“Corrine, Corrina” (sometimes “Corrina, Corrina”) is a 12-bar country blues song in the AAB form. “Corrine, Corrina” was first recorded by Bo Carter(December 1928). However, it was not copyrighted until 1932 by Chatmon and his publishers, Mitchell Parish and J. Mayo Williams.

“Corrine, Corrina” may have traditional roots, however, earlier songs are different musically and lyrically. One of the earliest is the commercial sheet music song “Has Anybody Seen My Corrine?” published by Roger Graham in 1918. Vernon Dalhart recorded a vocal version in 1918, and Wilbur Sweatman’s Original Jazz Band, an instrumental version the same year. Graham’s song contains sentiments similar to “Corrine, Corrina” Prior to World War II, Bob Wills adapted “Corrine, Corrina” to a Western swing dance song. Following his recording with The Texas Playboys April 15, 1940, the song entered the standard repertoire of all Western swing bands, influencing the adoption of “Corrine, Corrina” by Cajun bands and later by individual country artists.   Although the Playboys’ rendition set the standard, early Western swing groups had already recorded “Corrine, Corrina”. Western swing bandleaders easily adapted almost any style of music into their dance numbers, but the Mississippi Sheiks’ string band country blues style came easier than some. Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies recorded the song during a session on August 8, 1934, after meeting the Sheiks at a similar recording session earlier that year. Their version was titled “Where You Been So Long, Corrine?”

“Corrine, Corrina” is also an important song related to Western swing’s pioneering use of electrically amplified stringed instruments. It was one of the songs recorded during a session in Dallas on September 28, 1935 by Roy Newman and His Boys. Their guitarist, Jim Boyd, played what is the first use of an electrically amplified guitar found on a recording. “Corrine, Corrina” entered the folk-like acoustical tradition during the American folk music revival of the 1960s when Bob Dylan began playing a version he titled “Corrina, Corrina”. Although his blues based version contains lyrics and song structure from Corrine Corrina, his melody is lifted from “Stones in My Passway”  recorded by Robert Johnson in 1937.

Ray Peterson had a #9 in 1960 with his version of the song. His version was produced by Phil Spector.

By Ray Peterson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thAbnp5EC-U

Lyrics

I love Corinna tell the world I do
I love Corinna tell the world I do
I pray every night she learns to love me too
Corinna Corinna Corinna Corinna
Corinna Corinna I love you so-o-o
Oh little darling where you?ve been so long
oh oh little darling where you?ve been so long
I had no lovin? since you?ve been gone
Corinna Corinna Corinna Corinna
Corinna Corinna I love you so-o-o
SOLO
I love Corinna way across the sea oh me
I love Corinna way across the sea
if you see Corinna send her home to me
Corinna Corinna Corinna Corinna
Corinna Corinna I love you so-o-o
Corinna Corinna Corinna Corinna
Corinna Corinna I love you so-o-o
oh darling don?t you know
I love you so-o-o
darling don’t you know