The Rose of the San Joaquin (Jim Ringer)- Todd Crowley

Common Ground on the Hill's ROOTS festival 2008. Here Todd sings one of his autoharp ballads, the Rose of the San Joaquin.
If you come out to the Roots festival next year, be sure to stop by Todd's instrument petting zoo. It's a great place to try that harp or digeridoo or almost anything!
http://www.commongroundonthehill.org

The lyrics are:
The Rose of the San Joaquin
(Jim Ringer)

I choose to see not the things that be,
Or the miles and the years that are gone.
I pay no heed to tomorrow's need,
I'm blinded by the snow and the sun.
'Till all I can see is my darling and me,
Like young flowers blooming in Spring.
Like flowers we grew, and no other I knew,
But the Rose of the San Joaquin.

The gypsies will dance, while stealing a glance
At a seed that might blow in the wind.
And the fields are worked, in a sweat-stained shirt,
'Till the workers move on again.
And the tramps and hawkers, with stories wild,
Beguiled a young boy's dream;
Enticing me to leave my love,
The Rose of the San Joaquin.

I've watched the rise of light in the skies,
Where the sun climbs out of the sea;
Seen giants fall in the mountains tall,
Where the lumbermen cut down the trees.
I've played in the sand with the Gulf Coast wind,
And slept in the grass tall and clean.
But nowhere I've been would I go to again,
'Cept back to the San Joaquin.

The road back home is hard and it's long,
And the miles stretch on into years;
And the tramps and hawkers in every town,
Ah, God, but it brings me to tears.
When I got home I found just a flower on a mound,
Where it shamed the green grasses of spring.
It grew from the grave of my darlin' little girl,
The Rose of the San Joaquin.

Oh see us today, out on your highway,
Or asleep in the doors of a train.
See the gypsies dance with their 'damn knowing glances,
While the peddlers shout out their refrain.
But who's gonna care, and who's gonna share,
In the joys or the troubles we've seen?
Like ghosts we roam, without friends or a home,
These tramps and hawkers and me.

Copyright Jim Ringer

Category:

Music

Tags:

• rose
• of
• the
• san
• joaquin
• todd
• crowley
• mike
• atherton
• roots
• common
• ground
• on
• hill
• autoharp
• ballad
• migrant
• love
• tramps
• hawkers
• depression

[plainsbiker]

Great song, great voice, so glad you posted it!

[Poodlepups]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying his playing. I sure do, myself.

[Poodlepups]

My pleasure :) I'm surprised no one's posted him before! I couldn't even find this version anywhere on YouTube. Thanks for posting James!

[asongsinger]

Very nice, Todd.......sing on.......

[TheBigr3d]

I think u did an awesome cover. I love listening to Jim Ringer's albums! I'm only 22 but I got introduced to his music from my boyfriend (Jim's grandson)!

[thefatron]

Actually, the name of that song is "Tramps and Hawkers". I believe it was an old Irish fiddle tune for which Ringer wrote the words. "The Rose of the San Joaquin" is a Tom Russel song which appeared on his album of the same name. Russell also sings "Tramps & Hawkers" on that album.

[mandomatthew]

thanks so much for this Mr Crowley.I have not heard this in at least 15 years but remembered it immediately. i used to own a couple of records by Jim Ringer that i miss now.If you are taking requests i'd enjoy hearing your voice sing "The Hubbardville Store".In any case excellent performance of this beautiful song by a forgotten hero of mine.loved the sparse accompaniment on the autoharp,suited it well,great voice,thanks again......

[katedariagerwig]

he was my english teacher in high school. every friday he would sing to the class. it was great

[otbanjo1]

Love this song. I'm beguiled. Todd's voice is incredible, autoharp such a perfect accompaniment. Perfect.

[CrossTronic]

Thanks for posting this. I learned a bit about using the autoharp to accompany the vocals by observing the way Todd does it.