The Genus Eschscholzia

California Poppies and Their Relatives

Odds and ends

Here is a song about California poppies: "Golden Poppies Good Night", words by Mary A. Lombard and music (midi and sheet music) by Leo Bruck. It appears on p. 192 of Smith, E.E. 1902. The Golden Poppy, Murdock Press, San Francisco.

Pret-ty pop-pies gol-den, In thy yel-low cup
Sun-beams bright, lend their light, Hon-ey bees doth sup.
In thy bed so dain-ty, Soothe to slum-bers deep,
Pop-pies, gol-den pop-pies, Flow-ers fair and sweet.
Pret-ty pop-pies gol-den bright, good night, good night.
Nod your lit-tle gol-den heads, good night, good night.
Nod your gol-den heads, Nod your gol-den heads,
good night, good night, and say good night!

Another song was brought to my attention by Cynthia and Sylvia Typaldos and Natalie Abbott. Both the tune and words are reconstructed from memory (Bob Fox of the Cucamonga Renaissance Band wrote the accompaniment). It was sung in school in at least the Bay Area and Sacramento during the 1940s and 1950s. If you have any additional information about this song, please email me. The words are below; here is a midi and sheet music (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Poppies, golden poppies, gleaming in the sun.
Closing up at evening, when the day is done.
Pride of California, flower of our state.
Growing from the mountains to the Golden Gate.