Oh My Darling Clementine
Oh My Darling Clementine Lyrics
In a cavern, in a canyon,
Excavating for a mine
Dwelt a miner forty niner,
And his daughter Clementine
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
Thou art lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine,
Herring boxes, without topses,
Sandals were for Clementine.
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
Thou art lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
Drove she ducklings to the water
Ev'ry morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter,
Fell into the foaming brine.
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
Thou art lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles, soft and fine,
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
Thou art lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
How I missed her! How I missed her,
How I missed my Clementine,
But I kissed her little sister,
I forgot my Clementine.
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
Thou art lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
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Oh My Darling Clementine Alternative Lyrics
In the centre of a golden valley,
Dwellt a maiden all divine,
A pretty creature a miner's daughter
And her name was Clementine.
Refrain:
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
My darling Clementine,
You are lost for me forever,
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.
Her noble father was the forman
Of ev'ry valued mine,
And ev'ry miner and ranchman
Was a brother to Clementine.
The foreman miner, an old forty niner,
In dreams and thoughts sublime,
Lived in comfort with his daughter,
His pretty child Clementine.
When far away, he would often pray
That in his sunny clime
No harm might overtake her,
His favorite nugget, Clementine.
When the day was done and the setting sun
Its rays they ceased to shine,
Homeward came the brawney miner
To caress his Clementine.
None was nearer, none was dearer,
Since the days of forty-nine
When, in youth, he had another
Who was then his Clementine.
She led her ducks down to the river,
The weather it was fine,
Stubbed her toe against a sliver,
Fell into the raging brine.
He heard her calling: father,
Her voice was like a chime,
But alas he was no swimmer,
So he lost his Clementine.
Some additional verses
I took her, on a picnic,
Oh, how the Sun did shine.
But she’s ‘llergic to bee stings
To the doctor, Clementine
Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
Thou art lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
Information About Oh My Darling Clementine
‘’The song Oh My Darling Clementine’’ is a U.S folk song with its lyrical roots in an older western folk ballad called ‘’Down by the River Liv'd a Maiden’’ written by H. S. Thompson in 1863. The song is forever linked with the Californian Gold Rush. The melody of the song may have originated from a Spanish ballad popular with Mexican miners during the Gold Rush.
‘’The song Oh My Darling Clementine’’ was written in 1884 and is usually credited to Percy Montrose, but sometimes Barker Bradford's name is used.
The words 'Oh my darling, Clementine! Thou art lost and gone forever' is where a lover or father speaks about the grief he encounters when he loses his Clementine in a drowning incident. The girl is the daughter or girlfriend of a miner in the 1849 California Gold Rush.
Do you like traditional songs? Take a look at the other songs we have listed.
Oh My Darling Clementine Video
User Comments Oh My Darling Clementine (107)
By Michael from Raleigh, North Carolina on 12 December 2008
song always get stuck in my head after i hear it
By Katie from Poquoson, Virginia on 23 December 2008
I think that this song is...depressing, but it has a sweet tune. I think it is lovely.
By Kayla from Burbank,illinois on 25 January 2009
love this song! its sad but has a really nice...tune i think. :)
By Diler Nalıncılar from Turkey on 13 February 2009
a very deep song.. it is a little bit depressing, but i have to admit that i love listening to it when i feel depressed :S
By Kyle from Uk on 1 March 2009
i remember singing this in school when i was about 9, good times ;-)
By Radu from Brasov In Romania on 9 March 2009
Nice song...I heard it once and since then I liked it...I think I`ve heard it even in Scooby Doo and the Miner 49er...
By Kelly from Angelina County, America on 12 March 2009
When I was in Elementary school we used to sing this song in our Music class. The teacher would sometimes change the name Clementine to someone from the class. It's been years since I've heard it, I forgot the lyrics to it and forgot about it all together until my dad was singing it earlier this week. You have to love the occasional depressing song with a comical relief ending.
By Isabella from Longisland New York on 23 March 2009
when i first heard this song i thought it was real i almost cryed.i mean how could you not jump in and save your daughter even if you dont know how to swim.if my father did that to me i would hate him(not saying that i do)and never forgive him for the rest of my spirt life .thats just non unforgetible
By Harold from Columbus, Franklin County on 30 March 2009
! A one, a two, a three, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo! Drove those ducklings to the water! Yep rock, doodle a doo doo, ah ah! Every morning like 9 am! Whoopa da doo da doo doo da! Got her hung upon a splinter! Got her hung upon a splinter, doo da, hoo hoo! Fell into the foamy brine! Dig that crazy Clementine, man! !
By Sonia from Irvine, Usa on 6 April 2009
I like the song. His voice is very soft.
By Laura from Woodbridge,usa on 10 May 2009
It's beutiful, I'm gonna sing It to my grandmother.
By Clementine from Anaheim on 12 June 2009
My name is cleentine i have 2 sing it with my class this song makes me feel sad!
By Jennifer from Bristol Uk on 19 June 2009
Um, I hate to point this out, but this song (at least the original) is meant to be FUNNY. I mean, have you ever seen how big herring boxes are? And why on earth would anybody drive ducklings to water?
By Sylvanus from Atlanta, Georgia Usa on 25 June 2009
I heard this song as a kid about 5 years old back in my Elementary School days in Olokoro Town, Umuahia in Nigeria. It sounded so sorrowful, so mournful that whenever I was sad ever since then I will find myself humming the tune. I did not know the complete lyrics until recently, but this song will be evergreen in my memory. I love it.
By Lin from Cleveland Usa on 29 July 2009
Oh, no! I was looking for this to find out if the word in the second line of the last verse was "flowers" or "blossoms", since I couldn't quite remember. I was SO distressed to have my childhood memories of this sweet song violated by the ending! He went after her little sister ?!? Eewww! When I was a child, my mother sang the last verse to me like this (the verse after "ruby lips..."): "In a churchyard on a hillside/Where the flowers grow and twine There grow roses amongst the posies/Flowers for my Clementine" (or sometimes I've heard it, "...on the grave of Clementine") Please accept this as an alternate ending, even if it is not "traditional." It is the only one I've ever known, and is the one that has always made me feel sweet inside.
By Lin from Cleveland Usa on 30 July 2009
Oh, no! I was so distressed when I saw the "traditional" lyrics! My sweet childhood memories of the song were violated. The cad went after her little sister?!? When my mother sang this song to me, it was a sweet loving lament, and the last verse went like this: "In a churchyard, on a hillside/ where the flowers grow and twine/ There grow roses amongst the posies/ flowers for my Clemintine" I think I've also heard the last line as "on the grave of Clementine," but I liked the other better. I suppose the first way you hear a song is always the "right way," but please accept this version as an alternate ending, even if it isn't "traditional." The sweet sentiment fits the sweet melody.
By Robert from Norman , Cleveland on 12 August 2009
I'm an 82 Yr old U.S. Navy veteran , 1944 - 1946 , Pacific . I remember loving to sing Clementine while marching with the Boy Scout Troop in Chickasha , OK in the 1930's . I sing it now substituting " Bertie Lorene ", my wife of 44 Yrs , who died in 1993 , for Clementine. I miss her so , it almost kills me , but that song will be in my mind forever .
By Samantha from Denver, Colorado on 3 September 2009
i must say, this song is pretty sad. but i still LOVE it. i keep singing it in my head. i just love it!
By Japaneasy from O-sutoraria on 8 September 2009
well, if you ever got sick of the words... you could always sing Mi, ni, bi-nde i,chi,ri-tte ki-ite, gi-ide (me, knee, bin-de ee, chi, ree-te kii-te gii-de) *In a cavern, in a canyon, Excavating for a mine* tune mi ni binde i chi ritte kii te gi de it's the 'Te' form for japanese verbs..you can say you know japanese then :)
By Dominick from Abq Nm Usa on 18 September 2009
There's more to it than just a song and tune, it's a lesson. -and her shoes were number nine- they didn't make womens shoes that big so she had sandanls. If she had made shoes or had them made she would not have splintered her foot and drown. It's a warning to have the right equipment for the job. Also for those who believe it's insest related please rethink it...would you not kiss your daughter that is still alive and move on with your life? Especially if your were in a gold rush?
By Rebecca from California, Usa on 24 September 2009
One of my favorite books is called "Dreadful Sorry" and it's about a girl named Clementine. I could only remember the chorus or refrain of the song so I looked up the rest of the lyrics and I realized that the book is more based on the song than I thought.
By Gladys from Philippines on 25 September 2009
I love this song so much,it is very nice although its a sad song I still love it.
By Stefany from Los Angeles California on 13 November 2009
this song is very quite good this song has been stuck on my head last 3 weeks its just awesome:)
By Kashmiri from South Africa on 4 December 2009
My grandfather used to sing this song to me when I was little. I only remember the first 2 verses though. He has now passed on But i always remember him when I hear or think about the song
By Jenna from San Francisco, California on 16 January 2010
I really love this song, and I think it's awsome!
By Jenna from San Francisco, California on 16 January 2010
I love this song, I think it's awsome!
By Meghan from Cape Coral, Usa on 28 February 2010
This song is so sad. ): I was singing the "Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling, Clementine" part over and over again and I didn't know where it was from. And then one day my boyfriend's like, "Don't sing that! It's such a sad song." And then he gave me this site to look at the lyrics and now it's like AWH. Yeah, I didn't know it was a sad song but, I guess now I do. Lol.
By Jim from Ventura Usa on 13 March 2010
I think it's a song to get kids to wear their shoes
By Mark from Uniteddenver Colorado on 29 March 2010
I was looking for these lyrics, and on some other site, they had the churchyard verse as "in the corner of the churchyard/ Where the myrtle boughs entwine, grow the roses in their poses, fertilized by Clementine" and in the ending verse, "Now you boy-scouts, there's a moral to this little tale of mine/ Artificial respiration would have saved my clementine" again adding a dark humor to the song. Either way, I love it and my 3 and a half year old son does too!
By No0fo015 from Uae on 4 April 2010
i love that song hes name celemntine and i learnd in our school
By Amy from Newyork on 8 April 2010
i thinkits about a boy who meats a girl then they fall in love
By Summer from Seattle on 16 April 2010
Such a sad song, although I spotted some black humor in the lyrics. There was once a book I read named 'Dreadful Sorry', based from this song. It was actually well connected with the lyrics, used most of them to create the actual story and plot.
By Jesse from Usa on 25 April 2010
This is a short summery of a song: A man and his daughter clementine went down to the river to watch the ducks then clementine tripped and fell in the water. She was calling for her Dad to save her but he couldn't swim so he got to watch his only daughter drown in a river. ;( its so sad!
By Tatyana from Canada,alberta on 4 May 2010
i love this song we sing it at engagement parties but this isn't the full version there's more to it
By Jacob from London, England on 10 May 2010
This is a kids song? It's about a guy and his lover, who dies, and the guy just says "whatever" and kisses her little sister! Wow.
By Lolypop Girl... from Korea on 25 May 2010
i love that song very much becuse my teacher is teach me wow!
By Peter from Southampton Uk on 31 May 2010
I have a Darling Clementine. She can swim, I can swim, She doesn't keep ducks, I'm not in the Mining Industry, She doesn't have a sister. I think that all bases are pretty well covered
By Taranjit.chase from Westlands Kenya Nairobie on 9 June 2010
i love it but i also think its a bit sad when i was small i did this show i was clementine
By Shelby from Charles County, Usa on 14 July 2010
Ever since I knew that she drowned, I think her father was a nut job. But I still like the song.
By Melani from Walvis Namibia Africa on 4 August 2010
I just love the song this is acualy the first time that i read the lyrics with 31 years can u imagine, but i always remembered the tune. I acually dit not know what the whole story was about but now i do and it is SAD :-[
By Jada Pumphry from Chicago Ilinois on 7 August 2010
I feel a lot of negative ienergy in this song. It seems like people drown every day.
By Kura from Fresno on 8 August 2010
i love this song it brings back so much good memmorys
By Elijah Zwane from Johannesburg In South Africa on 1 September 2010
I love this song taught by my teacher in 1981. It brings back lot of memories! I will pass it on since I got the words!
By Danielle May from Princeton Il on 17 September 2010
I love this song alot but i always have to look the lyrics up again. But i dont really get how he could forget clementine and then kiss her sister thats gross, and i would kill my boyfriend if he ever did that well id be dead so i would haunt him.(if i had a boy friend but i dont)..... Its so very sad Only 12 now almost 13
By Joanah Midzi from Zimbabwe on 17 October 2010
i dont understand why anyone would take a beautiful melody like this and use it to talk about how guys can quickly replace you with your little sister?! I thot it was ' if i die-then you die,'. How so wrong i was! Dont worry bout me, i'm that sensitive.
By Jada Who Is Going To Be 14 In 2 Days! from United States on 17 October 2010
I once had a dream that I was on a water slide. I was going down and I started singing that song. thin a thing started to quack thin it thin it started playing that song on the accordion. thin I herd heartbeats they got louder and louder. They got reeealy loud and then it popped out. It said smush and at the same time it poked me with a stick. then I blacked out for a few seconds. When I whok up I felt like I was flying. Then I realized that I was soft like playdough . I also saw that everything was aso soft. but that is still my favorit song. This was my favorit song since childhood.
By Pkdlcdfos from Afghanistan on 26 October 2010
uhdlf jdfgki hsldkfjivoiedj sldfif ikdkdhv
By Anonymous from Pakistan on 12 November 2010
I've been hearing this for the past 16 years and I still love it! Lovely song.
By Clementine from Cameroon on 22 November 2010
Oh God i like this song.i am actually the character Clementine
By The Bean Mister from Australia on 23 November 2010
this is so so so so sad she drowned i hope this is not a true story but i just love love love this song so much
By Rira from Russian Federation on 12 December 2010
its the first song which i play on guitar. i like it.
By Tess George from India on 25 December 2010
The song is lovely and beautiful! Can't express my love to this song in words!
By Lutta from United States on 30 December 2010
Oh I love this song. I learned it back in the third grade when we were learning about the gold rush. But they took out the verses about how her feet were big, and the description of her drowning. So I had only remembered the Oh my darling part, but now I have it committed to memory. I even figured out how to play it on my violin, which makes it sound even sadder. *wipes tears* Lovely!
By Talla from United States on 23 January 2011
my mom always used to sing the chorus to me when i was little and i wanted to here the rest of the song, and this has been my favorite song ever since.
By Courtney from United States on 4 February 2011
I really really liked all of them
By Talia 7yrs Old from United States on 4 February 2011
I did this with a accent and my friends laughed at me but I was laughing to and the our second grade teacher ms. Jonhson told us to keep it down in ours centers.
By Daniel from United States on 16 February 2011
The "voice" of the song is NOT the father. It is Clementine's boyfriend who only mentions her father in the first verse.
By John from United States on 19 February 2011
This tune is a nice concise statement of the Tonic-Dominant relationship of Western music theory. One can plainly hear these standard "Common Practice Era" chord progressions to their Authentic Cadences (I-V7-I and I-V-I) in the melody even without any accompaniment. (Or, with a good imagination: I-vi-iisus-ii-V7-I-V-I)
By Crystal from United States on 23 February 2011
i cant believe that the boyfriend went after that sister and forget clementime , that is weird.
By Terry from United Kingdom on 15 March 2011
learnt this song at school 50 years ago.....Ah! sweet memories returned.
By Dianne from United States on 24 March 2011
I was a foreign exchange student in Norway, and a little boy there constantly sang a version of this song. I wish someone would write the words for me so I could snig them to my kids. It was a funny version.
By Morgan from United States on 29 March 2011
Didn't Huckleberry Hound sing this song in every episode?
By Jada from United States on 9 May 2011
I love this song I do not know why I keep posting comments. My friends get so mad when I am walking down the sidewalk at the School I go too. I go to the Illinois School for the visually Impaired and and all of my friends love that song. We just had a fund raiser for money so that we can compete with other schools for the visually impaired. We usually have to go out of state to do that. While I was at one of them I started humming that song and everybody told me to stop, but I did not.
By Willie from United States on 14 June 2011
0This Song has been rambling in my mind for days and I sang parts of it aloud now and then. I got to wondering if there was more to the song that I did not know so I did this research on Facebook to see if I had all the lyrics. I did. Just as I had learned it years ago in grammer school. Sort of scary. The music is beautiful and I love the song. Now that I know it is exactly like I've always sang it, I won't have to wonder any longer. Thanks for all the information.
By Ginger from Ghana on 12 July 2011
Tears come to my eyes anytime I sing this song because I wish I was a kid again, to live my life all over again - O! how I'd change so many things !
By Carla Jane from Philippines on 13 July 2011
this song is real hppen from a miner its so sad:(
By Carla Jane from Philippines on 13 July 2011
i wish that that whom read this song may have a moral lesson so sad tears come to my eyes and i cant stop my feelings.
By Eckhard from Panama on 17 September 2011
Just lost my wife. But I have been remained for this song which I heard in the seventies that on the end a wife was calling: (nome) Come home. At this time lived in Germany.
By Trangnguyen from Australia on 12 October 2011
chao ,toi rat yeu bai hat nay ,yeu yeu ,yeu lam
By Joy from United States on 22 October 2011
The first song is awsome so i am going to copy it down and show my teacher. He sang a song oh mydarling frankinstein. Both are AWSOME!
By Phyllis from United States on 24 November 2011
My husband is 75 and has vascular dementia. I sing this song to him and he knows all the verses. It's something that brings a smile to his face and just for a little while we can share something together.
By Kaye from Philippines on 16 January 2012
so sad... well, eternal sunshine brought me here.
By Hannah from United States on 26 January 2012
Isn't it odd how most of the kid's songs are either completely inappropriate, rude, really sad, or just plain ridiculous to be singing to little children? As a little kid i never realized it, but reading these lyrics makes me think twice about singing them to my little siblings... :)
By Christine from France on 11 February 2012
the last time I sang that song was in 2009 with Bill, an american veteran who visited my village in Normandie, it was both funny and moving, I will never forget it..
By Diva109 from United States on 25 February 2012
Oh how sweet.It made me cry.Nices song ever!I wish I wrote it.
By Rosie from New Zealand on 29 February 2012
Clemetine is Christchurch NZ Potential mining the tragedy Goodbye to Our City of Christchurch NZ <*///--- Rosie NZ
By Shaen from United States on 14 March 2012
This song is an old folk song but who cares it is just awesome
By Dounia Sinan from Brazil on 2 April 2012
pls give me just the music of song clementine with the piano
By Ruby Thyoi from Israel on 2 April 2012
pls give me just the music of song clementine with the piano I have defucult to speak english so if you give it to me I will never forgot you
By Patrick from United States on 15 April 2012
She got a splinter, went to doctor. She got better.She ate a peanut, it was rotten. She died and went to heaven. These lyrics I heard in the latter 1940's. Much better than the one on this site. Much longer and less sad....Maybe she be 'happy in heaven'.
By Adri from United States on 16 April 2012
stuck like glue is better than this song
By Olivia from Germany on 18 April 2012
Me and my friends have to sing this song for a project in U.S. history about the California Gold Rush. I can't believe she drowns, what a way to go. I also can't believe the guy goes after her little sister. That's sad. He doesn't even try and save her, he just says oh I can't swim. Wow.....
By Jacky from Germany on 18 April 2012
Yup Olivia we have to sing this song. It's actually pretty sad. Man what a horrible guy. Geese.
By Fifi from Algeria on 29 April 2012
I 've learnt this song since i was 14in a basic school.now that i'm a teacher i wish to teach it for my pupils.They'll really like it.
By Feriel from Algeria on 29 April 2012
I like this song because it reveals the way the ancient imigrants lived in the new world (usa).
By Elizabeth from United States on 13 May 2012
Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut just now Just now I found a peanut, found a peanut just now.
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Score: -1 Down Up
By Bas Van Munster from Amsterdam - Netherlands on 7 December 2008
Its really nice