Down a Country Road I Know

DESCRIPTION: "The city roar is in my ears, the glare is in my eyes, Yet in my heart I long to see those sunny Central skies" where the singer was a shearer and "raced to hold the ringer's place." But that's all behind him now, back "down a country road I know"
AUTHOR: Words: Ross McMillan / Music: Phil Garland
EARLIEST DATE: 1971 (recorded by Phil Garland on Kiwi LP SLC 87, "Down a Country Road I Know")
KEYWORDS: sheep travel hardtimes
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Garland-FacesInTheFirelight-NZ, pp. 42, 158-159, "(Down a Country Road I Know)" (various fragments which between them contain five of the six verses of the song)
NOTES [147 words]: This is not, to my knowledge, traditional in New Zealand. But it arguably is traditional "worldwide" -- because I learned it in Richfield, Minnesota, from another Minnesotan who had learned it while visiting New Zealand. Only later did I find it on record, and I'm not sure my source ever heard a recording of it, either. A weak foothold in tradition, to be sure. But it's a decent lyric with a terrific melody by Phil Garland, so maybe it will survive.
I have heard that Ross McMillan didn't particularly like having his songs set to music. Ironic, then, that (according to Mike Harding, When the Pakeha Sings of Home: A Source Guide to the Folk & Popular Songs of New Zealand, Godwit Press, 1992, p. 67), it was apparently set to music twice, once by Garland, once by "Dusty Spittle." I wonder if perhaps the latter didn't have the range to sing Garland's wide-ranging tune. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: Garl042

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography