Story Behind The Song
As a little girl, I was fascinated by my mother's stories of riding and camping adventures. She was a great inspiration to me, and the old button box I inherited from her is a constant reminder of the color and variety in her life.
Song Description
A true story about my mother, a remarkably independent woman and free thinker, who grew up as "a Jewish girl from Brooklyn" to ride in the rodeo in 1937.
| Song Length |
4:55 |
Genre |
Folk - Contemporary, Folk - Country |
| Tempo |
Medium Slow (91 - 110) |
Lead Vocal |
Female Vocal |
| Mood |
Serene, Relaxed |
Subject |
Mother, Rodeo |
| Similar Artists |
Joan Baez |
Language |
English |
| Era |
1930 - 1939 |
| |
Lyrics
LOUISE
Words and Music by Jackie Morris
My mother had a button box
Filled with wonderous things
There were beads of every color
Broken earrings and old rings
I loved to look at all of them
But the thing I loved the best
Was a pair of tarnished silver spurs
Like the ones they wore out West.
Louise was only 12 years old
When her father passed away
She started working after school
And bringing home her pay
But her mind was young and restless
Reading volumes after dark
And she dreamed of riding horseback
On the trails of Prospect Park.
CHORUS:
Louise, Ah Louise
You always did exactly as you pleased.
A Jewish girl from Brooklyn
Who would ever know?...
In 1937, you rode in the rodeo.
All her sisters married early
?Twas the custom in that day
But Louise had worlds to see and do
And she did it her own way
While her mama lit the candles
And said prayers on Sabbath night
Louise had eyes for starry skies
And the glow of a campfire light.
CHORUS
Louise, Ah Louise,
You always did exactly as exactly as you pleased
A Jewish girl from Brooklyn
You rode in the rodeo
In 1937, such a long, long time ago.
BRIDGE:
She was a New York original
A woman ahead of her time
She rode through life with style and grace
And the power of an independent mind.
I still have that old button box
And all those precious things
That an only child inherits
And a loving mother brings
But of all the things she left me
The one I love best
Is a pair of tarnished silver spurs
Like the ones they wore out West.
CHORUS
Louise, Ah Louise,
You always did exactly as exactly as you pleased
A Jewish girl from Brooklyn
You rode in the rodeo
In 1937, such a long, long time ago.