page_title: On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
section_title: Lyrics and analysis
hierarchical_section_title: On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away / Lyrics and analysis
caption_attribution_description: English: Sheet music to the chorus of "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away," as published in 1897
context_page_description: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" was among the best-selling songs of the 19th century, earning over $100,000 from sheet-music revenues. Written and composed by American songwriter Paul Dresser, it was published by the Tin Pan Alley firm of Howley, Haviland and Company in October 1897. The lyrics of the ballad reminisce about life near Dresser's childhood home by the Wabash River in Indiana, United States. The song remained popular for decades, and the Indiana General Assembly adopted it as the official state song on March 14, 1913. The song was the basis for a 1923 film of the same title. Its longtime popularity led to the emergence of several lyrical versions, including an 1898 anti-war song and a Swedish version that was a number-one hit.
  The song was composed during a transitory time in musical history when songs first began to be recorded for the phonograph. It was among the earliest pieces of popular music to be recorded. Dresser's inability to control the distribution of phonograph cylinders led him and his company to join other composers to petition the United States Congress to expand federal copyright protections over the new technology.
context_section_description: The ballad speaks of the Wabash River, which flows through Indiana, and reminisces about events that occurred there. The song has two verses and a chorus. The first verse is about the narrator's childhood on a farm and his love for his mother. The second verse is about his lost love, Mary. While the subjects of the verses are connected, the narrative of the chorus is detached from the verses as it seemingly reminisces nostalgically.
  Without speaking directly of death, both verses indicate the absence of a loved one, and the narrator's sadness and inability to cope with the grief. In the second verse, the narrator cannot bring himself to come near to his lost love's grave. The effort to avoid the subject of death and the focus on fond memories is typical of songs and societal sensibilities at the time.
  The melody of the song is a memorable tune made easy to learn because of its combination of harmonic repetition and contrast—elements that make music easy to remember while avoiding monotony. The recurrence and dissimilarity within the melody is similar to the patterns in many popular folk songs. Dresser, however, avoided the common 19th-century practice of using a portion of the refrain's melody in the verse. With little formal training in music theory, it is unlikely that Dresser purposefully made any methodical calculations when he composed the melody.
  Written for piano, guitar, and mandolin, the music begins in the key of G major with an Andante Moderato tempo. The verses follow a chord progression of G–C–G. The chorus transitions to B minor, and progresses as B–E–E, before returning to G–C–G in its final bars. Although the melody of the chorus is unique within the piece, it is in harmonic unity with the verses. An upbeat version played at a Andantino tempo was also adapted for play by small orchestras and big bands.
  On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
  
  (Verse)
  
  Round my Indiana homestead wave the cornfields,
  
  In the distance loom the woodlands clear and cool.
  
  Oftentimes my thoughts revert to scenes of childhood,
  
  Where I first received my lessons, nature's school.
  
  But one thing there is missing from the picture,
  
  Without her face it seems so incomplete.
  
  I long to see my mother in the doorway,
  
  As she stood there years ago, her boy to greet.
  
  (Chorus)
  
  Oh, the moonlight's fair tonight along the Wabash,
  
  From the fields there comes the breath of newmown hay.
  
  Through the sycamores the candle lights are gleaming,
  
  On the banks of the Wabash, far away.
  
  (Verse)
  
  Many years have passed since I strolled by the river,
  
  Arm in arm, with sweetheart Mary by my side,
  
  It was there I tried to tell her that I loved her,
  
  It was there I begged of her to be my bride.
  
  Long years have passed since I strolled thro' the churchyard.
  
  She's sleeping there, my angel, Mary dear,
  
  I loved her, but she thought I didn't mean it,
  
  Still I'd give my future were she only here.
caption: The sheet music to the chorus
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