Birmingham Jail / Down in the Valley

"Down in the Valley", also known as "Birmingham Jail", is a traditional American folk song. It has been recorded by many artists, here interpreted and revised by Donna Ray.

Donna Ray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFPFkxw4izI

Leadbelly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fnpx6MspBI

Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_in_the_Valley_(folk_song)

http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=401

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Birmingham_Jail_(song)

Birmingham Jail / Down in the Valley

Down in the valley, valley so low

Hang your head over, hear the wind blow

Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow;

Hang your head over, hear the wind blow.

Roses love sunshine, violets love dew,

Angels in Heaven know I love you,

Know I love you, dear, know I love you,

Angels in Heaven know I love you.

Build me a castle, forty feet high;

So I can see him as he rides by,

As he rides by, ooh, as he rides by,

So I can see him as he rides by.

"If you don't love me, love whom you please,"

"Throw your arms round me, give my heart ease,"

"Give my heart ease, dear, give my heart ease,"

"Throw your arms round me, give my heart ease,"

Write me a letter, send it by mail;

Send it in care of the Birmingham jail,

Birmingham jail, dear, Birmingham jail,

Send it in care of the Birmingham jail.

Roses love sunshine, violets love dew,

Angels in Heaven know I love you,

Know I love you, dear, know I love you,

Angels in Heaven know I love you.

Another version:

"Down in the levee; levee so low

Late in the evening, hear that train blow

Hear the train blow love, hear the train blow

Late in the evening, hear the train blow.

Roses love sunshine; violets love dew

Angels in heaven know I love you

Write me a letter; send it by mail

Send it in care of Birmingham jail

Birmingham Jail, love, Birmingham jail

Send it in care of Birmingham jail

Bessie my darlin; Bessie my dear

Bessie I love you, oh yes I do

Down in the meadow, down on my knees

Praying to heaven, give my heart ease

Lighting a candle, singin' so low

Kiss me once more, love, that I might go."

Another version:

Down in the valley

Valley so low

Late in the evenin’

Hear the train blow

Hear the train blow, love

Hear the train blow

Late in the evenin’

Hear the train blow

Write me a letter

Send it by mail

Send it in care of

Birmingham Jail

Birmingham Jail, love

Birmingham Jail

Send it in care of

Birmingham Jail

Roses love sunshine

Violets love dew

Angel in Heaven

Know I love you

Know I love you-ou

Know I love you-ou, ou-ou, ou-ou-ou-ou

Angels in Heaven

Know I love you

Down in the valley

The valley so low

Late in the evenin’

Hear the train blow

Hear the train blow, love

Hear the train blow

Late in the evenin’

Hear the train blow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_in_the_Valley_(folk_song)

http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=401

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Birmingham_Jail_(song)

Note:

Down in the Valley

Folksong found in Appalachia, the American South and Lower Midwest. The song was collected by folklorist and professor at the University of Missouri, Henry Marvin Beldin in 1909. Most of the first recorded versions of this song were called "Birmingham Jail", based off the paragraph of lyrics referring to the jail in Birmingham, Alabama. Guitarist Jimmie Tarlton claimed to have written the Birmingham jail paragraph of lyrics in 1925 while he was jailed in Birmingham for moonshining, which is very possible since he and his partner Tom Darby were the first to record this as "Birmingham Jail" on November 10, 1927, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Down in the valley valley so low

Hang your head over hear the wind blow

Hear the wind blow dear hear the wind blow

Hang your head over hear the wind blow.

Roses love sunshine violets love dew

Angels in heaven know I love you

Know I love you dear know I love you

Angels in heaven know I love you.

If you don’t love me love whom you please

Throw your arms ’round me give my heart ease

Give my heart ease love give my heart ease

Throw your arms round me give my heart ease.

Build me a castle forty feet high

So I can see him as he rides by

As he rides by love as he rides by

So I can see him as he rides by.

Write me a letter send it by mail

Send it in care of Birmingham jail

Birmingham jail love Birmingham jail

Send it in care of Birmingham jail.