schlange - Posted - 03/02/2015:  10:53:03

Bascomb Lunsford

This week's featured tune is a classic traditional mountain folk song of the southern Appalachians. Like many traditional tunes, lyrics vary considerably, as does the nonsensical refrain line.

You'll find "Sourwood Mountain" in most of the collections & books written on the music of the southern mountains. Variants of the song was collected by the great folksong collectors like Cecil Sharp, Frank Brown, Bascomb Lunsford and other folklorists in the early 1900s across North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia & Missouri. 

This tune is often played as an instrumental, but can also be heard with lyrics, and occasionally as an a-capella piece. 

As a side note: some people believe the variation in the refrain lines is due to the singer's attempt to imitate the banjo sound.

Typically played in A or G.

Lyrics:

Chickens crowing on Sourwood Mountain

Hey-ho diddle-um day

So many pretty girls I can't count 'em

Hey-ho diddle-um day

My true love's a black-eyed daisy

Hey-ho diddle-um day

If I don't get 'er I'll go crazy

Hey-ho diddle-um day

Old man, old man I want your daughter

Hey-ho diddle-um day

To bake me bread and tote me water

Hey-ho diddle-um day

My true love lives over the holler

Hey-ho diddle-um day

She won't come and I won't foller

Hey-ho diddle-um day

I know a girl, her name is Weaver

Hey-ho diddle-um day

She won't work and I won't neither

Hey-ho diddle-um day

My true love lives over the river

Hey-ho diddle-um day

One of these days I'm gonna go get her

Hey-ho diddle-um day

From the Andy Griffith Version, from the album "Favorite Old Time Songs"

Learn the Tune:

• Hear it using the GrooveShark playlist to the right.


• We have a lesson video from Casey Henry teaching you the lead break that is close to Ron Stewart's. Only $6 thru 3/9! Get it here >


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


• Tabs: here's a good one from Jack Baker based on Sonny Osborne's arrangement. 

Share!

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

VIDEO: SHAD COBB and CHARLIE CUSHMAN - "SOURWOOD MOUNTAIN" (click to view)	VIDEO: Sourwood Mountain - Excerpt from the Custom Banjo Lesson from The Murphy Method (click to view)	VIDEO: Kenny & Amanda Smith - Sourwood Mountain, feat Ron Stewart (click to view)	Sourwood Mountain Backing Track (G) 70BPM
Sourwood Mountain Backing Track (G) 90BPM	Sourwood Mountain Backing Track (G) 110BPM	Sourwood Mountain Backing Track (G) 130BPM	Sourwood Mountain Chords

Jack Baker - Posted - 03/02/2015:  11:58:11

Hi Eric,

My take on this fun tune should be on its way to you...Jack   p.s. I based my arrangement on Sonny Osborne's from years ago...

Edited by - Jack Baker on 03/02/2015 11:59:11

mtmncobb - Posted - 03/02/2015:  12:29:09

Great tune! If you like the video of Shad Cobb and Charlie Cushman, you can buy the whole record here;

amazon.com/These-Mountains-Sha...erReviews

or here;

cdbaby.com/cd/shadcobbcharliecushman

(Shameless brother plug!)

Texasbanjo - Posted - 03/02/2015:  12:39:36

Great song for beginners.  It's one of the first ones I ever learned.  Hadn't thought of it in years, but I'm going to pick it out again and work on it.

KidfromDeliverance - Posted - 03/02/2015:  14:14:17

It does have a certain backwoods charm.  May take me awhile to master that chord progression, though.

Jack Baker - Posted - 03/02/2015:  14:56:26

Listen to the Osborne's Sourwood Mountain on the MGM label LP if you want to hear some fantastic tight harmony and a great version of Sourwood Mountain...Jack

Here's the Mp3 of Sonny (great picking) and Bobby singing this fun tune...Jack

Edited by - Jack Baker on 03/02/2015 15:03:09

Timeless1952 - Posted - 03/02/2015:  15:11:08

When "The Brothers" recorded that one Bobby's voice had no limits.  He sure is putting a chop on that Fern Mandolin!!

K

 

Jack Baker - Posted - 03/02/2015:  15:21:35

Hey Kenny,

You sure got that right...see you in the Chat Room...Jack

Originally posted by Timeless1952

When "The Brothers" recorded that one Bobby's voice had no limits.  He sure is putting a chop on that Fern Mandolin!!

K

 

---

Jack Baker - Posted - 03/02/2015:  15:43:22

Actually,

The tab just posted sounds more like I was imitating Allen Shelton more than Sonny Ha!. Boy, Allen just tears this song up...p.s. I often forget who I was influenced by ...Jack

---

Originally posted by Jack Baker

Hey

Kenny,

You sure got that right...see you in the Chat Room...Jack

Originally posted by Timeless1952

When "The Brothers" recorded that one Bobby's voice had no limits.  He sure is putting a chop on that Fern Mandolin!!

K

 

---

 

---

KidfromDeliverance - Posted - 03/02/2015:  17:25:46

Thanks for posting the Osborne version, Jack. I noticed the first break features what I assume is a run-on pull-off lick, which can sound pretty cool when used judiciously.

Patrick

banjoman717 - Posted - 03/03/2015:  06:52:04

Hey a great tune.. Thanks Eric for the Backing tracks and thanks Jack for the great tabs



Mike

Edited by - banjoman717 on 03/03/2015 06:53:50

Nagasaki - Posted - 03/03/2015:  16:18:58

Service error on Jack's tab for this. Just me, perhaps a computer issue?

KidfromDeliverance - Posted - 03/03/2015:  21:18:16

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nagasaki

Service error on Jack's tab for this. Just me, perhaps a computer issue?

---

Seems to be a server issue - all the tab links seem to be returning error messages.

schlange - Posted - 03/03/2015:  21:19:49

Relocating the storage server--should be available within an hour or so...

Old Man - Posted - 03/04/2015:  02:55:22

Thanks Jack