Oh My Darling Clementine
Song Lyrics & Words
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
Alternative Lyrics & Words
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 This Song
Usually attributed to Percy Montross, circa 1880. Additional research indicates that this song is based on another called Down by the River Liv'd a Maiden by H. S. Thompson (1863)
Stories related to the song
It is about a miner at a river and his daughter tripped on a plank of wood and drowned because her father did not know how to swim and the hard river. Another story is that this song was sung during the gold rush in 1849 by forty niners
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Listen to the Music of the Song
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Comments (62)
By Michael in Raleigh, North Carolina on 12 December 2008
song always get stuck in my head after i hear it
By Katie in 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 in Burbank,illinois on 25 January 2009
love this song! its sad but has a really nice...tune i think. :)
By Diler Nalıncılar in 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 in Uk on 1 March 2009
i remember singing this in school when i was about 9, good times ;-)
By Radu in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in Irvine, Usa on 6 April 2009
I like the song. His voice is very soft.
By Laura in Woodbridge,usa on 10 May 2009
It's beutiful, I'm gonna sing It to my grandmother.
By Cassandra in Danbury, Ct on 14 May 2009
how is this a kids song? the poor girl drowns ! although dang it it does get stuck in your head
By Junielly in Mass. on 20 May 2009
i love this song!
By Bethany in Iowa City, Ia on 7 June 2009
Dear Cassandra, You have to remember that this song is quite old, and a century and a half ago, people didn't bother to try so hard to shield their children from disaster, hardship, and tragedy. In those days, most children had probably lost a friend, a sibling, or even a parent by the age of 10 or 12. So many of the traditional rhymes and songs for children are by todat's standards quite violent and/or tragic. Consider: Jack & Jill went up the hill . . . Jack fell down and broke his crown; 3 Blind Mice (had their tails chopped off); Ring Around the Rosies (which is really about the bubonic plague and how you take care of the dead person's body. Ugh!); Ding, Dong Bell, Pussy's in the well (because someone tried to drown the cat); There Was an Old Woman who lived in a Shoe / who had so many children, she didn't know what to do / so she gave them all broth without any bread / and spanked them all soundly and sent them to bed (wht'd they do to deserve that?); Sing a song of sixpence . . . the maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes / when came a little blackbird and snipped off her nose!
By Clementine in Anaheim on 12 June 2009
i love it! that's what i think 2 why doesn't the dad save her who cares if you don't know how to swim i would just save her dumb dad! hi but my name is clementine and i got this song stuck in my head which i love! i'm 9 i go to elementry school and i'm going to sing oh my darling clementine next tuesday i'm in 4 fourth grade! i have a dream of that song happened to me in my dream but when i died i woke up! SO SAD HUHY???????????????!
By Clementine in Anaheim on 12 June 2009
My name is cleentine i have 2 sing it with my class this song makes me feel sad!
By Diler Nalincilar in Edirne & Turkey on 17 June 2009
i teach my students how to sing that song and they fall in love with its melody..they ask me where that poor Clementine is and whether she is really dead or not..the story behind the tune is so attractive and touching..
By Jennifer in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 Nimble in Smallville on 17 August 2009
nice song, very nice song in deed
By Samantha in 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 Salem in Bahamas on 6 September 2009
I will allllllways love it.
By Japaneasy in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 Faun Bistline in Los Angeles California on 9 October 2009
I had never heard this song until this ghost demanded I sing it to her and I could only sing "oh my darling oh my darling oh my darling cleminitine you were lost and gone forever but I found you clemintine " but then I looked up the words here as she wanted Me to sing the whole song . I believe she is telling Me that she drowned to death and I was surprised to see that the words to the song are not "but I found you clemintine". Peace be with her restless soul!
By Jen in La on 23 October 2009
i love this song sooo much
By Stefany in 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 Lauren in Louisisana on 2 December 2009
This song made cry!
By Kashmiri in 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 in San Francisco, California on 16 January 2010
I really love this song, and I think it's awsome!
By Jenna in San Francisco, California on 16 January 2010
I love this song, I think it's awsome!
By Joe in Germany on 16 January 2010
Nice song, I gotta admit...
By Meghan in 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 in Ventura Usa on 13 March 2010
I think it's a song to get kids to wear their shoes
By Mark in 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 in Uae on 4 April 2010
i love that song hes name celemntine and i learnd in our school
By Amy in Newyork on 8 April 2010
i thinkits about a boy who meats a girl then they fall in love
By Summer in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 Alexis in Sfddegg on 15 May 2010
clamintine is so sad
By Jessica in Tempe, Az Usa on 19 May 2010
I love this song so much, i remember as a lil girl tell i was 25 my grandmother singing and humming this song. I never new the meaning tell now tho my grandma is gone i still hear her singing this song, and for the past five yrs i've cought myself humming the chorus because it was all i new tell now... This song is very sad but never the less it makes smile. I will always love love this......Thank you grandma......
By Lolypop Girl... in Korea on 25 May 2010
i love that song very much becuse my teacher is teach me wow!
By Koiil in Thailand on 25 May 2010
w2oooow!1 i liket very much.....
By Peter in 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 Alex in Washington Tacoma on 6 June 2010
(cry cry cry cry ) sad song
By Taranjit.chase in 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 Taran in Westlands Nairobi on 9 June 2010
i love this
By Shyamala Shastri in Mumbai on 11 June 2010
song is very nice
By Nouf in Uae on 26 June 2010
wowwwwwww!i like that song and my teacher tech me
By Shelby in 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 in 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 in Chicago Ilinois on 7 August 2010
I feel a lot of negative ienergy in this song. It seems like people drown every day.
By Naideen in Mississippi on 8 August 2010
i love your song its soooooooooooo good keep it up
By Kura in Fresno on 8 August 2010
i love this song it brings back so much good memmorys
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By Bas Van Munster in Amsterdam - Netherlands on 7 December 2008
Its really nice