Maiden's Prayer

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"Maiden's Prayer"
Written by Traditional
Lyrics by Bob Wills
Language English
Form Western swing
Original artist Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
Recorded by (many, many other artists)

"Maiden's Prayer" is a Western swing standard.[1] Bob Wills wrote words to a traditional fiddle tune he learned while he was a barber in Roy, New Mexico.[2] His lyrics reflect the title, and the song, as written by Wills, opens with:

Twilight falls, evening shadows find,
There 'neath the stars, a maiden so fair divine.
All alone, I seem to see her there.
In her eyes is a light, shining ever so bright,
She whispered a silent prayer.

Wills first recorded the song in 1935 (Vocalion 03924) and it quickly became one of his signature songs. He recorded it again in 1941 (OKeh 06205). It has been recorded by many artists since.

When Wills was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, "Maiden's Prayer" was one of the works cited.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mishler, The Crooked Stovepipe, p. 172: " 'Maiden's Prayer'. Composed and recorded by the western swing bandleader and fiddler, Bob Wills, in 1935. The song is now a standard in the repertoire of western swing bands."
  2. ^ McWhorter, Cowboy Fiddler, p. 59-60: "Bob said, 'He played 'The Spanish Two-Step' and I locked the door where he couldn't get out and nobody else could get in, and I made him stay there until he taught me that and 'Maiden's Prayer.' Finally he nodded. I didn't know whether he needed to go to the bathroom or if I was doing it right, bit I let him out.' That Mexican taught him those two tunes."

[edit] Bibliography

  • McWhorter, Frankie. Cowboy Fiddler in Bob Wills' Band. University of North Texas Press, 1997. ISBN 1-57441-025-3
  • Mishler, Craig. The Crooked Stovepipe: Athapaskan Fiddle Music and Square Dancing in Northeast Alaska and Northwest Canada. University of Illinois Press, 1993. ISBN 0-252-01996-2
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