When you wore a tulip and I wore a big red rose
Long before the rise of the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots in the 1930s, … Read Full Bio ↴Long before the rise of the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots in the 1930s, the American Quartet (also known as the Premier Quartet) reigned supreme as one of the definitive male vocal groups in traditional pop. The foursome (which should not be confused with a 21st century gospel group that has the same name) was not the only vocal group that was active during traditional pop's acoustical era, which ended with the introduction of electrical recording technology in the mid-1920s and the rise of the crooners. But they were certainly among the most popular, along with the Peerless Quartet, the Haydn Quartet, the Lyric Quartet and the Columbia Stellar Quartet. Depending on his/her point of view, one could pinpoint the start of the American Quartet as either 1899 or 1909. In 1899, John Bieling, William F. Hooley, Jere Mahoney and S. H. Dudley first recorded for Edison Records as the Edison Male Quartet and started recording for other labels as the American Quartet. But the most famous version of the American Quartet came about in 1909, when Bieling and Hooley joined forces with Steve Porter and the popular Philadelphia native Billy Murray (b. May 25, 1877, d. August 17, 1954). By 1909, Murray was well established in his solo career (he had made his first solo recordings in 1897), and his distinctive voice made the new edition of the American Quartet very marketable. The Murray-era version of the American Quartet (which recorded for Edison as the Premier Quartet and for Victor as the American Quartet) enjoyed quite a few hits in the 1910s, including "Chinatown, My Chinatown," "Oh, You Beautiful Doll," "Casey Jones" (not to be confused with the Grateful Dead song), "On the 5:15," "Moonlight Bay" and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm." Bieling, it should be noted, remained with the group until 1913, when he was replaced by Robert D. Armour (who was replaced by John Young in 1915). And when Hooley died in 1918, he was replaced by Donald Chalmers . $The American Quartet remained active in the early 1920s, but in 1925, the American Quartet broke up and ended its 26-year run (or 16-year run if you consider the pre-1909 American Quartet a separate group). Murray continued to record and perform as a solo artist after the American Quartet's breakup, but with the rise of crooners like Bing Crosby, Gene Austin, Art Gillham, Russ Columbo and "Whispering" Jack Smith, his popularity as a solo artist faded. Murray, who was used to consistently belting and projecting (or as he called it, "hammering") because of the limitations of acoustical recording, tried to soften his voice in order to adapt to electrical recording technology. But even so, his singing sounded very dated to younger listeners in the 1930s, and Murray made his final recordings in 1943; Murray was retired from music during the last eleven years of his life. Murray's solo hits can be heard on Archeophone's excellent collection The Billy Murray Anthology: The Denver Nightingale.

When you wore a tulip and I wore a big red rose
American Quartet Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I met you in a garden in an old Kentucky town
The sun was shining down
You wore a gingham gown
I kissed you as I placed a yellow tulip in your hair
Upon my coat you pinned a rose so rare
Time has not changed your loveliness
You're just as sweet to me
I love you yet, I can't forget the days that used to be

When you wore a tulip, a sweet yellow tulip
And I wore a big red rose
When you caressed me, 'twas then Heaven blessed me
What a blessing, no one knows
You made life cheery when you called me dearie
'Twas down where the blue grass grows
Your lips were sweeter then julep when you wore that tulip
And I wore a big red rose

When you wore a tulip, a sweet yellow tulip
And I wore a big red rose
When you caressed me, 'twas then Heaven blessed me
What a blessing, no one knows
You made life cheery when you called me dearie
'Twas down where the blue grass grows




Your lips were sweeter then julep when you wore that tulip
And I wore a big red rose

Overall Meaning

"When You Wore A Tulip And I Wore A Big Red Rose" is a sweet love song that speaks of a past romantic encounter between a man and a woman. The opening lyrics set the scene in an old Kentucky town, where the couple meets in a garden. The man is struck by the woman's beauty and gives her a yellow tulip to wear in her hair, while she pins a rare red rose on his coat. The two reminisce about their past, and the man reflects on how the woman's loveliness has not changed over time. It's clear that the couple has a deep affection for each other, and although the past cannot be changed, their love remains as sweet as ever.


The song's lyrics are evocative of a bygone era, with phrases like "cheery" and "dearie" appearing throughout. The song's melody is also reminiscent of old-fashioned love songs, with its gentle guitar strumming and nostalgic feel. The lyrics also reference the blue grass of Kentucky, adding to the song's rural and romantic atmosphere.


Overall, "When You Wore A Tulip And I Wore A Big Red Rose" is a charming and nostalgic love song that captures the joy and sweetness of a past love affair.


Line by Line Meaning

I met you in a garden in an old Kentucky town
I first saw you in a garden situated in a small town in Kentucky.


The sun was shining down
The sun was shining brightly on that day.


You wore a gingham gown
You were dressed in a dress made of gingham fabric.


I kissed you as I placed a yellow tulip in your hair
As I put a yellow tulip in your hair, I kissed you.


Upon my coat you pinned a rose so rare
You pinned a rare rose on my coat as a symbol of affection.


Time has not changed your loveliness
Regardless of time that has passed, you remain lovely and beautiful.


You're just as sweet to me
Your sweetness hasn't changed and it still reminds me of how amazing you were.


I love you yet, I can't forget the days that used to be
Although I still love you, I can't help but cherish the old days we had.


When you wore a tulip, a sweet yellow tulip
I recall a particular moment when you looked beautiful wearing a sweet yellow tulip.


And I wore a big red rose
Together with you, I wore a big red rose demonstrating our affection for each other.


When you caressed me, 'twas then Heaven blessed me
Every time you touched me, I felt like I was blessed by Heaven.


What a blessing, no one knows
It was a blessing that nobody else could understand or comprehend except us.


You made life cheery when you called me dearie
Your use of endearing terms such as 'dearie' made my life happier and more joyful.


'Twas down where the blue grass grows
This happened in an area where blue grass grows in Kentucky.


Your lips were sweeter than julep when you wore that tulip
Your lips tasted sweeter than julep when you wore that tulip.


And I wore a big red rose
Together with you, I wore a big red rose as a sign of mutual love and admiration.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS BARBER, JACK MAHONEY (DP)_, PERCY WENRICH (DP)

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@bosswhale422

I have this song on an edison diamond record. Really nice song.

@dorcelessness5924

Amazing song

@SniffMyDeadwax

A bit of history this song was sung amid the din and crash of shells and a mine explosion by a company of the Grimsby chums battalion as they prepared to go over the top at Ollivers La Boiselle on 1 July 1916. Only Only Harry Baumber and Sam Ward survived of the dozen of the choir.

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