Wish to the lord I'd never been born...

[abram]

A friend of mine has been playing this really cool song that goes "I wish to the Lord I'd never been born, died when I was so young"

It starts on a F chord and then goes to G (if you're playing it in G)

Does anybody know what it's called/who played it/any more lyrics to it?

[sjusk]

Could it be this one you are looking for?
I remember playing it years ago.

"All The Good Times Are Past And Gone"

The lyrics are these:


I wish to the lord I'd never been born
Or died when I was young
I never would have seen your sparkling blue eyes
Or heard your lying tongue

All the good times are past and gone
All the good times are o'er
All the good times are past and gone
Little darling don't weep no more

Don't you see that turtle dove
That flies from pine to pine
He's mourning for his own true love
Just like I mourn for mine

Come back, come back my own true love
And stay awhile with me
For if ever I've had a friend in this world
You've been that friend to me

The song has, as I know it, the 3 "standard" chords. i.e.: A-D-E or G-C-D
D

Søren

[AlanN]

Great, great song. Keith Whitley made it.

[plunkett5]

Ian & Sylvia and Joan Baez both had nice versions of "Long Lonesome Road" with a similar line.

Look up and down that long lonesome road
Hang down your head and cry, my lord
Hang down your head and cry.

I wish to the Lord I'd never been born,
Died when I was a baby, my lord
Died when I was a child.

I wouldn't be eatin' this cold corn bread,
Soppin' this salty gravy, my lord
Soppin' this salty gravy.

I wish I had some fine young man
To tell all my troubles to, my lord,
To tell all my troubles to.

'Cause this young feller that I'm goin' with
Tells everything I do, my lord
Tells everything I do.

Look up and down that long lonesome road,
Hang down your head and cry, my lord
Hang down your head and cry.

Look up and down that long lonesome road,
Where all our friends have gone, my lord
And you and I must go.

[Moose]

THAT song was being done & recorded before Keith or Ian and watzzername were born - still in their father's mind.. Yes! a good song (and thanks to the poster above for the words!!) http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[KenR]

I think you may be refering to a song called I Truly Understand You Love Another Man which I believe has the chord progression you described. I first heard the song on the first New Lost City Ramblers album back in the sixties although they had an older source, of course. Those lyrics are used in many folk songs. - Ken

[Moose]

Translated as : "Will You Be Lovin' Another Man" (Flatt & Scruggs)....eh...!!?? hee.. hee.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[abram]

dang, I don't think its any of those songs, definitely not "All the good times" or the New Lost City Ramblers song. I guess I'll just keep singing the one verse.

[PattyQB]

Abram, it’s been fourteen years since you asked about this song, but I just joined. I know which one you want. Find Bob Coltman’s album “Lonesome Robin” Minstrel JD-200 1973. Has Ed Trickett on there as well.
It’s probably still out of print but on a lucky day I found the vinyl at Amoeba music in Los Angeles. The back album cover states “lyrics and notes enclosed”, but unfortunately not inside this copy anymore
The whole album is great. Good luck.

[allenhopkins]

Song is I Truly Understand, recorded 1928 by "Shortbuckle" Roark and family.

Here's his version:

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My favorite version is Bruce Molsky's:

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Couldn't be more different! The New Lost City Ramblers' version was based on Roark's.

[A 4]

Listening last night, I noticed that those lyrics appear in "Fall on my Knees," as well. Nice song.

[Ranald]

Don't you see that turtle dove
That flies from pine to pine
He's mourning for his own true love
Just like I mourn for mine

I realize that this is a very old thread, but this song too has very old routes. This verse is found in slightly different versions in the traditional folk song "Mary Ann" found on both sides of the Atlantic. Bob Dylan is among many who recorded it. I sing a Nova Scotia version:

Yonder, see that turtle dove
Sitting on the style
He's mourning the loss of his own true love
As I do now for you my dear, Mary Ann.

Folk songs, like blues songs (or perhaps I should say including many blues songs) and old-time dance ditties, often having "floating verses" to fit in where appropriate.

[judith]

A similar verse is found in a Hayes Shepherd song - Hard for to Love..
See that turtle dove,
sitting in yonder pine,
He'smourning the loss of his own true love,
As I mourn for mine.

He was an Appalachian itinerant singer. Found on Erynn Marshall cd.
Judith

[A 4]

"Hard for to Love" has another pair of verses that seem to appear in a lot of different songs:

So it's who will shoe your pretty little feet?
Oh, it's who will glove your hands?
Oh, it's who will kiss them red rosy cheeks?
When I'm in some far-off land.

Papa will shoe my pretty little feet.
Mama will glove my hands.
Sister will kiss my red rosy cheeks,
And I ain't a-gonna marry no man.

Also came across yet another song with "Wish to the Lord I'd never been born..."
44 Gun by the Wandering Ramblers:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAIIXkqMaWU

[Ronny Stecher]

I wonder what genre the song is, was it a bluegrass song or an old blues tune, I have some old historical collections I could look through, narrowing the search may help?

I know not of what song you speak. My 1st thought was Rick Derringer's I Didn't Ask To Be Born, but that's 70's rock with a nice riff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRSsVN7Vr0o

I grew up loving all kinds of songs, I remember my Grandmother singing to me 50+ years ago "You're the cream in my coffee, you're the salt in my stew", It warms my heart to just recall it.

[dwbarron]

Here's a link to Old Crow Medicine Show playing Fall on my Knees (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcuN4xEH5lE), one of my all-time favorites.

And I wished to the Lord
That I never had been born
That I'd died when I was young, little girl
That I'd died when I was young
Then I never would have kissed
Your red rosy lips
Never heard your lying tongue, little girl
No never heard your lying tongue.