Lyr Req: Old Time River Man (John Hartford)

Subject: Where does an old time river pilot go after
From:
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 12:11 AM

Heard this once on a.m station while driving x-country. Other lyrics include: "where does and old time engineer go after he's cooled her down...does he???? Any body help with title or words? regards [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: Art Thieme
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 12:34 AM

It's by JOHN HARTFORD. He's surly got it on a CD. We spent a bunch of time together when I was singing on the Julia Belle Swain on the Mississippi River for lots o' years. John would come on & pick some, but mostly he'd steer the boat; he loves bein a pilot on the river--any river. I've got it somwhere here & will try to find it---but later. Tonight I'm goin' to sleep.

G'night! Art

Subject: ADD: Old Time River Man (Hartford)
From: harpgirl
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 06:00 PM

Monteith,
might this river rat help out?

^^
Old Time River Man
(John Hartford)


Where does an old time river man go
After he's passed away?
Does his soul still keep a watch on the deep
For the rest of the river days?
Does he then come back as a channel cat
Or the wasps that light on the wheel?
Or the birds that fly through a summer sky
Or the fish swimming under the keel?


Where does an old time pilot go
After he's stood his last watch?
Does he fall by the ear of the man who steers
Saying hold her on that notch
There's a gentle sneeze in the river breeze
Saying son I'm goin to bed.
And they light their pipes and go off in the night
Or was that fireflies instead?


Where does an old time engineer go after he's cooled her down?
Gone up the hill to never come back, on the quiet side of town.
Does his soul live on in the engine songs
While the striker checks the geers?
Is he still afloat on an old steam boat after he's gone from here?

It can be found on the "Down on the River" album, Flying Fish 1989. Art will know if I made any mistakes in the words. Art and John are some of my heroes...harpgirl

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: Art Thieme
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 07:39 PM

It looks just fine. Thanks for saving me the trouble of finding it!

AND THE ANSWER IS:

The rivermen--especially the captains of steamboats---were reincarnated as GREAT BLUE HERONS!! They'd spend their new lives flying in front of the boats to guide 'em to deep water and keep 'em away from the dangerous shallows. (river tall tale)

Gulls, on the other hand, came back as cockroache. (If you've ever lived near a garbage dump you'll know exactly what I mean. There're always gulls going through the garbage. (another one)---(rimshot)

Art

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: rich r
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 08:02 PM

Art,

I think this time you are the gull-a-bull one

rich r

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: harpgirl
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 09:00 PM

yeah Art and then you'd probably EAT them!!!! the Herons, I mean. No one in their right mind would eat a gull! harpgirl

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: Monte in Norfolk
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 10:13 PM

Thankx a million to all who answered. I've had the melody for years, now the lyrics. I'll spread them in VA.

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: harpgirl
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 11:18 PM

...Just for the record, I posted this song long before Catspaw did...hg

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: Gypsy
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 11:25 PM

What a great tune! I know a riverboat pilot, who pilots out of Louisiana. Will have to pass this one on to him

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: GUEST,Naemanson
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 03:15 PM

Rick Fielding has this one on his Lifeline CD and he does a great job on it.

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 04:34 PM

Thanks brett. One of my most favourite songs. Learned it from old time banjoist Chris Coole

Rick

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 12:30 AM

George Ward sang it (very gently) at the Old Songs Festival as a tribute to the man who made the song, John Hartford, who will long be sorely missed.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:19 AM

And I have john on a video doing it too.......you're right Sandy, and missed for the humane human he was along with the great talent he had.

Sorry harp.......Seems that Geroge picked it up from that other thread, but you did post it first of course. But like many others, when I heard his condition was critical, it was that one poignant song that came to mind..........Whatever, I'm glad George found it because it is a fitting tribute to the man.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: harpgirl
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 12:04 PM

Pat...I was actually just trying to get you posting again...it worked! where did you get your video? off the telly? I still don't believe John has died...I get so sad when I think he won't make any more recordings....My very best to Marie if she is reading this....

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: open mike
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 08:27 PM

i got a wonderful video from john's web site..
and was able to show it to my dad be fore he died.
he (dad) worked for the Army Corps of Engineers
and their main focus was projects to do with
water, waterways, and rivers. The Missouri river, esp.
I think John's favoreite river might havre been the
Mississippi. The video shows him on the steam boat
and he looks so happy!

Subject: RE: Where does and old time river pilot go after
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 10:07 AM

As I mentioned in another thread, both Cathy Barton and Dave Para, and Rick Fielding have great recordings of this song and both are available at Folk-Legacy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Time River Man (John Hartford)
From: GUEST,banjeauxman
Date: 04 May 07 - 06:37 AM

does anyone have the tabs for this tune Please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Time River Man (John Hartford)
From: kendall
Date: 04 May 07 - 07:12 AM

I still can't listen to this one with a dry eye.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Time River Man (John Hartford)
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 May 07 - 07:41 AM

Since this thread has come back........Here's John doing it....on YouTube

And another Kendall favorite done by John so very well, again on YouTube...............the historic tearjerker....Lorena

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Time River Man (John Hartford)
From: kendall
Date: 04 May 07 - 04:31 PM

Thanks Spaw. That was a real treat. Man, I miss Rick, he did such a good job on the Riverboat song.

I wonder why J.H. didn't sing all of Lorena?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Time River Man (John Hartford)
From: bald headed step child
Date: 03 Jan 09 - 01:33 PM

Banjeauxman, I can do better than tab.

John Hartford did an instructional video which contains this son and does include some tab, so you can learn the song from the man himself.

I can't remember who publishes the vid but it should be easily googled.

It's in my top five Hartford songs.

BHSC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Time River Man (John Hartford)
From: GUEST,GuitarMark
Date: 25 Jun 10 - 04:05 PM

John Hartford has a 2 DVD set from Homespun tapes called the The Banjo According To John Hartford. I recommend it highly. He shows a lot of tips and how to play Lorena, Gentle on My Mind, Old Time River Man, Steam Powered Aeroplane among others. He had a very unique style of playing - my favorite banjo player. Wish he was still with us.