Oh My Darling Clementine

An American western folk ballad, usually credited to Percy Montrose (with some sources also crediting Barker Bradford) and first published in 1884. It reflects the hardships faced by "forty-niners" during the California Gold Rush of 1849, telling the tragic story of a miner whose daughter, Clementine, drowns. The melody is believed to be derived from "Down by the River Liv'd a Maiden" by H.S. Thompson (1863), with some claiming the melody originated from an old Spanish ballad popularized by Mexican miners during the Gold Rush. Despite its tragic lyrics, the song's simple, memorable tune has made it a lasting piece of American folk music, often sung with both sincerity and parody in various contexts.