Rosa Lee McFall

Lyrics: Charlie Monroe
Music: Charlie Monroe

This was played a few times by the Grateful Dead in acoustic sets in 1970 and then again in 1980. Garcia also played it with the Black Mountain Boys on 7 March 1964 and later with the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band in 1987.

The title on the LP "Reckoning" was given as 'Rosalie McFall'. But the original Monroe Brothers' LP has the title 'Rosa Lee McFall' and that is what is used on the CD version of "Reckoning".

Out on the lonely hillside
In a cabin low and small
Lived the sweetest rose of color
My Rosa Lee McFall

Her hair was brightsome color (note 1)
Her voice was sweet to me
I know that I will always love her
And I hope that she loved me

A asked her to be my darling
And this is what she said
You know that I will only be happy (note 2)
When you and I are wed

Then God way up in heaven
One day for her did call
I lost my bride, oh how I loved her
My Rosa Lee McFall

I've searched the wide world over (note 3)
Cities great and small
But I've never found another
Like my Rosa Lee McFall

Out on the lonely hillside
In a cabin low and small
Lived the sweetest rose of color
My Rosa Lee McFall

Notes
(1) I had thought this was a mistake. But "brightsome" is a word ("Bright; clear; luminous; brilliant" according to Webster's), and many versions of the lyrics to "East Virginia" have a similar line beginning "Her hair was of some brightsome color" (eg Alan Lomax's collection). The Monroe Brothers' version, however, was:

"Her eyes were bright and shiny"

and that seems to be what Garcia sang back in 1964 with the Black Mountain Boys.
(2) the Monroe Brothers version is "You know that I'll always be happy"
(3) the Monroe Brothers sing a rather different verse:

I've roamed the wide world over
Through cities great and small
Till God prepares my home in heaven
With Rosa Lee McFall

Grateful Dead Recordings
	Date	Album
	26 Sep 1980	Reckoning

Jerry Garcia Recordings
	10 Jan 1964	Before The Dead	Black Mountain Boys
	25 Oct 1987	Pure Jerry 3: Lunt-Fontanne: Best Of The Rest	Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
	24 Oct 1987	Ragged But Right	Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
	28 Oct 1987	On Broadway: Act One	Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
	4/5 Feb 1993	Pizza Tapes	Garcia/Grisman/Rice

Other Dead-Related Recordings
	Date	Album	Recorded By
	1984	Red Hot Pickers	Peter Rowan
	1993	Dead Ringers	Dead Ringers

The original Monroe Brothers recording is on their LP "Early Bluegrass Music".

Peter Rowan's version with the Red Hot Pickers has rather different lyrics:

Up on a lonely hillside
In a cabin low and small
Lived my sweeheart of the mountains
My Rosa Lee McFall

Her eyes were bright and shiny
And her lips were ruby red
On her breast she wore white lilies
Where I long to lay my head

Her eyes like flowing rivers
Her lips were sweet as wine
I told her that we could be happy
If she'd only say she's mine

But God way up in heaven
For her one day did call
I missed my girl, oh how I loved her
My Rosa Lee McFall

I'll roam this wide world over
Through cities great and small
Till God prepares my home in heaven
With Rosa Lee McFall

Further Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com