Fatal Rose of Red

DESCRIPTION: A girl bids her uncle to wear a red rose. He will not; a red rose once shattered his life. He had a fight with his sweetheart. He bid her to wear a white rose if she forgave him; otherwise a red. A rival switched notes; he learned the truth years later
AUTHOR: J. Fred Helf & Ed Gardiner
EARLIEST DATE: 1928 (recording, Leo Boswell)
LONG DESCRIPTION: A girl bids her aged uncle to wear a red rose. He will not; a red rose once shattered his life. He had a fight with his sweetheart, and bid her to wear a white rose if she forgave him; otherwise a red. But a rival switched the note, and she wore a red rose. He saw it, and fled. It was not until years later that he learned the truth, after he came home and she was dead.
KEYWORDS: love courting separation trick rejection
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Randolph 808, "The Fatal Rose of Red" (1 text)
Spaeth-WeepSomeMoreMyLady, p. 141, "The Fatal Rose of Red" (1 text)
Roud #7425 and 13940
RECORDINGS:
Leo Boswell, "The Fatal Rose of Red" (Columbia 15290-D, 1928)
Joe Natus, "The Fatal Rose of Red" (CYL: Edison 7601, 1900)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Tragic Romance" (theme)
cf. "After the Ball" (theme)
NOTES [59 words]: Edward Foote Gardner, Popular Songs of the Twentieth Century: Volume I -- Chart Detail & Encyclopedia 1900-1949, Paragon House, 2000, p. 251, estimates that this was the most popular song in America in September 1900, and the seventh-most popular song of the year as a whole (#1 for the year being James Thornton's "When You Were Sweet Sixteen"). - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: R808

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