Sweet Heaven (II)

DESCRIPTION: Singer is going to the racetrack; he promises to share any winnings with his sweetheart. Rest floats, e.g. "Give beefsteak when I'm hungry, whiskey when I'm dry...." Chorus: "Let her go (x2) God bless her/Though she roams over land and sea...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (recording, Tenneva Ramblers)
KEYWORDS: farewell parting floatingverses nonballad lover gambling racing food
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Sharp-EnglishFolkSongsFromSouthernAppalachians 243, "Liza Anne" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #7697
RECORDINGS:
Clint Howard et al, "Sweet Heaven When I Die" (on WatsonAshley01)
Arthur Smith Trio, "Sweet Heaven" (Bluebird B-7146, 1937)
Tenneva Ramblers, "Sweet Heaven When I Die" (Victor 20861, 1927)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Country Blues" (floating verses)
cf. "Dear Companion (The Broken Heart; Go and Leave Me If You Wish To, Fond Affection)" (lyrics)
cf. "Saint James Infirmary" (the "let her go" lyrics)
NOTES [92 words]: This certainly has strong overlaps with "Dear Companion", paraphrasing its chorus and some of its verses. But its gestalt is different, and it has acquired a life of its own, so I split them.
I put Sharp-EnglishFolkSongsFromSouthernAppalachians 243, here because its first floating verse is "Beefsteak when I'm hungry...," but it's really a mess of floaters, one of which also shows up in the "Betty Anne" version of "Shady Grove." Although it was collected in 1917, I'm not assigning that as Earliest Date for "Sweet Heaven (II)," but I note it here. - PJS
File: RcSwHeav

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