Lyr Req: Cherry River Line

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: Janie
Date: 13 Oct 16 - 10:17 PM

Thanks, Phil.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 13 Oct 16 - 05:49 PM

Janie: "I've always been curious about how this song/tune arose from the McCumbers, in Calhoun County."

The CRB&L-RR was a side road of both the Cleveland & Ohio and the Baltimore & Ohio. At it's early 20th century peak it had over 400 miles of track and nearly two dozen locomotives and rail buses covering six counties. Richwood, WV was the urban center for the entire region. Richwood was also ground zero for civil rights legal precedents (Jehovah Witnesses) that would play a major role in later court cases elsewhere.

The first ties were laid in 1900 (B&O) The road first entered into popular song (vaudeville) in 1917 with To Railroad Life I've Said Goodbye (w I.L. Bosch, m L.E. Mark)



Guest: Is the song Cherry River Line traditional? When was it first recorded..."

This song didn't begin cropping up until after WWII and by then the road was more noted as a sabotage target for striking coal miners.

Jenes Cottrell gets first recording honors (I think) but it's on a 1960s field recording not the later commercial release (70s).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: Janie
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 11:50 PM

I don't know about collectors vs records. There was remarkably little collecting done in West Virginia, and a lot of tunes just got passed around and evolved. I don't know if Lester's version was the first recorded or not. As Hoot noted, probably evolved from Old Reuben.

This speculation "This tune, Cherry River Line, is an example of an old West Virginia mountain song that has evolved into a fiddle tune. It is clearly a close variant of Old Reuben, with the words modified to fit the local geography. The Cherry River is a tributary of the Gauley River in southeastern West Virginia. There is still a lot of logging in this area, and at one time the lumber companies had private railroads that transported the timber from the logging camps to lumber and paper mills in mountain towns located nearby. The Cherry River Boom & Lumber Co. ran a line along the Cherry River that brought wood to mills in Richwood, located along the river, and it may well be the line the song is talking about. Richwood is about 40 miles northeast of Clifftop." is found at http://www.banjr.com/roberts.htm.

Many WV fiddlers have played it. Can't recall if Glenn Smith played it. Lester certainly did. I think Melvin Wine played it. John Morris does. Back in the early 1970s, before I moved away, there were a number of elderly banjo and fiddle players who played it. Was always done as a banjo or fiddle tune, almost never sung.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Oct 16 - 01:49 PM

Is the song Cherry River Line traditional? When was it first recorded by collector, or on record?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 10 Aug 16 - 12:15 PM

Lester's instrumental above reminds me more of Reuben / 900 Miles Away From Home.

Just a few days ago Augusta Heritage put up a nice vocal version of Cherry River Line by Joe Newberry on their You Tube site.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: Janie
Date: 10 Aug 16 - 01:36 AM

Lester McCumbers and Kim Johnson, Cherry River Line

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: Janie
Date: 10 Aug 16 - 01:32 AM

I can't tell you about the history of the song, or why it is known from Lester and Melinda McCumbers, who both were born and raised in Calhoun Co., WV, and not in the southern mountains where the Cherry River runs.

The Cherry River, as fine a mountain stream as ever there was, is a tributary to the Gauley River. The north and south forks come together at Richwood, WV. Cherry River Line probably references a train line that followed the river, laid to haul first timber, and later, coal and timber.

The Cherry and both branches drain parts of of what is now Monongahela National Forest, running through Pocahontas, Greenbrier and Nicholas counties before feeding into the Gauley. The Gauley and New Rivers run together to form the headwaters of the Kanawha where the mountains end and the Appalachian plateau begins, and also happens to be where navigable waters begin.

In terms of Appalachian terrain and connected waterways, Calhoun Co. is a long way from the southeastern mountains and the Cherry or Gauley Rivers.

I've always been curious about how this song/tune arose from the McCumbers, in Calhoun County.

Subject: Lyr Add: CHERRY RIVER LINE (from Tim Gardner)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Jan 13 - 11:36 AM

CHERRY RIVER LINE
As sung by Tim Gardner on "Timmetry" (2011)

Got a girl on yonder mountain beneath the spreading pine.
I know that she loves me; she's always on my mind.

Well, I saw my Lulu gal with a dram-glass in her hand,
Pouring out her troubles, doin'(?) with another man.

Well, I told my Lulu gal I've taken all I can.
I got me another woman; go get you another man.

The train that I ride, it runs mighty slow.
I can hear that lonesome, lonesome whistle blow.

It's lonely here; it's lonesome all the time.
It's lonesome on the Cherry, Cherry River Line.

Someday I may forget you, never on my mind,
But I never will forget that Cherry River Line.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: foggers
Date: 03 Jan 13 - 09:03 PM

I am just learning this; anyone got links to the history of either the song/tune or about the Cherry River line itself? Some of the links above are out of date now. Thanks in anticipation!

Subject: Lyr Add: CHERRY RIVER LINE (from Nate Grower)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Nov 11 - 12:02 PM

Heard on Spotify:


CHERRY RIVER LINE
As sung by Nate Grower on "Nate Grower" (2010)

Well, I'm lonesome here; yes, I'm lonesome all the time.
Well, it's lonesome on the Cherry, Cherry River line.

Got a gal in yonder mountain between the spreading pines.
Well, I know that she loves me, for she's always on my mind.

Yonder stands my Lulie gal with a wine glass in her hand.
She's drinkin' down her troubles courtin' another man.

Well, I told my Lulie gal; yes, I told her all I can,
That I've hugged another woman; she can get another man.

Well, it's now she's gone and left me; she's left me for to weep.
Some other rounder's got her, my little girl so sweet.

Sometime you may forget me though I'm never on your mind,
But I never shall forget this Cherry River line.

Well, I used to court a young lady; fine laces she did wear,
But now she's choosed [sic] another buddy; he lets her feet go bare.

Where'd you get those pretty little shoes and the dress you wear so fine?
Well, I got my shoes from a railroad man, my dress from a trapper(?) in the mine.

Well, it's when, when I die, just bury me under the tie,
So can I can hear old Number Four as she goes rollin' by.

Well, the train that I ride, she runs mighty slow.
Lord, I hate to hear that lonesome, lonesome whistle blow.

Well, it's lonesome here; yes, it's lonesome ev'rywhere.
Well, I'm lonesome; yes, I'm lonesome; I'm lonesome all the time.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: BanjoRay
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 04:16 AM

After another listen, the third verse could be

Now she's gone away
She left me here to leave
Some other runner's daughter
In the middle of her week

Ray

Subject: Lyr Add: CHERRY RIVER LINE
From: BanjoRay
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 04:11 AM

Jimmy McCown, a superb player of the five and six string banjos, sings it on his website.

This is my transcription:

CHERRY RIVER LINE

Well it's Lonesome down here
It's lonesome all the time
It's lonesome down here
On this Cherry River line

Told my little girl
Told her all I can
I'll find me another woman
You can get you another man

Now she's gone away
She left me here to leave
Some other runner's daughter
On a bed of ?

Where'd you get those high-top shoes
And the dress you wear so fine
I got the shoes from a railroad man
And the dress from a driver in the mine

Well it's Lonesome down here
It's lonesome all the time
It's lonesome down here
On this Cherry River line

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 05 Jul 11 - 03:22 PM

I am pretty sure that Martha Scanlan did this within the last two years or so with The Reel Time Travellers.

Hoot

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line
From: GUEST,lydia
Date: 05 Jul 11 - 10:42 AM

I've only ever heard Jenes Cottrell. Have you tried going to the Library of Congress?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line lyrics
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Dec 03 - 03:20 PM

The only verse I can hear clearly in that sound sample is this:

I wish to the Lord I'd never been born
Or died when I was young
[And never] looked into your two little eyes
Or listened to your lying tongue.

This is a floater verse, which has appeared, with minor variations, in these songs:

44 GUN
ALL THE GOOD TIMES (ARE PAST AND GONE)
FALSE TRUE LOVE
I FALL ON MY KNEES
I TRULY UNDERSTAND (THAT YOU LOVE ANOTHER MAN)
IN THE PINES
LONG LONESOME ROAD
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SIDE
ROUSTABOUT
WINTER'S NIGHT
WISH TO THE LORD I'D NEVER BEEN BORN

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line lyrics
From: BanjoRay
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 10:26 AM

There's a sample of the Reed Island Rounders (Betty ornbrock,Billy Cornette and Diane Jones) doing it on this page.
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line lyrics
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 09:48 AM

I believe the song is on a vinyl album on the Kanawha label now out of print it features Jenes Cottrell and another West Virginia musician. If I was home instead of at work I could pull the disc off the shelf and give the full answer.
Gerry Milnes up at Augusta (Davis and Elkins College) West Virginia almost certainly would know the recording and the song.

I'll try and get around to finding more info later.

Hope this helps however vague.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line lyrics
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 07:53 PM

BSeed posted an interesting article which includes some info in it, but no lyrics. Still worth the read: click here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line lyrics
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 07:46 PM

If I understand correctly, "Cherry River Line", performed by the Betty Vornbrock and the Reed Island Rounders, is the tune that plays automatically in the background when you go to this page that belongs to The Augusta Heritage Center. The part you hear is all instrumental, though.

This page lists a couple of other performers who have recorded it: (1) Hubie King and Diane Jones; (2) the Reeltime Travelers.

The Folk Music Index lists another recording by Jenes Cottrell, in 1978.

With Google, I found several references to Lester McCumbers (an old-time fiddler from Nicut, WV) but not to any recordings by him. Carroll Hardway is mentioned only as another resident of Nicut.

That's all I could find.

Subject: Lyr Req: Cherry River Line lyrics
From:
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 11:38 AM

I was wondering if anyone has the lyrics for a WEst Virginian tune by the name of "cherry River Line". Its done most recently by the Reed Island Rounders on their disc "Goin back". The liner notes say something about Lester McCumbers and Carrol Hardway doing it first.
Thanks!
Bill