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What is this song??? [Abilene]
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: Steve Shaw Date: 09 Jun 20 - 07:19 AM A different song that mentions Abilene sprang to mind (sorry for going offtrack). It's on Alias Ron Kavana's album Coming Days. I think it's on YouTube. Thoughts of Abilene (D. Lyons/R. Kavana) In the silence I succumb to Thoughts of Abilene A song that ran into my head in Nineteen-Sixteen As I lay there in the rubble with a rifle in my hands Old enough to know why, too young to understand And in the rain that was fallin’ I heard the dyin’ cry A machine gun was hammerin’, hammerin’ out a life. It was a worker’s hand that put the bullets in the gun, It was into a worker’s heart that the bloody bullets spun. Guns’n’drums and drums’n’guns, aroo, aroo, As cannon fodder for the cause we’ll do, we’ll do, As we rally ‘round the flag boys, rally once again Shoutin’ the battle cry of Freedom! As metal rang on metal to explode the firing caps The flashing of the gunfire lit the metal of his hat His young face was filled with fear, his eyes shone white with fright As he sent a dozen bullets into my chest that night And in the silence I succumbed to Thoughts Of Abilene As the bullets smashed into my bones in Nineteen-Sixteen. Now you might wonder who I was, but more importantly than that In which war did I die, you don’t know and that’s a fact. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: PHJim Date: 09 Jun 20 - 06:44 AM I found it interesting that the song was written about Abilene, Kansas, not Abilene, Texas. I first heard it by George Hamilton IV, and when our jug band opened for George, he told us it was by John D. Loudermilk. I have heard since that he cowrote it with Bob Gibson and Lester Brown, but George gave John D. Loudermilk the credit. George sang the song in possibly the worst movie I've ever seen; "Hootenanny Hoot", but he did a fine rendition. Many other folkies embarrassed themselves. George Hamilton IV in Hootenanny Hoot The absence of microphones indicated that this is lip-synched. Here's Bob Dylan's review of the movie Hootenanny Hoot |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: cnd Date: 07 Jun 20 - 10:04 PM Bob Gibson, Lester Brown, and John D. Loudermilk - source |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: Joe Offer Date: 06 Jun 20 - 11:41 PM Needs cleanup. Author? |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: GUEST,John from "Elsie`s Band" Date: 11 Feb 13 - 07:37 AM Here`s a version of the song collected by Alan Lomax in an American penitentiary and recorded in London with a small rock/jazz group (I also still have a copy of the EP).(Once again failed to make "blue clicky) https://soundcloud.com/john-hills/abilene |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: GUEST, Paul Slade Date: 10 Feb 13 - 12:29 PM Dave Alvin's got a song called Abilene too. It's pretty good. (That line "maybe this one won't be so mean" just breaks my heart every time.) |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: GUEST,Hootenanny Date: 10 Feb 13 - 07:01 AM I used to have this on an album by John D Loudermilk and have always believed that he wrote it. However I seem to remember hearing Big Bill Broonzy sing it also. Hoot |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: GUEST,Larry Saidman Date: 10 Feb 13 - 04:43 AM Original 1957 recording by Bob Gibson was credited to Lester Brown, Bob Gibson, John D. Loudermilk, Albert Stanton. Stanton was a fictional name commonly used for songwriting credits. Brown was Gibson's manager. And, interestingly enough, John D. Loudermilk claimed he never heard the song until 1963....which is odd considering he was credited on the original 1957 version ANd Lester Brown claimed he and Gibson heard a part of it sung by a street performer, then Brown told Gibson to write some more lyrics. So I guess we can call it traditional. I haven't heard the bob Gibson version so I don't know how it compares to the George Hamilton IV version. Bud and Travis did a good job of the song too. I think it may have been before George Hamilton IV....but I'm not sure. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? [Abilene] From: GUEST,Dave Illingworth Date: 10 Feb 13 - 04:25 AM I first heard a song called "Abilene" on an EP (which I still have) by the late Alan Lomax. Recorded in London in March 1958, with five British musicians. Lomax writes that he collected the song from a prisoner in a Texas prison, a man by the name of Augustus "Track Horse" Haggerty. Haggerty recorded the song (under the title "Hattie Green") in Huntsville State Penitentary in July 1933. He served three terms for manslaughter and was "killed in his last shooting scrape in Colorado Springs." This version of the song could well have been the inspiration for Bob Gibson (and Loudermilk). They changed the lyrics and added those lovely passing seventh chords (Lomax's version sticks to the basic three chords.) Abilene, Abilene, best town I ever seen. Go by West Texas, stop by see Abilene. Now Hattie Green, yes Hattie Green, Prettiest gal I ever seen. Go by West Texas, stop by see Hattie Green. Cause she will hug you and she will kiss you, And she will drive you really wild. Get hard about it, laugh like a baby child. Yes she will hug and and she will kiss you, And she will carry on some more. Get hard about it, put you right out the door. So lock the doors and shut the windows, Set the chairs up against the wall. Turn up that music, We'e gonna have a ball. My friends in the band DPN+1 have been doing the song for about fifty years now. We sing the above words to the Gibson/Loudermilk chord sequence. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: kendall Date: 09 Feb 13 - 02:24 PM I like Gordon Bok's version |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: GUEST,Tony Date: 09 Feb 13 - 02:09 PM The best version of it I've ever heard is by Gail Gilrane on YouTube. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: GUEST,Stim Date: 09 Feb 13 - 01:35 PM Beside being the super star of the 12-string guitar, he wrote a lot of songs with Shel Silverstein--don't know right off which, if any of their songs were done by dr hook. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: Bobert Date: 09 Feb 13 - 01:08 PM Okay, cool... I remember Bob Gibson... Kinda weird, Kit Griffiths... I guess if we hadn't gone up to Pinehurst yesterday none of this would much matter today... B~ |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: GUEST,Stim Date: 09 Feb 13 - 12:39 PM Bob Gibson wrote it, Bobert. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: kendall Date: 09 Feb 13 - 12:36 PM A while back I came home and there was a bottle of Aberlour scotch at my back door. I knew it was my buddy, Gordon who left it. This song came to mind: Aberlour, Aberlour, tastiest Scotch I ever saw, my buddy Gordon knows what it's for, this Aberlour... There was more but I forgot it. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: Beer Date: 09 Feb 13 - 12:35 PM My favorite version was by Bobby Bare Adrien |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: Cool Beans Date: 09 Feb 13 - 12:23 PM I'm pretty sure the song predates Jimmy Dean. BTW, if you happen to call the City of Abilene, Texas, and they put you on hold, that's the song they play. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: GUEST,Larry Saidman Date: 09 Feb 13 - 12:22 PM I just googled it and learned that it was first popularized in 1957 in a recording by Bob Gibson....and credited to Gibson and John D. Loudermilk. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: GUEST,Larry Saidman Date: 09 Feb 13 - 12:15 PM Bobert, I remember that particular version of the song as being written by John D. Loudermilk......although he took from a song that I believe was traditional. Not sure of it's traditional origin......might be interesting to do some research on it. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: Megan L Date: 09 Feb 13 - 12:10 PM Aberdeen, Aberdeen Ritchest town Ive ever seen that oil money makes them onry and mean in Aberdeen thats Aberdeen |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: Kit Griffiths Date: 09 Feb 13 - 11:48 AM Synchronicity, or what! Yesterday, before this thread started, I had, for no apparent reason, an earworm from a song on a cheapo 1960s album called "Rod McKuen sings Folk" (yeah, I know, but it WAS the 1960s) including the verse: "Abilene, Abilene, Prettiest town I've ever seen, Though I've only seen it in a magazine, It's Abilene, my Abilene." and I was wondering where the original came from! |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: Bobert Date: 09 Feb 13 - 11:25 AM It's an easy song to play, Peter... You won't have any trouble with it... B~ |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: Pete Jennings Date: 09 Feb 13 - 10:47 AM Lovely song, always liked it. Pretty sure I used to be able to play it, but I'll probably have to work it out again.. |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: Bobert Date: 09 Feb 13 - 10:35 AM Yup, that's it... I Googled it up and found that Jimmy Dean wrote it... Actually, I thought that he did... We were in Aberdeen, NC, just outside of Pinehurst, which started all this... I was kinda singing it using "Aberdeen" and the P-Vine asked me if I had just made it up and said, "No, there was a song that came out in the late 50s that went something like that"... Thanks for the assist, rewind... B~ |
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Subject: Lyr Add: ABILENE (Gibson, Brown, Loudermilk) From: GUEST,rewind Date: 09 Feb 13 - 10:03 AM ABILENE written by Bob Gibson, Lester Brown, and John D. Loudermilk As recorded by George Hamilton IV, 1963 CHORUS: Abilene, Abilene, Prettiest town I've ever seen. Women there don't treat you mean In Abilene, my Abilene. I sit alone 'most ev'ry night, Watch those trains pull out o' sight. Don't I wish they were carryin' me Back to Abilene, my Abilene. CHORUS Crowded city, there ain't nothin' free, Nothin' in this town for me. Wish to the Lord that I could be In Abilene, sweet Abilene. CHORUS [Additional verses, source unknown:]
How I wish that train would come |
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Subject: RE: What is this song??? From: GUEST,rewind Date: 09 Feb 13 - 09:59 AM Abilene |
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Subject: What is this song??? From: Bobert Date: 09 Feb 13 - 09:56 AM Aberdeen, (Aberleen?), Aberdeen... Prettiest little town I've ever seen From the late 50s??? Who sung it and is it Aberdeen, Aberleen or neither??? B~ |
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