Lyr Req: Who Owns Appalachia?

Subject: Lyr Req: 'Who Owns Appalachia'
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 10:21 PM

Anyone have any info on the Native American lyrics to this song? Are they Cherokee or ? I assume they are a translation of the lyrics which are also sung in English. Great song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Who Owns Appalachia'
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 14 Jun 13 - 11:24 PM

Well, it turns out the lyrics in question are indeed Cherokee and composed by Paula Nelson. I'm awaiting an email response from her on these.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Who Owns Appalachia'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Jun 13 - 12:04 AM

Here's a YouTube recording by Sue Massek, without the Cherokee introduction:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0eu3Ln3krg

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Who Owns Appalachia'
From: Suzy Sock Puppet
Date: 15 Jun 13 - 12:51 AM

Who owns Appalachia? What kind of question is that? My daddy owns Appalachia. So be quiet. Go to sleep.

Subject: Lyr Add: WHO OWNS APPALACHIA (from Sue Massek)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Jun 13 - 04:31 PM

Here's what I think Sue Massek is singing on YouTube:


CHORUS: Who owns Appalachia? What's happened down through time?
Those not born and raised here claim what's long been yours and mine.

1. Creek and Cherokee, Choctaw and Shawnee,
When native nations roamed, these mountains were their own.
CHORUS: So who owns...?

2. Scottish and Irish, Welsh and English
Made these mountains home then claimed them for their own.
CHORUS: So who owns...?

3. Coal comp'nies bought her, stripped her, and logged her,
Turned her water brown, then hewed(?) her mountains down.
CHORUS: So who owns...?

4. These hills hold my soul; King Coal owns my land.
Oil barons own King Coal; God, it's time we take a stand.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Who Owns Appalachia'
From: Suzy Sock Puppet
Date: 17 Jun 13 - 02:13 PM

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Who Owns Appalachia'
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 19 Jun 13 - 11:14 PM

Still waiting for those Cherokee lyrics. I should mention the song in question is from the Reel World String Band's album, "Live Music" released in 2005. The Paula Nelson I mentioned is not the one related to Willie, but is an amazing woman who is a Cherokee artist, poet and preservationist. You can catch an interesting interview with her on YouTube from author Silas House's "Heead of the Holler" series.