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Language
English
Comments
Traditional old-time fiddle tune with origins dating back to the 1800's. First recorded as "There's More Pretty Gals Than One" by Leonard Rutherford & John D. Rutherford on July 28, 1927, but the side was rejected by Gennett. They re-recorded it on April 11, 1929, as "There's More Pretty Girls Than One", and it was issued on Challenge 423 under one of their budget label pseudonyms "Crocker and Cannon". Arthur Smith and the Delmore Brothers recorded it in 1936, as The Arthur Smith Trio, and the work was registered by the Delmore Brothers, but it's clearly improbable that they wrote it.

Original 1929 lyrics -
Up and down that lonesome road,
Hang down your head and cry,
Thinking about those pretty girls,
And I wish I'll never die.

CHORUS: There's more pretty girls than one,
There's more pretty girls than one;
Everywhere I ramble around,
There's more pretty girls than one.

(fiddle)

There's things that's never been taught
Pretty shoes that's never been bought
Everywhere I ramble around,
There's more pretty girls than one.

CHORUS

(fiddle)

My mama told me one day,
She gave me good advice,
She told me to quit my ramblin' 'round,
And marry me a lovin' wife.
Licensing
Request a synchronization license

This composition was licensed with the help of SecondHandSongs on February 15, 2019 for a right to sell as a digital download. A mechanical license was granted for cover song use in United States.

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Versions

written by English

Title Performer Release date Info
(Leonard Rutherford, John D. Foster) 1930 First recording on April 11, 1929
First release
April 1936
October 1937
listen on Internet Archive January 1951
November 1951
August 1958
May 1961
November 12, 1962
October 1963
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June 1966
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1966
May 1969
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May 1972
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1977 Live
1978
April 1, 1980
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May 14, 1996 Released more than 10 years after its recording
October 20, 1998
There's More Pretty Girls Than One The Parlour Band 2000 Unverified
2004
March 22, 2005
August 30, 2006
2006
April 9, 2007
2007
March 31, 2009
June 1, 2010
August 10, 2010 Live
February 18, 2011
October 11, 2011