The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8194   Message #413726
Posted By: Stewie
08-Mar-01 - 11:41 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Sugar Hill
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sugar Hill, Soldiers Joy lyrics?
There's some for 'Sugar Hill' at the Fiddler's Companion site. You will need to scroll down the page until you find 'Sugar Hill'.

Click Here

--Stewie.


SUGAR HILL. AKA and see "Sailing on the Ocean." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia. D Major. ADAE. AABB. The song has African-American roots and 'Sugar hill' is said to signify the 'wild part of town', the red-light district. Tom Paley says The title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954. The tune has come to be identified with Galax, Va., style string bands and it has also been described as a Surrey County, North Carolina, classic number.
***
Five cents in my pocket change, two dollars in my bill;
If I had ten dollars more I'd climb old Sugar Hill.
***
Possum sittin' on a 'simmon tree, cider's in my mill,
And if I had ten dollars more I'd climb on Sugar Hill.
***
If I hadn't no horse to ride, I'd be found a-walkin',
Up and down old Toenail Gap, you can hear my woman talkin'.
***
Jaybird and the sparrow hawk, they had a fight together,
They took all around the briar patch, went to it down to a feather. (all the above from Tommy Jarrell)
***
Squirrel's got a bushy tail, Possum's tail is bare,
Rabbit ain't got no tail at all, just a little old piece of hair.
***
Possum up a simmon tree, raccoon on the ground,
Raccoon says, "Hey, Possum, won't you toss them simmons down."
***
I'm getting lonesome for my gal, I want a drink of rye.
I'm going on to Sugar Hill, or know the reason why!
***
If you want to get your eye knocked out, if you want to get your fill,
If you want to get your eye knocked out, go on to Sugar Hill.
***
The phrase 'getting your eye knocked out' refers to copulation, according to Tom Paley. The Virginia Mountain Boomers (vocals by Ernest Stoneman) recorded a song called "Sugar Hill," which is actually the song "Devilish Mary" with the chorus of "Sugar Hill" tacked on. Sources for notated versions: Fuzzy Mountain String Band (North Carolina) [Brody]; Tommy Jarrell (Mt. Airy, North Carolina) [Jack Tuttle/Fiddler Magazine]. Fiddler Magazine, Spring 1995; pg. 28. Kuntz (Ragged but Right), 1987; pg. 303-304. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 269. Biograph 6003, "The Original Bogtrotters." County 534, "Round the Heart of Old Galax, Vol. II." County 2702, Tommy Jarrell & Fred Cockerham - "Tommy and Fred." Heritage 054, The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers - "Brandywine '83: Music of French America" (1984). June Appal 0067, Roan Mountain Hilltoppers - "Seedtime on the Cumberland" (1992). Marimac 9000, Dan Gellert & Shoofly - "Forked Deer" (1986. Learned from Fields Ward "and elsewhere," slightly different than Tommy Jarrell's version). Rounder 0035, Fuzzy Mountain String Band- "Summer Oaks and Porch" (1973. Learned from Tommy Jarrell). Rounder CD 0371, Mac Bendord and the Woodshed All-Stars - "Willow" (1996).
T:Sugar Hill
L:1/8
M:2/4
S:Kuntz - Ragged but Right
K:D
a>g fd/e/|fe d(a|a)a/b/ a/f/d|B>A Ba|a3 g|f/d/e/c/ d(d|d)d/B/ AA/B/|d>B d2:|
dd f>e|f/d/e d(d|d)d/e/ f/e/d|B>A B(d|d)d f>e|f/d/e/c/ d(d|d)d/B/ AA/B/|d>B d2:|