Lyr Req/Add: Rolling Mills Are Burning Down

Subject: Lyr Req: 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down'
From: GUEST,Lonesome Gillette
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 01:08 PM

Hi,
I have this tune on a casette and can't understand most of the words. Anyone have a version of it? Can't find it in the Digitrad.
Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down'
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 02:16 PM

is it

The cotton mills are closing down all over Lancashire?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down'
From: GUEST,Lonesome Gilette
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 02:56 PM

I don't think so... 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down' is the title I'm prety sure

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down'
From: GLoux
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 03:02 PM

This is what I hear listening to Big Medicine's version on their Fever In The South CD. They say they learned it from the singing of Madison County, NC singer and banjo player, George Landers.

Rolling Mills

Chorus:
Oh, them rolling mills burnin' down, come down
Oh, them rolling mills burnin' down
Oh, them rolling mills burnin' down on down to the ground
And I'll never build them back any more

Oh my darlin', my darlin' come here
For I don't want to see you cry
For the best of friends must fall out and fight
And it's why not you and I

(chorus)

Come and bring your revolver
And shoot out my brain
For I'd rather be dead and laid in my grave
Than to be in the trouble I'm in

(chorus)

There's a pain in my finger I know
There's a pain in my toe
There's a pain in my true love's side
Where somebody's fooled her I know

(chorus)


I hope this is the same version you have on tape...

-Greg

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down'
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 07:20 PM

John Cohen's recording of George Landers performing this can be found on Various Artists 'High Atmosphere' Rounder CD 0028. Cohen's own performance of it is on John Cohen 'Stories the Crow Told Me' Acoustic Disc ACD-34. Cohen noted that, at the time of his recording of Landers, the song had not been found in any other collection although there was a similar song in one of the Union Grove Fiddlers' Convention records.

Landers text has minor differences from that posted above by Greg. It is easier to repost an amended version rather than point out the individual departures. In respect of the words in square brackets, Landers could be singing either. Cohen sings 'round' for the first one but, with the 'revolver' line, simply drags out the syllables of 'revolver' - it seems to me that Landers mutters 'do' or 'dear' after 'revolver'. In the chorus, Cohen sings 'are', but Landers sings a-burning with the 'a' pronounced as in 'hay'. Here is my attempted transcription of Landers:

ROLLING MILLS ARE BURNING DOWN

Chorus:
Yes, them rolling mills a-burnin' down, plumb down
Yes, them rolling mills a-burnin' down
Yes, them rolling mills a-burnin' down, plumb down to the ground
And they'll never build them back any more

Oh my darlin', oh darlin' [run/round] here
For I don't want to hear you cry
Oh the best of friends will fall out and fight
And it's why not you and I

(chorus)

Come get your revolver [do/dear]
And come and shoot out my brain
For I'd rather be dead and buried in my grave
Than to be in the trouble I'm in

(chorus)

There's a pain in my finger I know
There's a pain in my toe
There's a pain in my true love's side
Where somebody's fooled her I know

(chorus)

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down'
From: GLoux
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 08:57 AM

Thanks, Stewie...I plumb can't hear too good...

-Greg

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down'
From: GUEST,GLoux
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 11:05 AM

I just checked John's CD and the notes say his banjo is tuned fdead on Those Rolling Mills Are Burning Down, which seems odd to me. I then looked at the High Atmosphere notes it says George Landers tuned his banjo f#dead, which seems a bit more reasonable.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: 'Rolling Mills Are Burning Down'
From: GUEST,Lonesome Gillette
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 07:57 PM

Thanks guys,
I think I have the Landers recording, those words sound right, they are just real hard to hear,and the meaning of the song can change quite a bit on a few hard to hear parts. Glad to know I'm not the only one who has had trouble with this tune. I thought it might be a common tune that everyone had a version of, but I guess not.
The banjo tuning is f#dead I'm pretty sure, a fantastic tuning I think. You can hear him pluck slowly across all the open strings at the beginning of the tune.