{"id":23423,"date":"2024-02-04T20:57:38","date_gmt":"2024-02-04T20:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=23423"},"modified":"2025-12-09T08:03:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T08:03:36","slug":"blue-bell","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/blue-bell\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Bell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Bluebell
Farewell my Blue Bell<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1904<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Edward Madden \/ Theodore Morse<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN11331<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>\"everybody\", Hamilton Hill<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Cox, Laura ; England : Norfolk 1905
Robbins, Miss Jewell ; USA : N. Carolina : c1921
Copper, Jim ; England : Sussex ; 1936
White, Newman I. ; USA : N. Carolina 1945
Browne, Mrs. Nola ; USA : Alabama : 1952
Weare, Henry W. ; USA : Arkansas : 1954
Everly, Mrs. Gladys ; USA : Missouri : 1958
Webb, Mrs. Walter ; Canada : Ontario : 1962
Sykes, Jack ; England : Yorkshire : Hull 1967
Baker, Arthur ; England : Hampshire : 1971
Beeforth, Jack ; England : Yorkshire : 1974
Pardon, Walter ; England : Norfolk : 1974
Bond, George ; Australia : New South Wales : 1982
Baxter, Bill ; Australia : New South Wales : 1983
Jones, Frank ; England : Birmingham 1984
Marks, Phillis ; USA : W. Virginia : 1998
Jacobs, Lillian ; USA : Vermont : no date<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From Music hall Memories No 20:<\/strong>\n\nBlue Bell, the dawn is waking, \nSweetheart, you must not sigh,\nBlue Bell, my heart is breaking, \nI've come to say good-bye;\nHear how the bugle is calling, \nCalling to each brave heart,\nSweetheart, your tears are falling, \nBlue Bell, we two must part.\n\nGood-bye, my Blue Bell, farewell to you,\nOne last fond look into my eyes so blue;\n'Mid camp fires gleaming, 'mid shot and shell,\nI will be dreaming of my own Blue Bell.<\/em>\n\nBlue Bell, a wrong wants righting\nBrave men must risk their lives ,\nFoemen in arms are fighting,\nEach for the victory strives,\nThere on the hillside lying,\nThere 'mid the guns loud roar,\nBlue Bell your true love's dying\nCalling for you once more\n\nBlue Bell, they are returning, \nEach greets a sweetheart, true,\nBlue Bell, your heart is yearning, \nNever a one greets you,\nSadly they tell the story, \nTell how he fought and fell,\nNo tho't of fame or glory, \nOnly of his Blue Bell.\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
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A sentimental song whose performance rights were not owned by any particular singer, though the Australian baritone Hamilton Hill did a lot to popularise it in British and Australian Music Halls. It was a huge hit globally in the first decade of the 20th century, sung and\/or recorded by dozens of artistes, including The Haydn Quartet, Henry Burr, Frank Stanley, Kathryn Miley, Nellie Nichols, Edward B Adams, Anna Driver and Madeline Clark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to some authors, it was originally written in response to the short-lived Spanish- American war of 1898, and like Break the News to Mother<\/a> <\/em>was revived in later conflicts. Most sources state the song was first published 6 years after the  Spanish-American conflict, in 1904. (Kilgarriff gives a publication date of 1898, but I have not found any corroboration for this earlier date.)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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It was recorded by Al Hopkins and his Buckle Busters in the late 1920s<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recording or download of this song can be purchased from Windyridge CDs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song’s popularity in English-speaking countries is reflected in the fact that it has been found in the repertoire of  17 or so traditional singers from England, Australia, Canada and America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n