Appalachia Music Blogger -- Henry Queen

Music CD - Appalachian Folk

2011-12-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Henry Queen - Highest Quality Appalachian Music Cd. Folk songs and music of the Southern Appalachian mountains
Old Ballads and folk music performed on banjo plus guitar.

1. Johnson - traditional Ballad
2. John Henry - trad. banjo music
3. Grandpa - original ballad
4. Wildwood Flower Guitar Song
5. Little Brown Jug - trad. banjo/vocal
6. June Apple - trad. guitar music
7. Jolly Blade - traditional ballad
8. Cullowhee - original ballad
9. Handsome Molly - traditional Vocal/Banjo
10. Sail Along Blackbird - trad. banjo/vocal
11. Dreamed of My Love - ballad/guitar
12. Sally Anne Song - traditional Banjo/Guitar
13. Reflections - original guitar music

Boil the Cabbage Down - Traditional Song Lyrics

2010-07-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Image viaWikipedia

This old folk song is a favorite among mountain musicians here in the southern Appalachians. There are many variations to the words as well as the tune which is very popular for square dances, frolics and back porch pickin' sessions. This old version is from singing of the Queen and Prince families of Western North Carolina. A tune from the CD Mary Jane Queen Songs I Like.

Boil the cabbage down, stir'em round and round
Come on girls, now dont be slow
But, Boil them cabbage down.

Raccoon on the rail fence, waitin for the sun
Long eared hounds coming down the road
Old racoon better run.

Boil them cabbage down, stir'em up and down
Hurry up liza, now dont be slow
Said, boil them cabbage down.

She cut across the broom sage field, I come down the lane
Run my finger through the crack of the fence
Up jumped liza jane.

Boil the cabbage down, stir'em round and round
Get up gals, and dont be slow
Said, bile them cabbage down.
Mary Jane Queen.mp3

Mountain Folk - Song Lyrics

2008-11-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

Growing up in the mountains of Western North Carolina there was a lions share of old time traditional music within my family, both the Queens and Princes are very gifted when it comes to music making. I learned a lot of the mountain music and songs I perform directly from my family. This is a photograph of my Grandpa James S. Prince born in th mountains of Western North Carolina in 1876 and started playing banjo, fiddle and collecting music and folk songs at a very early age. Grandpa inspired a lot of my music and these lyrics I composed out of those memories. Original song from Henry Queen Highest Quality music CD.
guitar/vocal.mp3

Grandpa - Mountain Folk Song Lyrics

A straight back hardwood chair, sits there on the front porch
Been there through the sunshine, through the rains and wind
Keeps ever close to me, sweet memories of Grandpa
An old time music maker, yes a true mountain man.

A thirty acre farm, way back in the Smoky Mountains
Scotch-Irish blood running through him, a skin weathered and brown
With a clawhammer banjo, and sweet mountain fiddle
He could make the people dance and sing for miles and miles around.

Chorus
Grandpa sang the blues of the working man, ballads of the mountains
Songs of religion in that old time mountain way
Some of the songs Grandpa sang for pleasure
And some of the songs, he lived by everyday.

When the family all could gather there at Grandpa's house in the evenings
There was picking and singing in a good time mountain way
Although Grandpa's gone his music is deep within me
And he sings in my memory like only yesterday.

National Heritage Fellowship Award

2007-10-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Appalachian musician Ballad singer Mary Jane Queen of the Caney Fork Community in Jackson County, NC has been awarded the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship 2007, the nations highest honor in folk and traditional arts. Mary Jane a local celebrity who grew up in a musical family, married into a musical family, and raised a musical family of eight children, Mary Jane Queen has also received the Mountain Heritage Award, the NC Folk Heritage Award, and the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award. Only twelve people per year travel to Washington to "receive their award in a public ceremony and perform in a concert celebrating our nation of nations during late September." The award will be accepted by her children who make up the Queen Family Band because Mary Jane died shortly after the announcement of the award on June 29, 2007. The Queen family is committed to preserving their musical traditions. The nomination process for this award begins with "ordinary citizens who put forward local folk and traditional artists that they feel are deserving of national recognition and who embody artistic excellence, authenticity, and significance within their tradition."

Whoa Mule - Folk Song lyrics/video

2007-02-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

Traditional folk song video, lyrics for the Whoa Mule song collected in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

"Whoa Mule"

Johnson bought him an old gray mule, and called him Simon slick
He'd wall his eyes and switch his tail, um! how that mule could kick.

Whoa Mule Whoa, Whoa Mule I holler
Tie a knot in that old mules tail
And cram him in the collar.

Take him on down below the house, and hitch him in to plow
With a gee and a haw, its gee and haw, with a gee and a haw Whoa now.

Whoa Mule Whoa, whoa mule I said
Take your seat little Liza Jane
And hold tight to the sled.

The Queen Family Movie airs on PBS TV

2006-10-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

“The Queen Family: Appalachian Tradition & Back Porch Music,” a new documentary movie produced by the North Carolina Language and Life Project at North Carolina State University, is scheduled for a statewide broadcast and national release on public television early Oct.

Folks, The Queen Family of Western North Carolina are gearing up for a national performance, so check your local PBS TV listings for more information about Appalachian Tradition in your area.

DVD Link: The Queen Family-Appalachian Tradition & Back Porch Music DVD

CD Link:The Queen Family-Back Porch Mountain Music CD

Fiddle/Banjo Old Ruben song sample from the CD.

Old Time Religion Song - Lyrics

2006-10-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Traditional African-American spiritual song first published in the late 1800s and always a favorite sing along at old time music gatherings.

(Chorus)
Tis the old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Tis the old time religion
And its good enough for me

It Makes me love everybody
It Makes me love everybody
It Makes me love everybody
And its good enough for me

It was good for Paul and Peter
It was good for Paul and Peter
It was good for Paul and Peter
And its good enough for me

It was good for the hebrew children
It was good for the hebrew children
It was good for the hebrew children
And its good enough for me

Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
And Its good enough for me

Old Time Religion.mp3
A song sample from An Unclouded Day-Appalachian Folklore Cd

Mary Jane Queen - Appalachian Heritage Book

2006-04-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Life and Times of Mary Jane Queen
Published by Catch The Spirit of Appalachia, Inc.
Western North Carolina Books.

Mary Jane Queen will be at the City Lights Book Store in Sylva NC Saturday afternoon, May 20th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. to autograph copies of her new book, The Life and Times of Mary Jane Queen: Her Art, Her Appalachian Heritage, Her Music and Songs. Queen, who lives on Johns Creek in the Caney Fork community of Jackson County, is an internationally recognized musician and balladeer. Among her many awards, she won the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award in 1993 and the Mountain Heritage Award in 1999. She has performed at Mountain Heritage Day for the past 18 years, plus many other music events and festivals throughout North Carolina.

This autobiography Mary Jane Queen's life in the John's Creek community of Jackson County.

Born 91 years ago in 1914, Queen says with a laugh that she was “a Prince before she became a Queen.” She was born into the Jim Prince family in the Caney Fork community and into a culture of music. Her father was a talented claw-hammer banjo player and her mother, Clearsie, was a singer, while brothers Alvin, Shirley, Marion, Ernest and Early were accomplished musicians in their own right.

“Folks used to come from miles around most every Saturday night to the house or to the barn dances where my dad would play,” Queen said. “He'd play and sing all night long and never play the same song twice! I learned to play by sound...never had a lesson in my life!”

When Mary Jane Prince married Claude Queen (who also played the banjo, with a two-finger up/down-picking style), the two moved into the Queen family home built in 1912 by Claude's father just up the mountains from Caney Fork on John's Creek. All eight children were born in the old house and grew up playing music and singing together. As music styles changed and evolved, the Queen family continued to preserve the old-time style of “making music,” and also to value the heritage and culture of mountain folk ways.

It wasn't until Claude Queen passed away almost 20 years ago that Mary Jane Queen began to accompany her children to performances with the Queen Family Band. “The children didn't want me to stay home, so I began to sing and play a few old gospel songs, bluegrass, mountain music and traditional ballads to the crowds. They sorta enjoyed it. I did, too. I also thoroughly enjoyed going to the schools and talking to the children about the old days, and reciting my poetry.”

Mary Jane has been honored for her work in many publications, including The Boston Globe and National Geographic, and is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award in 1993 and four awards from the Asheville Dance and Folk Festival. Along with the family band, she received Western's Mountain Heritage Award in 1999 and the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award in 2001.

Sally Goodin - Traditional Song Lyrics

2006-02-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Image viaWikipedia

Public Domain Traditional Song Lyrics.

These words for the Sally Goodin' song comes from the Queen and Prince families, Western North Carolina. Generations of mountain musicians, singers and keepers of traditional ballads and folk music of the southern Appalachian region.

SALLY GOODIN'

Love her, love Sally Goodin'
Love her, sweet thing Sally Goodin'

A big piece of pie, a big piece of puddin'
Give it all away, to hug Sally Goodin'

Looked on the hill, seen Sally runnin'
Yes my my, sweet thing Sally comin'

Up and down the road , the road all muddy
To hug Sally Goodin, till she can't stand steady

Upon the hillside, hewin' on a log
Frogs in the millpond, barking like a dog

Before you hear that rooster crow
Sprinkle little meal before her door

Fiddle and Banjo Song

2005-12-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

In this song sample "Old Ruben" you can hear the fretless Banjo with Fiddle which are among the early instruments in Appalachian folk music.

Hear sample from The Queen Family Music CD
Fiddle/Banjo.mp3

Life-Music Southern Appalachia-DVD

2005-11-22T06:53:00.000-08:00

The mountains of Appalachia are home to a folk music tradition that traces its roots to England, Scotland, and Ireland. Picking up the African banjo and other influences in its evolution, this tradition gave rise to gospel, bluegrass and country music.

The recipients of the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award, the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award, and many other honors, the Queen Family of Western North Carolina have come to represent Southern Appalachian heritage and a way of life ...more info

DVD FEATURES:
The Queen Family-Appalachian Tradition & Back Porch Music. 32 min
Mary Jane Queen-Appalachian Ballads & Songs. 12 min
The Queen Family-Plays Mountain Music. 26 min

Produced and Directed by Neal Hutcheson.
A DVD/Video production of The North Carolina Language and Life Project at NC State University, supported by NC State Humanities Extension.

Garageband Music-samples

2005-09-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I have used a lot of recording devices over the years to capture live music but to date none of those compare with the simplicity and precision for music mixing and recording as does the Apple Garageband application. Loaded with numerous music loops and musical instruments, creation of high quality music of all kinds is easy and endless. So if you like audio recording and equipped with a computer, try Garageband. Take a listen to some garageband music sample recordings visit @ free music samples blog.

Appalachian Folklore-Cd

2005-07-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

An Unclouded Day - Appalachian FolkLore Cd.
Stories, music and songs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

The remote coves and deep branches running through the lush North Carolina mountains are more than picturesque landscape - they are also home to one of the richest linguistic and cultural traditions of the United States. The unedited stories, spontaneous conversations, and local music compiled here provide a rare glimpse into the authentic language and life of Southern Appalachia from the true experts-the people themselves. Produced by Neal Hutcheson for the North Carolina Language and Life Project. Funding provided by the William C. Friday Endowment and the Humanities Extension program at North Carolina State University. more

Hear samples from the CD

Ballad Wild Bill Jones
A Form of Entertainment Storytelling
Folk Song with Guitar Dance All Around

Appalachian Folk Lyrics-Pretty Saro

2005-06-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

A-cappella ballad singing is one of the older forms of Appalachian folk entertainment, where-as the words and story are the focal point unaccompanied by music themes. The lyrics provided here is an arrangement Mary Jane Queen learned as a young girl growing up in in the mountains of North Carolina. This version Mary Jane learned from her father Jim Prince, old-time mountain musician, ballad singer. Hear a-cappella ballad singing sample.

Pretty Saro/traditional song lyrics.

When first to this country a stranger I came
I placed my affections on a handsome young dame
I looked all around me and I was alone
Yes me a young stranger and a long ways from home

Pretty Saro Pretty Saro I love you I know
I love you Pretty Saro where ever I go
No toung can express it no poet can tell
How truely I love you yes I love you so well

If I were a poet and could write a fine hand
I'd write my true love a letter that she might understand
I would send it by the waters that dont overflow
And think of Pretty Saro wherever I go

My love she don't love me as I understand
She wants some freeholder and I have no land
But I can maintain her with silver and gold
Or all of the fine things that my loves house could hold

Its not the long journey Im dreading to go
Or leaving this country for the debts that I owe
There is but one thing that troubles my mind
Thats a leaving Pretty Saro my true love behind

Farewell my dear father likewise mother too
Im going to ramble this country all through
When I get tired I'll sit down and weep
And think of Pretty Saro wherever she be

I love you Pretty Saro I love you I know
I love you Pretty Saro wherever I go
On the banks of the ocean or the mountains sad brow
I loved you then dearly and I still love you now

Appalachian Music Samples

2005-05-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Sample music selections include traditional and original Appalachian folk ballads, mountain banjo music, fiddle tunes & acoustic guitar songs. Also included in the mix are some garageband electronic music sample recordings. Hear samples

Sourwood Mountain - Folk Song Lyrics

2005-01-25T16:17:00.000-08:00

A classic among traditional mountain folk songs of the southern Appalachians. Text for this song varies considerably as does the refrain lines. It appears in most all the many collections & books written on the music of the southern mountains. Variants of the song was collected by the great folksong collectors like Cecil Sharp, Frank Brown, Bascomb Lunsford and other folklorists in the early 1900s across North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia & Missouri. Commonly it is classed as dance music or with play-party songs, or may be just a singing song unaccompanied by music. Some folks tend to think the variation in the refrain lines is due to the individual singers attempt to imitate the banjo sound. Hear sample with vocals & banjo.

Chickens a crowin' in the Sourwood Mountains
Hi-ho doodle-um a-day
So many pretty girls you can't count em
Hi-ho diddle-um a-day

Say old man I want your daughter
Hi-ho doodle-um a-day
Bake some bread carry in the water
Hi-ho diddle-um a-day

Big dog bark, little dog bite you
Hi-ho doodle-um a-day
Big girl courts, little ones spite you
Hi-ho diddle-um a-day

My true love lives up the hollow
Hi-ho doodle-um a-day
She won't come and I won't follow
Hi-ho diddle-um a-day

My true love lives up on the river
Hi-ho doodle-um a-day
A few more miles and I'll be with her
Hi-ho diddle-um a-day

Ducks in the mill pond, geese in the clover
Hi-ho doodle-um a-day
Tell them pretty girls, I'am comin over
Hi-ho diddle-all day

Sally Anne

2005-01-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Folk songs such as Sally Anne, sang and played here in the mountains of Western North Carolina for many generations. Traditional folk song lyrics accompanied with banjo and fiddle music made up most of the rural entertainment here in this section of the southern Appalachian mountains before the days of radio & tv. This is a favorite old-time frolic/dance song, the words I learned from my family. Listen to a banjo version.

The next big meeting, gonna join the band
Going to the wedding 0' Sally Anne
Shake that little foot, Sally Anne
Great big wedding up, Sally Anne

Going to the wedding 0' Sally Anne
Great big wedding up, Sally Anne

Bread in a poke, pig in the pan
Off to the wedding 0' Sally Anne
Shake that sweet thing, Sally Anne
Great big wedding up, Sally Anne

Repeat Chorus

Mountain Banjo-Traditional Tunings

2004-12-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

Traditional, old-time, five-string mountain banjo tunings, local styles and music making traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina.

OPEN "G" tuning=

1st string-D
2nd string-B
3rd string-G
4th string-D
5th [thumb] string-G

This is the most common or standard tuning for the five-string banjo. Good traditional songs to play in the G tuning include: Sally Anne, Sourwood Mountain, Wild Bill Jones, Handsome Molly, John Henry, just to name a few.

Traditional Folk Song Lyrics

2004-11-30T04:56:00.000-08:00

Henry Queen's
Traditional lyrics - Public Domain Ballads, Folksongs, Music Arrangements

"Wild Bill Jones" Listen to sample.

While out a walkin' on a Saturday night
I walked up on Wild Bill Jones
He was a walkin' and a talkin' with my true lover there
I bid him for to leave her alone

He says my age is past twenty one
To old for you to control
When he reached for a knife and I pulled out my gun
Destroyed that poor boy's soul

He staggered and stumbled and fell to the ground
Gave out one dying moan
I threw my arms round my true lover there
Saying darlin' its time we be ridin' along

We rode that ole train while she whistled all the night
Rode her while she whistled for the day
Pulling hills and curves straining every nerve
Carring me and my sweet darlin' on far away

While out a walkin' on a saturday nite
I walked up on "Wild Bill Jones"

Appalachian Banjo

2004-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

North Carolina mountain banjo music photo, my dad Claude H. Queen with his first banjo handmade by John Dawson around 1928. Made from the poplar wood native to Western North Carolina and a Pilot Knob coffee bucket.This type of banjo making was common by the pioneers who adapted it from the African tradition of stringed music instruments and was hand made by southern Appalachian mountain families with varing approaches from the 1800's,onward and there are still a few craftsmen who specialize in making the traditional style fretless mountain banjos. This banjo along with 60 or so other old-time mountain musical instruments will be on display at the Mountain Heritage Museum at Western Carolina University. Hear banjo samples.

Smoky Mountain Music - North Carolina

2004-11-13T17:08:00.000-08:00

Modern Drum'n Bass arrangement of the traditional southern mountain folk song "Wild Bill Jones" performance by Smoky Mountain Drum'n Bass. A hybird arrangement, old-time mountain music traditions combined with modern day electronic music mixing/recording.

HQ - Music Sample - Sally Anne

2004-09-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Energetic traditional mountain music favorite Sally Anne. Banjo and Guitar music sample mix from the Western North Carolina mountains.

John Henry - Banjo Music Sample

2004-08-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Traditional Southern mountain banjo music sample. Generations of family music from the mountains of Western North Carolina. Hear sample

Mountain Magic-Appalachian Music

2004-08-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

Modern Appalachian music mix, a blend of traditional mountain folk music strains combined with... Drum'N Bass... HQ - - music Listen to sample