Lyr Req: Let Me Go to the Mountains (The Fureys)

Subject: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From:
Date: 23 Feb 01 - 05:44 PM

I need more lyrics to this song. So far I have: "Let me go to the mountains and valleys so fair Where all times I'm breathing my own native air"

ending with "White man Let me go." Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Feb 01 - 10:13 PM

I've come up totally blank on this one......anybody else?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: raredance
Date: 23 Feb 01 - 10:16 PM

Any help on who the artist might be?

Male? Female? Buffy Sainte-Marie?

rich r

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: Wolfgang
Date: 16 Jul 01 - 08:02 AM

I know it from the singing of the Fureys. I might have a self help transcription at home.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: Wolfgang
Date: 16 Jul 01 - 08:48 AM

White Man, Let Me Go


DESCRIPTION: The Indian begs to be allowed to return to his land: "Let me go to my home in the far distant west... Let me go to my father... Let me go to the
hills... Let me go to... my dark-eyed maid... And there let my body in ashes lie low"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1952
KEYWORDS: Indians(Am.) lament homesickness
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar,Newf) Australia
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Fowke/Johnston, pp. 32-34, "White Man, Let Me Go" (1 text, 1 tune)
Meredith/Anderson, pp. 228-229, "White Man, Let Me Go" (1 text, 1 tune)
File: FJ032

Wolfgang

Subject: Lyr Add: LET ME GO TO THE MOUNTAINS
From: Wolfgang
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 03:58 AM

As I suspected I have only my own transcription. Therefore, corrections are not just grudgingly acknowledged but positively invited. The Furey's only information about this song on the 'Lonesome boatman' LP is that it is 'trad.'. I find this hard to believe. I don't know this tune from another song. The sentiment in this song reminds me of Piney Wood Hills (Buffy Sainte-Marie).

Wolfgang

LET ME GO TO THE MOUNTAINS
(aka: White man, let me go)

trad.???

Let me go to my home in the far distant West,
to the scenes of my childhood that I love the best,
where the tall cedars wave and the bright waters flow,
to the seeds in the forest, white man, let me go.

Let me go to the mountains and the valleys so fair
Where oftimes I'll breathe in my own mountain air
And then to the forest with quiver and bow,
I'll chase all the wild deer, white man, let me go.

Let me go to my home and my fair dark-haired maid
Who taught me to love her 'neath the tall cedar's shade
And whose heart like a lamb's is as pure as the snow
And she loved her young Indian, white man, let me go.

So let me go, let me go to my far forest home
And I promise again never more will I roam
And there let my body in ashes lie low,
to the seeds in the forest, white man, let me go.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: ard mhacha
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 03:15 PM

Wolfgang, This sounds like the lamentations of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces, or for that matter any other poor Native American in their concentraction camps. Lovely song Slan Ard Mhacha

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 09:46 PM

Note similarity with The Mountain Top Mission Song, by Merrill Bradshaw. www.telusplanet.net/public/rfunk2/bc_mission/song.htm.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 10:01 PM

Think I've found the source. The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, 1850. http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/truth/1850/1850-20.htm. In case I have made a mistake, go to Yahoo and type in "White man let me go"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: Wolfgang
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 04:16 AM

Thanks, Dicho, for finding that: Narrative of Sojourner Truth.

If you use the 'find' option with 'white man, let me go' you'll find a short bit of verse which is similar to the song above. Does anyone know whether the song above is a rewrite from that story?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 01:09 PM

On the Univ. Pennsylvania site, the 2nd verse at the end of the page is so similar to the version given by Wolfgang that I think there is little doubt that the poem in Sojourner Truth's Narrative is the origin of the revised song as sung by the Furies and others. The "Narrative", although written about 1850, was not published until 1878 (paperback reprints readily available). The poem was about Negro enslavement, but the theme lends itself to aboriginal confinement as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Let Me Go to the Mountains',
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 02:01 PM

Forgot to thank you, Wolfgang, for the "clicky" for the whole Narrative (which I don't know how to use). For those just interested in the poem, the Univ. Pennsylvania site gives it to you rapidly.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE INDIAN'S ENTREATY (John Perry)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Aug 11 - 12:26 AM

From The New-York Christian Messenger, and Philadelphia Universalist ..., Volume 3 (New York: P. Price, 1834), page 68:

THE INDIAN'S ENTREATY.
By John Perry.

Some years ago, when "Missionary Enterprise" was prosecuted with considerable zeal among the aborigines of this country, an Indian youth was persuaded from his native wilds, and place in one of the many colleges "for the education of poor pious young men, for the Gospel ministry." After a short residence at school, he became dissatisfied with his situation. He longed to roam, free and unshackled, amid the scenes of his parent land—to chase the fleet game upon the fair hunting-grounds, far away from the busy haunts of the "pale faces." Yet no entreaties could prevail upon his tutors to permit him to depart

One morning, however, he was missing from the usual exercises of the Seminary, and on search being made, it was found that he had gone. He had exchanged the civilized dress of the white man, for the rude habiliments of the forest, and had been seen early in the morning, stretching his way toward the "far west." The incident gave rise to the following lines:

Let me go to my home in the far, far west,
To the scenes of my youth, which I love the best,
Where cedars are green, and the bright waters flow,
Where kindred will greet me—white man let me go.

I long for the spot where the cataract plays,
Where I've sported so free in my infant days,
And the deep forest, too, where with quiver and bow,
I've chas'd the wild deer—Oh ! there let me go.

Let me go to the hills and valleys so fair.
Let me breathe in freedom my own mountain air;
And to my poor mother, whose heart will o'erflow,
When she looks on her boy—to her let me go.

Let me go to my sire, by whose vet'ran side
I have march'd to the fight in my spirit's pride;
With him I have conquer'd the insolent foe—
To that Chieftain-father, once more let me go.

And oh! let me go to my dark-eyed maid.
We've climbed o'er the hill-tops, repos'd in the glade.
As the fawn she's gentle, her heart, pure as snow,
And she loves the poor Indian—oh! let me go.

Then let me away to my own forest home,
And ne'er from it again will I wish to roam.
Oh! there let my ashes in peace be laid low.
To my home in the west, white man, let me go.
* * * * * * * *
Disdaining their fetters, the Indian's proud soul
Could not bend in submission, or brook their control—
But free as the wind, at the morning's first dawn,
To his lov'd forest home, the red boy had gone!

Phila. Dec. 1833.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Go to the Mountains / White Man...
From: GUEST,Carlin
Date: 14 Aug 11 - 04:42 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZfR1uWkiwY

Check that out, the song itself.

Regards - Carlin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Go to the Mountains (The Fureys)
From: GUEST,Kevin Kennedy
Date: 04 Feb 13 - 12:40 AM

My understanding is that this song was written by Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Let Me Go to the Mountains (The Fureys)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 15 - 11:04 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZfR1uWkiwY