Lyr/Tune Req: The Green Hills of Montana

Subject: Lyrics and tune- lost song
From: Jinx
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 01:49 PM

About 40 years ago I heard a song called "The Green Hills of Montana" I remember it as a really pretty song, (but I'm a different person now!) and I've been looking for it off and on ever since. Anybody know it?

Subject: RE: Lyrics and tune- lost song
From: Yo
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 05:15 AM

Never heard of it, did you try the rest of the web? Who sang it? Yo.

Subject: RE: Lyrics and tune- lost song
From: Jinx
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 05:04 PM

Yo, I was working as a counselor at a summer camp, and one of the other counselors sang it. I'm from Montana, and I don't think she was. I can't remember her name. This is really vague- sorry!- but I remember it seemed to capture the best of the mountainous part of the state. I'll keep looking, though, thanks for your interest.

Subject: RE: Lyrics and tune- lost song
From: Noreen
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 05:23 PM

Try putting the song title in the thread title- might get more notice that way. Good luck!
Noreen

Subject: RE: Lyrics and tune- lost song
From: GUEST,harpgirl
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 05:50 PM

hijinx!!!! I want to hear this one too!

Subject: RE: Lyrics and tune- lost song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 06:23 PM

Jinx, can you tell us what you remember of the song? If you can thing of phrases you recall, that might help us. I'm guessing we may have heard the song, but pertaining to another state.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GREEN HILLS OF MONTANA (John N Hall)
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 11:51 AM

By John Nelson "Sleepy" Hall, Great Falls, Montana who sang his son, Neufy,(John Jr.) to rest with it.
Was given the title of Montana State Ballad, possibly 1940's-50's?
Lovely song.

THE GREEN HILLS OF MONTANA

The green hills of Montana
Are calling to me
I'm lonely
For my Rocky Mountain home.

The moonlight on the waters
The whispering trees
Are mem'ries
That will haunt me while I roam.

I'm gonna hit the road
With a heavy load
In my heart
But as the trail unwinds
And I smell the pines
My heart will get lighter
The trail will get brighter
The whole world will be mine

And the green hills of Montana
Will welcome me back
And my heart will rest
In my Rocky Mountain home.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: The Green Hills of Montana
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Nov 08 - 12:38 PM

The official web site of the state of Montana confirms that Montana has a "state ballad" as well as a "state song"—but it says the state ballad is MONTANA MELODY, adopted in 1983. Click here for lyrics.

I was able to find a couple of references to John Nelson "Sleepy" Hall, but he's pretty obscure, at least as far as his full name is concerned.

There was a band leader of the early jazz era called Sleepy Hall, who performed as Sleepy Hall and His Collegians, but I'm not convinced he's the same person. Some sources say "Sleepy Hall" was a pseudonym of Gene Kardos or of Chick Bullock. Maybe there was more than one Sleepy Hall?

ASCAP.com lists GREEN HILLS OF MONTANA written by Francis Hall and John Hall, with Colgems EMI Music Inc as the publisher.

Oddly, neither WorldCat nor the Library of Congress lists such a song.

Subject: Lyr Add: MONTANA LULLABY (Overcast, Gustafson)
From: Alice
Date: 16 Nov 08 - 12:54 PM

The state song is "Montana" and the lyrics and tune are like a football cheer song. The words by Charles C. Cohen and music by Joseph E. Howard in 1910.


"Montana Melody," with words and music by Carleen and LeGrande Harvey is the state ballad, established in 1983.

In 2007, Montana decided to also adopt a STATE LULLABY.
Music was written by Ken Overcast, a recent song, lyrics by Wylie Gustafson, and the title is "Montana Lullaby".

Montana Lullaby
© 2000-2006 Bear Valley Music
Lyrics – Ken Overcast
Music – Ken Overcast, Wylie Gustafson
Interspersed Yodel written by Wylie Gustafson

Verse 1
The sun's sinkin' low in the west and I know
Another day on the range has gone by
We'll bed down the strays, we've been gatherin' all day
With a Montana Lullaby

    Chorus 1

    In my blankets at night, with the moon shinin' bright
    Dreams of my Jenny drift by
    Breakin' of dawn, brings the Meadowlark's song
    A Montana Lullaby

Verse 2

From the wide rollin' plains, cross the Rockies blue range
Wherever the proud eagle flies
A lone coyote croons to a full lover's moon
A Montana Lullaby

    Chorus 2

    Jenny's at home, waitin' alone
    As the long roundup evenin's drag by
    The wind in the pines, whispers she's mine
    With a Montana Lullaby

I don't think I've ever heard The Green Hills of Montana.

alice in montana

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: The Green Hills of Montana
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 10:43 PM

Good on ASCAP for keeping good records. Do they allow putting out the notes as letters so people can see the tune? I'd try, if it's legal, but I'd have to find a piano to pick it out on. Wonder who would have the sheet music to send a copy to the Library of congress (if they will accept a copy). Good on Jim Dixon for good research. And Alice is right. "Montana Lullaby" is a nice tune, good rhythm. Kinda sticks in the memory.

Yes, it was kinda surprising to have another ballad, but folks were sympathetic to Gonder's then wife, Carleen. Guess she went around to every grade school in the state to get the kids to petition the legislature. I suppose the kids sang it in school for a year or two. Can't say that I've heard it since. Saw him in a late night TV ad years ago trying to sell a tape.

They said that Sleepy got his nickname from droopy/slanted eyelids. Tall, distinguished looking (a little like Edgar Bergen, I thought),
kind, looked good in a tux. Didn't know Mrs. Hall's first name till you told me. Everyone called her "Boots". A lady, served ably as a Great Falls... city commissioner (?). The 'Collegians" sounds familiar, but don't know how many groups used that name from the 20's on.

Eddie Peabody used to come to Great Falls (on a circuit?) 50's-early 60's(?). Said he really liked to because he could play with Sleep and another man, Keith Nichols. What they couldn't do wasn't worth doing. Drew a crowd where ever they were. I came in town one day, saw a crowd, big enough that people were standing outside the doorways of Buttrey's big department store down town, and inside there they were, playing.