Green Grow The Lilacs -

Beginners syncopation, extended range,
and a five note ascending tonic arpeggio.

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: United Kingdom, Scotland – USA, Folk Song
Key: G Major
Time: 3/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ta/ ti | syncopation,
| ta ta ta | ta/a ta | ta ta ti ti | ta/a (ta) |
Pitches: intermediate: Mi So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La – extended range
Intervals: intermediate: So/Mi8 (M6), Do\Mi (m6), Mi/So/Do/Mi8/So8 ascending tonic arpeggio (I, G), So8\Mi8 (m3), Do\La (m3), La/Fa (m6), Re\La (P4)
Musical Elements: notes: half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; syncopation, tonic arpeggio
Key Words: world geography: United Kingdom, Scotland (tune); USA history, cowboy song, cowboy courting song, lilacs, sparkling, dew, darling, parting, prove true, red, white, and blue, reminding, brought, love, gate, country, favorite, sweetly, perfuming, sad parting, message, change; contraction: I’m (I am), I’ll (I will); abbreviation: flow’r (flower)

**“Green Grow The Lilacs”**

	1.	Green grow the lilacs, all sparkling with dew, I’m lonely, my darling, since parting with you, But by our next meeting I’ll hope to prove true, And change the green lilacs to the Red, White and Blue.

	2.	Green grow the lilacs reminding me of The ones that I brought you with all of my love, The gates of my country will open for you And change the green lilacs to the Red, White and Blue.

	3.	Green grow the lilacs, Your favorite flow’r, So sweetly perfuming – a sad parting hour. Oh send me a message that you love me too, Let’s change the green lilacs to the Red, White and Blue.

	This ballad is based on a similar song, “Green Grows the Laurel“, that was popular in 17th century Scotland. The song appears in the 1931 play of the same name by Lynn Riggs. “Green Grow the Lilacs” became the basis of the libretto for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!.”

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