deepundergroundpoetry.com
A mountain song
All you heretics of dawn,
Scatter, scatter
Rise in whoosh and caw
On tips of dark wings
Carry away
In your thickening gather and hold
The high tremble
Of mountain songs
The old verses sing of murder
Sing of the barrel and ghosts in gingham
They sing of blood in yellow plates of hair
Woe these still living troublesome times
Woe those who do live by the bend
The asphalt sticks and yonder a holler
A hollowed tree and a secret within
Old man sits weary
And guards a loved one
His post put
By the likes of him
All you heretics of dawn
Scatter, scatter
Rise in whoosh and caw
Find him a yard
To labor in chains
With ball dragging as her memory did
And have him sing harmony
With the clef of your thicket
Woe is the harmony with this mountain song
Woe these still living troublesome times
Woe those who do live by the bend
Caw and Caw
You heretics of dawn
Meet her day
With feathers, black
Whoosh and rise
We make her a church
And then God almighty
See you never come back
Scatter, scatter
Rise in whoosh and caw
On tips of dark wings
Carry away
In your thickening gather and hold
The high tremble
Of mountain songs
The old verses sing of murder
Sing of the barrel and ghosts in gingham
They sing of blood in yellow plates of hair
Woe these still living troublesome times
Woe those who do live by the bend
The asphalt sticks and yonder a holler
A hollowed tree and a secret within
Old man sits weary
And guards a loved one
His post put
By the likes of him
All you heretics of dawn
Scatter, scatter
Rise in whoosh and caw
Find him a yard
To labor in chains
With ball dragging as her memory did
And have him sing harmony
With the clef of your thicket
Woe is the harmony with this mountain song
Woe these still living troublesome times
Woe those who do live by the bend
Caw and Caw
You heretics of dawn
Meet her day
With feathers, black
Whoosh and rise
We make her a church
And then God almighty
See you never come back
Written by
calamitygin
(Jennifer Michael McCurry)
Published 13th Apr 2020
Author's Note
Inspired by old hillbilly music
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 12
reading list entries 7
comments 21
reads 797
Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
Re. A mountain song
What, exactly, does Hillbilly music sound like?
Amazing spill
and would be interested in listening to what inspired this
Amazing spill
and would be interested in listening to what inspired this
1
Re: Re. A mountain song
It's such a pure and sacred folk genre...i am 100 % hillbilly
The term has been perverted. With images of hee haw and dumb corn stalk stereotypes.
My family, Irish ancestry, many German and other immigrants settled this area, uneducated but hardworking. And worked the baldknobs of these Ozark hills. The land was tough, the remnants of anything prosperous. Dawn to dusk hard work hard hard work. And they made their way
And still they found time for music, to keep their stories, both very old and mixed with new. Like the verse of highlanders.
And it was put to music through mandolin banjo, fiddle.
Bluegrass is heavy in my roots. I'll post you a couple links
But artists like Gillian Welche (the Elvis Presley blues.
There is a gorgeous movie set in Appalachia which has similar history to my area, the Song Catcher. the music in that movie are songs directly from my own past...
The woman who collected and started an anthology of mountain songs and their roots in the old worlds was a real woman.
Iris dement, John prine (who sadly just passed) these are other artists capturing the heart of mountain music.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=MtnKT2ipRgs&feature=share
The term has been perverted. With images of hee haw and dumb corn stalk stereotypes.
My family, Irish ancestry, many German and other immigrants settled this area, uneducated but hardworking. And worked the baldknobs of these Ozark hills. The land was tough, the remnants of anything prosperous. Dawn to dusk hard work hard hard work. And they made their way
And still they found time for music, to keep their stories, both very old and mixed with new. Like the verse of highlanders.
And it was put to music through mandolin banjo, fiddle.
Bluegrass is heavy in my roots. I'll post you a couple links
But artists like Gillian Welche (the Elvis Presley blues.
There is a gorgeous movie set in Appalachia which has similar history to my area, the Song Catcher. the music in that movie are songs directly from my own past...
The woman who collected and started an anthology of mountain songs and their roots in the old worlds was a real woman.
Iris dement, John prine (who sadly just passed) these are other artists capturing the heart of mountain music.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=MtnKT2ipRgs&feature=share
Re: Re. A mountain song
13th Apr 2020 6:25pm
i hear a wee bit of a similarity to some of
Dolly Parton's songs.
Didn't Dolly come from similar upbringing?
I always saw the Hill Folk passing down their History and Ancestry via song and music much like ancient peoples all over the world did.
The mandolin has always been one of my favorite sounds.
Thank You for sharing with me. Super interesting.
Dolly Parton's songs.
Didn't Dolly come from similar upbringing?
I always saw the Hill Folk passing down their History and Ancestry via song and music much like ancient peoples all over the world did.
The mandolin has always been one of my favorite sounds.
Thank You for sharing with me. Super interesting.
1
Re: Re. A mountain song
13th Apr 2020 6:28pm
Abbbbbsolutely dolly parton. She is pure Smokey mountain hillbilly.
And yes to all, and quite right...passing their history through oral tradition.
I loved the question. Quite welcome
And yes to all, and quite right...passing their history through oral tradition.
I loved the question. Quite welcome
Anonymous
- Edited 20th May 2021 3:45pm
13th Apr 2020 5:42pm
<< post removed >>
Re: Re. A mountain song
13th Apr 2020 5:57pm
Re. A mountain song
13th Apr 2020 11:42pm
Re: Re. A mountain song
13th Apr 2020 11:43pm
Re. A mountain song
14th Apr 2020 00:43am
Phenomenal, Jennifer. I wonder which song or album or musicians you were listening to. I recognize the language of downhome evocation. You know, Mountain folk have their own language.
1
Re: Re. A mountain song
14th Apr 2020 00:58am
Yes we do.
I'll send you the links I sent tallen.
Iris dement, Gillian Welch ...jack white
Soundtrack to the song catcher.
❤ you A
I'll send you the links I sent tallen.
Iris dement, Gillian Welch ...jack white
Soundtrack to the song catcher.
❤ you A
Re. A mountain song
This is absolutely spellibinding in its Hitchcock narrative! You’ve taken a blue grass lyricism and transformed it into literature that leaves me breathless. That finale took the cake. What a sorceress of mood and language you are my darling friend forevermore.
XOXOXO
John
XOXOXO
John
1
Re: Re. A mountain song
14th Apr 2020 4:08am
Re. A mountain song
14th Apr 2020 8:04am
firstly, i need a dress like that for when i do metal covers 😅 may distract from my bad singing lol
i just love this, for some reason it reminds me of being up in the Appalachians, where their world has it's own language, it's own time, it's own rules.
amazing write 🖤
i just love this, for some reason it reminds me of being up in the Appalachians, where their world has it's own language, it's own time, it's own rules.
amazing write 🖤
1
Re: Re. A mountain song
14th Apr 2020 2:19pm
Very much inspired by their music. I have similar history and surroundings. Hill music, is hill music across th3 states.
Isn't the dress fantastic!
Thanks K 💜💜
Isn't the dress fantastic!
Thanks K 💜💜
Re. A mountain song
14th Apr 2020 12:08pm
Re: Re. A mountain song
14th Apr 2020 2:19pm
Re. A mountain song
16th Apr 2020 8:24pm
Re: Re. A mountain song
16th Apr 2020 8:29pm
Thank you, lozzamus
I was just now finishing up commenting on your piece.
It was incredibly well written, very satisfied to discover a new poet to read and enjoy.
I was just now finishing up commenting on your piece.
It was incredibly well written, very satisfied to discover a new poet to read and enjoy.
Re. A mountain song
Anonymous
20th Apr 2020 00:21am
You write so beautifully...
Вы умеете находить правильные слова, величественный
Вы умеете находить правильные слова, величественный
1
Re: Re. A mountain song
20th Apr 2020 00:38am