Sweet Violets

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"Sweet Violets" is a folk song with humorously surprising lyrics. The chorus is from the song "Sweet Violets" by Joseph Emmet, from his 1882 play Fritz Among the Gypsies.

It was recorded by Dinah Shore (1951), and also by the Sweet Violet Boys.

The Dinah Shore version was arranged by Cy Coben and Charles Grean. It was recorded in the early part of 1951, and released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4174 (78rpm) and 47-4174 (45rpm). It reached #3 on the Billboard magazine charts. The song (in all its versions, combined) reached #1 on the Cash Box magazine best-seller chart.

Preceded by Because of You

Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record September 1, 1951

Succeeded by Come on-a My House

[edit] Lyrics

(Chorus) Sweet violets, sweeter than the roses,

Covered all over from head to toe,

Covered all over with sweet violets.

There once was a farmer who took a young miss

In back of the barn where he gave her a

Lecture on horses and chickens and eggs,

And told her that she had such beautiful

Manners that suited a girl of her charms,

A girl that he wanted to take in his

Washing and ironing and then, if she did,

They could get married and raise lots of

(CHORUS)

The girl told the farmer that he'd better stop

And she called her father and he called a

Taxi and got there before very long,

'Cause someone was doing his little girl

Right for a change and so that's why he said,

"If you marry her, son, you're better off

Single because it has been my belief,

That marriage will bring a man nothing but

(CHORUS)

The farmer decided he'd wed anyway,

And started in planning for his wedding

Suit, which he purchased for only one buck,

But then he found out he was just out of

Money and so he got left in the lurch,

Standing and waiting in front of the

End of this story which just goes to show,

All a girl wants from a man is his

(CHORUS)