There are at least a hundred more examples. Because of the nature of folk song melody, however, there are fewer examples of folk songs becoming hits, but those are famous enough. Woody Guthrie added new words to Goodnight Irene for a song called Roll on, Columbia. Even more famously, he adapted an old song with new lyrics called, This Land Is Your Land, one of the most famous American songs.
In 1957, Johnny Mathis recorded a song called The Twelfth of Never. Although the lyrics were new, the melody was adapted (borrowed) from an old folk song called The Riddle Song (aka, The Cherry Song). Folksinger, Joan Baez, recorded the song with Pete Seeger in the mid-1960s.
Repetition (repeating) is common in folk songs, because folk songs relied on memory. So, often, not only the melody, but complete sentences, were repeated. (The Blues is another example of a folk music that relies heavily on repetition.) For this reason, folk songs are a good way to practice a language.
{Questions} How can there be a cherry that has no stone? How can there be a chicken that has no bone? How can there be a story that has no end?
How can there be a baby that's not crying?
{Answers} A cherry when it's blooming it has no stone; A chicken when it's peeping it has no bone; The story of my love will never end; A baby when he's sleeping, there's no crying.
In 1957, Chances Are, recorded by Johnny Mathis, not only reached Number One, but its flip-side (other side), The Twelfth of Never reached Number Twenty.
The Twelfth of Never is based on the old English folksong called The Cherry Song. Many teenagers probably did not realize this, like they did not realize that Elvis' Love Me Tender was based on a song 100 years old!
The Twelfth of Never is based on a poetic use of words. We normally say, "the twelfth of November," or "the fifth of December," etc. The singer says, "the twelfth of Never" because he is saying the time will never come that he will stop loving the girl. Not great poetry, perhaps; but still poetry.
Although the tune is borrowed, the lyrics are original. Yet the lyrics use the question-answer device of the original folksong.
I'll tell you true. Until the 12th of Never I'll still be loving you.
(Bridge) Hold me close. Never let me go. Hold me close. Melt my
heart like April snow.
I'll love you 'til the bluebells* forget to bloom *flowers
I'll love you 'til the clover* has lost its perfume** *herb **pleasant smell
I'll love you 'til the poets run out of rhyme* *matched sound.
Until the 12th of Never, and that's a long, long time!
Until the 12th of Never, and that's a long, long time!
Ken Darby, a choral arranger at Twentieth Century-Fox studio, added new lyrics and, as Love Me Tender, Elvis Presley sang it in his first movie, The Reno Brothers, set in the time of the Civil War.
Presley's soft vocal, with an acoustic guitar, impressed both young and old. After he performed the song on live television before the movie's release, advance orders for the new single exceeded one million copies. The record charted for 19 weeks in 1956 and peaked at #1.
With dollar signs dancing in their heads, studio heads had the good sense to rename the movie after the song. The rest is history.
Sat and rocked I heard him sing, singing
Aura Lee, Aura Lee, maid of golden hair,
Sunshine came along with thee, and swallows in the air.
Aura Lee, Aura Lee, maid of golden hair,
Sunshine came along with thee, and swallows in the air.
In thy blush* the rose was born, music when you spake*,
Through thine* azure* eye the morn, sparkling seemed to break.
Aura Lee, Aura Lee, birds of crimson* wing,
Never song have sung to me, as in that sweet spring.
Aura Lee, Aura Lee, maid* of golden hair,
Sunshine came along with thee*, and swallows* in the air.
Aura Lee, Aura Lee, maid of golden hair,
Sunshine came along with thee, and swallows in the air.
Sunshine came along with thee, and swallows in the air.
When the mistletoe* was green, 'midst the winter's snows,
Sunshine in thy* face was seen, kissing lips of rose.
Aura Lee, Aura Lee, take my golden ring,
Love and light return with thee, and swallows with the spring.
Aura Lee, Aura Lee, maid of golden hair,
Sunshine came along with thee, and swallows in the air.
love me true, all my dreams fulfilled. For my darlin' I love you, and I always will.
Love me tender, love me long. Take me to your heart. For it's there that I belong and we'll never part.
Love me tender, love me dear, Tell me you are mine. I'll be yours through all the years, Till the end of time.
1. This old man he played one. He played nick nack on my drum.
{Refrain} With a nick nack paddy whack give a dog a bone. This old man came rolling home.
2. This old man he played two. He played nick nack on my shoe.
3. This old man he played three. He played nick nack on my tree.
4. This old man he played four. He played nick nack on my door.
5. This old man he played five. He played nick nack on my hive.
6. This old man he played six. He played nick nack on my stick.
7. This old man he played seven. He played nick nack up to heaven.
8. This old man he played eight. He played nick nack on my gate.
9. This old man he played nine. He played nick nack on my vine.
10.This old man he played ten. He played nick nack on my hen.
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