Origins: Manistee River (Jim Crockett)

Subject: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: lloyd61
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 11:12 AM

To our Good Michigan Friends:

What is the background to the "Manistee River"?

It is a great song!

Subject: RE: Help: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: Barbara
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 12:05 PM

Say, lloyd, I've canoed the Manistee many times in my youth and left my share of red paint in it -- it's a twisty shallow river with lots of logs and rocks -- but I've never heard a song about it. Care to post it?
In general I can tell you the Manistee is part of a chain of rivers and lakes that take you (and 100+ years ago logs) from the middle of the state out to Lake Michigan at Muskegon.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Help: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: lloyd61
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 12:15 PM

Barbara......

The Manistee River is a great song. Keep in touch. If no one comes forward I will post the song as I know it, but I would like to have more information about the song.

Subject: RE: Help: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: Wolfgang
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 12:17 PM

'This song has nothing to do with Michigan or the Manistee River, but we bet you see lots of maples along the river, as you do on virtually every river in the U.S., and we know you'll enjoy this great ragtime song by the early 20th century composer Scott Joplin.' cpoied and pasted from:

River songs

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Help: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: lloyd61
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 12:27 PM

Wolfgang

Thank you, I enjoy river songs. For some reason I have always been drawn to Rivers.

Subject: RE: Help: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: Barbara
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 03:25 PM

Lots of maple, alder and willow, cedar, birch and poplar; cattails, redwing blackbirds, herons and sliders. Didn't like the big ol' leeches, though, especially after I stepped on one and it stuck. Must have been the size of a fresh water clam, clamped onto the bottom of my foot, and me hopping around and yelling for someone to get it off.
Ah, yes, the Manistee.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: Lyr Add: MANISTEE RIVER (Jim Crockett)^^
From: Art Thieme
Date: 18 Nov 99 - 05:19 PM

This is how I used to sing it... I's by Jim Crockett---who I've never met. I learned it from a fine generally cowboy singer and friend named Steve Cormier. (Steve played a bartender in the Kevin Costner film , WYATT EARP.)

MANISTEE RIVER
(Jim Crockett)

My daddy was a blind man---although he could see,
He raised up my brothers and my sisters and me,
He married my mother though it didn't last long,
She went to Chicago---and she never came home.

Chorus)
And the Manistee River----it runs near my home,
And I sit by her banks when I'm feelin' alone,
She plays with my spirit---she eases my bones,
She's the finest old lady this boy's ever known.

So, if you see my mother----you can tell her for me,
I'm with a good woman----got a tiny baby,
I got cows in the stable---got a nice piece of land,
And I go to the river whenever I can.^^

Art

Subject: RE: Help: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: lloyd61
Date: 19 Nov 99 - 12:48 AM

Art...

Thank you. This is the same set words that I have, but I was not sure they were correct.

Is Jim Crockett local to Michigan?

What else has he written?

Subject: RE: Help: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: Art Thieme
Date: 19 Nov 99 - 10:02 PM

He was local to Michgan---I'm not sure about right now. I'm sure he's written others but I never have heard them. I never did meet the man.

I think I learned it when I was up there to do John Sheffler's radio show many years ago.

Art

Subject: RE: Help: Who Wrote Manistee River
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 10:03 AM

here it is lloyd

Subject: RE: Origins: Manistee River (Jim Crockett)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jul 21 - 12:52 PM

Here is the album:

https://iseipetali.it/Jim-Crockett/Heart-Sandwiches/106842

Heart Sandwiches

The last time that I saw Jim Crockett was a few years ago at least, but we used to see him play every weekend in Northern Michigan when people still took their kids to bars. The Manistee River has always been a favorite song. Maybe you already found out more about him since this was posted, but I saw this thread as I was looking for a recording online, the song came to mind today. The Manistee is an incredibly beautiful river with lots of campgrounds, great to kayak and canoe, if you ever wanted to.