Roll on Silver Moon
AKA | The silver moon Sweet silver-light bonny moon |
First Published | c1825 |
Writer/composer | Charles Sloman? | Roud | RN906 |
Music Hall Performers | Jennie Hughes |
Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Baker, Mrs. England : Somerset; 1906 Baldey, Benjamin England : Sussex; 1905 Barbour, Mr. England : Somerset ; 1905 Byrne, Packie Manus N. Ireland : Donegal 1974 Cook, Henry England : Gloucestershire ; Cronin, Elizabeth Ireland : Co. Cork ; Davis, Vol USA : Arkansas ; 1964 Dingle, John England : Devon ; 1894 Dowden, George England : Dorset 1905 English, John Joe Canada : Newfoundland 1976 Franklin, Edward England : Buckinghamshire 1907 Glover, Mrs. England : Somerset 1905 Hahn, Muss Grace USA : Arkansas 1941 Hillard, Mrs. Marie USA : New Hampshire 1942 Ingenthron, Charles USA : Missouri 1941 O Connell, John Ireland : Co. Cork O’Hara, Mrs. Elizabeth N. Ireland 1969 Pronger, Mrs. Fanny England : Sussex 1960 Reardon, Ambrose Canada : Newfoundland 1968 Reilly, Miss Ireland : Co. Cavan : Lismagiril c1937 Watson, George P. USA 1906 Westaway, H. England : Devon 1889 |
This version from a broadside at Bodleian Ballads pub 1813-1832 As I went to my cot, at the close of the day, About the beginning of June, By a jessamine shade, I spy'd a fair maid, And she sadly complain'd to the moon. Roll on silver moon, guide the traveller's way, (While the nightingale's song is in tune,) But never again with my lover I'll stray, By thy sweet silver light, Bonny Moon. At the hart on the mountain my lover was brave; So handsome, so manly, and clever, so Lind and sincere, and he lov'd me so \ill\ar? O Edwin, thy equal was never ! But now he is dead, and gone to his death-bed. Cut down like a rose in full bloom ; He has fallen asleep, and poor Jane's left to weep, By thy sweet silver light, Bonny Moon. His grave I will seek, and 'till morning appears, I'll weep for my lover so brave; I'll embrace the cold turf and I'll wash with my tears The daizies that bloom on his grave. O never again shall my bosom know joy, With my Edwin I trust to be soon - And lovers shall weep, o'er the spot where we sleep By thy sweet silver light, Bonny Moon.
A popular, early drawing room ballad – possibly written by Charles Sloman (1808-1870) a performer and songwriter who influenced the development of the early music Hall in Britain. I can find no evidence that this song was widely sung in the Halls,but I’m including it as an example of the variety of material the early song writers like Sloman might have produced.
Many modern sources credit the pioneering female composer Jane Sloman (1824-?) with writing the song. Sadly she was born in 1824, which makes it extremely unlikely she did write it, as we can be relatively certain that it was first published between 1813 and 1832 ( some sources suggest 1825). This may be a result of simple confusion, as some mid 19th-century sheet music just credited “Sloman”. However, it is possible that Jane Sloman wrote or arranged new music for words which had been around awhile.
It was widely performed throughout the 19th century. It appeared in the repertoire of Jennie Hughes, an American burlesque actress and vaudeville comic who performed widely in America in the 1870s.
An early recording: WARNING! EXTREME YODELLING!
Sources:
- Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A906
- Old Songs and Airs once Popular in Yorkshire; July 26, 1890; Leeds Mercury
- Mudcat thread
- Fresno Ballad Index entry
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics: see above
- US Sheet Music: Levy collection