"Aura Lea" (sometimes spelled "Aura Lee") is an American Civil War song about a maiden. It was written by W. W. Fosdick (lyrics) and George R. Poulton (music). The melody was used in Elvis Presley's 1956 hit song "Love Me Tender".
History
Aura Lea was published by Poulton, an Englishman who had come to the USA with his family as a boy in 1838, and Fosdick in 1861. It was a sentimental ballad at a time when upbeat and cheerful songs were more popular in the music halls. It became popular as a minstrel song, and the tune was also taken up by the U.S. Military Academy as a graduating class song, called "Army Blue"; new lyrics by L. W. Becklaw were sung to the original melody.
<score>
\new Staff {
<<
\new Voice = "one" \relative c' {
\autoBeamOff
\clef treble
\key g \major
\time 2/4
d8. g16 fis8 g | a8 e a4 | g8 fis e fis | g4. r8
d8. g16 fis8 g | a8 e a4 | g8 fis e fis | g2
}
\new Lyrics \lyricsto "one" {
When the Black -- bird in the Spring,
On the will -- ow -- tree
Sat and rock'd, I heard him sing,
Sing -- ing Au -- ra Lea.
}
>>
}
</score>
In popular culture
- "Aura Lee" was sung by Frances Farmer and a male chorus in the 1936 film Come and Get It, based on Edna Ferber's novel.