Bluegrass Break-up

Subject: Bluegrass Break-up
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 11:02 AM

A group I was in about 25 years ago used to sing this song. With our present group having only 3 more gigs to honour before we disolve, it seems appropriate that I sing this song at those gigs. Does anyone have any idea who wrote it or performed it? I think there may be one more verse that I can't remember, but I think what I have is pretty accurate. Any help would be appreciated.



                Bluegrass Break-up

We're finally breaking up our bluegrass band,
And the thought of it is more than I can stand.
Can't patch it up we've made too many tries,
So you take the Dobro and I'll take the five.

Chorus: Well once our world was harmony and fun
       We'd sing old Uncle Pen, Run Molly Run.
       Can't patch it up we've made too many tries,
       So you take the Dobro and I'll take the five.

You know how much the band once meant to me.
It's a shame what has to be just has to be,
But I'd rather die than see it amplified,
So you take the Dobro and I'll take the five.

It's time to pack it up and move along.
It doesn't matter now who's right or wrong.
If parting is our one chance to survive,
Then you take the Dobro and I'll take the five.

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: Janie
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 11:18 AM

Recorded by Tom T. Hall on Magnificent Music Machine

BLUEGRASS BREAKUP
(Charlie Williams)
« © '76 Sony ATV Songs, BMI »

Well we're finally breakin' up our bluegrass band
And the thought of it is more than I can stand
But if parting is a one chance to survive
You'll take the dobro and I'll take the five

Once our music tore the world apart
When we used to pick and sing it from the heart
But then descention came into our lives
So you'll take the dobro and I'll take the five

Once our world was harmony and fun
Wildwood Flower and ten-one mighty run
We can't catch it up we made too many tries
So you'll take the dobro and I'll take the five
[ banjo - dobro ]
Well it's time to pack it up and move along
It's too late to argue now who's right or wrong
Well it's plain the we can't keep the group alive
So you'll take the dobro and I'll take the five

Well you know how much the band once meant to me
But there's just no way to change what has to be
Well I'd rather die than to see it amplify
So you'll take the dobro and I'll take the five

Once our world was harmony and fun...
**********

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 01:08 PM

Thank you Janie, That's exactly what I needed.

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 11:08 AM

Now can anyone tell me what the line,"Wildwood Flower and ten-one mighty run" means?

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 11:43 AM

Not 'there' with ten-one mighty run , but Wildwood Flower is a song title .

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 01:04 PM

I don't know either, I wonder if it should scan:
Wildwood Flower and ten
One mighty run

Might he be saying the group had a 'mighty run' while it lasted?

Ten years of performing?

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: Ebbie
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 01:09 PM

'Ten one' keeps reminding me of that song about that race horse - can't think of the horse's name.

"descention", of course, should be 'dissension'.

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 01:49 PM

From the first (Jim's) Chorus:

"We'd sing old Uncle Pen, Run Molly Run"

From the second (Janie's):

"Wildwood Flower and ten-one mighty run"

Suggest that the reference/thought of the phrase is to "names of Classic Bluegrass tunes," i.e.:

"Wildwood Flower, Uncle Pen, Run Molly Run"

I can't think of a Bluegrass association where "ten-one" makes sense, and my index of bluegrass songs doesn't suggest anything; but if the hyphen indicates a pause or break, (properly an m-dash or doubledash in text) the "Ten" vs "Pen," or "and Ten" vs "Uncle Pen" might be a "mishearing" in transcription, or just a performers "variation."

Similarly for "One mighty run" vs "Run Molly Run."

The © noted for the second lyric could be a "version/performance/performance" copyright, so doesn't necessarily mean that it's an "original" lyric, and "flexible lyrics" are about as common in bluegrass as in other kinds of music. (Is a composer noted?)

This is just speculation about what I'd do if I needed my own variation, but - - -

John

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 01:53 PM

My prev post should have included "version/recording/performance" instead of the ".../performance/performance" bit; but when I hit "preview -- submit" I got "The server has been placed offline by the operator, please try again later."

Sort'a put my proofreading off stride.

John

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: Janie
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 08:46 PM

John, I'd bet money (if I had any!) that you are right. And I am also going to bet that some one transcribed the lyrics from the album and heard them wrong. You know, Ebeneezer Brown, and the sky is gray. I went for a walk.... It is the only way it makes sense.
I don't know now on which site I found the lyrics, I just copied and pasted what they had. Interestingly, several sites that I looked at (sans lyrics) that reviewed Hall attributed the song to him also, but I am pretty confident from what research I did do that Charlie Williams is the song writer.

Janie

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: kendall
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 09:17 PM

Ebbie, I think the one you can't recall is Ten Brooks. The song is Molly & Tenbrooks.

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: Mark Clark
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 04:09 PM

I'm sure JohnInKansas, et al., have correctly intrepreted the puzzling line. I believe these lyrics are found at only one site on the Net, the one where Janie must have found them. I see most of the lyrics on that page contain obvious errors so there is no reason to believe the subject song is accurate.

In my experience, most lyric sites on the Net contain errors. This is especially noticable when the transcriber doesn't use English as a first language. At least here on Mudcat, there is the opportunity of peer review before a set of lyrics makes it into The Digital Tradition database.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 21 Aug 06 - 01:04 PM

Kendall's suggestion of the song "Molly and Tenbrooks" would lead me to think that the original lyric might have had something to do with "Tenbrooks' mighty run".

Bill

Subject: RE: Bluegrass Break-up
From: GUEST,Bluegrass Gal
Date: 25 Oct 15 - 01:14 PM

Second line of chorus is: "Wildwood Flower, Uncle Pen, Run Molly Run". Three bluegrass songs. Play it and listen carefully.