Lyr Req: Matterhorn (Fred B. Burch & Mel Tillis)

Subject: RE: Origins: ...and lyric request: Matterhorn
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 07:14 PM

Yup, that's it. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Origins: ...and lyric request: Matterhorn
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 11:40 AM

Thirty-two years since, up against the sun,
          Seven shapes, thin atomies to lower sight,
          Laboringly leapt and gained thy gabled height,
          And four lives paid for what the seven had won. . . .
          They were the first by whom the deed was done,
          And when I look at thee, my mind takes flight
          To that day's tragic feat of manly might

(Thomas Hardy, 1897, about the Matterhorn tragedy of 1865, when four of the seven men first to reach the summit lost their lives on the descent)

Subject: RE: Origins: ...and lyric request: Matterhorn
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 11:09 AM

From notes by Gary B. Reid to Country Gentlemen: The Early Rebel Recordings 1962-1971, Rebel REB-4002):

"Matterhorn"
Fred B. Burch -- Mel Tillis (Cedarwood Publishing -- BMI)

Matterhorn proved to be one of the popular tracks from the session [June 15-16, 1966]. Charlie Waller "learned it from a guy who I was teaching guitar to at the time... I went through a period where I taught a few lessons 'cause I wasn't making no money. This guy told me that Mel Tillis wrote it. That's what we should have named that record... Matterhon was the song off the album and no one ever asked for The Traveler." Matterhorn is a song that is special to Eddie Adcock. "That was one of my most famous banjo breaks of all time. I think of all the banjo players that have come up to me, they'll mention the kick to Matterhorn right off."

Subject: RE: Origins: ...and lyric request: Matterhorn
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 10:48 AM

I was late. Found it HERE, though.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Origins: ...and lyric request: Matterhorn
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 10:44 AM

You beat me, Mario. Didn't find out anything about the origins, though.

Subject: Lyr Add: MATTERHORN (from Country Gentlemen)
From: MMario
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 10:42 AM

Could this possibly be it?


MATTERHORN


We started out from Bern one sunny August morn,
There was just the four of us against the Matterhorn.
There was Albert the Australian and John the Irishman,
Me and Bill from Britain, mad dogs in the sun.

(Chorus)

Matterhorn, Matterhorn,
Many have tired and many have died to climb the Matterhorn.
That mighty Matterhorn.

Two miles up we lost John and our rations fell below,
Now Al and Bill are lying beneath an avalanche of snow.
Now here I am all alone and I know I cannot stop,
Two more yards in front of me before I reach the top.

(Chorus)

Now here I am a dying upon the Matterhorn,
Not a grief or a need of lying or a thing to keep me warm.
The Queen would surely knight me if I could get back down,
But it's closer here to heaven than it is back to the ground.

(Chorus)

That mighty Matterhorn.

Subject: Origins: ...and lyric request: Matterhorn
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 10:34 AM

I just heard a song by The Country Gentlemen called, according to the DJ, "Matterhorn." It's the story of a party who die climbing the mountain.

Anyone know the lyrics? I didn't find it in DT with a search by "Matterhorn." And is this the story of an actual climb?