Lyr Req: ways of the world

Subject: ways of the world
From: Bedubya
Date: 17 Apr 01 - 09:01 AM

This is gonna be a hard one.

This is not a request for the Steve Gillette & Rex Benson song already in the Digitrad.

On their classic album "Fire on the Mountain" the Highwoods Stringband did an instrumental called "The Ways of the World". In the liner notes, they say that it was surely done as a song at some point because you can almost hear the refrain "and those are the ways of the world" in the tune itself.

We've been doing it as an instrumental for years and would be in Seventh Heaven if anyone actually knows the words.

Bruce

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ways of the world
From: Stewie
Date: 12 May 01 - 10:17 PM

The Highwoods mention a recording by Luther Strong. It was recorded (by Alan and Elizabeth Lomax in 1937) by his fellow Kentuckian W.M. 'Billy' Stepp, but that too is an instrumental (fiddle solo). If it does have lyrics, it seems Kentucky is the place to begin a search. Stepp's recording has been reissued on Various Artists 'Music of Kentucky: Early American Rural Classics 1927-37'. Then again, the Highwoods supposition may be exactly that. You could email Dr Charles Wolfe at the Tennessee Folklore Society and ask him - he wrote a book entitled 'Kentucky Country'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ways of the world
From: Stewie
Date: 12 May 01 - 10:25 PM

I should have indicated that the above cited 'Music of Kentucky' is Vol 1 of a 2CD set - Yazoo 2013 and 2014. The second volume has several recordings by Luther Strong - the Highwoods source for 'Ways of the World' - but not 'Ways'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ways of the world
From: Stewie
Date: 13 May 01 - 01:52 AM

I had a look at the Fiddler's Companion site. Its entry for the tune makes no mention of a recording with lyrics, but says it originated in Virginia:

WAYS OF THE WORLD [1]. Old-Time, Bluegrass; Breakdown. USA; Tennessee, Kentucky, southwestern Va. D Major. Standard. AABB. The tune was first recorded in 1937 by Dalesbury, Ky., fiddler Luther Strong. Tom Carter and Blanton Owen (1976) identify it as a popular Patrick County, Va., fiddle tune belonging to an early repertoire established before the "band" style, or fiddle/clawhammer banjo combination, became popular. One of the original sources for the tune was Magoffin County, Kentucy, fiddler William Stepp, who recorded the tune for the Library of Congress in 1937. When the index cards for the recording were typed up, explains Kerry Blech, the name Wm., for William, was rendered 'W.M.' and this error was repeated for many years. The fiddler's name was actually William Hamilton Stepp. Source for notated version: Highwoods String Band (Ithaca, N.Y.) [Brody]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 286. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 1, 1994; pg. 253. Front Hall FHR-021, John McCutcheon - "Barefoot Boy with Boots On" (1981. Learned from a recording by W.H. Stepp, Ky.). Library of Congress, 1937, Bill Stepp (Lakeville, Magoffin County, Ky.). Meadowlands MS1, "Allan Block and Ralph Lee Smith." Philo 1023, Jay Ungar and Lyn Hardy- "Songs, Ballads and Fiddle Tunes" (1975. Appears as second tune of "Twin Fiddle Medley"). Revonah RS-924, "The West Orrtanna (Pa.) String Band" (1977). Rounder 0023, Highwoods String Band- "Fire on the Mountain." Yazoo 2013, William Stepp - "The Music of Kentucky, Vol. 1."

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ways of the world
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Sep 08 - 07:54 PM

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