Lulu Walls

DESCRIPTION: The singer describes "that aggravating beauty, Lulu Walls." She has stolen his heart and left him in "sad misery." He plans to offer to wed, but knows she will turn him down. If she were his, he would surround her with walls so no one else would see her
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (recording, Walter Morris)
KEYWORDS: love courting rejection
FOUND IN: US(Ap,SE,So)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Randolph 383, "Lulu Walls" (1 text, 1 tune)
Jones-MinstrelOfTheAppalachians-Bascom-Lamar-Lunsford, pp. 233-234, "Lula Wall" (1 text, 1 tune)
Henry-SongsSungInTheSouthernAppalachians, pp. 37-38, "Lula Wall" (1 text)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 703, "Lula Falls"; 704, "Lula Wall" (2 short texts, 2 tunes)
Browne-AlabamaFolkLyric 90, "Lula Walls" (2 texts plus mention of 1 more, 2 tunes)
DT, LULUWALL*
Roud #3338
RECORDINGS:
Carter Family, "Lulu Walls" (Victor V-40126, 1929; Bluebird B-5927/Montgomery Ward M-4437, 1934) (Romeo 06-05-53/Conqueror 8693, 1936; rec. 1935)
A'nt Idy Harper & the Coon Creek Girls, "Lulu Wall" (Conqueror 9065 [as Coon Creek Girls]/Vocalion 04203, 1938)
Bascom Lamar Lunsford, "Lulu Wall" (Brunswick 229/Vocalion 5252, 1928)
Walter Morris, "Lulu Walsh" (Columbia 15115-D, 1927)
Marvin Williams, "Lula Wall" (OKeh 45467, 1930)
NOTES [86 words]: Recorded by the Carter Family, and credited to A. P. Carter -- but given that the song was in circulation in the Ozarks in 1928 (Randolph), and in the Appalachians in 1933 (Henry), it seems a fair bet that the song predates the Carters. Though it is quite likely that the Carters rewrote it. - RBW
The Ozark folks may well have learned the song from the Morris recording. - PJS
And ditto Frank W. Anderson, who was Henry's informant, and so on. I wonder if Morris wrote it? It doesn't sound very traditional to me. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.3
File: R383

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