Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte (Utah Phillips)

Subject: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: bluerabbit10
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 07:50 AM

I don't see any threads on this song of Utah Phillips, and wonder if the lyrics are on line. I have listened to it on Rhapsody and read bits of this and that here (Mudcat)...thanks,
Verne

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: GUEST,Bruce
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 08:04 AM

Verne,

Get in touch via PM with Mark Ross. He's a friend of Utah's, one of the co-writers of the song, and for sure he'd know the lyrics. Mark is also a Mudcatter. FYI.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: Peace
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 08:08 AM

"one of the co-writers of the song,"

I'm pretty sure he is, anyway.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: Peace
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 08:19 AM

"22. LOOK FOR ME IN BUTTE (Utah Phillips and Mark Ross)
The poem "Butte" was written while I was still living in Missoula. Missoula has DINKS (double income, no kids), Butte has SKINI'S (seven kids, no income). Utah gave me the song as a housewarming gift (I'd already had two trailer fires in Missoula, I thought that was enough). I fiddled with the choruses a bit and hitched on this tune.

Bessie is Bessie Mulhern, the proprietress of the Towey Hotel on South Montana Street, where she's lived ever since she came to Butte in 1937. She still speaks with a lilt (not a brogue) and has forgotten more than most of us would care to remember."

That is from Mark's website.

www.lehnherr.com/butte/butte.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: Peace
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 09:26 AM

I have messaged Mark.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: bluerabbit10
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 11:24 AM

Thanks again to all, surely the lyrics will come out of these contacts. I worked on a White Pine Blister Rust crew in Libby Montana ( Northof Kalispell, on the Kootenai Ntl Forester in 1955)...Great country will look forward to more info...I checked out Mark Ross's website...good info there.
Verne

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: Peace
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 11:37 AM

Mark may be a bit busy just now, but you can likely expect to hear from him in the next few days.

Bruce

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: kendall
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 01:19 PM

Utah says Mark moved to Butte when he learned that there was no work there. God, I miss that man...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Aug 08 - 12:30 AM

Here's what I got from a sound sample:


...don't cost nothin', boys, so look for me in Butte.

Look for me in Butte, Montana, high upon the hill,
Where it seems that you can live a month on a twenty-dollar bill.
Bessie, put the kettle on. I've been out on a toot.
When there's nothing left worth lookin' for, you look for me in Butte.

In the Big Rock Candy Mountain....

Subject: Lyr Add: LOOK FOR ME IN BUTTE (Utah Phillips)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 02:16 PM

Well, folks been waiting for a awhile, so I hadda transcribe it for ya'll, because I just went looking for it, and can't find it anywhere.

Just found the Utah Phillips tribute album on Amazon, and it went on the to-buy list, highest priority. For the Butte Montana lovers, or fools like me that were born and grew up there, I'm also gonna have to get Mark Ross's Look For Me In Butte album

LOOK FOR ME IN BUTTE

As I walk the concrete canyons here in Frisco by the sea
There's lots of room for plutocrats but no place left for me
The flops are gone to condos, the skids are down the chute
But looking don't cost nothing, boys, so look for me in Butte.

Look for me in Butte, Montana, high upon the hill
Where it seems that you can live a month on a twenty-dollar bill
Come Bessie, put the kettle on. I've been out on a toot
When there's nothing left worth looking for, you look for me in Butte

In the Big Rock Candy Mountain the jungle fire's have died
These piggy-back containers, there's no place a bo can ride
The bulls are getting surly, seems they're more inclined to shoot
I'm tired of being civilized so look for me in Butte

Look for me in Butte, if you're looking anywhere
Whatever I've been missing here sure is bound to happen there
Come Bessie, put the kettle on. I've been out on a toot
When there's no place left worth looking for, you look for me in Butte

And when my life is over, and the final race is run
I'll think about the good times, and all the things I've done
When I'm packing my last bindle down the Indian Valley route
If I can't get into heaven, boys, you look for me in Butte

Look for me in Butte where my ragged soul can mend
In a world that's full of strangers you can always find a friend
Come Bessie, put the kettle on. I've been out on a toot
When there's no place left worth looking for, you look for me in Butte

Look for me in Butte where the mountains touch the stars
I'll be drinking with the miners in the old Helsinki bar
Come Bessie, put your bonnet on, let's go out on a toot
When there's no place left worth looking for, you look for me in Butte

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte (Utah Phillips)
From: Alice
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 02:24 PM

And if you want to make the trek to Butte this summer, the National Folk Festival, July 10-12, 09 (TURN DOWN YOUR SPEAKER, IT OPENS TO LOUD AUDIO)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte (Utah Phillips)
From: Mark Ross
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 03:40 PM

Well it looks like the words are ALMOST correct. The line is;

Bessie put the kettle on.....

Also, I added the last chorus and it should be
" Where the mountains KISS the stars"
But Utah didn't want to sing it that way I guess.


Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Look for Me in Butte (Utah Phillips)
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 05:24 PM

One of the many side-benefits of producing the Utah tribute album is that I got the chance to hear a lot of amazing music from the participants - including Mark's Look for me in Butte CD. It's wonderful - the songs and stories and poems all go together to make a wonderful love poem for the city.

Dan