Yellow Rose of Texas From the handwritten transcript Stored in the archives at the University of Texa s, Austin There's

a yellow rose in Texas, that I am going to see, No other darky [sic] knows her, no darky only me She cryed [sic] so when I left her it like to broke my heart, And if I ever find her, we nevermore will part. [Chorus] She's the sweetest rose of color this darky ever knew, Her eyes are bright as diamonds,they sparkle like the dew; You may talk about your Dearest May, and sing of Rosa Lee, But the Yellow Rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee. When the Rio Grande is flowing, the starry skies are bright, She walks along the river in the quite [sic] summer night: She thinks if I remember, when we parted long ago, I promised to come back again, and not to leave her so. [Chorus] Oh now I'm going to find her, for my heart is full of woe, And we'll sing the songs togeather [sic], that we sung so long ago We'll play the bango gaily, and we'll sing the songs of yore, And the Yellow Rose of Texas shall be mine forevermore. [Chorus] More than 25 years later, the lyrics were changed. "Soldier" replaced "darky." A nd the first line of the chorus was also changed to read, "She's the sweetest li ttle flower...." In 1864 General Hood and the Texas Brigade fighting in Tennessee, were defeated. His men retreated in such confusion they thought the war was over. Many headed home, and a fourth stanza was added: And I'm You But now I'm going southward, for my heart is full of woe, going back to Georgia, to see my Uncle Joe. may talk about your Beauregard, and sing of Bobbie Lee, the gallant Hood of Texas played hell in Tennessee. [Chorus]

Some versions have the third line changed to read, "...and sing of General Lee," - an obvious reference to the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. From the 1955 Mitch Miller rendition, the song now reads: There's a yellow rose in Texas, That Nobody else could miss her, Not half She cried so when I left her It like And if I ever find her, We nevermore [Chorus] She's the sweetest little rosebud That Texas ever knew, Her eyes are bright as diamonds, They sparkle like the dew; You may talk about your Clementine, And sing of Rosalee, But the YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS Is the only girl for me. When the Rio Grande is flowing, The starry skies are bright, She walks along the river In the quiet summer night: I know that she remembers, When we parted long ago, I am going to see, as much as me. to broke my heart, will part.

I promise to return again, And not to leave her so. [Chorus] Oh now I'm going to find her, For my heart And we'll sing the songs together, That we We'll play the bango gaily, And we'll sing And the Yellow Rose of Texas Shall be mine is full of woe, sung so long ago the songs of yore, forevermore. [Chorus]