"THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS"
一首美國西部民歌, 可挑起很多老影迷的回憶; 六十年代的電影潮流, 多離不開美國西部牛仔, 紅蕃, 南北戰爭的劇情, 例如北軍前來向紅印第安人開戰, 北軍凱旋或遠赴戰場等, 多以此曲作配樂, 增加劇情與畫面的氣紛, 可惜今天這類電影已經全放入博物館了。
一個黑人女子, 對1836年發生在今天美國 Texas 德薩斯州 Harris County, 當時一場反墨西哥入侵的革命戰役 "Battle of San Jacinto" 有所影響?
當年, Sam Houston 將軍统領下的 Texas 德薩斯軍隊, 在一次扺抗入侵的戰役, 把墨西哥總統 Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna 的軍隊擊敗, 被殺或俘虜多達數百人, 而德薩斯軍人傷亡甚少。墨西哥總統戰敗被捕成為階下囚, 更要簽訂停火協議和撤出該區域, 自此, "Texas 德薩斯" 脱離墨西哥统治, 成立 "Republic of Texas 德薩斯共和國"。至1846年二月, 正式跟 "United States of America 亞美利堅合眾國" 合并成為一個州份, 即今天的 "Texas 德薩斯州"。為紀念领導此戰役的將軍 Sam Houston, 並將 "Texas 德薩斯州" 的首府城市, 以其姓氏來命名, 即今天的 "Houston 候斯頓" 市。
Confederate Song - THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS - Minstrel versions (1858)
There's a yellow rose (Emily W. Morgan) in Texas that I am going to see,
No other darkey / soldier knows her, no darkey / soldier only me;
She cried so when I left her, it like to broke my heart,
And if I ever find her we never more will part.
CHORUS:
She's the sweetest rose of color this darkey ever knew,
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 Dearest May, and sing of Rosa Lee,
But the yellow rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee.
Where the Rio Grande is flowing, and the starry skies are bright,
She walks along the river in the quiet summer night;
She thinks if I remember, when we parted long ago,
I promis'd to come back again, and not to leave her so.
Oh! now I'm going to find her, for my heart is full of woe,
And we'll sing the song together, that we sung so long ago;
We'll play the banjo gaily, and we'll sing the songs of yore,
And the yellow rose of Texas shall be mine for evermore.
1864年 General John Bell Hood 將軍, 在田納西州 Tennessee 的一場 "Battle of Franklin" 戰役中被重創, 士兵均以為戰事快要完結, 各自收拾行裝, 準備返回家鄉, 他們對戰敗雖感悲傷和不快, 但願早些回鄉, 和家人朋友一談戰事和軍中所見; 這就是歌曲後來才加上另一段戰罷情況的歌詞, 取代原有終結的第四段:
And now I'm going southward, for my heart is full of woe,
I'm going back to Georgia, to see my Uncle Joe.
You may talk about your Beauregard, and sing of Bobbie Lee,
But the gallant Hood of Texas played hell in Tennessee.
[Chorus]
THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS
歌曲名字原是 "Emily, The Maid of Morgan's Point", 歌詞中的 "darkey 黑人" 改成 "soldier 士兵"; "Chorus 副歌" 第一行的 "darkey" 亦更改成 "little rosebud"。及後, 歌曲改名為 "The Yellow Rose of Texas", 曲中所傳聞的女子, 原名字叫 Emily D. West, 是一名黑人與白人所生的混血兒, 當時的有色人種均以黑奴看待, 曲名中 "Yellow" 即喑喻其非白人的膚色。
此女子於1835 年由紐約市遷徙至德州, 年剛二十歲以聘約佣工為當地一商人 James Morgan 工作, 據當時法例, 黑奴一旦被僱用或被買入後, 要跟隨新主人之姓氏, 所以她改姓 Morgan。
至於該女子為何會跟此戰役扯上關係呢? 傳説當時因墨西哥軍隊入侵 "Texas 德薩斯", Emily Morgan 被墨西哥總統擄回營地被視作禁臠。開戰期間, 給 Sam Houston 將軍率領 "Texas 德薩斯" 軍隊突然一次圍摷, 墨西哥總統當時在營内沉迷於色慾, 軍隊亦變於散漫, 在全無反抗下於十八分鐘就棄械投降。這全皆有文字記載的, 而對此女子為何會留在敵方營地, 自願或被擄? 衆説纷云, 記載各異。
"德蕯斯大學 University of Texas" 的美國歴史中心所收藏文物檔案中, 有一份該歌曲寫於1858年而没有公開過的手稿, 該原稿封面可見是一位簡寫 J.K. 為名的作者, 內容再經字跡分析後, 它被確認與一位歌舞藝人 Charles H. Brown 的筆跡相似, 兩者應同是一人, 由此再推論, 當年代這首有關黑人自嘲的歌曲, 原作者不願公開其真實名字是可理解的。
From the 1955 Mitch Miller rendition, the song now reads:
There's a yellow rose in Texas, That I am going to see,
Nobody else could miss her, Not half as much as me.
She cried 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 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 promise to return again, And not to leave her so.
Oh now I'm going to find her, For my heart is full of woe,
And we'll sing the songs together, 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]
There's a yellow rose (Emily W. Morgan) in Texas that I am going to see,
No other darkey / soldier knows her, no darkey / soldier only me;
She cried so when I left her, it like to broke my heart,
And if I ever find her we never more will part.
CHORUS:
She's the sweetest rose of color this darkey ever knew,
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 Dearest May, and sing of Rosa Lee,
But the yellow rose of Texas beats the belles of Tennessee.
Where the Rio Grande is flowing, and the starry skies are bright,
She walks along the river in the quiet summer night;
She thinks if I remember, when we parted long ago,
I promis'd to come back again, and not to leave her so.
Oh! now I'm going to find her, for my heart is full of woe,
And we'll sing the song together, that we sung so long ago;
We'll play the banjo gaily, and we'll sing the songs of yore,
And the yellow rose of Texas shall be mine for evermore.
1864年 General John Bell Hood 將軍, 在田納西州 Tennessee 的一場 "Battle of Franklin" 戰役中被重創, 士兵均以為戰事快要完結, 各自收拾行裝, 準備返回家鄉, 他們對戰敗雖感悲傷和不快, 但願早些回鄉, 和家人朋友一談戰事和軍中所見; 這就是歌曲後來才加上另一段戰罷情況的歌詞, 取代原有終結的第四段:
And now I'm going southward, for my heart is full of woe,
I'm going back to Georgia, to see my Uncle Joe.
You may talk about your Beauregard, and sing of Bobbie Lee,
But the gallant Hood of Texas played hell in Tennessee.
[Chorus]
THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS
此女子於1835 年由紐約市遷徙至德州, 年剛二十歲以聘約佣工為當地一商人 James Morgan 工作, 據當時法例, 黑奴一旦被僱用或被買入後, 要跟隨新主人之姓氏, 所以她改姓 Morgan。
至於該女子為何會跟此戰役扯上關係呢? 傳説當時因墨西哥軍隊入侵 "Texas 德薩斯", Emily Morgan 被墨西哥總統擄回營地被視作禁臠。開戰期間, 給 Sam Houston 將軍率領 "Texas 德薩斯" 軍隊突然一次圍摷, 墨西哥總統當時在營内沉迷於色慾, 軍隊亦變於散漫, 在全無反抗下於十八分鐘就棄械投降。這全皆有文字記載的, 而對此女子為何會留在敵方營地, 自願或被擄? 衆説纷云, 記載各異。
"德蕯斯大學 University of Texas" 的美國歴史中心所收藏文物檔案中, 有一份該歌曲寫於1858年而没有公開過的手稿, 該原稿封面可見是一位簡寫 J.K. 為名的作者, 內容再經字跡分析後, 它被確認與一位歌舞藝人 Charles H. Brown 的筆跡相似, 兩者應同是一人, 由此再推論, 當年代這首有關黑人自嘲的歌曲, 原作者不願公開其真實名字是可理解的。
From the 1955 Mitch Miller rendition, the song now reads:
There's a yellow rose in Texas, That I am going to see,
Nobody else could miss her, Not half as much as me.
She cried 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 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 promise to return again, And not to leave her so.
Oh now I'm going to find her, For my heart is full of woe,
And we'll sing the songs together, 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]