schlange - Posted - 03/23/2014:  20:19:41

Today's tune is certainly a festival favorite, "Long Journey Home" (aka "Two Dollar Bill"). Try as I might I couldn't find any information on the origin of this tune, so I'm going to call it a traditional tune until someone can tell me otherwise.

This is a fun tune to sing and play--easy harmonies, a memorable chorus, and space for breaks. The lyrics' author is homesick and broke and making his way back home--if the prodigal son wrote a bluegrass tune, this would be it.

As with most traditional tunes, different versions are all over the map in terms of which lyrics are sung when. Some start with a verse (usually "Black smoke a rising" or "Cloudy in the East" but most start what I've labeled the "chorus" below ("Lost all my money"). Some bands sing a verse and chorus, then do a break--others just sing straight through the verses and include the chorus as one of the verses, playing a break between each one. The important thing is to learn the simple progression and a break, then have fun playing it with others!

Typically played/recorded anywhere between G-B.

One crazy fast and incredibly-played version I've heard is from the Kruger Bros album "Travel the Gravel". It's not on Grooveshark, though, so if you want to hear it you'll need to buy the album (which I always recommend) or give it a listen on Spotify >

Lyrics

Chorus:

Lost all my money but a two dollar bill

Two dollar bill, boys, two dollar bill

Lost all my money but a two dollar bill

I'm on my long journey home



Black smoke a rising, it surely is a train

Surely is a train boys, surely is a train

Black smoke a rising, it surely is a train

I'm on my long journey home



Cloudy in the East and it looks like rain

Looks like rain, boys, looks like rain

Cloudy in the East and it looks like rain

I'm on my long journey home



Homesick and lonesome and I'm feeling kind of blue

Feeling kind of blue, boys, feeling kind of blue

Homesick and lonesome and I'm feeling kind of blue

I'm on my long journey home



Dark and it's raining and I want to go home

Want to go home, boys, want to go home

Dark and it's raining and I want to go home

I'm on my long journey home



Little girl a waiting on down the line

On down the line, boys, on down the line

Little girl a waiting on down the line

I'm on my long journey home

Learn the Tune

• Hear It: If you aren't familiar with the tune, be sure to listen to the various versions I've included in the playlist to the right


• Casey Henry has posted a Murphy Method lessons for this tune--only $6 thru the end of the week.​ Get it here >


• John Boulding has posted a backup lesson for this tune, on sale for $5. Get it here > 


• Backing Tracks: Band in a Box tracks are included below at various speeds for your practicing pleasure


• Tabs: here's a few good ones from the tab archive: Jack Baker's from Earl's playing, MickG's and Ross Nickerson's.

Share!

I (and others) would love to hear (and see!) you play your version of this tune--post it in a reply below!

Two Dollar Bill / Long Journey Home Backing Track (G) 60BPM	Two Dollar Bill / Long Journey Home Backing Track (G) 70BPM	Two Dollar Bill / Long Journey Home Backing Track (G) 80BPM	Two Dollar Bill / Long Journey Home Backing Track (G) 90BPM
Two Dollar Bill / Long Journey Home Backing Track (G) 100BPM	Two Dollar Bill / Long Journey Home Backing Track (G) 110BPM	Two Dollar Bill / Long Journey Home Backing Track (G) 120BPM	Two Dollar Bill / Long Journey Home Backing Track (G) 130BPM
Long Journey Home Chord Chart	VIDEO: Long Journey Home - Merlefest 2013 Jam (click to view)	VIDEO: Long Journey Home (Two Dollar Bill ) (click to view)	VIDEO: Long Journey Home Banjo Lesson Preview (click to view)
VIDEO: Long Journey Home / Two Dollar Bill Backup Banjo Lesson Preview (click to view)

banjomamas - Posted - 03/24/2014:  07:00:16

I just love these backing tracks!!!!  I would share a view of me playing with one, but I am too unfamiliar with how to post a video..  

phb - Posted - 03/24/2014:  11:29:06

quote:

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Originally posted by schlange

 

 

Tabs: here's a few good ones from the tab archive: Jack Baker's from Earl's playing, MickG's and Ross Nickerson's.

Wow, out of four tabs in the archive for this tune you left out just mine...

Anyway, thanks for the picture of the two dollar bill. When I heard the song I thought that at the time the tune was written, two dollars must have been quite some money. For this reason I always wondered whether there actually was such a thing as a two dollar bill. I thought this might be meant to be some kind of joke like like everybody would know that there is no two dollar bill and yet the singer ended up with just a forfeited two dollar bill for some stupid reason and nobody would accept that.

Prof - Posted - 03/24/2014:  11:36:25

And just to add one more sample video, here's Tom Adams with the Johnson Mountain Boys:

pjfolino - Posted - 03/24/2014:  20:58:09

This isn't a bad version either....

youtube.com/watch?v=8U3-deOaS_c

stanleytone - Posted - 03/25/2014:  04:55:36

How many cups of coffee did Tom Adams drink before playing that tune?Good grief!!

stanleytone - Posted - 03/25/2014:  05:00:32

I have a crush on Alison Brown!

quote:

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Originally posted by pjfolino

This isn't a bad version either....

 

youtube.com/watch?v=8U3-deOaS_c

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robmac07 - Posted - 03/25/2014:  06:14:27

Here's an Aussie version our old band "The Skillet Lickers Bluegrass Band" recorded way back in 1970 in Adelaide South Australia.

Long Journey Home: Vintage Aussie Bluegrass

jem589 - Posted - 03/25/2014:  07:35:11

quote:

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Originally posted by phb

quote:

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Originally posted by schlange

 

 

Tabs: here's a few good ones from the tab archive: Jack Baker's from Earl's playing, MickG's and Ross Nickerson's.

 

 

 

 

Wow, out of four tabs in the archive for this tune you left out just mine...

Anyway, thanks for the picture of the two dollar bill. When I heard the song I thought that at the time the tune was written, two dollars must have been quite some money. For this reason I always wondered whether there actually was such a thing as a two dollar bill. I thought this might be meant to be some kind of joke like like everybody would know that there is no two dollar bill and yet the singer ended up with just a forfeited two dollar bill for some stupid reason and nobody would accept that.

 

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Around 1994 I bought a pack of gum in Tombstone, Arizona and got a two dollar bill in the change. Been in my wallet ever since. True story. 

2 dollarz

Tyler8 - Posted - 03/25/2014:  08:43:35

Here's an older two dollar bill. Probably more like the one from the song.

Tyler

phb - Posted - 03/25/2014:  08:47:03

So a two dollar bill is rare? I now seem to remember that there was a reference to a two dollar bill in the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" where Sheldon was happy to get a two dollar bill. It may have been some other dollar bill, though. It didn't seem to make much sense to me but reminded me of the time when the Deutschmark was still around and there were 5DM coins as well as 5DM bills (which were quite rare but not so much as to be collectibles).

Rick McKeon - Posted - 03/25/2014:  14:53:55

Here's an easy arrangement played slow youtube.com/watch?v=IQgyihJY8Dg

Rick

ncss - Posted - 03/25/2014:  15:55:19

quote:

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Originally posted by phb

So a two dollar bill is rare? I now seem to remember that there was a reference to a two dollar bill in the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" where Sheldon was happy to get a two dollar bill. It may have been some other dollar bill, though. It didn't seem to make much sense to me but reminded me of the time when the Deutschmark was still around and there were 5DM coins as well as 5DM bills (which were quite rare but not so much as to be collectibles).

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I don't know how rare they are.  You don't see them in circulation much but they're not hard to get.  Most banks keep them on hand.