Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)

Subject: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: pete savage
Date: 10 Jan 98 - 05:57 PM

A friend is looking for lyrics (and chords?) to what he characterized as a Florida folk song about a man named Tate lost in a swamp, called "Tate's Hell" or "the Ballad of Tate's Hell"

Thanks for any assistance!

Pete

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: pete savage
Date: 10 Jan 98 - 06:12 PM

i forgot to ask that any information also be sent directly by email to: [e-mail]

many thanks!!

pete

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 04:46 AM

Found this bit. Not yet what you want, Pete, but with title and singer the search might be easier. Wolfgang

"As with all local legends, this one has its variations recorded by nationally recognized folklore singer Will McLean in the 1945 song "Ballad of Tate's Hell," a movie that substantially embellished the story, a play and several books. According to McLean's ballad, Cebe Tate, a resident of the tiny town of Sumatra located just outside of the Apalachicola forest, went hunting for panthers with his two dogs and a "puppy named Spark. ... The big rattler struck him above the bent knee. The lick was so hard, a'sprawling he fell. This was the beginning of poor old Tate's Hell." In the ballad, Tate managed to crawl out of the swamp 12 days later in Carrabelle, about 25 miles southeast of Sumatra, where he muttered, "My name is old Tate, boys, I've just been through hell!" Then he died."

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: pete savage
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 09:52 PM

wolfgang:

could you tell me where you found that? many thanks!

// pete

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Jan 98 - 05:31 PM

Well, Pete, I'll betcha Wolfgang found the article in the Flambeau News. Take a look - it's a great story. I did a search under Will McLean and found a Web page, but it didn't work last night. I'll keep looking. Sounds like we NEED this song.
Say, do we have any good snakebit songs in the database?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: pete savage
Date: 13 Jan 98 - 05:43 PM

found lots of stuff on will mclean and on the story of tate and his hell...

even found lots of stuff on the state of florida restoring tate's hell.

but no music or words... still looking!

thanks wolfgang and joe!!

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Jan 98 - 04:00 AM

I can't add anything to what Joe has written, sorry. I enjoyed reading that story. Wolfgang

Subject: Lyr Add: TATE'S HELL (Will McLean)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jan 98 - 08:28 PM

TATE'S HELL
by Will McLean (1919-1990)
© 1992, Wakulla Music, BMI

Old Tate left Sumatra along about dark.
He had his two big dogs and a puppy named Spark.
An old Long Tom shot-gun, a sharp Barlow knife,
That panther would sure have the chase of his life

A little past moon down, the dogs struck the scent;
Through bramble and titi a-running Tate went;
For hours and hours, until it was dawn;
Then Tate knew that he was a long way from home.

He blowed through his gun-barrel, the dogs did not hear;
The panther had killed them, and now Tate felt fear;
The sun was not shining, the mist it was thick;
"Oh, Lordy," Tate hollered, "I'm lost up the crick."

He leaned back to rest, and his eyes did not see;
The big rattler struck him above the bent knee;
The lick was so hard that a-sprawling he fell;
This was the beginning of poor old Tate's Hell!

He opened his Barlow and grabbed him some moss;
A cut he made one way, another across;
He wrapped his leg tightly and tied it with string;
the sickness came on him, his body turned green.

When Tate was discovered, these words he did tell,
"My name is Old Tate, boys! I've just been in Hell!"
These few-spoken words were the last that he said;
His spirit, it left him. Old Tate, he was dead.

Many thanks to Margaret Longhill
of the Will McLean Foundation, P.O. Box 77, Holder, FL 34445-0077
Phone [phone] (books & recordings available)

1998 Will McLean Music Festival, Sat-Sun April 11 & 12
7 miles west of Dade City, Florida (just north of Tampa)
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Jan 98 - 10:21 PM

My goodness. It's a bird! It's a plane! It's....
Joe Offer!

thanx Joe. Good song.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Tate's Hell
From: pete savage
Date: 26 Jan 98 - 11:26 PM

Joe: Thank you VERY much!

Pete

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 08 - 09:29 AM

The lyrics Joe put up are correct but he is missing the intro where the singer is is telling about " Listen dear children and ill tell you a tell...." and i dont remember any more of that but that is the best part.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 04:01 AM

I know it may be a little late for this into, but here it is for all who wish to have it. I remember hearing this ballad while growing up in rural north Florida. It is a very common song for the region.


Oh, listen, good people. A story I'll tell
Of a great swamp in Florida, a place called Tate's Hell—
A hundred and forty square watery miles
With millions of "skeeters" and big yeller-flies.

And where all about the moccasins lie
With glittering death in their beady eye,
Where bull-gators beller and panthers squall.
Now, this is a place to be shunned by all.


Steven

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 04:05 AM

There is more to the end of the tale, I can not at the time remember how it goes. But I know there is more to the end of the ballad than is listed at this time.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST,Jeanne
Date: 24 May 09 - 10:34 PM

These words are spoken after the last sung verse shown above:


No man can dispute this legend of yore,
How Tate lived a full week and then five days more,
And somehow crawled out close to Carrabelle
From the deep ghostly swamp that we know as Tate's Hell.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST,tom thumb..
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 10:31 AM

this used to keep me awake at night, better than any ghost story

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST,buzztally
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 12:15 AM

I believe a local musician by the name of Doug Gauss still sings it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST,wakullaboy5
Date: 03 Jun 10 - 01:07 AM

i think your right just call into 93.3 and ask were you can get a copy of the cd and are any of yall even from arounf wakulla and franklin county

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Jun 10 - 11:23 AM

"Local" – That's great. We've got people all over the world reading this thread and trying to figure out where "local" is.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Jun 10 - 11:34 AM

And there are 4 stations in Florida alone that use the frequency 93.3 – 96 stations in North America.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 10:30 PM

OK, for what it's worth, I've figured out that "local" here means Tallahassee, Florida, and the radio station in question is WGWD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST,Wallace Kelley
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 11:53 PM

I grew up in Apalachicola and now live in Tallahassee.
My father had a record with this song on it and I loved hearing it.
It's great to finally find the lyrics. Now I need a CD with this song. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST,Stan Smith
Date: 25 Sep 10 - 09:02 AM

You can download the song from i-tunes website for 99 cent.
Great ballad!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 10 - 05:05 AM

This is a great song, I heard it years ago and it has always stuck with me. I grew up in rural north FL also, and have been driven through Tate's Hell many times. Luckily I got out alive!

You can listen to the song here for free: http://new.music.yahoo.com/will-mclean/tracks/tates-hell--175689263

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tate's Hell (Will McLean)
From: GUEST,jamie
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 11:26 PM

I was born and raised in tates hell. I hunt it fish it and trap it and have done so since I was a child. the ballet of tates hell was my favorite bed time story as a kid. if i can be of any help to anyone let me know. [e-mail]