# The Yellow Rose of Texas **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2001, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752 "2001-08-11T04:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/1 "2001-08-11T04:26:34Z")
Dear Friends, Was this song ever a part of a motion picture? If so, I would appreciate knowing which one, because it was my late mother and father’s favorite song, and I never got (took) the chance to ask them. Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![486](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/ecccb3/32.png) [@486](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/486)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/2 "2001-08-11T06:09:57Z")
I’m farily sure that this song did come from a movie but i don’t know the name of it ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/3 "2001-08-11T06:32:45Z")
Although it may very well have been used in a movie. It is a folk song that was written in 1836. The lyrics tell of a black American soldier who left his sweetheart and wants to return to her. “Yellow” was a term given to Americans of mixed race in those days - most commonly mulattos. And “Rose” was a popular name. Abby ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/4 "2001-08-11T12:16:10Z")
I never knew that, and it has now made the song even more special to me! As a humorous aside: I work in an ER and we quite often have a “frequent flier” who is a known KKK member and self-avowed racist. He gets really drunk and sings this tune while lying on our stretcher while we attempt to de-tox him. Yes, I _do_ have mixed emotions when I hear him sing it, and I am torn about whether I should tell him of the song’s origins, and wondering if it would do any good. 🙂 Thanks so much for your answer and insight! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/5 "2001-08-11T12:18:13Z")
I love your sig! Q ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/6 "2001-08-11T14:05:31Z")
It’s one of those bits of Texas lore that get’s covered in elementary school when studying Texas history. I am glad you are pleased to know. To your aside, I’ve been surprised a few times at different peoples’ reluctance to believe it. Seems that people who think like your ER visitor tend to believe (wrongly) that the “yellow” refers to blonde hair. A link to more on [“The Yellow Rose of Texas”.](http://www.markw.com/yelrose.htm) It’s a site we came across when helping KidSthrnAccent research symbols of Texas for a class report. There’s more here [about a young woman](http://www.markw.com/yrupdate.htm) who may have inspired the song. I’m pretty sure there is a movie with the song in it but I’m not enough of a movie buff to recall the title. Sorry I can’t help with your actual question. Abby P.S. Thanks about the sig. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/7 "2001-08-11T15:32:35Z")
Elvis and Ann-Margret, no less. “Viva Las Vegas”: [http://us.imdb.com/Soundtracks?0058725](http://us.imdb.com/Soundtracks?0058725) ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/8 "2001-08-11T15:37:17Z")
Ah! That explains it. A movie before my time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/9 "2001-08-11T16:02:39Z")
Well, of course there is [The Yellow Rose of Texas"](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0037472) (1944) starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I imagine it’s probably been included in most movies about the Alamo as well as countless other westerns set in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/10 "2001-08-11T16:40:43Z")
Back when I was a kid TYROT was included on a record, from Reader’s Digest, of American folk music. So I learned the song with these lines: “She’s the sweetest little rosebud This soldier ever knew…” Then, in James Michener’s book Texas the oringin of the song was mentioned, but no lyrics were included. Finally, on “Songs of the Civil War”, which accompanied Ken Burns’ documentary “The Civil War” those two lines were sung like this: “She’s the sweetest rose of color This soldier ever knew…” I guess Reader’s Digest wanted to ignore anything in the least controversial. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/11 "2001-08-11T21:46:44Z")
What they did to this old song is a delight! 🙂 (“The Yaller Rose of Texas, you-All”) She’s the Yaller Rose of Texas, the cutest on this earth Her right eye looks at Dallas, her left one at Fort Worth Her ponytail’s a dandy, that hairdo is a prize, And it comes in handy when she’s a-switchin’ flies! … I was workin’ in the garden whin I diskivvered her I reached for an old tomato and darlin’ there you were! You can take your nasty-sturtiums, and take yore vi’lets blue, And while you’re at it, take The Yaller Rose of Texas too! :p:D Stan Freberg had some fun with it too: “But don’t you cover up _ **TEXAS!!!** _ Or I’ll put your head though that cotton-pickin’ snare drum and secede from the band!!” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/12 "2001-08-11T22:27:25Z")
I though Emily Dickinson wrote the Yellow Rose of Texas… ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/13 "2001-08-11T22:37:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dougie\_monty \* > \*\* > Stan Freberg had some fun with it too: > “But don’t you cover up _ **TEXAS!!!** _ Or I’ll put your head though that cotton-pickin’ snare drum and secede from the band!!” \*\* “Dat’s jist a tad _LOUD_ on the snaiah drum, theah!” “I 'peciate it!” Thanks for the smiles, dougie! I’m a Stan Freberg fan too! Quasimodem ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2001, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/14 "2001-08-11T22:45:15Z")
Heh. I’ll bet a LOT of racist KKKs from Texas sing this song. I’d LOVE to tell them the origin…I think that’s neat! ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/15 "2001-08-12T01:22:18Z")
And you can also sing any poem Emily Dickinson wrote to the tune of “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” Although she didn’t write it. Don’t believe me? Get ahold of some of her poems and try it. ---
**Author:** ![Studoggie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@Studoggie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Studoggie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/16 "2001-08-12T02:38:44Z")
The true lyrics remind of Stephen Foster lyrics, in that there is liberal use of the word “darkie” in it. The song isn’t sang much due to the fact that it would probably be construed as quite offensive in today’s society. In a world were using the word “niggardly” (totally unrelated meaning) can lose you your job I can’t imagine what would happen if one were to sing the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/17 "2001-08-12T02:55:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daowajan \* > \*\*sing … Emily Dickinson … “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” \*\* Boy, you guys are sharp. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![exchicagoan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@exchicagoan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/exchicagoan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/18 "2001-08-12T04:11:06Z")
In the 50s there were two albums----one was Yankee blue and the other was Confederate grey. They contained the music/songs of the Civil Was era—I had the Confederate one and the following is the line as contained there in. “She’s the sweetest rose of color This darkie ever knew----” Speaking of Civil War songs—have you ever heard the ORIGINAL words to “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”? It’s an old Irish song called “Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye”. It’s the most anti-war song I’ve EVER heard. He comes back blind, missing an arm and leg. There’s an excellent version of it by THE CHAD MITCHELL TRIO. “Why did ya run from me and the child-----indeed yer dancin days are done------yer an eyeless, boneless, shameless thing-------Oh Johnny we hardly knew ye”. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/19 "2001-08-12T21:41:16Z")
… is of course the state song, but I wonder if they ever considered TYOT? Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752/20 "2001-08-13T02:43:02Z")
As an aside, the soldiers of the Army of the Tennessee added another, somewhat sarcastic verse to the song after the Confederate catastrophe at Nashville in December, 1864. The new verse was: So now I’m marching southward; My heart is full of woe. I’m going back to Georgia To see my Uncle Joe. You can talk about old Beauregard, And sing of Bobby Lee But the gallant Hood of Texas Raised hell in Tennessee. Uncle Joe was LTG Joseph Johnston, who had led the Army of the Tennessee until he was relieved by Hood at Atlanta and would command it again until the end of the war. The verse is not a complement to General John Bell Hood. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-yellow-rose-of-texas/75752.md?page=2)