Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)

Subject: Story behind This Old House
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 02:53 PM

Just heard the Stuart Hamblin song "This Old House" sung that old folk-singer Bette Midler. I have loved this song since elementary school. Hearing it today conjured up a hazy memory.

Many years ago I heard the supposed story of how this song came to be. Stuart and a friend were hunting in the mountains when a snow storm came up. They started looking for shelter and finally spied a cabin. Stuart's friend touched his shoulder and told him, "There's a dead man in that cabin". Stuart asked his friend, "How do you know that?" His friend said, "There's a dog on the front porch, but there's no smoke coming out of the chimney."

They went inside and sure enough, there was an old man who had died still in the cabin. He had been preserved by the cold air. They started a fire and Stuart was inspired to write the song. When the storm was over, they made sure the dead man was properly buried.

Anyone know more about this story?

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Story behind This Old House
From: Janie
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 03:56 PM

I don't, but I'm all ears for anyone else who does. It is one of my favorite songs (and I can never find anyone willing to sing it with me...let's find a corner next year at the Getaway--or better yet--come see your brother in Durham and get together with Dani & I.)

Janie

Subject: RE: Story behind This Old House
From: Janie
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 04:56 PM

Roger, I don't know how accurate it is, but http://www.countryworks.com/artist_full.asp?KEY=HAMBLEN has pretty much the same story as you, with maybe just a little more detail.

I didn't know who wrote the song--the guy was quite a writer, wasn't he?

Subject: DT Correction: This Old House
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 05:14 PM

Ayup, sounds like you got the story right, Roger. Here's the quote from Stuart Hamblen (note spelling), from Dorothy Horstman's Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy:

This song was written one cold wintry day in the High Sierra mountain range when I was on a hunting trip. With a hunting companion, I had gone hack into a remote section of the country. We were at least twenty miles from the nearest road when we came upon an old prospector's cabin. Although there was snow on the ground, there was no smoke coming from the chimney but I knew the master was at home because a large hound dog was lying on the front porch. Upon entering, we found an old man dead in a back room. I can't say how long he had been dead, for he looked like he was just asleep, but because of the severe weather it might have been some time, and the old hound was nearly starved. 'This Ole House' was the old prospector's epitaph."        —Stuart Hamblen-

---

Here are the lyrics from Horstman's book - one verse more than we have in the DT.

THIS OLE HOUSE
(Stuart Hamblen)

This ole house once knew my children
This ole house once knew my wife
This ole house was home and comfort
As we fought the storms of life
This ole house once rang with laughter
This ole house heard many shouts
Now she trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin' walks about.

Ain't gonna need this house no longer
Ain't gonna need this house no more
Ain't got time to fix the shingles
Ain't got time to fix the floor
Ain't got time to oil the hinges
Nor to mend the window pane
Ain't gonna need this house no longer
I'm a-gettin' ready to meet the saints.

This ole house is a-gettin' shaky
This ole house is a-gettin' old
This ole house lets in the rain
This ole house lets in the cold
Oh my knees are gettin' chilly
But I feel no fear or pain
'Cause I see an angel peekin'
Through a broken window pane.

This ole house is afraid of thunder
This ole house is afraid of storms
This ole house just groans and trembles
When the night wind flings its arms
This ole house is a-gettin' feeble
This ole house is a-needin' paint
Just like me it's tuckered out
But I'm a-gettin' ready to meet the saints.

Now my old hound dog lies a-sleepin'
He don't know I'm gonna leave
Else he'd wake up by the fireplace
And he'd sit there and howl and grieve
But my huntin' days are over
Ain't gonna hunt the 'coon no more
Gabriel done brought in my chariot
When the wind blew down the door.


©1954, Hamblen Music, Inc.

---

I'm trying to remember where I first heard the song. I'm thinking it was on recordings by Rosemary Clooney and maybe by Arthur Godfrey. I think Clooney tidied up the song a bit so it wouldn't sound so morose.

-Joe Offer, in the not-so-high Sierra Foothills-

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: GUEST,GUEST: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 05:32 PM

Joe (et al):

Thanks. Yes, Rosemary Clooney did the song. So have many others, including Bette Midler.

Janie, remind me about September 2006.

Go figure.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 05:52 PM

I expect I learned it from Tennessee Ernie Ford, he of the deep, deep voice...

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 05:54 PM

Incidentally, Stuart Hamblen wrote many songs, including 'I Won't Go Huntin' with You, Jake, but I'll Go Chasin' Women'.

Later he wrote a number of Gospel songs, including 'It is No Secret What God Can Do.'

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 07:39 PM

I have the lp where Stuart Hamblen narrated how he came to write
THIS OLD HOUSE and IT IS NO SECRET...

there was no other person, he was alone that day...

and it was at a party and either he or john wayne [i forget which
at the moment] made that comment during a discussion and wayne said as stuart was leaving that would make a good song; stuart went right home and wrote it..[haven't played that lp in some time]

anyone wanting to hear the narrations, email me at:

[e-mail] or PM me your email adr.

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 07:45 PM

it has been awhile and perhaps there was another party... has
been a long time since i played that lp..

but i will dig it out..I also have the mentioned book, and
if Dorothy says there were two, than i may be wrong about that point.

Gene

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 24 Oct 05 - 08:58 AM

Thanks, everyone. This is one of the reasons I love the Mudcat. I could ask around for weeks and not get this much information.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 24 Oct 05 - 10:52 AM

I remember when they used to sing this on Your Hit Parade - sure wish the tv folks had been a bit more imaginative and told the "rest of the story" -- thanks Paul, I mean Roger.
Chris in Wheaton

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Oct 05 - 09:16 PM

So, did Arthur Godfrey record it?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 09:53 AM

And what happened to the old dog?

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 10:44 AM

He went on to star in the song Life Gets Teejus, Don't It?

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: frogprince
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 05:39 PM

Heard Hamlin tell the "rest of the story" long years ago when he performed at a little church in Austin, Minnesota. Stuart was known by that time as "The Cowboy Evangelist". He ran for president once on the prohibition ticket; whatever the merits or demerits of that, he told some funny stuff about the experience.

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House
From: M.Ted
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 12:54 AM

Here's a piece on that "rest of the story"--It's No Secret What God Can Do/Stuart Hamblen, John Wayne, and Billy Graham

Subject: RE: Origins: Story behind This Old House (S. Hambl
From: GUEST,Mark Ross
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 11:44 AM

Does anyone the oil field parody of this song? My old singing partner Steve Cormier used to sing it. I would love to find the words again.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: GUEST,joe perry new braunfels texas
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 12:16 AM

in the early 70's,while driving back from alpine texas,i heard stuart hamblin explain the true meaning of "This Ole House" on a Del Rio radio station. it's really quite simple when you read the lyrics and think of what he wrote. This ole house refers to your human body after you pass on, "you ain't gonna need it any longer.", thanks to his christian conversion, most of his songs and music had double meanings.you just need to listen to them in a different light. good old gospel music always did have some deep meaning messages. i think America could use a lot more songs from writers like stuart hamblin.

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 May 13 - 08:52 PM

My mom told me that his father was loosing his home to the state for new road construction. So he wrote the song about his father not needing the house any longer.

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Nov 15 - 06:47 PM

Like many this song brings wonderful memories from younger days, and has always been an inspiration. About 10 years ago I heard a version on "BOSTON PETE's" Radio. I could be wrong, but as I remember it was Stuart Hamblem himself singing the song with an introductory narration. He told the hunting story and said the song was written as a ballad. He then sung the song as a ballad instead of the up-tune which we have all heard. The ballad and story are very moving. Recently I found a televised version that is close to the "Boston Pete's" version. Here is the link.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCm83w1dAPE

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 27 Nov 15 - 06:23 AM

Brian Setzer does a bang up Swing Revival version on his first "Big Band" album as a bandleader who plays an electric Guitar. The Album is called The Dirty Boogie. it's a killer CD/Album and Sezter started an entire subsculture with that one. It still holds up

Here's a youtube version of it with no real video, just the song:

Brian Setzer Orchestra This Old House

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: GUEST,Ol' banjo marco
Date: 30 Dec 17 - 04:38 PM

On the day Stuart Hamblin died I was listening to a popular radio show hosted by a long time news commentator in Los Angeles George Putnam, He had hosted many music shows in the 40's and 50's and knew
Hamblin. He told the story of song and played the last Ballad version Hamblin sung. As the radio show took phone calls it was interesting how several elderly men called in with tears in their voice saying how
much the song reminded them of their life. As an old folk singer I've
preformed the song several times and I always brings a tear and a bit of a voice tremble when I get to that last verse and the hound dog.

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: GUEST,orion
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 12:28 PM

In Rosemary Clooney's 1954 hit the bass was sung by Thurl Ravenscroft. Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft was an American voice actor and bass singer known as the booming voice behind Tony the Tiger's "They're grrreat!" in Kellogg's Frosted Flakes television commercials for more than five decades.

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: GUEST,Steve Ski
Date: 26 Apr 20 - 06:41 PM

You tube has a clip from the full story. Look for the old cabin to hear him tell the song.

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: GUEST,David Silk in UK
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 04:42 PM

Hamblin was right - the inspiration for the metaphor of the house as the human body is rooted in the first century AD in Saint Paul' letter: II Corinthians 5.1-5. The passage lies behind the imagery of the first Preface in the Requiem Mass written in response to the carnage of WWI, but the roots of the song probably go back in the US to the folk music of the time of the early settlers.

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: Acorn4
Date: 27 Mar 21 - 06:32 AM

Revived in 1954 by Billy Anthony:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHcEBeZPNA&list=RDEMKifSdFV8jvHLW76_KXJBmA&start_radio=1

and later by Shakin Stevens:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRvcrWGUmR4

Subject: RE: Origins: This Old House (Stuart Hamblin)
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 10 Sep 24 - 09:22 AM

I first heard it as the theme tune for the DIY programme Bucknell's House, where Barry Bucknell left the studio behind and did over an entire old house. If memory serves, the vocalist was female, with a basso rendition of the beginning of the chorus.