Origins: Muhlenberg County / Paradise (John Prine)

Subject: RE: Origins: Muhlenberg County / Paradise (John Prine)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Feb 22 - 03:45 PM

Australia - Wollar's remaining community opposes further expansion of Peabody Energy's open cut coal mine.
Once a small but thriving village in picturesque central west New South Wales, the community of Wollar has been all but wiped off the map by an American coal-mining giant's open cut mine with hopes to expand even further.
Wollar's general store was the last remaining shop, but its operators have finally closed its doors.
For those few people remaining in the district, it could mean a 100-kilometre round trip to the larger centre of Mudgee for basic essentials like milk or bread.
And locals fear the few remaining privately owned properties could be swallowed up by another expansion of Peabody Energy's Wilpinjong Mine.
A proposal to explore another 1,670 hectares of land, the majority of which Peabody Energy already owns, would see it surround the village at a distance of 500 metres.
If successful, it would mean the company could operate beyond 2030. (read on)

Peabody's grossly inadequate rehab bond

Subject: RE: Origins: Muhlenberg County / Paradise (John Prine)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 18 Aug 16 - 06:14 AM

The way Donald Trump talks about the coal industry, Appalachian miners will be getting back to work on day one of his administration. "The miners of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, which was so great to me last week, Ohio and all over are going to start to work again, believe me," the presumptive Republican nominee said earlier this month, "Everything will be great."

What is unclear is how Trump intends to make coal mining great again, since he doesn't appear to understand the first thing about the industry he intends to save — neither the broad-brush economics, nor what is within the president's power to do. Even a coal industry executive, Bob Murray, CEO of Murray Energy and vocal Obama critic, has to admit Trump doesn't know what he's talking about.

http://grist.org/politics/coal-exec-admits-donald-trump-doesnt-understand-the-first-thing-about-coal/

Subject: RE: Origins: Muhlenberg County / Paradise (John Prine)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Aug 16 - 09:12 PM

Peabody has (A few months ago) gone bankrupt

Subject: RE: Origins: Muhlenberg County / Paradise (John Prine)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Aug 16 - 02:04 AM

The Wikipedia article on Paradise Kentucky (click)_ tells the story of the town, which was actually bought out by the Tennessee Valley Authority after ash fall from a newly opened power plant brought health concerns to the area. The song tells a true story about open-pit mining in Kentucky, but it doesn't accurately apply to the town of Paradise. Literalists may have trouble with this, but I consider it "artistic license."
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mr. Peabody's Coalmine?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 May 05 - 03:36 AM

It's in the DT as PARADISE or Muhlenberg County.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mr. Peabody's Coalmine?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 May 05 - 03:32 AM

"Paradise" (words and music: John Prine) is in Guy and Candie Carawan's Voices from the Mountains (1975; University of Illinois Press, 1982, p. 32).

Subject: Lyr Add: PARADISE (John Prine)
From: GUEST,Maureen Cummuskey
Date: 29 May 05 - 11:51 PM

Here you go - great song.


PARADISE
by John Prine
As recorded by John Prine on "John Prine" (1971)

1. When I was a child, my family would travel
Down to western Kentucky, where my parents were born;
And there's a backwards old town that's often remembered
So many times that my memories are worn.

CHORUS: And Daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County,
Down by the Green River, where Paradise lay?
"Well I'm sorry, my son, but you're too late in askin'.
Mr. Peabody's coal train has hauled it away."

2. Well, sometimes we'd travel right down the Green River,
To the abandoned old prison down by Aidrie Hill,
Where the air smelled like snakes. We'd shoot with our pistols,
But empty pop bottles was all we would kill. CHORUS

Instrumental break.

3. Then the coal company came, with the world's largest shovel,
And they tortured the timber and stripped all the land.
Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken,
Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man. CHORUS

4. When I die, let my ashes float down the Green River.
Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester dam.
I'll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waitin',
Just five miles away from wherever I am. CHORUS

(© Sour Grapes Music Inc. / Walden Music Inc.)
From "John Prine", © 1971, Atlantic.
^^^

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: Vixen
Date: 27 Sep 99 - 09:08 AM

One of the old-timey things about this song, imho, is that it lends itself to lyric shifting...yesterday, the local waste management corporation sponsored a huge family day with free food, music, clowns, frisbees, etc, and bus tours of the new ash landfill. For some reason, these words just popped into my head...

Daddy won't you take me to the Quinebaug Valley
Down to the green river where paradise lay,
I'm sorry my son, you're too late in askin'
The ash landfill came and turned it to gray

(now I'll see if the line breaks came out right!!!)

V

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: Neal Huston
Date: 26 Sep 99 - 08:37 PM

I once heard John Prine tell the story on a radio program that his father was from Muhlenburg County. John said that his father didn't care much for his music, so John thought maybe if he included his father in a song, he would like John's music more. I never heard if he did or not.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: bob schwarer
Date: 26 Sep 99 - 10:06 AM

My map doesn't show county boundries very well, but if Paradise is not in Muhlenburg county it is close enough for poetic license.

Bob S.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: Neil Lowe
Date: 26 Sep 99 - 08:23 AM

John Prine recalls the first time he met Bill Monroe, Monroe complimented Prine on his "version" of "Paradise." Prine respectfully told Monroe that he had written it. Monroe seemed a little surprised. "Oh," he said, "it sounded so 'old-timey' I thought I had written it and forgotten about it." Prine was pleased with the compliment.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: PJ Curtis.
Date: 26 Sep 99 - 04:38 AM

Check out John Prine's 'Paradise' on Tim Flannery's excellent album 'Pieces of The Past'. Tim isa baseball Coach with the San Diego Padres. PJC

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: John Hindsill
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 08:21 PM

Did I do a bad? Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 07:23 PM

I"m told by a usually reliable source that there's a plaque commemorating the former Paradise Valley in Muhlenberg County. It also stated that, rather than being hauled away by Mr. Peabody's coal trains, it was flooded by a public electrification project.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 06:31 PM

You will have to ZOOM IN on the map to see Airdrie Hill, it is less than a mile from Paradise.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 06:19 PM

As LEJ is indicating, the song has a strong factual base and protests in a fairly gentle but clear manner. The is a town of Paradise in Kentucky, about 30 miles northwest of Bowling Green. Click here and you will see a map that includes Airdrie Hill. I suspect it is in Muhlenburg County. The Peabody Coal Company does exist. For their view on life click here.

It has been a while since I have read about the struggles between coal companies and environmentalists, but as I remember the Peabody Company did bring in "the world's largest [mechanical] shovel" and it was the "last straw" for many in Kentucky.

It all makes me proud to be a John Prine fan.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 05:48 PM

Before the onslaught of the tree-huggers and eco-fascists, it was common practice throughout Kentucky and the other Appalachian states for Coal Companies to simply rip the top off of a hill, ridge, or mountain, empty the coal using trucks and shovels, leave it stripped and broken and move on to the next spot. Western Kentucky was pock-marked with these piles of dead rock, but the coal companies made a ton of money. Along with tobacco, Big Coal controlled the economies and politics of rural Kentucky. Green activism and legislation put an end to this kind of activity. Score one for the good guys.

LEJ eco-fascist

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 05:18 PM

It has become a bit of a bluegrass classic, and there are probably lots of people who play it who think it is traditional. Kind of like "Ashokan Farewell" being recorded as "A Shogun's Farewell." --seed

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 04:50 PM

Attention Folk Police:

John just might have snuck one in under the tent with this song. I have met more than one person who assumed this was a "traditional" folk song.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: Banjer
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 03:39 PM

Beautiful song, indeed!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: John Hindsill
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 03:13 PM

The chorus goes something like--

DADDY WON'T YOU TAKE ME TO MUHLENBURG (Muelenburg?) COUNTY.
DOWN BY THE GREEN RIVER WHERE PARADISE LAY.
WELL I'M SORRY MY SON, BUT YOU'RE TOO LATE IN ASKING,
MISTER PEABODY'S COAL TRAIN HAS HAULED IT AWAY.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 12:59 PM

Michelle, it is by John Prine, on his first album--but the name of the song is "Paradise." It's in the DigiTradL: just type PARADVAL in the DigiTrad box at the top of the thread: you'll find the words and a link to a midi of the verse. --seed

Subject: HELP! Looking for Muhlenburg County Song
From: Michelle
Date: 25 Sep 99 - 12:07 PM

I have been looking EVERYWHERE for "Muhlenburg County" or at least I think that's the name of it. Could have SWORN it was by John Prine - but I must be wrong. Some of the lyrics are "Lord won't you take me back to Muhlenburg County, down by the ... river where paradise lay" - or something to that effect. Have been looking for years! Any help would be great... you can contact me at [e-mail]

Thanks in advance!! Michelle