Origins: Mountain/Life's Railway/road, Vacant Cha

Subject: RE: Origins: Mountain/Life's Railway/road, Vacant Cha
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 01:37 PM

Life's Railway ..." is in the DT
See thread 52971: Railway

In the thread linked, Richie traces the song to Hays, 1885. Also see Miners Union thread; there may be others.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mountain/Life's Railway/road, Vacant Cha
From: Vixen
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 12:13 PM

Wow!

Mudcats are wonderful!

Thank you much--that jpg is just what I need!

V

Subject: RE: Origins: Mountain/Life's Railway/road, Vacant Cha
From: Songster Bob
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 12:09 PM

https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/13307/058.111b.001.webimage.JPEG?sequence=3

Subject: RE: Origins: Mountain/Life's Railway/road, Vacant Cha
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 11:59 AM

No....Vacant Chair has 'some' similar phrases, but it is a different song.

Life's Railway to Heaven is essentially the same as Mountain Railway....just title variants.
One other song is "Miner's Lifeguard"...same tune and basic theme. If you have the one midi/ABC you are set.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mountain/Life's Railway/road, Vacant Cha
From: Melissa
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 11:51 AM

Did you run a thread search to see what comes up?
I think I remember reading a fairly long, informative one on the subject a while back.

Subject: Origins: Mountain/Life's Railway/road, Vacant Cha
From: Vixen
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 10:55 AM

D'Cats--

Reynaud and I are preparing for the Kids' Academy at Podunk BGF at the end of July (Festival info...) and I've gotten confused.

I want to locate abc notation for Life is Like a Mountain RR. According to some (reputable) sources, the following songs share the same melody: Vacant Chair, Life's Railway (or Railroad) to Heaven, and Life is Like a Mountain Railway (or Railroad).

So now my ignorance kicks in: of the 3 songs, I have only heard the last one. The MIDI of Vacant Chair in the DT does not sound at all like the MIDI of Life's Railway to Heaven in the DT. The words of Life's Railway to Heaven match the words of Life is Like a Mountain Railroad.

The only abc notation I've been able to locate (so far) is for Vacant Chair, and it's subtitled Life's Railway to Heaven. However, since the MIDI files in the DT for these two tunes don't (to my hearing aids) sound the same (and actually have different tune file names), I need HELP!

Any clarification is gratefully appreciated!

V