Aura Lea

                          Aura Lea

William Whiteman Fosdick             George R. Poulton, 1861
                                       Mandolin tablature by 
                                    Elizabeth T. Knuth, 1998

Key: G

Slowly.  Nostalgic.

Verse:

           E
E--||------------------------------|--------------------------|
A--||--2:--------------------------|--0-----------0-----------|
D--||--4:--0--------5--4-----5-----|--------2-----------------|
G--||------------------------------|--------------------------|
           |        |  |     |        |     |     |
           |_       |= |_    |_       |_    |_    |

1.        When     the black-bird     in   the  spring,
2.        In       thy blush the     rose  was   born,

                              Q                 e         
|--------------------------|--------------------r-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------e-----|
|--5-----4-----2-----4-----|--5-----------------s-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------t-----|
   |_    |_    |_    |_       |                 |_

   on   the   wil - low      tree
  Mus - ic    when  you     spake,

   E
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--0-----------0-----------|
|--0--------5--4-----5-----|--------2-----------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
   |        |  |     |        |     |     |
   |_       |= |_    |_       |_    |_    |

  Sat      and rocked I     heard  him  sing,
  In      thine a - zure     eye   the  morn

|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--5-----4-----2-----4-----|--5-----------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
   |_    |_    |_    |_       |           |

 sing - ing    Au  - ra      Lea.
Spark - ling, seemed to     break.

|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--2-----2-----2-----------|--2-----2-----2-----------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
   |_    |_    |              |_    |_    |

   Au  - ra   Lea,            Au  - ra   Lea,
   Au  - ra   Lea,            Au  - ra   Lea,

   E
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--2--------0--------0-----|--2-----------------------|
|--------------5-----------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
   |        |  |     |        |           |
   |_       |= |_    |_       |           |

  maid     of gold - en      hair;
  Take     my gold - en      ring,

               E                          E
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--2-----2-----3--------2--|--0-----------0--------0--|
|--------------------------|--------2-----------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
   |     |     |        |     |     |     |        |
   |_    |_    |_       |=    |_    |_    |_       |=

  Sun - shine came      a  - long  with  thee,    and
  Love  and   life     re  - turn  with  thee,    and

      E        E              Q                 e
|--------------------------|--------------------r-----|
|--------------2--------0--|--------------------e-----|
|--5--4--------------------|--5-----------------s-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------t-----|
   |  |        |        |     |                 |
   |= |_       |_       |=    |                 |_

 swal-lows     in      the   air.
 swal-lows     in      the  spring.

Chorus: First time f., second time p.

||---------------------------|--------------------------|
||*--2-----2-----2-----------|--------------------------|
||*--------------------------|--4-----4-----4-----------|
||---------------------------|--------------------------|
     |_    |_    |              |_    |_    |

     Au  - ra   Lea,            Au  - ra   Lea,


   E
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--2--------0--------0-----|--2-----------------------|
|--------------5-----------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
   |        |  |     |        |           |
   |_       |= |_    |_       |           |

  Maid     of gol - den      hair;


               E                          E  dim.
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--2-----2-----3--------2--|--0-----------0--------0--|
|--0-----0--------------0--|--2-----2-----2-----------|
|--0-----0-----------------|--------------------------|
   |     |     |        |     |     |     |        |
   |_    |_    |_       |=    |_    |_    |_       |=

  Sun - shine came      a  - long  with  thee,    and

               _
              /.\
      E        E              Q                 e 
|--------------------------|--------------------r-----||
|--------------2--------0--|--------------------e----*||
|--5--5--------0--------0--|--5-----------------s----*||
|--------------------------|--------------------t-----||
   |  |        |        |     |                 |
   |= |_       |_       |=    |                 |_

 swal-lows     in      the   air.

============================================================
==                 TABLATURE EXPLANATION                  ==
============================================================

||------|| Repeat         ----------
||*----*||                -4:------- Time
||*----*||                -4:------- Signature
||------||                ----------

Rhythm:
  Q = dotted quarter
  e = eighth note or rest   
  E = dotted eighth

Forgettable lyrics, really. But a nice-sounding tune.

This is one of the first songs I learned to play on mandolin. Elvis fans will recognize it as the tune to "Love Me Tender." Have I mentioned that my mandolin teacher played backup for an Elvis impersonator?

I understand that for West Point cadets, this tune is also used for the song "Army Blue."

Simple Gifts Mandolin Tablature Archive | Elizabeth T. Knuth's Home Page

Comments to: eknuth@unix.csbsju.edu