 | ClementineBing Crosby with the Music Maids, Hal Hopper, & John Scott Trotter’s Orchestra |
Writer(s): Percy Montrose (lyrics), unknown (music) (see lyrics here) Firs Published: 1884 First Charted: November 29, 1941 Peak: 20 BB (Crosby); 21 BB, 13 CB, 11 GR, 11 HR, 8 UK (Bobby Darin, 1960); 65 BB (Jan & Dean) (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 33.08 video, 6.22 streaming (multiple versions) |
Awards:Click on award for more details. 
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About the Song:Wikipedia describes “Clementine” as “a traditional American, tragic but sometimes comic, Western folk ballad.” WK The song tells the story of Clementine, the daughter of a miner during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. She falls into the water and drowns because her lover can’t swim. It has been called “a tongue-in cheek parody of a sad ballad.” SH The song was based on “Down by the River Liv’d a Maiden,” which was written by H.S. Thompson CT and printed in 1863. Lyrics for “Clementine” were written by the Iowa-born Percy Montrose and published in 1884 by Oliver Ditson & Co. of Boston. WK However, a version of the song was published in 1884 that was credited to Barker Bradford. AS The melody’s origin is unknown, although Gerald Brenan claims in his book South from Granada that it came from an old Spanish ballad “Romance del Conde Olinos o Niño,” AS which was popularized during the Gold Rush by Mexican miners. Bing Crosby had the first charted version of the song in 1941. Bobby Darin charted with the song in 1960, as did Jan & Dean that same year. The song is featured in the 1946 John Ford movie My Darling Clementine starring Henry Fonda. The song has become heavily associated with the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Huckleberry Hound’s yodeling version. AS The Western Writers of America chose it as one of the top 100 Western songs of all time. Resources:Related Links:
First posted 11/27/2025. |
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