer night And she thinks if I remember When we parted long ago I promised to come back again And not to leave her so [Verse] Oh, I'm going now to find her For my heart is full of woe And we'll sing the songs together That we sang so long ago We'll play the banjo gaily And we'll sing our sorrows o'er And the yellow Rose of Texas shall be mine forever more [Chorus] She's the sweetest girl of color That this darkey ever knew Her eyes are bright as diamonds And sparkle like the dew You may talk about your Dearest Mae And sing of Rosa Lee But the yellow Rose of Texas Beats the belles of Tennessee The "The Yellow Rose of Texas" published in 1853. It was written from the perspective of an African American man (referred to as a "darkey") who is longing to return to his sweetheart, a "yellow girl" (a common 19th-century term for a mixed-race woman). In early versions, the "Yellow Rose" was described as the "sweetest rose of color". By the 1858 sheet music publication, the term "yellow girl" was changed to "yellow rose Over time, as the song evolved, becoming a patriotic Texas anthem, and these racial references were removed. Modern versions replaced "darky" with words like "soldier" or "cowboy" to distance the song from its minstrel show origins. But the version you just heard was the original heartfelt longing of the elusive "JK" who wrote it in 1853.

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