"Red Wing" is a popular song written in

1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Moment magnitude scale, Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 9 – The "Mud March (suffragists), Mud March", the ...

with music by F.A Mills and lyrics by

Thurland Chattaway Thurland Chattaway (April 8, 1872 – November 12, 1947) was an American composer of popular music, active from approximately 1898 to 1912. He is best known for writing the words to the popular 1907 hit " Red Wing" with Kerry Mills. Other song ...

. Mills adapted the music of the verse from

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

's piano composition "The Happy Farmer, Returning From Work" from his 1848 ''

Album for the Young ''Album for the Young'' ('), Op. 68, was composed by Robert Schumann in 1848 for his three daughters. The album consists of a collection of 43 short works. Unlike the ', they are suitable to be played by children or beginners. The second part, st ...

'', Opus 68. The song tells of a young Indian girl's loss of her sweetheart who has died in battle.

Lyrics

:There once lived an Indian maid, :A shy little prairie maid, :Who sang all day a love song gay, :As on the plains she'd while away the day. :She loved a warrior bold, :This shy little maid of old, :But brave and gay he rode one day :To battle far away. :Now the moon shines tonight on pretty Red Wing, :The breeze is sighing, the night bird's crying, :For afar 'neath his star her brave is sleeping,in later versions usually: "For a far far away her brave is dying" :While Red Wing's weeping her heart away. :She watched for him day and night; :She lit all the campfires bright; :And under the sky each night, she would lie :And dream about his coming by and by, :But when all the braves returned, :The heart of Red Wing yearned, :For far, far away, her warrior gay :Fell bravely in the fray. :Now the moon shines tonight on pretty Red Wing, :The breeze is sighing, the night bird's crying, :For afar 'neath his star her brave is sleeping, :While Red Wing's weeping her heart away.

Covers

The song has been recorded numerous times in many styles. In 1950

Oscar Brand Oscar Brand (February 7, 1920 – September 30, 2016) was a Canadian-born American folk singer-songwriter, radio host, and author. In his career, spanning 70 years, he composed at least 300 songs and released nearly 100 albums, among them Can ...

recorded a bawdy version in his ''Bawdy Songs & Backroom Ballads, Volume 3''. *The song was connected with and often performed by actress Princess Red Wing. It "achieved a folk song-like popularity" and became a standard for"Native American fiddlers". Its name refers to

Red Wing, Minnesota Red Wing is a city in and the county seat of Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, along the upper Mississippi River. The population was 16,547 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropo ...

, which is named for

Mdewakanton Dakota The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota (Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde Wá ...

Chief Red Wing. *

Bob Wills James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade C ...

and his

Texas Playboys James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade C ...

recorded a

Western swing Western swing, country jazz or smooth country is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which att ...

cover of Red Wing in the 1940s. * George Lewis helped make it a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

of the

traditional jazz Trad jazz, short for "traditional jazz", is a form of jazz in the United States and Britain that flourished from the 1930s to 1960s, based on the earlier New Orleans Dixieland jazz style. Prominent English trad jazz musicians such as Chris Barb ...

revival era. *An instrumental version, with

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...

on guitar, was released by

Asleep at the Wheel Asleep at the Wheel is an American country music, Western swing music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, in 1970, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards, released over 20 albums, and has charted more t ...

in 1993. *American roots music group The Steel Wheels recorded a version with new lyrics in 2011. *

Slim Whitman Ottis Dewey "Slim" Whitman Jr. (January 20, 1923 – June 19, 2013) was an American country music singer and guitarist known for his yodeling abilities and his use of falsetto. Recorded figures show 70 million sales, during a career that spanne ...

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer

In popular culture

The chorus of Red Wing is the jingle for the Ice Cream Wagon ice cream truck company of Denver, Colorado. The music has been played during intermissions at Olympia Stadium, Joe Louis Arena, and Little Caesars Arena ever since the Detroit Falcons became the Detroit Red Wings. A few seconds of the song were sung by

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

in the 1943 film ''

In Old Oklahoma ''In Old Oklahoma'' (reissued as ''War of the Wildcats'') is a 1943 American Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell starring John Wayne and Martha Scott. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Music Score of a Dramatic or Co ...

'' and again by

and

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and prematurely white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Although initially typecast as th ...

in the 1961 film '' The Comancheros''.

"Union Maid" by Woody Guthrie

In 1940

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...

wrote new lyrics to the tune, retitled " Union Maid". Guthrie's are perhaps the most famous of alternative words for the song; his song begins: :There once was a union maid, she never was afraid :Of goons and ginks and company finks and the deputy sheriffs who made the raid. :She went to the union hall when a meeting it was called, :And when the Legion boys come 'round :She always stood her ground. :Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union, :I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union. :Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union, :I'm sticking to the union 'til the day I die.

The Moon Shines Bright on Charlie Chaplin

Red Wing was parodied in a version popular among British troops during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, which begins with the line, "Now the moon shines bright on

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

." This variant originated in response to the comedian's refusal to enlist, and was featured in the movie ''

Oh! What A Lovely War ''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British epic comedy historical musical war film directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), with an ensemble cast, including Maggie Smith, Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth Mo ...

''. It was subsequently perpetuated among

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

schoolchildren. During the 1970s,

Harry Boardman Harry Boardman (1930–1987) was an English folk singer who was born in Failsworth, Lancashire. He sang both unaccompanied and accompanying himself on the Anglo concertina or banjo. "Boardman has specialised in the lore, songs and dialect poe ...

and the

Oldham Tinkers The Oldham Tinkers are an English folk music band, formed in 1965 by John Howarth and brothers Larry and Gerry Kearns in a pub in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. They sing in Lancashire vernacular with subjects ranging from childhood, music h ...

folk group recorded a version incorporating all of the verses that they remembered from their childhood.

First World War

The following version was published in 1916 by B. Feldman.The Moon Shines Bright on Charlie Chaplin
/ref> :You've sung of the boys in blue, :You've sung of their girls so true, :You've marched to the strain of the well-known refrain :Of "Who's Your Lady Friend?" and "Tipperary" too, :Our Tommies so brave and strong :Have sung ev'ry kind of song :But what is the lay they're singing today :As they go marching along? ::Refrain ::When the moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin ::His shoes are cracking, for want of blacking ::And his little baggy trousers they want mending ::Before we send him to the Dardanelles. :Some day there will come a time :To "Wind up the Watch on the Rhine", :And Tommy and Jack will come marching back :And take a cup for the sake of "

Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne" () is a Scottish song. In the English-speaking world, it is traditionally sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay/New Year's Eve. It is also often heard at funerals, graduations, and as a far ...

". :But ere that happy day :The Germans have got to pay, :When we march in to capture

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

:We will sing this little lay. ::Refrain A variant of the refrain goes ::When the moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin ::His boots are cracking, for want of blacking ::And the bottoms of his shoes, they won't need mending ::Before they send him to the Dardanelles. Another variant (some years later, and without the war reference) goes ::Oh, the moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin ::His boots are cracking, they need a blacking ::And his old gray trousers need a patching ::Cause he's been scratching ::Mosquito bites!

Oldham Tinkers

::Refrain ::The moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin ::His boots are crackin’ for want of blackin‘ ::And his owd fusty coat is wanting mending ::Until they send him to the Dardenelles :Charlie Chaplin had no sense :He bought a flute for 18 pence :But the only tune that he could play :Was ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay ::Refrain :Charlie Chaplin meek and mild :Stole a sausage from a child :But when the child began to cry :Charlie socked him in the eye ::Refrain :Charlie Chaplin went to France :To teach the ladies how to dance :First you heel, and then you toe :Lift your skirts and up you go ::Refrain :Charlie Chaplin Chuck-Chuck-Chuck :Went to bed with three white ducks :One died and Charlie cried :Charlie Chaplin Chuck-Chuck-Chuck ::Refrain

References

External links

"Red Wing"
Frederick H. Potter with the Edison Male Quartette ( Edison Gold Moulded 9622, 1907)—
Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project
'.
"Red Wing" (Sheet music)"
mdas
The Charles H. Templeton, Sr. Sheet Music CollectionMississippi State University
* Union Maid
Union Maid lyricsOh Meriahnya Raya!
by Omar & Hana, a Malay language Islamic children's song to the tune of "Red Wing" {{DEFAULTSORT:Red Wing (Song) Songs about Native Americans 1907 songs American popular music Bluegrass songs Western music (North America) songs Western swing songs Songs with music by Kerry Mills Songs with lyrics by Thurland Chattaway