Lyr/Chords Req: Who Will Watch the Home Place

Subject: Who'll Watch the Home Place
From: folk1234
Date: 29 Aug 99 - 06:08 PM

I heard this lovely song recently done by Free Fall, four charming ladies who sing with the most beautiful harmonies. I know it was written by Kate Long. Any other background? Lyrics/chords?

Subject: Lyr Add: WHO WILL WATCH THE HOME PLACE^^
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 29 Aug 99 - 08:23 PM

Laurie Lewis recorded the song and it was IBMA song of the year last year, I think, or maybe the year before. We do the song in the key of G.

Who Will Watch the Home Place
Kate Long

Leaves are falling and turning in showers of gold
As the postman climbs up our long hill
And there's sympathy written all over his face
As he hands me a couple more bills.

(Chorus)
Who will watch the home place
Who will tend my heart's dear space
Who will fill my empty place
When I am gone from here?

There's a lovely green knoll by a clear running stream
It was my place when I was quite small
And it's pictures and sounds could soothe my worst pains
But today they don't ease me at all.

In my grandfather's shed there are hundreds of tools
I know them by feel and by name
And like parts of my body they've patched this old place
When I move them they won't be the same.

Now I wander around touching each blessed thing
The chimney, the table, the trees
And my memories swirl 'round me like birds on the wing
When I leave here, oh who will I be?

^^

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Who'll Watch the Home Place
From: folk1234
Date: 30 Aug 99 - 09:42 AM

Thanks, Barbara. Any minors and/or flats. The version I heard sounded absolutely wonderful, but complex.

Subject: Chords Add: WHO WILL WATCH THE HOME PLACE
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 30 Aug 99 - 12:42 PM

(Verse)
G G C G / G G D7 D7
G G G C / Am Am D7 D7

(Chorus)
G Am G G / C C Am D7
G Am G C / G D7 G G

This is how we do it. Hope it helps. I'm showing a chord for each beat.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Who'll Watch the Home Place
From: folk1234
Date: 30 Aug 99 - 02:05 PM

Thanks, Barbara. I went home for lunch, tried it, and it works fine.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Who'll Watch the Home Place
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 01 Sep 99 - 01:47 AM

I first heard this song from Susan Trump last June at the Old Songs Festival in New York State. Then I left the festival to go to my Mom's house and help her pack to move out of the house I grew up in. Needless to say, this is the song that head the greatest emotional impact on me that weekend, and was the one song I HAD to learn.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Who'll Watch the Home Place
From: folk1234
Date: 01 Sep 99 - 12:18 PM

Charlie: I know the feeling. We've moved many times, but each time I feel we leave alittle behind. This song says it all. Sometimes when driving the backroads of Oklahoma, I see an old house that triggers my longing for the deep family roots I never had - the old house, family traditions, brothers, sisters, uncles, anuts, and of course, grandma and grandpa.

Another lovely song re same subject is "I Knew This Place" from Bok, Muir, and Trickett's 1st 15 Years album and written by David Mallett.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Who'll Watch the Home Place
From: Margo
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:11 AM

I just learned that Kate Long wrote this because she was about to lose her homestead. Lots of rich people moving in, property value going up, inability to pay the taxes. TRAGIC!! It's a sin imho, Margo

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Who'll Watch the Home Place
From: Stewart
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 12:56 PM

There's a great recording "The Homeplace" by Ramona Jones Family and Friends that has a beautiful version of this song. "These mountain tunes are sure to get your toes tappin' and ear delightin.' Rich in music that features the fiddle and mandolin by Ramona Jones, hammer dulcimer by Alisa Jones, bass by Ruth McLain Smith, autoharp by Ron Wall, banjo by Mark Jones, mandolin by Larry Sledge and guitar and banjo by Greg Davis, The Homeplace is mountain music that you will treasure with instrumental and vocal pieces. " You can order "The Homeplace" by mail -- contact Alisa Jones, P.O. Box 606, Ridgetop, TN 37152-0606. $10 per cassette and $15 per CD (price includes postage)

S. in Seattle

Subject: Chords Add: WHO WILL WATCH THE HOME PLACE
From: GUEST,Elise
Date: 13 Mar 05 - 02:15 PM

I know this is years past the original postings here, but I thought I'd put in my two cents.

About nine years ago I went to Bluegrass at the Beach as a novice bluegrass participant. Laurie Lewis taught us her version of this beautiful song. It brought tears to my eyes as I sang it. The lyrics are as written in the previous post.

She taught it to us using an Am7 something like this

Verse:
G Am7 G D (Am7 on showers) (G on gold) (D on hill)
G Am7 G C   (Am7 on written) (G on over) (C on face)
G D    (D on bills)

Chorus:
G Am7 G G
C (walk down bass note of C one frett) Am7 D7
G Am7 G C
G D G G

I don't prefess to have this right as she taught it, it's been years and I tend to make things my own.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Who Will Watch the Home Place
From: Mr Happy
Date: 24 Oct 13 - 04:45 AM

Getting popular round here, various chums doing it, super song, lovely melody, great for harmonies & countermelodies:Who Will Watch The Home Place