Oh My Darling Clementine

I have known this song all my life. I heard my mother singing it countless times while nursing whoever that moment my youngest sibling was. She was fond of post-war songs like some people (including me) are fond of the ’80s. I guess we are somehow attached to memories of our youth whenever that is.

The songs that were included in her repertoire (among so many) were: Fraulein, Paper Roses, There goes my Love and Oh My Darling Clementine.  I can sing them all by heart except the latter; I only know the first sentence of the chorus, nothing more. So, when I heard the other day an ice cream car playing the tune, I decided to look for the lyrics once and for all.

I wasn’t prepared for it. I didn’t expect a tragic story wrapped in a seemingly upbeat melody and told in a deadpan style. A tongue-in-cheek parody of a sad ballad. More like a limerick than a romantic song. I was shocked! Though it meant to be a joke, I find it altogether sad; so sad…

Here is the lyrics for you so you can be the judge.

Near a cavern, across from a canyon,
Excavating for a mine,
Lived a miner, forty-niner
And his daughter Clementine

Oh my Darling, Oh my Darling,
Oh my Darling Clementine.
You are lost and gone forever,
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.

Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine
Herring boxes without topses
Sandals were for Clementine.

CHORUS:

Drove she ducklings to the water
Every morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter
Fell into the foaming brine.

CHORUS:

Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles soft and fine,
But alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.

CHORUS:

How I missed her! How I missed her!
How I missed my Clementine,
Till I kissed her little sister,
And forgot my Clementine.

CHORUS:

Then the miner, forty-niner,
Soon began to peak and pine,
Thought he oughter join his daughter,
Now he’s with his Clementine.

CHORUS:
In the church yard in the canyon
Where the myrtle doth entwine
There grows roses and other posies
Fertilized by Clementine.