Lyr ADD: You've Been a Friend to Me

Subject: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: Filley
Date: 03 Dec 00 - 09:14 PM

Hi, folks -- I love this song, Sandy & Caroline sing it a lot, but I can't find the lyrics or who recorded it -- it starts: My bark of life....

And, by the way, thank you for the tip about That's My Song -- it was Carolyn Hester, although I sing it a little less peppily than she does -- it's a real nostalgic piece for me (nostalgia is where I live these days!)

All the best to you, whoever you are out there -- I myself am just concentrating on January 2, when it all gets relatively normal again....

Subject: Lyr Add: YOU'VE BEEN A FRIEND TO ME (Carter family
From: Mark Clark
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 01:45 AM

The Carter Family sang:

The bark of life is tossing down,
The troubled stream of time,
Since first I saw your smiling face,
And youth was in it's prime.

Chorus:
Oh I'll ne'er forget where e'er I roam,
Wherever you may be,
If ever I have had a friend,
You've been that friend to me.

Misfortune nursed me as her child,
And loved me fondly too,
I would have had a broken heart,
Had it not been for you.

(Chorus)




I'm very sorry to say I haven't had the pleasure of hearing Sandy & Caroline sing it. That would certainly be a treat.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 09:31 AM

There's a third verse:

I now look back upon the past
Across life's troubled sea
And smile to think through all I've seen
You've been a friend to me

The tune is very close to Bury Me beneath the Willow; also I sing it as "MY bark of life. .. WHEN first I saw. . ."

great song! there was a time i could not sing it without crying and I can still tear up some times when singing it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: Mark Clark
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 11:58 AM

Pete, thanks for that third verse. I knew that a third verse existed but I'd never heard it sung. And you're right, it is a great song.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: tar_heel
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 07:09 PM

its one of the few songs that you will heasr a.p. cater, sing all the way through,by himself......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: tar_heel
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 07:16 PM

there is also a good rendition by MIKE FENTON on an album titled,MY PRIVILEGE.he is joined on the chorus by,EVELYN FARMER,of FRIES,VIRGINIA>..(thats pronounced..freeze!!)evelyn is one of the true tradtional musicians and vocalist of that area in the blue ridge mountains and known very well for her auto harp playing.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: tar_heel
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 07:22 PM

that album by mike fenton,can be purchased at....Heritage Records,route 3,box 280,galax,va.. contact:bobby patterson 1-540-236-9249 the album was a tribute to the late momma maybell carter..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 09:16 AM

Second the recommendation for Mike's album! and the good words about Evelyn Farmer, whose voice is still true in hear early 80s (I had the pleasure of singing with her about a year ago!) and the town of Fries is "pronounced Freeze in the winter, anf Fries in the summer." Pretty good description.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: harpgirl
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 09:23 AM

...thanks for the words to this song! I'm going to learn it tonight.
I took Mike Fenton's Blues autoharp class at the Ozark Folk Center a few years ago, by mistake actually, since I had the wrong harp with me, but it was a good class and he is a tasteful player!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: Tiger
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 01:39 PM

A bark (or barque) is a type of boat, but we used to sing this to our beloved Lab cross, Dutch, OUR 'bark' of life.

As we buried Dutchie at the end of her happy, 15-year life, we played the song on a portable tape recorder. You can easily imagine the outcome.

Now, we can't make it through the song anymore. I guess we're just a bunch of softies.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: The Shambles
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 06:24 PM

Thanks again Pete. *Smiles*

Is it still not in the DT?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 06 Dec 00 - 09:03 AM

my CRS must be getting worse! of course, it's been a rough two years (aren't they all) note what my internal Folk Process did to the song in just two years! I wonder what I actually SING and is it ever the same thing twice. . . thanks, Shambles!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: Mrrzy
Date: 06 Dec 00 - 10:05 AM

Didn't Randy Newman do a song by this title for the movie Toy Story? I'd like the lyrics to that too, if possible...

Subject: Lyr:ADD: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Sep 20 - 01:01 AM

Here's the transcription from the Bear Family Carter Family box set, In the Shadow of Clinch Mountain (page 138) - and verified with the recording.

YOU'VE BEEN A FRIEND TO ME
(Carter Family)

My bark of life was tossing down,
The troubled stream of time,
Since first I saw your smiling face,
And youth was in its prime.

CHORUS
Oh I'll ne'er forget where'er I roam,
Wherever you may be,
If ever I have had a friend,
You've been that friend to me.

Misfortune nursed me as her child,
And loved me fondly too,
I would have had a broken heart,
Had it not been for you.

CHORUS

I now look back upon the past,
Across life's troubled sea,
And smile to think 'mid all life's scenes,
You've been a friend to me

CHORUS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pifcov2RV88

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 14 Sep 20 - 04:52 AM

Surely the second word should be BARQUE ? i.e; a sailing ship.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: Pappy Fiddle
Date: 14 Sep 20 - 10:40 PM

Carter Family singing "You've Been a Friend To Me"

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: You've Been a Friend to Me
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Sep 20 - 01:59 AM

Hi, Hootenanny - I would suspect "bark" to be more common where the Carter Family comes from. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary Website lists "bark" and "barque" as synonyms derived from "barkentine" or "barquentine."

-Joe-