Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues

Subject: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Mike
Date: 07 Oct 97 - 01:54 PM

Does anyone know the lyrics to Blue Ridge Mountain Blues. It begins "When I was young and in my prime, I left my home in Caroline..."

Subject: Lyr Add: BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN BLUES
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 07 Oct 97 - 03:49 PM

When I was young and in my prime
I left my home in Caroline;
Now all I do is sit and pine
For all the folks I left behind.

CH. I've got those Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
And I'll stand right here and say--
My grip is packed to travel, and I'm scratchin' gravel
For that Blue Ridge far Away.

I see a window with a light
I see two heads of snowy white;
I seem to hear them both recite:
"O where is our wandering boy tonight?"

Ch. I've got those Blue Ridge Mountain Blues,
And I'll stand right here and say--
Every day I'm countin' 'til I climb that mountain
On the Blue Ridge far away.

I'm gonna do right by my Ma:
I'm gonna stay right by my Pa;
I'm gonna hang around that cabin door--
No work, no worry any more.

Ch. I've got those Blue Ridge Mountain Blues,'
I'm gonna see my old dog Tray.
And we will hunt the 'possum where the corn-tops blossom
On the Blue Ridge far away.

HTML line breaks added --JoeClone, 29-Sep-01.

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Jon W.
Date: 07 Oct 97 - 05:45 PM

I recorded this version off the radio a few months ago, done by Ted Bogan, Carl Martin, and Howard Armstrong (probably 1930's). It's less complete than Bill's but interesting anyway.

When I was young and in my prime
I left my home in Caroline
All I do is sit among the pine
Think of all the folks I left behind

I've got those Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
I wanna see my old dog Gray
I wanna hunt the possum where the corn tops blossom
In that Blue Ridge so far away

Gonna be right beside my Ma
Gonna be right beside my Pa
Gonna hang around the cabin door
No work or worry anymore

I've got those Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
I wanna see my old dog Gray
Well I'm goin' back yonder to my folks down yonder
In that Blue Ridge so Fare away.

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Shula
Date: 07 Oct 97 - 07:32 PM

Hmmm,

A cur-mudgeon-ly BTW, Jon: spent girlhood summers in The Blue Ridge, never met a dog named "Gray," most of the hounds I saw were fawn or tan or etc., but, hey, it could have been named for anything. Thing is, I did meet a surprising number of dogs named "Trey," which, I believe is a corruption of the French word "tres," meaning three. If you keep hounds and they do their work well, you want to hang on to the bloodline, and you might want other folks to know that your dog is "the Third," that is, the offspring of the offspring of a dog you thought well enough of to keep and breed, and that you have several canine generations of investment in him. Therefore, a song that mentions a dog named "Tray," makes a more complex and subtle allusion to the singer's roots than one named "Gray."

Knew of a hound called Ol' Dog that sired a "Deuce" (never saw it spelled out, coulda been "Doose" for all I know), that sired a "Trey" (did see that spelled), that sired a "Quat," that sired a "Sanc." Sanc was dumb as dust but he could sniff your merest whim. Best let old lyrics lie, say I!

Shula

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Gene
Date: 07 Oct 97 - 11:59 PM

For my 2cents worth...I go with OLD DOG TRAY

It sounds like the title to a mighty fine old tune.

OLD DOG TRAY
Words and music by Stephen C. Foster

The morn of life is past; And ev'ning comes at last
It brings me a dream of a once happy day
Of merry forms I've seen; Upon the village green
Sporting with my Old Dog Tray.

CHORUS
Old Dog Tray's ever faithful
Grief cannot drive him away
He's gentle, he is kind, I'll never find
A bettter friend than Old Dog Tray.

The forms I call'd my own; Have vanish'd one by one
The loved ones, the dear ones have all passed away
Their happy smiles have flown, Their gentle voices gone
I've nothing left but Old Dog Tray.

CHORUS

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Earl
Date: 08 Oct 97 - 01:47 AM

I believe "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" was written by Pop Stoneman. Bogan, Martin and Armstrong were considered the last of the old time black string bands. They had an incredibly diverse repertoire includeing a lot of white pop and country songs (like "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" .) I would guess the dog was originally named Tray.

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Gene
Date: 08 Oct 97 - 02:36 AM

http://www.bmi.com & http://ascap.com list a total of 10 different composers of Blue Ridge Mt. Blues.

WHO DUNNIT? first is a good question!

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Jon W.
Date: 08 Oct 97 - 10:58 AM

No doubt the dog was originally named Tray but Bogan Martin and Armstrong, as far as my ear can tell, say Gray. Their version seems a little corrupted and incomplete but I posted it more as a demonstration of oral transmission (as I suppose that's the way they got it) than anything else. I like the version Bill in Alabama posted better, myself. And I suppose it springs from an earlier source. Thanks to one and all for the illumination.

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From:
Date: 08 Oct 97 - 05:25 PM

French

tres=very

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Shula
Date: 08 Oct 97 - 05:59 PM

Of course. Sorry. "Trois," (Anglisized first as "Troy"), but, nevertheless the source of "Trey" meaning , "Third"

Quite certain of this, as "Trey," or "Tray," is a common nickname in parts of the south, for humans who happen to be named " the Third." My father was a "Third" who didn't let himself be called "Trey," by anyone, but he made my poor brother a Fourth, just the same!

Always had a better memory than mental spelling dictionary. Didn't mean to be stupid. Oh, Dear Max, since you intend to keep this stuff for posterity, PLEASE give us some means to "preview" and clean up our messes before we go public and humiliate ourselves like this!

Shula

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Earl
Date: 09 Oct 97 - 12:53 AM

Trey (tray?) is also slang for the 3 card in a deck of playing cards.

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: GUEST,j. sutton
Date: 12 Jun 00 - 05:13 PM

I need to know the most likely writer of Blue Ridge Mountain Blues. Was it ever done by the Carter Family?

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 12 Jun 00 - 05:18 PM

Hard to assert a negative but i will do so: it was NOT recorded by the Carter Family. Two of the early recordings I have of it are Gid tanner and Riley Puckett, and a second recording of the whole Skillet Lickers band. If I'm wrong and the carter Family covered the song, tell me where!

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Pixie
Date: 12 Jun 00 - 09:06 PM

Don't know if its important to anyone, but Doc Watson does a very respectable version of the song....believe it or not, so does (wait...its coming to me....) JOHN fogerty! (after CCR?)on some very obscure tape I picked up in a $2.00 bin which has given hours of enjoyment!

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Pene Azul
Date: 12 Jun 00 - 09:16 PM

According to this page, it was written by "Robison, Carson." It also lists 9 albums that contain it.

PA

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 08:45 AM

Also, Norman Blake did a great version.

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Sourdough
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 11:05 AM

Shula's explanation of "Tray" is one of those wonderful little gems you pick up hanging around Mudcat.

I first saw the phrase, "Old Dog Tray" at my surprise seventh birthday party when my parents showed a series of cartoons and there was one called "Ole Dog Tray". It seemed like a curious title for a cartoon and I assumed it had something to do with the plate that the dog's food was served on.

Over the next seven dog years, I would run across the phrase and could make no further sense of it. About twenty years ago, I began playing "Blue RIdge Mountain Blues" but still had no clue about why singers would keep choosing the name, "Tray". When I did discover the Stephen Foster song, I could only assume that it was a relic of that song, an echo of the time when everyone was familiar with that old song. Now, in another milennium, I got the answer and one of those tiny pestering questions that has remained whispering in my folk ear all these decades is not only answered but expanded upon.

Thanks, Shula

Sourdough

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Mark Clark
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 11:18 AM

I've always believed "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" was written by Bill Clifton. He wrote a number of great tunes including "Little Whitewashed Chimney" and, I believe, "Mary Dear." Bill in Alabama had the only set of lyrics I've heard used for the subject tune.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Mark Clark
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 11:24 AM

I don't know whether this reference is definitive but at least it corroborates my thesis. I'll keep looking.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Mark Clark
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 11:48 AM

Well, I'm inclined to believe I was wrong about Clifton writing the tune. Johns Hopkins University credits Robison and Carson and of course Clifton didn't record before 1957 or so and there were many older recordings of the tune. I guess I just associate the tune with Clifton and never really thought about authorship.

Sorryeeeeeeee,

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 12:03 PM

Ivan M. Tribe in his 'The Stonemans' also refers to Carson Robinson as the author. In reference to Pop Stoneman's 27 May 1925 recording session, he states that 'other tunes recorded at the Ashville session included an early version of the new Carson Robinson composition "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" ...'

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: GUEST,j. sutton
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 04:33 PM

thanks to all who responded to my request for info on BRMB. Riley Puckett's lyrics are mostly the same as those Bill from Alabama notes, but Puckett did a different response after verse two, and included as well a third verse not usually sung. Carson Robinson sounds good to me as the writer, but didn't he tend to borrow stuff from others? Didn't lots of groups back then? Oh, well, thanks anyway.

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 06:04 PM

This is why I love the Mudcat. I had just clicked in to see if I could add anything to the lyrics (I can't) and I find this cool tidbit about Tray, which is what I hear that line as (The Country Gentlemen do a nice version too), but I had never wondered about it...

Subject: RE: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Jun 00 - 07:25 PM

The Hill Billies also recorded it on 12 May 1927 with lyrics closest to those posted by Bill, but with stanzas in a different order. The 'Tray'/'Gray' question does not arise because they sing 'I want to hear those hound dogs bay'.

--Stewie.