I just had a friend let me know that there is actually a song of Sourwood Mountain. I didn’t know that, but it’s making me smile. I could have had one of my characters singing it. I really missed the boat on that one.
I did use some folk songs in my book, These Healing Hills. I had my nurse midwife, Fran, sing “Froggie Went A-Courting,” and even make up a verse on her own. I also let the men who helped carry one of the mamas and her baby down the mountain to the hospital sing some songs to take the young woman’s mind off of her scary situation. Loved doing the research on those folk songs. I especially liked one of the song they sang to her. Here’s the excerpt from the story about that one.
A dark cloud seemed to hover over them all. The girl was so slight. The journey to the hospital might be too much for her. Fran second guessed herself with every step. What if Fran had done something wrong when she delivered her baby? What if Lurene couldn’t handle the trip to the hospital?
Lurene must have felt the sorrow trailing along with them. With typical mountain woman spirit, she whispered to Ira. “Sing for little Lenny. I reckon I don’t have the strength right now, but I want fun in his ears.”
“What you want me to sing, li’l darling?”
“How about that elephant song?”
One of the other men chuckled. “I know that one.” He started singing. “If you should meet an elephant on a summer’s day. What would you do? What would you say?”
Ira picked up the tune. “I’d say, ‘Good morning Elephant, how do you do? I’m glad to meet you elephant, I’d like to dance with you.’”
“Do the skunk.” Lurene was smiling.
Then they were all singing to the girl as they went down the mountain. One of the men looked around at Fran. “Join right in, nurse. It’ll make the walk go faster.”
She didn’t know how long it had been since she sang a song along with others except for hymns in church, but for the second time in the day, she started singing and it felt right. Songs belonged here in the mountains.
“If you should meet a stinky skunk on an autumn day. What would you do? What would you say? I’d say, ‘Good morning Stinky Skunk, how do you do? I’m glad to meet you stinky skunk, I’d like to dance with you.’”
They came up with all sorts of animals and kept Lurene smiling until they got to the truck to take her to the hospital.
Singing and playing instruments is a big part of the Appalachian culture and those folk songs can be fun. Songs like the elephant one can have as many verses as the singers have imagination. What I found about the Sourwood Mountain song says the same. Singers have added all sorts of animals in the verses. Some of the versions have the repeating line as Hi-ho Diddle um a day which I might like better than the one in these lyrics.
Sourwood Mountain
Chickens a’crowin’ on Sourwood Mountain
Hey Ho Diddle-aye-day
So many pretty girls I can’t count ’em
Hey Ho Diddle-aye-day
My true love’s a sun-burnt daisy
Hey Ho Diddle-aye-day
If I don’t get her I’ll go crazy
Hey Ho Diddle-aye-day
My true love’s at the head of the holler
Hey Ho Diddle-aye-day
She won’t come and I won’t foller
Hey Ho Diddle-aye-day
Big dog’ll bark and little one’ll bite you
Hey Ho Diddle-aye-day
Big girl will court and the little one spite you
Hey Ho Diddle-aye-day
(https://www.bluegrassnet.com/lyrics/sourwood-mountain)
One internet site said the song “Sourwood Mountain” has been played or sung for centuries and was probably brought to America by Scotch-Irish immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Mountains. As is the case with many folk songs, “Sourwood Mountain” has many variations. You could make up your own extra verses.
If you want to hear it, here’s a link to a YouTube version.
Do you like folk songs?
Comments 10
I like folk songs, anything to do with the mountains are always interesting to me.
Author
Then you should like this new book, Connie. At least I hope so.
I think they sang the Sourwood Mountain song on the Andy Griffith show a couple of times with the Darlands (can’t remember if this name is correct or not). I didn’t know the song by the title; but, after I started looking at it, I started singing it and thought I had heard it on the show. May be wrong.
Author
Somebody sent me the link of the Andy Griffith show where they were singing the Sourwood Mountain song, Linda Dianne. That was fun. So you were right.
Yes. Just about any kind of music.
Author
My husband loves singing Gospel songs, Southern Gospel, Lisa. But he enjoys other kinds of music too. I don’t listen to much music, but I did enjoy learning about the folk songs.
Can’t wait to read this book now for sure!!!
Author
Wonderful, Lana. The excerpted scene was from an already published book, These Healing Hills. As I say in the post, my characters only sing hymns in my story. But this Sourwood Mountain song would have been fun to add.
That’s the song I meant when I said it would be running through my head that day you first wrote about your new book. We always sang it in grade school music class back in the day. There’s another verse to it also… My true love lives up the river, hey de ing dang, diddle ally day, A hop, skip and a jump and I’ll be with her. Hey de ing dang, etc. So looking forward to reading your Sourwood Mountain book.
Author
I remember you saying something about a song, but I wasn’t sure what you meant, Lee. Hey diddle ally day. Or something like that. Thanks for sharing the extra verse.