Help: Sacred? - Cabin on the Hill

Subject: Sacred?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 05:16 PM

I'm listening to Bluegrass At Newport, and there's a song which is introduced reverentially as "a sacred number, neighbours". It's Cabin On The Hill, and it starts:

As a happy child at home, in my mem'ry I can see...

I just can't see what's sacred about it. What is it?

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: Ebbie
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 05:26 PM

I know the song and unless they mean that all childhood memories are sacred I can't imagine why it would be considered so.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 05:44 PM

How about the rest of the words?

In some Christian music, a house is used to symbolize the body housing the soul.

Or it can symbolize the "mansion" of heaven.

Or it may be one of those songs that goes on to talk of dear mother praying; there are a lot like that.

Or it can be about supper, which would refer to the Lord's Supper, communion... or to the heavenly banquet, or the table spread in Psalm 23 before one's enemies...

Hafta see the rest of the words, these are just possibilities.

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 07:11 PM

Nope, no mothers praying. It's called Cabin on the Hill. He remembers the happy childhood home, and muses morosely that he can never more return. Nice song, but sacred?

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: Giac
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 07:34 PM

Maybe it is "sacred" in that it is one of the "old" standards of bluegrass, and therefore must be revered.

You know, like in journalistic circles where a "sacred cow" is an advertiser about whom nothing derogatory may be printed (please[!] no attacks about use of the term -- I didn't make it up).

Does the "introduction" sound a bit sarcastic? Does to me if they actually used the term "neighbors."

Subject: Lyr Add: CABIN ON THE HILL
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 08:14 PM

Ziss it?

CABIN ON THE HILL

There's a happy childhood home in my memory I can see
Standing out upon the hill 'neath the shadow of a tree
If I only had my way it would give my heart a thrill
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill

* Refrain
Oh, I want to wander back to the cabin on the hill
'Neath the shadow of the tree I would like to linger still
Just to be with those I love, joy my heart would over fill
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill.

But the saddest of it all can never more return
To that happy childhood home matters not how much I yearn
If only had my way it would give my heart a thrill
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill

* Refrain


Well my first reaction is to agree with Ebbie-- what's sacred about that? But I suppose someone could stretch their mind around it to say it's the unsaved soul's lament upon dying. But I don't think so.

Are there any more verses out there that shed light on this?

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 07:09 AM

What I also wonder - and perhaps some Mudcatters can help me here - is who is singing and who's backing up? The intro says Flatt & Scruggs, but who is the rich, soft baritone in the lead, and who the harsh-voiced counterpoints whose singing so perfectly complements his voice?

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 01:09 PM

Gosh I ahven't listened to that record in YEARS. Lester is singing lead, but who answers him I'm not sure. Would bet one of the voices is Buck Graves (dobro)

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 07:44 PM

Maybe the announcer just made a mistake. Maybe he had it confused with a different song.

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: kendall
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 08:30 PM

Maybe he didn't know the difference...there's a lot of that going around!

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 11:02 PM

Paul Warren (the fiddler) will be singing bass, Scruggs, baritone, and either Josh Graves, or Jake Tullock (dobro) on Tenor.

"Sacred" probably means nobody got murdered, or no wives (or girlfriends) cheated on their men!!

Rick

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 11:03 PM

coulda confused it "Build Me a Cabin in the Corner of Gloryland"

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 03:00 PM

Ah, interesting. I could have sworn there was a woman's voice among the raucous and tender chorus, but maybe that's Jake the Tenor.

I'm glad to hear nobody cheated on their loving man.

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 03:09 PM

Could be that "sacred" is being used in an idiosyncratic, personal meaning, as in "These are sacred memories to me," meaning of deep personal emotional meaning. If so, it could refer either to the song itself, because of some past association, or the images within the song.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: Lyr Add: MY OLD COTTAGE HOME (Carter family)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 01:55 AM

Cruising around HERE, I found several that I think shed some light on what people were thinking of, when they recalled a gospel song about this.

=========================================================

MY OLD COTTAGE HOME
(as by the Carter Family)

I am thinking tonight of an old cottage home
That stands on the brow of the hill
Where in life's early morning I once loved to roam
But now all is quiet and still

Oh my old cottage home my old cottage home
That stands on the brow of the hill
Where in life's early morning I once loved to roam
But now all is quiet and still

Many years have gone by since in prayer there I knelt
With dear ones around the old hearth
But my mother's sweet prayers in my heart still are felt
I'll treasure them awhile on earth

One by one they have gone from the old cottage home
On earth we shall see them no more
But we'll meet them again on that beautiful shore
Where partings will come never more

SH

Subject: Lyr Add: LITTLE POPLAR LOG HOUSE ON THE HILL
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 01:58 AM

Next there was this one.

~S~

=========================================================

LITTLE POPLAR LOG HOUSE ON THE HILL
As by the Carter Family

Now kind friends I want to tell you
Of a little country home
It is made of poplar logs upon the hill
That's where poppa died and left us
When we were very young
And momma kept us settled on he hill

When our days work on the farm was done
She'd would gather us around
She would have us get down on our little knees
She would pray for God to keep us
Through the night until next
In our little old poplar log house on the hill

Our father died a good man
Which we all would like to do
And I'm going there to see him some old day
When I'm get through with my singing
Lay my guitar by my side
Lord I want to play in heaven when I die

SH

Subject: Lyr Add: LITTLE LOG CABIN BY THE SEA (Carter)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 02:20 AM

And the last one was already posted HERE, with a discussion ensuing of the correctness of a transcription Stewie had made. Comparing it with the Carter site version, and the typos or misheard lyrics indicated there, I came up with the following.

~S~

=========================================================

LITTLE LOG CABIN BY THE SEA
(as by the Carter Family)

There is a precious volume of pages all finger-worn and old
In that little log cabin by the sea
It is the old old bible more precious now than gold
It's the bible that my mother gave to me

CHO:
'Tis the old precious bible blessed bible
That she read in the cabin by the sea (by the sea)
The precious precious bible the blessed blessed bible
The bible that my mother gave to me

How often I have listened to the tempest howl and rave
Round that little log cabin by the sea
While mother read of Jesus who walked upon the wave
How Jesus calmed the stormy Galilee

How often oh how often she read the flowing* Word
With the message from the precious word of God
It told of faithful Daniel who trusted in the Lord
While it** led me in the pathway that she trod

There is no other volume so precious as this book
It tells me how to live and how to die
It tells me of that city oh wondrous wondrous look***
And that I'll meet my loved ones by and by

*may be "glowing"
** may be "she" *** may be "book"
Other variations between texts appear merely stylistic.
SOURCE:
(per Stewie) Source: The Carter Family 'Little Old Log Cabin by the Sea' Vi 21074. Recorded Bristol, Tennessee, 1 August 1927. Reissued on The Carter Family 'Anchored in Love' Rounder CD 1064. Also reissued on Various Artists 'The Bristol Sessions' Country Music Foundation CD CMF-011-D.

SH

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 02:25 AM

So........ does anyone recall verses from some of these traveling into the one JTT first asked about?

~Susan

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 03:59 AM

In the notes to Flatt & Scruggs 1948-1959 (Bear Family 4-CD set), Neil V. Rosenburg writes:

The session of April 5th, 1959 produced their first big chart hit--one that would remain on the charts longer than any other Flatt and Scruugs hit. Cabin On the Hill was composed by Mississippi writer B.L. Shook, who was a popular and prolific writer for the James D. Vaughn songbook company; Cabin was first published in Vaughn's 1943 songbook 'Sacred Thoughts'. Recorded in 1949 for Rich-R-Tone by the Mullins Family, it had been in the repertoire of the late Red Rector. When he was a member of Hylo Brown's band, Brown had learned it from him and had then featured it in performances with Flatt and Scruggs. The band received mail about it and so decided to record it, at which point Lester began singing it. This was their first song to feature a five part harmony and in fact there were six voices heard, since two bass voices were used.

This number seems to have been intended as a kind of "sacred thoughts." Can we say the announcer made a mistake? Of course, it depends on the interpretation of the word "sacred."

Masato

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 03:29 PM

Dorothy Horseman classifies "Cabin On the Hill" as song of home (chapter 1), not as religious song (chapter 2) in her Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy, 3rd ed. (Country Music Foundation Press, 1996). It is quite understandable. But she adds an interesting comment:

"Cabin On the Hill" and "This Ole House" are almost religious songs; so strong is the southern reverence for the home that sometimes it approaches a religious fervor. In addition to their secular popularity, both songs are often in a religious context, though neither is a sacred song as such.(p. 4)

Masato

Subject: RE: Help: Sacred?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 03:39 PM

Mastato,

Thank you for taking the time to find the answer to the original poster's question. But thank you especially for caring enough to be such a wonderful human being,and actually checking your sources and giving us the cites!

How refreshing to see this in Mudcat, where the general presumption is that everyone shooting from the hip is giving a legitimate, knowledgeable answer (or that the Digital Tradition is an archive of high academic standards)!

Bravo I say, bravo!