schlange - Posted - 01/17/2014:  13:31:24

This week's tune is "Good Old Mountain Dew" (aka "Mountain Dew"), an Appalachian folk song all about the glorious effects and wide public appeal of moonshine... white lightning... hooch. Originally composed as a story song by Bascom Lamar Lunsford (hear his version) then modified by Scotty Wiseman (this version became popular), you'll find the lyrics vary from version to version, like many rambling folk sends tend to do.

The humorous lyrics and singable chorus make this tune a fun one. It's become a folk standard, having been sung by folks like Willie Nelson, Dylan, Cash (and probably just about every other remotely folky musician in the last 50 years.)

Most of the recordings I've heard of this don't feature Scruggs-style banjo at all--if there's any banjo, it's more of a Grandpa Jones frailing style. But I did manage to find one recording of Earl playing it live at Carnegie Hall, and we've got some nice member MP3s in Scruggs style as well.

Lyrics (from Grandpa Jones' version):

There's a big holler tree down the road here from me

Where you lay down a dollar or two

Well you go round the bend and when you come back again

There's a jug full of good ole mountain dew



Oh they call it that ole mountain dew

And them that refuse it are few

I'll shut up my mug if you fill up my jug

With some good ole mountain dew



Now my uncle Nort, he's sawed off and short

He measures about four foot two

But he thinks he's a giant when you give him a pint

Of that good ole mountain dew



Well my ole aunt Jill bought some brand new perfume

It had such a sweet smellin' pew

But to her surprise when she had it analyzed

It was nothin' but good ole mountain dew



Well the preacher rolled by with his head heisted high

Said his wife had been down with the flu

And he thought that I ought just to sell him a quart

Of that good ole mountain dew



Well my brother Bill's got a still on the hill

Where he runs of a gallon or two

Now the buzzards in the sky get so drunk, they can't fly

From smellin' the good ole mountain dew

Note: there may be lots of other verses, too--check out this version! scoutsongs.com/lyrics/mountaindew.html

Learn the Tune:

• Casey Henry's loaded two "Murphy Method" video lessons for this--one for backup, and one for the lead break. Each is $6 until 1/25/14, so get 'em while they're hot! 


• I've included BIAB backing tracks below as well as a PDF chord chart.


• There are a couple tabs for this on Phil Mann's site here.


• There are several versions by members in the MP3 archive--I like banjo1971's the most.


• I've created a Spotify playlist (to the right) of various versions. Let me know if you find that useful at all--I think it's pretty cool!

Mountain Dew Chord Chart	Mountain Dew Backing Track (G) 65BPM	Mountain Dew Backing Track (G) 75BPM	Mountain Dew Backing Track (G) 85BPM
Mountain Dew Backing Track (G) 95BPM	Mountain Dew Backing Track (G) 105BPM	Mountain Dew Backing Track (G) 115BPM	VIDEO: Flatt and Scruggs live at Carnegie Hall - Mountain Dew (click to view)
VIDEO: Grandpa Jones at the Grand Ol Opry: Mountain Dew (1961) (click to view)	VIDEO: Mountain Dew - Grandpa Jones (audio only, 1947) (click to view)	VIDEO: Stringbean - Good Ol' Mountain Dew (audio only) (click to view)	VIDEO: The Stanley Brothers - Mountain Dew (click to view)
VIDEO: Willie Nelson - Mountain Dew Live (1974) (click to view)

Kirk Jacobs - Posted - 01/17/2014:  15:12:02

I love this song.  Glad this is the tune for this coming week.

ScratchJohnson - Posted - 01/17/2014:  16:06:38

At the rate I learn songs, can we slow this down to TOTM? 

jmod - Posted - 01/17/2014:  17:50:30

I am loving listening to all these versions.  This is the kind of song that makes you want to just play music.

derkhill - Posted - 01/18/2014:  09:04:49

What a fantastic resource this is. Can't thank you enough.

Stoney de Lonley - Posted - 01/20/2014:  01:12:20

This is very cool! Thanks man, really enjoy your work :-) 

Stoney

SmokinJoe - Posted - 01/21/2014:  09:36:46

Ok. So I've been trying to follow along with the TOTW since it got going a few weeks ago. Here are a couple of my thoughts:

1. ERIC.....thank you so much for doing this!!!!!! You've given me the motivation to change up my practicing habits a little.

2. I guess I've been at it for a little over a year now but still am very much a beginner. Definitely takes me more than a week to really learn a song.

3. Even though, I won't really learn any of these song well in just one week, I am still enjoying this thread because it gives me the motivation to sit down and work on the same tune without distracting myself with other things. I am having fun with it, for sure.

4. Regarding this particular TOTW, I got in about 2 hours of practice yesterday and about 40min. this morning. I am working off of one of the tabs from Bluegrassbanjo.org. So far I am fairly pleased with my progress on the song - it is definitely the easiest TOTW for me so far. My biggest problem with this song so far is all the slide/hammer-on/pull-off transitions. I know these are pretty basic and I can do them...just not clean every time. It throws my timing off every time. (mainly in the last bar of the song). I know...do it 10,000 times.

5. This is the first tune I've used backing tracks on, and I love it! so much more fun than playing without. Helps me a lot with my timing too. Thanks!

Jack Baker - Posted - 03/30/2014:  18:28:18

Hi Eric,

I've just finished tabbing out one of Earl's "Mountain Dew" videos from a youtube--whew!, there are so many. If you'd like to use it. Just shoot me an email....Jack

Earl's  Mountain Dew  midi file

Edited by - Jack Baker on 03/30/2014 18:31:57

pickNgrin - Posted - 03/30/2014:  21:36:49

This is a full length documentary about a famous moonshiner named Popcorn Sutton, making a run of liquor using the old way. If this doesn't get into that Mountain Dew spirit then I can't help you. 

youtube.com/watch?v=Yp56sT66D1U

Edited by - pickNgrin on 03/30/2014 21:39:03

Jack Baker - Posted - 03/31/2014:  04:41:34

Oops,

Hi Eric,

I've just finished tabbing out one of Earl's "Mountain Dew" videos from an old youtube video--whew!, there are so many. If you'd like to use it. Just shoot me an email....Jack

Mountain Dew as played by Earl Scruggs

 

 

 

 

 

---

Edited by - Jack Baker on 03/31/2014 04:43:17

CreekRunner - Posted - 03/31/2014:  06:57:48

This is a full length documentary about a famous moonshiner named Popcorn Sutton, making a run of liquor using the old way. If this doesn't get into that Mountain Dew spirit then I can't help you.

youtube.com/watch?v=Yp56sT66D1U

Good version of pickin'  at the 1:20 mark.

pickNgrin - Posted - 03/31/2014:  09:19:49

I should have pointed out that there is a little bit of bad language in that Popcorn Sutton documentary.

Beardog - Posted - 03/31/2014:  11:00:31

I have found that general audiences listening to bluegrass music enjoy "Mountain Dew" as well, if not better, than just about any other tune that we might play. And, I have never encountered a guitar flat-picker or mandolin player that doesn't enjoy ripping it out!