“Blue Mountain Lake (The Belle of Long Lake)”

Description

The singer recalls the "racket" on Blue Mountain Lake when Jim Lou and "lazy Jimmie Mitchell" fought. The song concludes with a joke about Nellie the camp cook, "the belle of Long Lake"

Notes

This song shares at least three verses with "Moosehead Lake," as well as the "Derry Down" tune, but the remaining text (and the feeling) are just enough different that I -- very tentatively -- keep the songs separate. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "Moosehead Lake" (floating verses)

Recordings

• Pete Seeger, "Blue Mountain Lake" (on PeteSeeger07, PeteSeeger07b)

References

1. Laws C20, "Blue Mountain Lake (The Belle of Long Lake)"
2. Warner 59, "The Ballad of Blue Mountain Lake" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Lomax-FSUSA 49, "Blue Mountain Lake" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Silber-FSWB, p. 44, "The Rackets Around Blue Mountain Lake" (1 text)
5. DT 605, BLUEMTN*
6. Roud #2226
7. BI, LC20