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Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^

06 Dec 00 - 06:02 PM (#352621)
Subject: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: Joe Offer

Our themes for the next two song circles are December songs, Solstice, Seasons, Sparkle & Shine, and non-traditional seasonal songs. I'm working up "Cherry Tree Carol" and a medley of German carols; and now I'm trying to come up with non-Christmas songs that fit the season. "Follow That Road" is one of my favorites, although I'm not sure I'll be able to get the tune down right. Another is Hot Buttered Rum - but I have a problem with that tune, too.
-Joe Offer-
FOLLOW THAT ROAD
(Anne Hills)

If you're coming in the summer, you'd be better to split off on 35,
There's the Starlite Drive-in Movie on the left just beyond the county line,
Right after that you'll see two silos, one is silver, one is blue
`Bout a quarter mile further make a left onto Highway 42.

Then follow that road
Cornfields just as far as you can see
Follow that road
Back through time, back through distance, back to me.


If you're drivin' by in autumn, you should follow up the river to Bear Lake
That's the time to see the colors, there's an old covered bridge you'll want to take
Late at night, be careful, just be sure to watch for deer out on the road
And if it's early in the morning, sometimes it gets foggy, take it slow.

But follow that road
Sugar maples far as you can see
Follow that road
Back through time, back through distance, back to me.

If you get the notion in December to drop by for just a day
There's that tiny little road that no one knows about - it's safe to go that way
It's up between two fields, so the sunlight melts the ice by afternoon
You'll see two houses by the fields, someone's always there - if not, they'll be back soon...

So follow that road
Snowdrifts just as far as you can see
Follow that road
Back through time, back through distance, back to me

You'll remember in the springtime how the puddles look like pieces of the sky
Fallen down by the roadside to delight any stranger passing by
The softness of the grass on Raven Hill where we counted stars all night
You must know how much I miss you, and that any way you get here is all right

Just follow that road
Wild flowers as far as you can see
Follow that road
Back through time, back through distance, back to me

words and music © 1994 Anne Hills [ASCAP]
Anne says, These aren't real directions ... but I hope you still find your way.


06 Dec 00 - 06:25 PM (#352644)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: bflat

Joe, Don't know if this will help but here goes. Priscilla Herdman sings "Follow That Road" on her '94 release "Forever and Always" and "Hot Buttered Rum" is on '97 Gadfly release (Herdman, Hills and Mangsen)"Voices of Winter." Perhaps a local station could play them for you.

bflat


06 Dec 00 - 06:41 PM (#352649)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: Joe Offer

Thanks for the hint, bflat. I've been playing the Hills recording of "Road" all afternoon, and it just hasn't clicked. Maybe the Herdman rendition will help. With both songs, it's a problem of fitting them to my voice and my style of singing. The intervals aren't automatic for me. Also, I sing a cappella, so I have to figure out how to fill in the guitar parts.
Now, I wonder where I put "Voices of Winter"...
-Joe Offer-


27 Aug 01 - 02:31 PM (#536195)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: bfolkemer

Does anyone have music for this sontg? We heard Anne Hills and Tom Paxton perform it at the Philly fold Festival this past weekend.

Thanks!!!

Beth


27 Aug 01 - 03:37 PM (#536239)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: wysiwyg

Joe, try whistling along with it till it becomes YOURS. That will make it easier to transfer to your range.

Anne's version BTW is a real singer's workshop-- it takes a lot of support to phrase like she does, and her phrasing is very different from Priscilla's on that song. Both versions are good but I think that one is so much of Anne's heart she sings it like no one else could.

You'll have to follow that road to YOUR version Joe. *G* I give you full permission to make it work for you!

~Susan


27 Aug 01 - 04:20 PM (#536286)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: wysiwyg

Beth, please PM me if you are not able to get the music from whoever publishes Anne's work (or maybe it appeared in Sing Out! magazine), and I will try a Noteworthy Composer tune for you.

~Susan


13 Feb 06 - 04:59 PM (#1667551)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: open mike

i do Follow That Road in "A"
i love how the verses follow the seasons.


14 Aug 10 - 03:38 PM (#2965209)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: GUEST,Lynn

I just heard "Follow That Road" for the first time in my life, and I'm 50. I heard it on our local NPR station and I was sure it was a Joni Mitchell track I wasn't aware of, which surprised me. So Anne Hills has obviously been around for a while.

Just three days ago, I had to have my precious dog put down. I have been looking for signs of her spirit today, and this song came to me - not from nowhere - but from somewhere . . .


14 Aug 10 - 10:56 PM (#2965444)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Follow That Road (Anne Hills) ^^
From: frogprince

Anne has been around for awhile; she had established a good reputation, at least around Chicago, when I fell in love with her singing at least thirty years ago. And I, and then my wife and I, have been lucky enough to see her enough that she knows us enough that, a couple of months ago, I GOT A HUG FROM ANNE HILLS!

I'll still keep my Judy, and let Mark have Anne, but Anne is my one personal favorite professional singer in this particular part of the universe.