THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME
Sung by: W.P. Detherow
Recorded in Batesville, AR, 6/25/52

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(Mr. Detherow: "This is an old familiar song called, 'The Girl I Left Behind Me"; it's played every day over the radio, but there's not a many people know that it's a play song. They ring up in this, and the first gent goes across and swings the opposite lady and come back and promenades the girl behind, the next girl, and each time it's repeated, why, they promenade the left hand lady all around and that's the one they call, in the song, the Girl I Left Behind, and then when they're all through, they'll promenade home.")

Oh, law, that girl, that pretty little girl,
That girl I left behind me.
I'll break my neck and promenade it back
To the girl I left behind me.

Oh, the black-eyed girl and the blue-eyed girl,
The girl I left behind me.
The more I drink, the less I think
Of the girl I left behind me.

Swing that girl opposite you,
And swing her by the right hand;
Swing your partner by the left,
And promenade the girl behind you.

Oh, that girl, that pretty little girl,
The girl I left behind me.
If ever I see that place again,
And the tears don't fall and blind me,
I'll stop and see that pretty little girl,
The girl I left behind me.

(Mr. Detherow: "Now, this is played and they all march, repeat it over 'til everybody has promenaded to the left, 'til they get back to their partner and then they all promenade home.")

Also found in Randolph, Vol. III, #546.

All Songs Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr., unless otherwise noted

The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection
Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas
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