Sourwood Mountain

DESCRIPTION: Dance tune with words; young man wants his true love, but she is coy. Versions often contain a variety of floating or spontaneous verses. First stanza may begin, "Chickens crowing on Sourwood Mountain...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1913 (collected by Olive Dame Campbell); +1909 (JAFL22)
KEYWORDS: courting love rejection nonballad playparty
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW,SE,So)
REFERENCES (28 citations):
Randolph 417, "Sourwood Mountain" (4 texts plus a fragment, 1 tune)
Randolph/Cohen-OzarkFolksongs-Abridged, pp. 346-347, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 417A)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 251, "Sourwood Mountain" (7 texts plus an excerpt and 3 fragments)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 251, "Sourwood Mountain" (7 tunes plus text excerpts)
Morris-FolksongsOfFlorida, #142, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Wyman/Brockway-LonesomeSongs-KentuckyMountains-Vol1, p. 91 "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gainer-FolkSongsFromTheWestVirginiaHills, pp. 180-181, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Boette-SingaHipsyDoodle, pp. 162-163, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Thomas-DevilsDitties, pp. 114-115, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Richardson/Spaeth-AmericanMountainSongs, p. 89, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roberts-SangBranchSettlers, #76, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fuson-BalladsOfTheKentuckyHighlands, pp. 170-171, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text)
Cambiaire-EastTennesseeWestVirginiaMountainBallads, p. 11, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text)
Burton/Manning-EastTennesseeStateCollectionVol2, pp. 20-21, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Rosenbaum-FolkVisionsAndVoices, p. 216, "I Got a Woman on Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune, with some of the lyrics rewirtten by Earl Johnson)
Sandburg-TheAmericanSongbag, p. 125, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune); 320-321, "I Got a Gal at the Head of the Holler" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sharp-EnglishFolkSongsFromSouthernAppalachians 216, "Sourwood Mountain" (3 texts, 3 tunes)
Lomax/Lomax-FolkSongUSA 24, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax/Lomax-AmericanBalladsAndFolkSongs, pp. 276-277, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune, composite)
Lunsford/Stringfield-30And1FolkSongsFromSouthernMountains, pp. 24-27, "Sourwood Mountain" (2 texts, 2 tunes; the tunes, although clearly related, are not identical)
Botkin-TreasuryOfAmericanFolklore, pp. 897-898, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
Chase-AmericanFolkTalesAndSongs, pp. 148-149, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
McNeil-SouthernMountainFolksong, pp17-18, "(Sourwood Mountain)" (1 text)
Darling-NewAmericanSongster, pp. 257-258, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 35, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text)
Zander/Klusmann-CampSongsPopularEdition, p. 11, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text)
National-4HClubSongBook, p. 62, "Sourwood Mountain" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, SOURWOOD
Roud #754
RECORDINGS:
Coleman & Harper "Sourwood Mountain" (Perfect 12751, 1931) (Oriole 8095, 1935)
Fruit Jar Guzzlers, "Sourwood Mountain" (on CrowTold01)
I. G. Greer & Mrs. I. G. Greer, "Sourwood Mountain" (AFS; on LC12)
Orville Hicks, "Sourwood Mountain" (Fragment: Piotr-Archive #206, recorded 06/27/2022)
Stanley Hicks, "Sourwood Mountain" [2 versions] (on FarMtns 2)
The Hillbillies, "Sourwood Mountain" (Vocalion 5022, c. 1926)
Earl Johnson & his Dixie Entertainers "I've Got a Woman on Sourwood Mountain" (OKeh 45171, 1927)
Kessinger Brothers, "Sourwood Mountain" (Brunswick 308, c. 1929)
Bradley Kincaid ,"Sourwood Mountain" (Gennett 6417/Silvertone 8220, 1928) (Brunswick 420, 1930) (Conqueror 8090, 1933) (one of these is on CrowTold02, but it's not clear which)
Clayton McMichen, "Sourwood Mountain [part of instrumental medley] (Decca 2649, 1939)
Bobby McMillon, Derek Piotr, "Sourwood Mountain" (Fragment: Piotr-Archive #34, recorded 05/08/2021)
Land Norris, "Dogwood Mountain" (OKeh 40433, 1925)
Fiddlin' Powers & Family, "Sour Wood Mountains" (Victor 19448, 1924) (Edison 51789/5123, 1925)
Roxana Robinson, "Sourwood Mountain" (Piotr-Archive #696, recorded 10/01/2023)
Hobart Smith, "Sourwood Mountain" [instrumental] (on LomaxCD1702)
Kilby Snow, "Sourwood Mountain" (on KSnow1)
Ernest V. Stoneman, "Sourwood Mountain" (Victor 20235, 1926)
Stove Pipe No. 1 [pseud. for Sam Jones], "Cripple Creek & Sourwood Mountain" (Columbia 201-D, 1924)
Uncle "Am" Stuart, "Sourwood Mountain" [instrumental] (Vocalion 15840, 1924)
Gid Tanner & Riley Puckett, "Sourwood Mountain" (Columbia 245-D, 1924)
Taylor's Kentucky Boys, "Sourwood Mountain" (on BefBlues3)
The Vagabonds, "Sourwood Mountain" (Bluebird B-5335, 1934)
Wade Ward, "Sourwood Mountain" [instrumental] (on Holcomb-Ward1); "Sourwood Mountain" [instrumental] (on GraysonCarroll1)
Henry Whitter's Virginia Breakdowners, "Sourwood Mountain" (OKeh 7005, 1924)
NOTES [41 words]: The Baptist church disapproved of dancing, but allowed playparties (dances with sung tunes instead of instrumental music). - PJS
It should be noted that this is primarily a fiddle tune; it's listed because it occasionally turns up with words. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.7
File: R417

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