Lyr Req: Deep Fork River Blues (Tom Paxton)

Subject: Deep Fork River Blues
From: folk1234
Date: 30 Apr 00 - 04:58 PM

Is anyone aware of a recording of this great Tom Paxton song? I have 3 of Tom's songbooks and it is in one, but there's no mention of it in the discography. I also have several of his tapes/CDs.
There is a group of people here in OK who have formed a Deep Fork River preservation society. They are not aware of the song and I want to introduce it to them. Perhaps more verses can be written and it could become their theme song. Tom Paxton will in OK in June for the Woody Guthrie Free Fair.
I do recall that I had (maybe still have, if only I can find it) a 'field recording' of the Deep Fork River Blues. It was done by Sandy and Caroline for me a Pinewoods in 1991. It is very special to me because Sandy saw me looking closely at his left hand and in the next verse he sang, "Am Am Dm, Am Dm E7. Am Dm Am, Dm E7 and back to Am."

Subject: RE: Deep Fork River Blues
From: catspaw49
Date: 30 Apr 00 - 05:19 PM

I dunno' which Paxton it might be on, but off the top of my head, its on Rick Fielding's latest album, "This One's the Dreamer." Rick says he learned it from Sandy and was surprised to find it was a Paxton song....thought it was much older.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Deep Fork River Blues
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 30 Apr 00 - 07:01 PM

I made some inadvertent changes to the song over the years, having learned it in the 60s from Tom's first record. Rick made a few more changes when he recorded it on his Borealis CD. Sure hope Tom's cool about folks who man(person)handle his creative work! Actually, I asked him about the song at a festival we did in Wisconsin a few years back, and he allowed that he almost never sings it anymore. Too bad. It's a good and very folk-like song.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Deep Fork River Blues
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 01 May 00 - 09:19 AM

Tom's version is on OUTWARD BOUND, his third LP on Elektra.

Side 1 of the LP has actually got seven songs. On my copy, the cover lists only six, omitting "Deep Fork River Blues." The LP label also lists six, but it includes DFRB and omits "One Time and One Time Only."

BTW, Rick's recording leaves out one of the verses that Tom sings.

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Deep Fork River Blues
From: Philj200
Date: 01 May 00 - 02:53 PM

Didn't Doc Watson record this in the early '60's. It's on his second or third album. Not the first one which is really Clearance Ashley's thing.

His picking was superb!

Subject: RE: Deep Fork River Blues
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 01 May 00 - 06:34 PM

I'm reasonable sure I learned it from Tom's Gaslight Record, titled "The Man Who Built the Bridges." That was done before his Elektra-cution.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Deep Fork River Blues
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 01 May 00 - 09:49 PM

Sandy,

You're right. I had forgotten that "Deep Fork" was on that album. I just dug out the cassette dub that I have and there's the song at the end of Side 2. That Gaslight LP is very rare. It was pressed in a very limited quantity and it was only a few years ago that I got a dub of the LP.

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Deep Fork River Blues
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 02 May 00 - 06:23 PM

You ease my mind, Mike. I thought I was suffereing another "senior moment!"

Sandy

Subject: RE: Deep Fork River Blues
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 02 May 00 - 07:17 PM

Tom sent me an e-mail saying my version passed muster. Pleased me no end. The verse I left out was "sure gonna have a rabbit for my dinner". Since I couldn't kill an animal (and only selected people) I thought I could drop it.

Phil...that was "Deep River Blues". It was a Delmore Bros. song and the correct title was "Big River Blues".

Rick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Deep Fork River Blues (Tom Paxton)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Dec 11 - 09:36 PM

Tom Paxton recorded DEEP FORK RIVER BLUES on his album "I'm the Man Who Built the Bridges" (1962). It's also on "Outward Bound/Morning Again"—that's 2 LPs from 1966 and 1968 reissued as one CD in 2004. I heard these words in a sample:

Oh, the Deep Fork is a muddy river
Near my home, near my home
The Deep Fork is a muddy river
Near my home....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Deep Fork River Blues (Tom Paxton)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 05 Dec 11 - 07:04 AM

Back in 2000, Mike Regenstreif wrote,

*Tom's version is on OUTWARD BOUND, his third LP on Elektra.

*Side 1 of the LP has actually got seven songs. On my copy, the cover lists only six, omitting "Deep Fork River Blues."
*The LP label also lists six, but it includes DFRB and omits "One Time and One Time Only."

But I'm looking at my copy of that LP and there are only six tracks on Side 1, and both cover and label list the same six songs, both including One Time And One Time Only as track 5, neither listing DFRB. Are there really different versions of that LP?

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: DEEP FORK RIVER BLUES (Tom Paxton)
From: GUEST,999
Date: 05 Dec 11 - 09:04 AM

http://www.songs2play.co.uk/artist_paxtonchords.htm

From the excellent site above.



Deep Fork River Blues - by Tom Paxton


Capo 2nd fret

(Amin) (Dmin9) (Dmin) (Amin)

Now, the Deep Fork is a muddy river,
Near my (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) near my (Amin)home,
The Deep Fork is a muddy river,
Near my (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) near my (Amin)home.

And the Deep Fork is in Oklahoma,
Near my (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) near my (Amin)home,
The Deep Fork is in Oklahoma,
Near my (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) near my (Amin)home. (Dmin9) (Dmin) (Amin)

I can hear hounds baying on the river,
Near my (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) near my (Amin)home,
And I´ll surely have a rabbit for my dinner,
Near my (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) near my (Amin)home.

- Instrumental Verse -

When the sun goes down a man gets awful lonesome,
For his (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) for his (Amin)home,
When the sun goes down a man gets awful lonesome,
For his (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) for his (Amin)home.

And the Deep Fork is a muddy river,
Near my (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) near my (Amin)home,
The Deep Fork is a muddy river,
Near my (Dmin9)home, (Dmin) near my (Amin)home.

© Tom Paxton, All Rights Reserved

Thanks to Jan janhauenstein (at) gmx (dot) de

Subject: Lyr Add: DEEP FORK RIVER BLUES (Tom Paxton)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Dec 11 - 11:46 AM

I think we need to have a copy of the lyrics without embedded chords. This copy will be more easily found with a search engine.


DEEP FORK RIVER BLUES
(Tom Paxton)

Now, the Deep Fork is a muddy river
Near my home, near my home.
The Deep Fork is a muddy river
Near my home, near my home.

And the Deep Fork is in Oklahoma
Near my home, near my home
The Deep Fork is in Oklahoma
Near my home, near my home.

I can hear hounds baying on the river
Near my home, near my home,
And I'll surely have a rabbit for my dinner
Near my home, near my home.

- INSTRUMENTAL VERSE -

When the sun goes down, a man gets awful lonesome
For his home, for his home.
When the sun goes down, a man gets awful lonesome
For his home, for his home.

And the Deep Fork is a muddy river
Near my home, near my home.
The Deep Fork is a muddy river
Near my home, near my home.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Deep Fork River Blues (Tom Paxton)
From: raredance
Date: 30 Mar 12 - 12:31 AM

"Ramblin Boy and Other Songs by Tom Paxton" (Oak Publications)has a different last verse than the one above by Jim Dixon

Well, I don't have to stay away forever
I can go home, I can go home.
No, I don't have to stay away forever
I can go home, I can go home