Rosie Nell

DESCRIPTION: "How oft I dream of childhood days, Of tricks we used to play.... I'd rather be with Rosie Nell, a-swinging in the lane." But then "Aunt Jemima Brown" introduces Rosie to another fellow. The singer warns men against getting too involved with women
AUTHOR: Charles Carroll Sawyer (source: Browne-AlabamaFolkLyric)
EARLIEST DATE: 1868 (The Champaign Charlie and Coal Oil Tommy Songster)
KEYWORDS: courting infidelity warning
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MA,MW,So)
REFERENCES (9 citations):
Fuson-BalladsOfTheKentuckyHighlands, p. 99, "Rosy Nell" (1 text)
Sandburg-TheAmericanSongbag, pp. 114-116, "Rosie Nell" (1 text, 1 tune)
Randolph 871, "Swinging in the Lane" (1 text, 1 tune)
Stout-FolkloreFromIowa 57, pp. 75-76, "Rosie Nell" (2 texts)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 683, "Childhood Days" (1 short text, 1 tune, probably this); 789 "Singing in the Lane" (1 short text, 1 tune, again, probably this)
Browne-AlabamaFolkLyric 37, "Swinging in the Lane" (1 tet plus 2 excerpts and mention of 3 more; 2 tunes)
Shoemaker-MountainMinstrelsyOfPennsylvania, pp.137-138, "Swinging in the Lane" (1 text) (pp. 116-117 in the 1919 edition)
Dime-Song-Book #15, pp. 24-25, "Swinging in the Lane" (1 text)
cf. Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan, p. 482, "Rosie Nell" (source notes only)
ST San114 (Partial)
Roud #2870
RECORDINGS:
Walter "Kid" Smith & Norman Woodlief with Posey Rorer, "I'd Rather Be with Rosy Nell" (Gennett 6858/Challenge 431, 1929)
The Virginia Dandies [alternate name for Walter "Kid" Smith & The Carolina Buddies], "Rosy Nell" (Crown, unissued, 1931)
File: San114

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