Red River Valley

I had been reading this book of mine, The Green Mile by Stephen King. Its one of my favourite books and I've been rereading it over and over again :)

Anyway, there was this part near the end where John Coffey was about to be executed and the prison guard, Paul Edgecombe was thinking of this song.. From the valley they say you are going.. we will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile.. It only had those two lines but I found myself humming to this song.

This song was either sung during school whenever someone was moving or it was a scouts song (I'm thinking more of the latter now). If its a scouts song, must be Iwan or Adi who taught me this song and really loved it, so sing the tune just seemed to stay in my head, I decided to recheck the two verses I was familiar with but imagine my surprise when it actually had a lot more than only two stanza.

Anyway, checked with wikipedia and found a quite interesting explanation of the song so I'll share the URL here --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_Valley_(song)

Well, as for the lyrics, I found that there were a few versions as given here below..

Check it out!!

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Red River Valley (vers 1)
arranged and adapted by Arlo Guthrie

From this valley they say you are going
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened our pathways awhile

CHORUS:
Come and sit by my side, if you love me
Do not hasten to bid me adieu
Just remember the Red River Valley
And the cowboy who loved you so true

I've been thinking a long time, my darling
Of the sweet words you never would say
Now, alas, must my fond hopes all vanish
For they say you are gong away

Do you think of the valley you're leaving
O how lonely and how dreary it will be
And do you think of the kind hearts you're breaking
And the pain you are causing to me

CHORUS

They will bury me where you have wandered
Near the hills where the daffodils grow
When you're gone from the Red River Valley
For I can't live without you I know

CHORUS

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(vers 2)
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/redriver.htm (source)

From this valley they say you are going
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened our path for a while

Come and sit by my side if you love me
Do not hasten to bid me adieu
But remember the Red River Valley
And the cowboy who loved you so true

Won't you think of the valley you're leaving
Oh how lonely, how sad it will be?
Oh think of the fond heart you're breaking
And the grief you are causing to me

As you go to your home by the ocean
May you never forget those sweet hours
That we spent in the Red River Valley
And the love we exchanged mid the flowers

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(vers 3)
http://www.wildwestweb.net/redrivervalley.html (source) longer one I think :)

From this valley they say you are going,
I will miss your sweet face and sweet smile,
Just because you are weary and tired,
You are changing your range for a while.

Chorus:
Then come sit here a while 'ere you leave me,
Do not hasten to bid me adieu
But remember the Red River Valley
And the girl that has loved you so true.

I've been thinking a long time, my darling,
Of the sweet words you never would say,
Now alas, must my fond hopes all vanish?
For they say you are going away.

When you think of the valley you're leaving
Oh how lonely and drear it it would be,
When think of the fond heart you're breaking
And the pain you are causing to me.

From this valley they say you are going;
When you go, may your darling go too?
Would you leave her behind unprotected
When she loves no other but you?

I have promised you darling that never,
Shall the words from my lips cause you pain;
And my life is still your's forever,
If you only will love me again.

Must the past with it's joys be blighted
By the future of sorrow and pain,
And the vows that were spoken be slighted?
Don't you think, you can love me again?

As you go to your home by the ocean
May you never forget those sweet hours
That we spent in the Red River Valley
And the love we exchanged 'mid the flowers

There never could be such a longing
In the heart of a poor maiden's breast,
That dwells in the heart you are breaking
As I wait in my home in the West.

And the dark maiden's prayer for her lover
To the Spirit that rules the world:
May his pathway be ever in sunshine,
Is the prayer of the Red River girl.