When I heard this Christmas song, I thought, "I know this tune!". However, I had never heard in that version before - with the lyrics turned into a Christmas theme. The recording seemed to be old - sounded like made in the 40s or 50s.
On the Internet I only found a children's version of that Christmas song.
At first, I could not remember what were the words I knew. It was so long ago. I had not sang the song for ages. I recalled myself I taught it to kids in English classes. Then, after a while, only the refrain came back came back, " Yupi, yupi, ya!"
My husband showed me the original version of the song he knew.
"Ok" I said, "It is close, but it is not what I used to sing with kids". the words I taught to children were slightly different.
Later, that same day, I found it, though.
What a coincidence it was to hear the Christmas version of that song. Neither of us had heard that holiday edition before.
I wonder, how many other people would recognize the original tune? I am asking it myself because it has happened persons born and brought up here, did not know popular songs or movies written/made in this country, when we mentioned them. Examples? Some of them: "The Battle of New Orleans" song or "Beetlejuice", the original movie.
Anyhow, it was nice to hear the "Yupi, yupi, ya" tune again.
Not long ago, I relistened to the old “Tom Dooley” song. Since I like it, I used it during our line dance class. Surprisingly, one of the ladies (of my generation, born and raised in the US) had never heard the song and its title.
I came across “The Legend of Tom Dooley” movie made in 1959. Michael London, who played the part of Tom Dooley, was so young then. I do not know whether I had seen the actor in any other show made at the beginning of his career.
Anyhow, some parts of the movie plot did not make sense at all so I decided to find out more about the tragic main character. I guess, Thomas Dula (as his original name was) wants to be remembered, too.
Thomas Caleb Dula was born in Wilkes, North Carolina, on 22 June 1845. His parents were Thomas P. Dula (born in about 1794, in Wilkes County, NC) and Mary Keeton (born in about 1800, in Patrick County, Virginia). Mr. Thomas P. Dula was the grandson of Robert Dulin of the English descent, who emigrated from Ireland/England to Essex, Virginia, Colonial America.
Thomas Caleb was the youngest son of his parents. Tom’s younger siblings were Anna Evelyn (born 1825), Selina (born in 1830), John (born about 1834), Lenny (born about 1838), Louisa (born in 1838), and Elisa (born in about 1844).
Mr. Thomas P. Dula, the head of the family, passed on 10 November 1854. The land that belonged to the man was granted to his wife (1).
Young Tom got romantically involved with his cousin Ann (Angeline) Pauline Triplett Foster. She was born on 8 May 1843. Her mother was Charlotte Triplett Foster (born 1818), daughter of Thomas Bell Foster. Ann’s father was John Foster (born in 1793).
Ann married James Gabriel Melton on 22 June 1859 (2). He was born in May 1838. The man was a well established farmer and shoemaker.
Census, 24 August 1860 (3), Thomas (age 15) lived in Wilkes County, NC, Post Office Elkvill, with his mother (age 60), brother John (age 26), and sister Louiza (age 22). The mother, ran a farm with the help of her children.
James Gabriel Melton enlisted into the CA on 12 June 1861. He served with Company C, 26th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry (4).
He was wounded at Gettysburg and then again, 2 years later, at Hatcher’s Run. James was taken a prisoner of war when he was in hospital in Richmond. Then he was sent to the camp at Point Lookout, released on 26 June 1865, after signing the oath of allegiance (5).
Young Thomas joined the CA on 15 March 1862 and served in Company K, 42nd Regiment North Carolina Infantry (6).
In 1864, Thomas was wounded and taken care of at the Church Hospital in Williamson, Virginia. Later, the man was captured and was a prisoner of war in Port Lookout Maryland. Tom Dula was released on 11 June 1865.
Thomas was the only son of Mary Dula who came back home alive from the war. Two of his brothers were killed during the war. Thomas’ family home was in Wilkes County. Soon after coming back from the war, he restarted his relationship with Ann Melton.
The man was also intimately involved with some other women including Ann’s cousins, Pauline and Laura.
Laura (born in 1843) was the daughter of Wilson Foster (born in 1811), the brother of Charlotte Foster, who was Anne’s mother. Laura’s mother was Martha Bowman, who died in about 1863. The girl lived with her father Wilson Foster in Caldwell County, NC.
Pauline was born in 1843 to Ann Carlotta Church and Levi Leander Foster. One researcher suggests that Levi was an illegitimate son of John Dula and Mary Foster, the daughter of Robert Foster, brother of Wilson and Charlotte. John Dula (born in about 1800) was a younger brother of Thomas P. Dula, Thomas Dula’s father. In that way, Angeline (Ann), Laura, Pauline, and Thomas were quite closely related.
Pauline, invited by Ann Melton, lived at the Melton’s home and worked at James’ farm as a hire hand.
It is said that Laura got pregnant by Tom. She was stabbed with a knife on 28 May 1866, in Caldwell, NC. Her body was found about six weeks later. Thomas and Ann was arrested and accused of killing Laura. The trial was moved from Caldwell to Iredell County. It started in 19 October 1866.
I have read the transcription of the trial (7).
From the testimonies of the witnesses – it was common knowledge that James Melton did not share the bedroom with his wife Ann. It was also known that Thomas was at the house almost every day, and, occasionally, spent the night there. At such occasions, he first would have laid down where James Melton slept. Later, Thomas slipped to Ann’s bed (from Pauline Foster’s testimony).
Another fact used against Tom was what he had said to R. D. Hall. According to that witness, Thomas expressed, he would “put through” the girl who gave him syphilis. Thomas also told Doctor Carter it was Laura who had diseased him.
Pauline Foster testified, she had syphilis which she contracted at "Watangoo" (Watauga?) County. Before she came to live with the Meltons. She said she worked at their farm to earn money for the medicine to cure the disease. According to Pauline, Ann Melton encouraged her to have sex with Tom and insisted on that, so it happened. Pauline was the one who spread the disease on the other parties involved in their intimate relationship. Pauline had seen Ann in bed with Thomas. Colonel Isbell testified that it was common knowledge that “Ann Melton indulged in illicit intercourse with others besides the prisoner (Thomas Dula)”.
Laura’s father Wilson Foster was one of the witnesses at the trial. He testified that Laura left the family home, took her clothes, and the father’s mare.
Mrs. Betty Scott met Laura on Friday morning, when the latter was riding to the place where she was to meet with Tom. According to Laura, the two were to elope together. The ladies talked for a short while, Laura told Mrs. Scott what she was doing and where she was to meet Thomas.
Pauline Foster testified that on that same Friday she saw Thomas Dula at James Melton’s house.
The rumor was, Ann stabbed Laura when she was sitting at Tom’s lap. It could have meant Ann went to the place where Laura and Tom meant to meet.
Ann’s mother, Ms. Lotty Foster testified, Tom borrowed a “Mattach” from her on Thursday, before the day of Laura’s disappearance. The man was later seen, on the same day, by Martha Gilbert. Thomas was then working on the road, as he said ”making it wider so that he could go along at night.” I checked what the “Mattach” mentioned by the witnesses was. It was a tool called a mattock.
Laura’s body was found four to six weeks after she left her father’s house. Her grave was in a thicket ridge. The lady's body was decomposed, with no flesh on her face. She was recognized by the features of her teeth and her garments. The grave was not far from a river. Colonel Isbell testified, there were traces of a “Mattach” at Laura’s grave.
It was taken into consideration that Thomas possibly helped Ann to bury Laura’s body. It was mentioned (by Pauline Foster) during the trial that Ann put a knife under her bed.
After that, Thomas went to Tennessee, where he was later arrested.
Pauline Foster was detained after she made comments ( in front of two men) on Dula’s involvement in killing Laura.
Pauline and Mrs. James Scott testified on Ann’s violent behavior towards Pauline, after the latter had made comments on Thomas Dula being the one who murdered Laura. Ann attacked Pauline (at Mrs. Scott’s place) with a club, used aggressive language, and started choking Pauline, as well. Later, Ann Melton came back to Mrs. Scott’s house, threatened her and made Mrs. Scott swear she would say nothing to nobody about the entire incident. Pauline claimed, she learned from Thoams Dula that Ann Melton was jealous of her. The lady also said to Ann in the presence of Mrs. Scott “(…) You are as deep in the mud as I am in this mess.”
According to Washington Anderson’s testimony, who served with Thomas Dula in the same regiment and company, the Thomas was of good, peaceable, and honest character.
All the evidence was circumstantial and nothing was proved. Thomas claimed he was not guilty of murdering Laura. He was found guilty, though. He was a poor man and could not afford a good lawyer.
Thomas appealed to the Supreme Court of North Carolina. In the result of the following retrial, he was found guilty again. Thomas Dula was hanged on 1 May 1868 at 2:17 PM.
After his death, on 8th May, the “Salisbury Watchman”, a local newspaper, published a note regarding Thomas’ hanging. It included a statement allegedly signed by Dula. In that piece, he took the blame for murdering Laura Foster. One can only wonder whether the statement and the signature were legitimate and true. Based on that, Ann Melton was released from prison (in which she had spent two years) when her trial started later. Allegedly, a juror said “she was too pretty to hang”.
Ann Pauline Foster Melton died at the of about 31, in 1874, possibly of advanced venereal disease.
James Gilbert Melton remarried on 28 January 1875. His second wife was Luisa Gilbert, born on 3 November 1841, in Wilkes NC (8).
Pauline “Perline” Foster (whose first name was also Ann) passed in about 1890.
Well, quite a tragic story. May they all rest in peace.
1."North Carolina, Estate Files, 1663-1979", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJDF-C5JG : Sat Mar 09 11:48:45 UTC 2024), Entry for Thomas P Dula, 1855.
2."North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011 ", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XFS7-5J6 : Sat Mar 09 18:39:58 UTC 2024), Entry for James Milton and Anny Foster, 22 Jun 1859.
3."United States, Census, 1860", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD63-2WC : Mon Jul 08 16:48:09 UTC 2024), Entry for Mary Dula and John Dula, 1860.
4."United States, Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865", FamilySearch https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=C01939BA-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A
7.“Tom Dula Case 1866-68. Insight: The Tom Dooley Story from Thomas Dula Papers 1866-1868. Private Collection 1272.1”
8."North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011 ", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJ7-MJN3 : Sun Mar 10 18:35:49 UTC 2024), Entry for James Milton and Louise Gilbert, 28 Jan 1875.
Since I used to live by the Baltic Sea, quite a few entries of "My Polish Alphabet" in one way or another are related to the sea.
"Lonely Frigate" ("Samotna Fregata") is one of those traditional songs that were known and sung by many Poles despite the fact, that it was not played on the radio or TV. Well, at least not in my time. The tune, which is rather sad, was quite popular where I lived. Combined with the lyrics, it has sometimes made me teary a bit.
For so many years, I had no clue who the authors of the song were. I guess it is never too late to learn something. While preparing this post, I found out that the lyrics had been written by Konrad Łapin, a Polish poet who lived by the sea. Henryk Hubertus Jabłoński, a Polish composer of Gdańsk, wrote the music of "Lonely Frigate" (and many other songs well).
Here is the song.
My translation of the text:
In a faraway port, somewhere at the end of the world, Where a dead wave hits the shore, A lonely frigate, for long years, Has been waiting for something at the mouth of two rivers.
The rivers fall into one sea, But a current carries them in two directions, The frigate waits, though she might want to Pick up the anchor and sail away.
In a faraway port, somewhere at the end of the world, Where a dead wave hits the shore, A girl lives who, for long years, Has been waiting for someone at the mouth of two rivers.
The rivers fall into one sea, but a current carries them in two directions. The girls has been waiting, Though she might want to leave everything and sail away.
But the anchors hold too tight, Two rivers have been flowing in both directions for years, On the water only, at the northern lights, A snow-like flower floats away.
And this is how the fate of the girl Intertwines somehow with the fate of the frigate That has been standing for years. At a faraway harbor, somewhere at the end of the world, Where only the wind sings carelessly.
An instrumental version of the song is included below. I have no clue why the lady is kneeling in the water (a mermaid ?). The music is nice, though.
A few decades ago, group singing was a popular pastime in Poland. Everybody knew certain traditional songs, which not necessarily were played on the radio, but people did enjoy singing them when they got together. Some songs were more popular and well known in the north of the country only as they were related to the sea.
One of them was "Bosman" ("Bosun" in Eng.). I never knew who its author was till these days when I did some research. It was written by Jerzy Porębski. However, I did not find the information when exactly it was created. Well, ages ago.
My free translation "On the deck, since the morning, The bosun is always heard When he needlessly screams all the time. Even if you hurt your hands, He will always rebuke you and say: "It is done badly".
Boys, what has happened to you? When at the cauldron, then everybody hurries. It's not a tub, not a pan, You should know from your childhood, It is a Polish warship.
But is sometimes happens,
That the bosun daydreams,
Every bosun has their dreams.
If you ask him the,
He brings his squeezebox,
Sits on the stern and plays.
(...)"
The song has many verses, but we (the scouts) most often sang only four. Much later, I discovered that the next one tells what the bosun fantasized about - it was the sea, the abyss, the fights he experienced, girls of Bombay who love and kiss hard. Probably, the latter was a reason why we did not sing that part. On the other hand, the bosun also dreamed about Gdynia, the port which he loved so very much.
Traditional version of the song - the author Jerzy Porębski sings in the video
More modern and lively version of "Bosun"
PS
"My Polish Alphabet" is about things, people, and places that come to my mind when I think of Poland.
When I was growing up, Polish people tended to sing a lot. I do not mean pop songs played on the radio, but traditional songs known by all the generations. Whenever a group got together, they sang. On a bus/coach full of tourists, at summer camps, camping sites, parties - you name it. Some songs were common in the entire country, some were regional (more popular in certain areas of Poland). "Falcons" (or "Hey, Falcons") belongs to the first group. Actually, it is a Ukrainian song. Due to the intertwined history of both countries, it has become a traditional Polish song as well.
I sang the song with my primary school choir, among others. At that time, despite the lyrics, I thought about it as a Polish song only.
"Hey, Falcons" ("Hej, Sokoły") lyrics in Polish and English click here.
Interestingly, I have found the song sang by the Red Army Choir - "Alexandrov Ensemble". They visited Poland in 2009. Customary, while visiting a country, the choir sang a well-known traditional song of the land. They chose "Falcons" then.
Alexandrov Ensemble, their performances, were quite magnificent. I enjoyed listening to those singers. Tragically, the group (choir, musicians, and dance group) members were killed in a plane crash in 2016.
PS
There will be a few more posts related to songs in "My Polish Alphabet".
Sometimes I wake up in the night with a song on my mind. Usually,
the song gets stuck to me for some time until I hear it sung by a singer. Recently, it has been the song which starts with "Jedno życie masz..."/"One life you have...". I
learned it at primary school, and I sang it then with the school choir.
Most of the lyrics I had forgotten, that was only
that one verse:
"Jedno życie masz, komu dasz ten kwiat, nie idź za rzekę zginiesz tam"/
"One life you have, who will you give that flower to, do not go across the river, you will perish there."
I remembered that the original version in English was sung by Joan Baez, so I looked for a video on youtube.
Interestingly, looking for the Polish version of "Dona, Dona", I also learned that it is
actually a traditional Jewish song with lyrics in Yiddish.
Well, there is always something new to learn. I like the red dress by the way.
The Polish lyrics were not about cows going to slaughter, though. It was more like an anti-war song.
Finally, it is, I found the words I had learned at school.
"Jedno życie masz,
komu dasz ten kwiat?
Nie idź za rzekę zginiesz
tam.
Komu dasz ten kwiat?
Życia swego kwiat?
Kiedy zza rzeki padnie
strzał?
Ludzie, ludzie nie gińcie,
Wy ocalicie świat.
Ludzie, ludzie szkoda
was.
To wojna zginąć ma.
Dona Dona Don..."
Which is
"One life you have,
Who will you give that flower to? Don't go across the river,
You will perish there.
One life you have,
Who will you give that flower to? The flower of your life?
When the shot from across the river will be fired.
People, people do not perish,
You will save the world. People, people do not perish,
The war is that one to die.
Dona Dona Don..."
I did not manage to find any live version of the song sung in Polish (with the particular lyrics mentioned above), so the song is still here Dona Dona Dona Dona...
When mom was little, her sisters and parents lived on the first floor of the house which belonged to the D* family. They lived on the ground floor of the house they owned. The Ds were Poles but when WW2 began, they signed the Reichsdeutsche list. Thanks to that, the Zs were regarded as German people by the Nazis. Hilda* was one of the members of the Zs family. She tended to be a rather unpleasant and unfriendly lady and she seemed not to be keen on children as well.
One day, mom (she was about 5 then) was told by her mother to fetch potatoes from the storage place. Every family who lived in that house had their own storage place. Those little wooden shacks were not far from the house next to the barn (which was opposite the house).
When mom went out to get the potatoes, she saw Hilda. The lady was cleaning some lederhosen with a wooden brush. The piece of clothing belonged to a teenage boy Jurgen* who had come from Germany to visit the Zs.
Mom approached Hilda and asked her in Polish:
"Miss Hilda, why are you cleaning Jurgen's trousers, can't he do it by himself?"
In reply, Hilda threw the wooden brush at mom and started calling her names.
Mom, said nothing, but she did sing a song at the lady to tease her. Subsequently, the lady got really crossed and started chasing mom around the barn. Hilda was willing to get the little girl and teach her a lesson.
A daughter of mom's neighbors (who lived on the second floor of the same house) was passing by. She saw what was going on and rushed to tell my grandmother about it.
The girl ran to the house and shouted: “Hilda wants to beat up Dona*!”
Anyway, mom managed to get home too and Hilda did not succeed in catching her. However, the lady followed the little girl to the family apartment on the first floor. Grandma opened the door and there was Hilda, furious, ready to punish mom for her singing.
She shouted at grandma angrily: "You should forbid your daughter!"
Grandma stepped forward and said with a strong voice:
"When you will have your own children, you will be allowed to beat them".
Hilda, caught by surprise, stepped back and tripped over the metal frame which was attached to the stairs. At the same time, the lady lost her balance and fell down the stairs.
Not long after that, the SS-men knocked on mom's family apartment door. Grandma was accused of aggravated assault and beating a German woman. Both mom and her mother were taken to the nearest Gestapo station.
When they got there, the two of them were led to a room where a Gestapo officer was sitting behind a big desk.
The officer asked grandma: “Why did you hit a German woman?”
“I did not touch her”, said grandma, and she also explained what had happened. Both grandma and her little daughter could speak German fluently (more about it in the next Mom's WW2 Stories post).
The Gestapo officer ordered mom to sing the song she had sung at Hilda.
The girl started crying, she was scared. She said she could sing that song in Polish only.
So an interpreter came and mom was told to sing again.
That was the song:
Stara panna lat 40 wciąż w pretensjach żyje,
a tę swoją brzydką buzię w różnych ziołach myje.
Usta sobie pomaluje, włosy pozapika,
a jak wszystko pozdejmuje - stara elektryka.
The interpreter translated the words into German.
An old maid, aged 40, is resentful all the time,
and she washes her ugly face with various herbs.
She colors her lips and fixes her hair,
but when she takes it all off - just an old bag.
The Nazi officer's face seemed very serious.
He asked: “How old is the woman?”
“40”, said mom still sobbing.
“Is she married?”
“No”, replied mom with a trembling voice.
To everybody's surprise, something unexpected happened. The Gestapo officer laughed out loud. He was laughing and appeared to be amused. Mom got confused but she started laughing as well.
Then, as suddenly as he started, the man stopped laughing. When he got quiet, his face looked scary again. He opened a drawer of his desk and reached into it.
Mom was horrified, she was sure her and her mother's end was about to come, and the Gestapo officer was going to shoot them at the very spot. The moment seemed to last for ages. However, instead of shooting, an extraordinary thing happened. Mom saw not a gun but something else in the man's hand. She was stunned.
The officer was holding a bar of chocolate. Next, with a smile on his face, he handed the chocolate to the little girl. Mom and her mother were let go. Unhurt. With a bar of chocolate to enjoy.
They were lucky - the officer found the story funny. I reckon mom must have been really scared then since she still remembers it all so well, despite all the years which have passed by.
.png)
.jpg)
