ADD: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?

Subject: Words to Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia??
From:
Date: 23 Apr 98 - 09:34 AM

There's a square dance with singing calls the chorus of which goes "In the Blue Ridge Mts of Virginia on the Trail of the Lonesome Pine."

I know the words to the square dance. What I'm looking for are the words to the original song, the song that inspired the dance.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Rob Craighurst Charlottesville, VA

[e-mail] [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Words to Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia??
From: Rob Craighurst -- thanks
Date: 23 Apr 98 - 11:17 AM

Thanks to "OldTimer" for renewing a thread from last year with all the answers. ("Lyrics? On the Trail of the Lonesonme Pine.")

-- Rob

Subject: Lyr Add: THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE
From: Art Thieme
Date: 23 Apr 98 - 06:03 PM

Was a theme song for Henry Fonda's old film __The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine__ ---but I can't see anyone dancing to this. You might rent the video and check it out. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Another song (might be the one you want) It's one I wrote down from the singing of my Washington D.C. landlady, Mrs. F. Lee,in July of 1964. Mrs. Lee's grandfather rode with Kit Carson! Here 'tis!

THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE

1) On a mountain in Virginia stands a lonesome pine,
Just below is the cabin home of a little girl of mine,
Her name is June and very soon she'll soon belong to me,
For I know she's waiting there for me beneath that lone pine tree.

CHORUS) In the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia,
On the trail of the lonesome pine,
In the pale moon shine our hearts entwine,
Where she carved her name and mine.
In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia,
On the trail of the lonesome pine.

2)I can hear the tinkling waterfall far among the hills,
Blue Birds sing so merrily to his mate enrapture thrills,
They seem to say she's lonesome too--longing fills her eyes,
She's waiting for you patiently where the pine tree sighs.

Subject: Lyr Add: BLUE RIDGE CABIN HOME
From: Rusty D-18
Date: 23 Apr 98 - 08:54 PM

I know a song That has that in the chorus here are the words

BLUE RIDGE CABIN HOME
Tony Rice & The Bluegrass album Band

There's a well beaten path on this old mountain side
Where I wandered when I was a lad
There I wandered and roamed to the place I call home
In those Blue Ridge Hills far away

(chorus)
Oh I love those hills of old Virginia
All those Blue Ridge hills I did roam
When I die won't you buy me on that Mountain
Far away in my Blue Ridge mountain home

Oh my thoughts wander back to that ram-shackle shack
In those Blue Ridge Hills Far away
There my mother and dad are laid there to rest
Their sleepin in peace together there
(CHORUS)

I return to that old mountain home with a sigh
I've been longing for days gone by
When I die won't you bury me on that old mountain side
Make my restin place upon the hills so high
(CHORUS)

That is the only song upon those Lines I know!

Subject: RE: Words to Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia??
From: S. P. Buck Mulligan
Date: 24 Apr 98 - 09:53 PM

Believe my folks had a 78 rpm disc of the song Art cites recorded by, of all people, Arthur godfrey.

Subject: RE: Words to Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia??
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 27 Apr 98 - 07:42 PM

Interesting to reflect that as a kid my exposure to US culture overwhelmed the local Australian variety - probably not too different today. First heard this song as a kid performed by Laurel & Hardy. I loved it at my first and only hearing and refreshed the experience by recently hiring a video which included it. The cover of the video had a sticker on it which said (loosely) "Includes the hit song - Trail Of the Lonesome Pine".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
From: GUEST,ABBY, AN OLD CAMP SONG
Date: 04 Jan 08 - 10:58 AM

On the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
Stood a cow on the railroad tracks.
She was a good old cow with eyes so kind,
But you can’t expect a cow to read a railroad sign.
She stood in the middle of the track,
Came a train, hit her right in the back.
Now her bones are in the mountains of Virginia
And her tail’s on a lonesome spine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Jan 08 - 12:50 PM

Too bad Mr. Craighurst did not post the words to the square dance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
From: GUEST,Mike Abbott
Date: 20 Apr 09 - 08:25 PM

In the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA
Stoo a cow on a railroad track
She was a good ol cow with her eye so kind
But a cow can't read a railroad sign

Along came a train with a choo choo choo choo
And up went the cow with a moo moo moo moo
Her head landed over in an old oak tree
And her tail in a lonesome pine.

That poor old cow....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Apr 09 - 01:52 AM

On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine
Composed by: Don Armstrong
Type: Singing Square

OPENER, MIDDLE BREAK and CLOSER:
Well, you walk around your corner, then bow to your own
Join your hands and around the ring you roam
Allemande your corner lady, then w-e-a-v-e that ring
Weave it around 'til you meet again
Do-sa-do, then you take her and swing
Yes, swing—promenade her and sing
ALL SING - "In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia on the trail of the lonesome pine."

Walk around corners, bow to partners, all join hands and circle left. Allemande left with corners and weave the ring, as in a grand right and left, but not touching. On meeting partner across the set, do-sa-do, swing and promenade home.

FIGURE:
Two head gents take you corners to the middle and back
Same old four circle left around the track
Left hand star, go home, Allemande right your own
Left hand round your corner, then go back home
Do-sa-do, then your corners you'll swing
Yes, swing—promenade her and sing
ALL SING - "In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia on the trail of the lonesome pine."

Gents 1 and 3 take corner ladies to center and back, same four circle left inside set. Change circle to left hand star back to home position, Allemande right partners. Do left hand turn with corners, do-sa-do partners and swing partners. Swing corners, who become new partners, then promenade full around set to gent's home positions.

REPEAT FIGURE with head gents active again
REPEAT OPENER for middle break
REPEAT FIGURE with side gents active
REPEAT FIGURE with side gents active again
REPEAT OPENER for closer

Italicized are the dance notes, above, not the call/song.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 11 - 03:44 PM

Arthur Godfrey of radio fame made this song famous according to my Virginia relatives and it's the version about the poor cow that was remembered and sung. Have never heard the part about June.

Mary of Virginia

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
From: Artful Codger
Date: 11 Nov 11 - 05:25 PM

From what I can tell, Arthur Godfrey's recording career mostly dates from the 1940's, and the late 40's at that. He recorded "Trail of the Lonesome Pine" in 1947 (Columbia 38246). But the song itself was popular long before that. It was written in 1913, and a cylinder recording from the same year, of Manuel Romain, can be heard here:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/0000/0717/cusb-cyl0717d.mp3
Here's a recording of Vaughan Hughes and Stuart Morton from a 78 pressed the same year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2aFd5hlTJI

The song was inspired by a popular novel of the same title by John Jay (1908). The book gave rise to a play, which featured the song, and at least three movies of the same name (1916 [a Cecil B. DeMille silent], 1923 [another silent] and 1936). The 1936 film, with Fred MacMurray, Henry Fonda and Silvia Sidney, won the Venice Film Festival Award for Best Color Film--being the first film shot in Technicolor--and an Academy Award for Best Original Song (for "A Melody for the Sky"). The MacDonald/Carroll song backs the opening credits, so the film was undoubtedly instrumental in re-popularizing the song.

The song got another boost the following year (1937) with the release of Laurel & Hardy's film Way Out West, where the pair sing the song in a bar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZyU7tHO_1E
The song, as originally written, and as performed by Romain, L&H and just about everyone else, is all about June, and says nothing about a cow--a version I've never heard! (Though I may have lived a sheltered existence.)

Way Out West also features one of the most famous L&H moments, a silly dance they do upon their arrival in the cowtown:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SvuNcPx2dg

So if Godfrey "popularized" the song, he was only riding some very long coattails--which you can see in the clips.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?
From: GUEST,ten inch tires
Date: 11 Jul 14 - 09:13 PM

My Dad used to play it on the guitar. this is how I remember it: In the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, sat a cow on a Rail-Road track. She was a big fat cow with eyes so fine, but how do you expect a cow to read a Rail-Road sign? Along came a train on the track... and hit her in the middle of the back... Now her head's in the mountains or Virginia, and her tail's in the lone prairie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?
From: GUEST,Juddi from PA
Date: 19 Jul 14 - 04:17 PM

Our mum used to sing the song about the cow in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia. Does anyone know of a recording of this tune?

On the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
Stood a cow on the railroad tracks.
She was a good old cow with eyes so kind,
But you can't expect a cow to read a railroad sign.
She stood in the middle of the track,
Came a train, hit her right in the back.
Now her bones are in the mountains of Virginia
And her tail's on a lonesome spine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 May 15 - 10:15 PM

My Grandpa (b. 1897, Brooklyn, NY) used to sing it to us this way (as best as I remember it - wish I could show the music, too):

In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginnie
On the trail of the lonesome pine
Stood a good old cow with eyes so kind
But you can't expect a cow to read a railroad sign.
She stood in the middle of the track
Then/When a train hit her right in the back.
(short pause)
Now her horns are in the mountains of Virginnie
And her tail's on a lonesome pine.
Poooor cow!

(not spine!)
These lyrics, or something similar, are apparently a spoof of a song written in 1913: The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (song)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 May 15 - 10:24 PM

Found it! Here's a sound file, from the original cylinder recording (original lyrics): http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/0000/0717/cusb-cyl0717d.mp3
There is an intro, but the real part (with the lyrics shown on the Wikipedia page in the last post) starts at about 55 seconds or so. It repeats the whole thing again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 May 15 - 09:41 AM

Thanks. That's interesting.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?
From: GUEST,#
Date: 07 May 15 - 09:50 AM

Good find, Guest.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?
From: GUEST,Nancy in MA (my mother would sing this)
Date: 05 Dec 23 - 11:28 PM

In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
stood a cow on the railroad tracks.
Twas a nice old cow with eyes so kind,
but you can't expect a cow to read a railroad sign.
Now this cow, she stood on the middle of the tracks
and along came a train and hit her in the baaaack.
Now her horns are in the Blue Ridge Mountains
and her tail's on a lonesome pine.

Subject: RE: ADD: Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia?
From: Thompson
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 05:59 AM

Wax cylinder version from 1913 in the University of California, San Diego collection - there were three responses to a search for "Lonesome Pine".