Origins: The Far Side of the Hill

Subject: Origins: I was born for roamin'
From:
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 11:36 AM

I have a collection of lyrics to songs I learned at girl scout camp. Does anyone know the author or origins of this song?


I was born for roamin', I guess I always will.
and I wonder if it's greener on the far side of the hill.

Hey Dan look down yonder, ther's earth and green and sky
and I bet we could get down there in the batting of an eye.

Furhter west ther's ocean, a miner told me so
and the sun it shines so brightly that it scares ofrf the winters snow.

And then sometimes I'm tired, sometimes I'm lonesome too
sometimes I see a farmer walking slow when the day is through.

and I know he's got a woman, waitin' ev'ry day.
And I curse this wandrin' fever that stole my love away.

Subject: RE: Origins: I was born for roamin'
From: Amos
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 11:46 AM

It's a pseudo-folk song that hit the charts during the Great Folk Scare, maybe 1969, by one of those whipped-cream-voiced quartets or some such. Four Seasons, maybe? My brains aren't racking as well as they used to, and Google is failing me miserably.

A

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FAR SIDE OF THE HILL
From: Amos
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 11:47 AM

Words and Music by : Vicki Arnold
Recorded by Harry Belafonte on:
LP : LSP-3779
CD:
Also recorded by: The Limeliters RCA LPM-2272, DRC3-1832   
The New Christy Minstrels CCM042, CS9080   
Glenn Yarbrough Folk Era BDR1710D, FE1704CD, STS-5506   

Lyrics:

Guess I was born for roaming
And roam I always will
Oh I wonder if it's greener
On the far side of the hill

Oh please come look down yonder
Just earth and green and sky
I know I could get on down there
In the pattern of an eye
And further west's an ocean
A miner told me so,
And the sun it shines so brightly
Well it scares off winter snow

And yes, sometimes I'm tired
Sometimes I'm lonesome too
Sometimes I see a farmer
Walking slow when day is through
And I know he's got a woman
waiting supper everyday
If I have me such a woman
I could drive my blues away

I wished I knew the reason
God does the way he does
And why he keeps me moving
from a dream that never even was

Subject: Origins: Who wrote "Far Side of the Hill"?
From: GUEST,Jason Wang
Date: 24 Aug 16 - 10:13 AM

I find some problem with the origin of the song.

Both "Belafonte on Campus" and The Limeliters' "Music With Style" albums listed this song as composed by Vicki Arnold.

But the New Christy Minstrels single and John Denver's "All of My Memories" album listed this song as composed by Morgan Ames.

I have listened to all these versions and they are absolutely the same song. So who wrote it? Ames or Arnold??

Jason

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 24 Aug 16 - 01:41 PM

Interesting question. I first heard the Limeliters' version of the song when I was very young and these were the lyrics, taken from that recording:

I was born for roaming,
Guess I always will.
Oh, I wonder if it's greener
On the far side of the hill.

Way down, look down yonder,
There's earth and green and sky;
I'll bet we could get on down there
In the battin' of an eye.

And further west there's ocean,
A miner told me so;
And the sun, it shines so brightly,
It scares off winter snow.

But then, sometimes I'm tired,
Sometimes I'm lonesome too.
Sometimes, I see a farmer
Walking slow when day is through.

And I know, he's got a woman
Waiting supper everyday.
And I curse this wanderin' fever
That stole my love away.

Yes, I was born for roaming,
Guess I always will;
Oh I wonder, if it's greener
On the far side of the hill.

I wonder if it's greener
On the far side of the hill.

I always thought Vicki Arnold wrote it. But, Morgan Ames? Never heard of her. So, I did a little digging and found this site with an essay by Ms. Ames. But let me cut to the chase here - the bio at the bottom of the page reads as follows:

***********************************

Morgan Ames

Morgan was singing and playing in clubs at 16, wrote a hit at 18, ("Far Side of the Hill") and another later with Dave Grusin (TV's Baretta's Theme). She learned the business from Quincy Jones, for whom she worked for three years. She co-produced the double Grammy winning album "Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra" and is an established session singer and vocal arranger who has recorded with Kenny Loggins, Wynonna, Vanessa Wiliams, David Foster, has written vocal arrangements for Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick, Bette Midler, Yanni, David Benoit, has performed with Paul McCartney, Chaka Kahn, Jerry Butler, Doobie Brothers, Patti Austin, has sung in films such as Sister Act I & II, Quest for Camelot, Amistad, League of Their Own. Her songs have been recorded by Roberta Flack, Shirley Horne, Barbara Mandrell, Bob James, Peggy Lee, etc. Morgan currently performs with Inner Voices.

***********************************

But then, I started Googling Vicki Arnold and came up with this link which is a Catalog of Copyright Entries covering January - June 1964 (Google Books). There, on page 869, Vicki Arnold is given copyright credit for the song.

Conclusive proof? Hard to say for certain, but I would definitely lean more toward Vicki Arnold on this one.


Jay

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: GUEST,Jason Wang
Date: 24 Aug 16 - 02:36 PM

The first version of this song I heard is by John Denver. But I think my favorite version is Harry Belafonte's "bluesy" rendition. The Limeliters did a great version too. RIP Glenn Yarbrough...

Chords as sung by John Denver:

D     C        D       C
  I was born for roaming.
  D      C      D    C
  Yes, I always will.
    Bm     F#m7         Bm     F#m7
  I wonder, could it be greener
         D       A       D   C   D   C
  On the far side of the hill?

Jason

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: GUEST,Tinker from Chicago
Date: 24 Aug 16 - 05:04 PM

Consider also a very dramatic version sung by Leon Bibb.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 24 Aug 16 - 05:15 PM

We may have an answer to the mystery: Vicki Arnold and Morgan Ames may be one and the same person. First she was Vicki Arnold, now she's Morgan Ames.

I found this link to the January - June 1965 Catalog of Copyright Entries (one year later than the link I posted previously), and on page 164 it has:

***********************************

THE FAR SIDE OF THE HILL; w & m Morgan Ames (a/k/a/ Vicki Arnold) NM: "new music, chord changes, revised lyric." © Caravelle Music Pub. Co., Inc.; 30Mar65; EU873808.

***********************************

This may finally answer the question.


Jay

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: cnd
Date: 24 Aug 16 - 06:37 PM

I was actually going to say they were the same person as a joke, but decided not to. Glad I kept my mouth shut

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: GUEST,Larry the Radio Guy.
Date: 24 Aug 16 - 07:49 PM

I had a similar dilemma w. the Get Together Song (Come on people, smile on your brother, everybody get together time to love one another right now).   Some recordings credited it to Dino Valenti. Others to Chet Powers.

One day I had an opportunity to interview The Quicksilver Messenger Service and talked a lot to Dino Valenti, and asked him that question.   He told me a story about how he used to ride motorcycles and get stopped by cops, so he developed this alter-ego of .....Chet Powers.

Similar to the Vicki Arnold/Morgan Ames situation.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 24 Aug 16 - 10:55 PM

Hi Jay - I just asked Randy Sparks about this song, and he has confirmed that Vicki Arnold and Morgan Ames are the same person. He said that she has some legal problem.

I believe Tom Paxton hasonce write songs under the pseudonym "Pax Thompson"...

Jason

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Aug 21 - 02:40 PM

Hello. Nope, not a camp song. I wrote it in the late 60s for friends, Bud and Travis, a popular folk act at that time. They recorded it, as did Harry Belafonte and many others. I remember the night I wrote it. It was the first song of mine that was ever recorded. My name back then was Vicki Arnold. A few years later I legally changed it to Morgan Ames and have written under that name ever since.
www.morganames.com

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Aug 21 - 02:51 PM

Hi, guys. I'm happy if I was the subject of a mystery, and apologize if it drove anyone crazy. I wrote this song (every note, every word) around 1970 for friends, Bud and Travis, popular folk artists, who recorded it, as did Glen Yarbrough, New Christy Minstrels, Harry Belafonte, Barry McGuire and several others. I think it was Barry who told me that there was an old mountain tradition in the folk world where people felt free to change songs as they pleased and that this had started happening to my song. I never minded and don't now. Kind of a compliment. As for my name, it was Vicki Arnold but Randy Sparks was right, Vicki got into some trouble. I legally changed it to Morgan Ames, got sober by the way, and have written as Morgan ever since. This was the first song I wrote that was recorded and it was a thrill.
www.morganames.com (I'm bad at updating my website but you can contact me there)

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: GUEST,#
Date: 11 Aug 21 - 03:11 PM

Hi, Morgan. The song was copyrighted under your VA name in 1964.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 11 Aug 21 - 07:12 PM

Hi Morgan! How wonderful to hear from you on these boards.

I've always liked this song since I first heard it sung by Glenn Yarbrough on a Limeliters album back in the early '60s.

Now that I think about it, I may just do it at our Zoom singaround tomorrow night.

It's a lovely song.


Jay

Subject: RE: Origins: The Far Side of the Hill
From: GUEST,LarrytheRadioGuy
Date: 12 Aug 21 - 08:59 PM

Great to hear from the writer. It's one of the first songs I ever learned....sang it as part of a folk duo.   I got it from the New Christy Minstrels version (although I was also a fan of Bud & Travis at the time).