“Blue Ridge Mountain Blues”

Description

"When I was young and in my prime, I left my home in Caroline, Now all I do is sit and pine, For those folks I left behind. I've got the Blue Ridge Mountain blues." The singer longs for home, and dreams of the aged parents at home whom he will soon see

Notes

The only authorship claim I've found for this lists it as copyright 1958 by Bill Clifton and Buddy Dee. Clifton, however, was born in 1931, and Riley Puckett recorded the song in 1924, so this claim is demonstrably false. Paul Stamler found the credit to Bill Cox, which is at least chronologically possible though he seems to have recorded it relatively late. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight?" (quoted)

Recordings

• Bill Cox, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (Conqueror 8232, 1933; Banner 32941/Perfect 12969, 1934)
• Vernon Dalhart, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (Banner 1611, 1925) (Challenge 164/Challenge 314, 1927; rec. 1925) (Broadway 8061, n.d.)
• Sid Harkreader, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (Vocalion 15193, 1926)
• Al Hopkins & his Buckle-Busters, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (Brunswick 180, 1927)
• Wade Mainer, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (Blue Ridge 109)
• Charlie Newman, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (OKeh 45184, 1928; rec. 1927)
• Riley Puckett, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (Columbia 254-D, 1924; Harmony 5127-H, n.d.) (Bluebird B-6196, 1935)
• Ernest V. Stoneman, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (Okeh 45009, 1925)
• Doc Watson, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (on RitchieWatsonCD1)

References

1. BrownIII 401, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" (1 text)
2. Roud #11758
3. BI, Br3401