Lyr Req: Brown Mountain Light

Subject: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From:
Date: 23 Dec 97 - 10:43 PM

This song was recorded by the Hillmen and by the Kingston Trio. I have searched for the lyrics for years any help would be greatly appreciated

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 01:06 AM

I ran across this request while looking for something else. Surely someone has The Legend Of The Brown Mountain Light SOMEWHERE!

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: Stewie
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 04:19 AM

Dale Rose, how could one resist such a pitiful cry! It was dropped from the old Japanese Trio label LP that I have, but it appears as the first track on the Sugar Hill reissue album. If Graham goes to CDNow website, he will be able to purchase it and assuage years of frustration.

Regards, Stewie.

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: Stewie
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 05:03 AM

Oops, the album I am talking about is 'The Hillmen'.

Subject: Lyr Add: BROWN MOUNTAIN LIGHT (Scott Wiseman)
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 06:22 AM

GrahamG,

Found this on the Kingston Trio Web Page. It hasn't let me down yet for lyrics.

BROWN MOUNTAIN LIGHT
Scott Wiseman

Spoken: In the hills of North Carolina, since the times of the early settlers, a strange light has been witnessed near the top of Brown Mountain. To this day, no one can explain the mystery of the Brown Mountain Light.

Chorus:
High on the mountain and down in the valley below.
It shines like the crown of an angel,
And fades as the mist comes and goes.
Way over yonder, night after night until dawn.
A faithful old slave, come back from the grave (searchin')
For his master who is long, long gone.

In the days of the old covered wagon,
When they camped on the flats for the night.
With the stars growing dim on the old high gorge rim,
They would watch for the Brown Mountain Light.
(Chorus)

Long years ago a southern planter
Came hunting in this wild land alone,
And here, so they say, the hunter lost his way
And never returned to his home.
His trusty old slave brought a lantern,
And searched, but in vain, day and night.
The old slave is gone but his spirit wanders on
And the old lantern still casts its light.

(Chorus)

Enjoy the music!

Roger in Baltimore

-----

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: harpgirl
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 09:00 AM

...Roger I love that song! Do you have time to type a quick chord progression? Have fun at the Getaway.! I am hoping I get to meet you someday and to sing and play. We do the same kind of work, you know!!harpgirl

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 11:53 AM

Harpgirl,

I'm not going to be near a computer and guitar at the same time until Tuesday 10/12/99. If you keep this thread up, I will be able to remember to get you chords (because I suppose they are not difficult). Perhaps someone else might rise to the call as well.

Yes, I noted you were also in the helping profession and I was disappointed that other obligations keep you away from the Getaway this year.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: Gene
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 12:29 PM

HarpGirl/If you'd like to hear it - Email me at:

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: harpgirl
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 12:38 PM

...thanks Roger. Have a great time!!!!

Gene, I would like to hear it. I can figure out the chords probably by that...I can be reached at [e-mail]. I have Mediaring and I think I have Mediaring connected to my new E-Mail address. I'll E-Mail you while I'm munching on my lunch!!!Thanks Harpgirl

Subject: Brown Mountain Light
From: GUEST,Don
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 09:53 AM

I am looking for an old country song named Brown Mountain Light(I think). Some of the lyrics are:

A wealthy plantation owner, went hunting in this wild land alone, and here so they say this hunter lost his way, and never returned to his home.
A trusty old slave brought a lantern, and searched but in vain day and night,
now the old slave is gone,but his sprit lingers on,
and his old lantern still casts its light.

Thanks for any help. Don

---

I moved this message here from another thread on the same topic.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: (LEGEND OF THE) BROWN MOUNTAIN LIGHT
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 12:23 PM

Another set of lyrics:

(Legend of the) Brown Mountain Light

Way out on the old Linville Mountain,
Where the bear and the catamount rein.
There a strange ghostly light, can be seen every night,
Which no scientist nor hunter can explain.

Chorus:
High, high on the mountain, and down in the canyon below
It shines like the crown of an angel, and fades as the mists come and go.
'Way, 'way over yonder, Night after night until dawn,
A faithful old slave, come back from the grave,
Is searching, searching, for his master who's long, ling gone.

In the days of the old covered wagons,
when they camped on the flat for the night;
With the stars growing dim on the high gorge rim,
they would watch for the Brown Mountain light

Chorus

Long years ago a southern planter
Came hunting in this wild land alone
And here, so they say, the hunter lost his way,
And never returned to his home

Chorus

His trusty old slave brought a lantern
And searched, but in vain, day and night;
Now the old slave is gone, but his spirit wanders on,
And the old lantern still casts its light

Chorus

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 09:56 PM

Seems as though I read somewhere that there was an actual mysterious light in North Carolina which Scott Wiseman wrote about. In my home county in Virginia, along the railroad tracks near a community called Black Creek there was also such a light. It only appeared on occasion and I spent many a night with friends hoping to spot it, but was never successful. This was supposed to be the lantern of the ghost of a railroad fireman killed in a train wreck, as best I remember. Folks of a more practical nature suggested it was some type of gas, but nothing was ever proven scientifically to my knowlege.

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 10:29 PM

When I was doing graduate folklore work I visited and witnessed the Brown Mountain Lights. As I recall, they're in the vicinity of Linville, N.C. It has been 40 years since I was there, but I would be willing to bet that they're still around. I saw them myself!

Bill

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 01:51 AM

A couple of links for more info:
http://www.ibiblio.org/ghosts/bmtn.html
http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/physics/caton/BML/BML.htm
The song at: http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/physics/caton/BML/Acoustic Syndicate - 04 - Brown Mountain Lights (4).mp3

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 08:51 AM

Some other sites:

BrownMountainLights.com

EXPERIMENTS ON BROWN MOUNTAIN

Brown Mountain Lights, with links

The Brown Mountain Lights

The Brown Mountain Lights (Burke County, North Carolina)

~Masato

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: GUEST,Don
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 06:54 PM

I thank all of you for your help on the lyrics of Brown mountain light.Our litle ban does a lot of old time music and I thought this song would be nice to all to our collection. Haven't heard it sinse I was a kid, thanks again.

Subject: Tune Req: Brown Mountain Light
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 21 Aug 02 - 06:11 AM

Does anyone have an ABC of the tune for "Brown Mountain Light" please? I'd never heard of the song, and was looking through some early threads. I like the words and would love to learn the song.

Joan

Subject: Tune/Chords Add: Brown Mountain Light
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 26 Aug 02 - 12:13 PM

I was hoping to get away with not having to download the MP3 from the link above as the estimated download time was 24 minutes, and there was a good chance my connection would be broken during the l-o-n-g download. However, I finally managed it, so for the benefit of others in a similar position, here are the chords and the tune:

In the [E]days of the old covered wagon
When they [A]camped on the flats for the [E]night
With the [A]stars growing dim on the [E]old high gorge rim
They would watch for the [D]Brown [A]Mountain [E]Light

[E]High on the mountain and down in the valley be[B7]low
It [E]shines like the crown of an angel
And fades as the mist comes and [B7]goes
[E]Way over yonder, [D]night after night until [E]dawn
A faithful old slave, come back from the grave
Searching, searching, [D]searching
For his [E]master who's [D]long [A]long [E]gone

X:1
T:Brown Mountain Light
M:4/4
K:E
EE|E2EEG2BB|GFE4BB|c2ccc2BA|B5BBB|c2ccc2BA|B2AGE2EF|G2GGFECE|E8||
e6cB|GAE5G|G2GFG2BB|cB6e|e2cBe2cB|GFE5G|G2GFG2BB|cB7|e6cB|GFE6|=d2=dc=d2=dc|B7E|E2GBB3B|B2AGFE3|EE3GB3|=d=d2cB2EE|GG2GFECE|E6||

Joan

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: MMario
Date: 26 Aug 02 - 12:35 PM

thanks Joan!

Subject: RE: searching for lyrics to Brown Mountain Light
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 01:28 PM

You're welcome!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brown Mountain Light
From: cnd
Date: 22 Apr 19 - 03:45 AM

Hey everyone, need some quick help here.

I heard a live version of this song somewhere on the internet a little while back. In the video, the singers were pretty clearly mocking the Kingston Trio, over-emphasizing the word "moun-taine" and things like that. I want to say it was by the Country Gentlemen but I couldn't re-find the video on a quick search. Does this ring a bell to anyone?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brown Mountain Light
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Apr 19 - 10:52 AM

The Gentlemen did a spoof of Tom Dooley which mocked the Trio, but I never heard a similar take on Brown Mt Light. I did not like the mocking, as it clearly was disrespectful to the Trio’s music. This may be off subject, but I was quite surprised at the blatant hostilities between ‘folkies’ and ‘bluegrassers’ that I have seen over the years and in my travels. Perhaps the Gentlemen’s spoof reflects these feelings. I don’t know how this hostility started, and as one person who started out with folk music in the 60s and later got into bluegrass, I am puzzled and disappointed. I have met and jammed with folkies and bluegrassers all my life- many talented, but a few annoying - on both sides.

For perspective, I am a male, now living in Vermont, relocated from North Carolina.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brown Mountain Light
From: pdq
Date: 22 Apr 19 - 10:55 AM

It was the Country Gentlemen.

The CD "Going Back to the Blueridge Mountains" has "Brown Mountain Light" and (probably) the mild send-up of the Kingston Trio.

They make fun of the “very difficult banjo” introduction, but that was actually by Bob Shane who did not play banjo, they just wanted a few note to introduce the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brown Mountain Light
From: cnd
Date: 22 Apr 19 - 11:29 AM

GUEST - you are completely right about that - thanks for the help. pdq, you are correct about the album, but having listened to the "Tom Dooley #2" I had remembered the wrong song.

And not to continue too off topic, but yes, it is a bit upsetting. It makes sense in some ways because they are very (stereotypically) ideologically different groups, but you would think their love of music together would bridge that? I guess that's not always the case though.

Thanks anyhow for the help!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brown Mountain Light
From: cnd
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 10:47 AM

It seems as if Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman may've done this version first, but the lyrics posted above by Sorcha match the performance of Arthur Smith, as sung by Tommy Fell, from their album The Arthur Smith Show Live -- On Stage From King's Mountain (Starday Records SLP 241, 1963) with the a spoken interlude between the first stanza and the second stanza (with no chorus yet) as follows:

In the mountains of North Carolina, near Linville, there exists a strange phenomenon called the Brown Mountain Lights. On a clear night, this light will appear and move about in a ghost-like manner on the mountain-top, and down in the valley. This light has been observed since the early days of the covered wagon, and to this day no one can explain this mystery. Even scientists who have come from various parts of the world can offer no solution. Uncle Fate Wiseman, who spent his entire 80 years in these mountains, used to tell this story, which to me could be as true as any other tale related about the Brown Mountain Lights: