Put My Little Shoes Away

DESCRIPTION: "Mother dear, come bathe my forehead For I'm growing very weak...." The dying child bids farewell to friends and family, and asks mother to "Put my little shoes away." They were brought by Santa, and can eventually be given to the baby
AUTHOR: Words: Samuel N. Mitchell / Music: Charles E. Pratt
EARLIEST DATE: 1915 (Chappell); 19C (Wolf); probably written 1873
KEYWORDS: death clothes family
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW,NE,So)
REFERENCES (12 citations):
Randolph 715, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (2 texts plus a fragment, 1 tune)
Randolph/Cohen-OzarkFolksongs-Abridged, pp. 463-465, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 715A)
High-OldOldFolkSongs, p. 6, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text)
Arnold-FolkSongsofAlabama, p. 10, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text, 1 tune)
Chappell-FolkSongsOfRoanokeAndTheAlbermarle 116, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text)
Neely/Spargo-TalesAndSongsOfSouthernIllinois, pp. 257-258, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text)
Huntington-FolksongsFromMarthasVineyard, pp. 67-69, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roberts/Agey-InThePine #126, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text, 1 tune)
Spaeth-WeepSomeMoreMyLady, pp. 25-26, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text, 1 tune)
Brumley-LamplitinTimeInTheValley 12, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 text, 1 tune)
Wolf-AmericanSongSheets, #1942, p. 130, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (1 reference)
DT, PUTSHOES*
Roud #4340
RECORDINGS:
Big Slim Aliff, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Decca 5329, 1937; rec. 1936)
Wilf Carter, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Bluebird [Canada] B-4617, c. 1938; Bluebird B-9032 [possibly as Montana Slim], 1942; rec. 1936)
Chuck Wagon Gang, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (ARC 7-08-55/Vocalion 02983/OKeh 02983/Conqueror 8963, 1937; rec. 1936)
Cramer Brothers, [pseud. for Vernon Dalhart and -- probably -- Carson Robison] "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Broadway 8071, c. 1930)
Gentry Bros., "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Domino 0190 [as Smoky Mountain Twins]/Regal 8389 [as Smoky Mountain Twins]/Paramount 3040 [as Collins Bros.], 1927; Broadway 8071 [as Cramer Bros.], n.d.)
Girls of the Golden West, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Bluebird 5226, 1933)
Lester McFarland & Bob Roberts, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Brunswick 322, 1929; Supertone S-2038, 1930)
Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Decca 29645, 1955); (Brunswick 05567)
Riley Puckett, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Columbia 15125-D, 1927; rec. 1926)
Red Fox Chasers, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Supertone 9535, 1929; Montgomery Ward M-4963, 1936)
Fiddlin' Doc Roberts Trio, "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Conqueror 8208, 1933)
Vagabonds, "Little Shoes" (Montgomery Ward M-4239, 1933)
Henry Whitter, "Put Away My Little Shoes" (Okeh 45046, 1926)
NOTES [53 words]: The era of this song may explain its odd request: By the time of the Civil War, factory-made shoes were available, but were quite primitive, with no left and right hand versions. Shoes thus were easily acquired, but well-made shoes were becoming more of a luxury as the factory shoes made life harder for cobblers. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.7
File: R715

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