"I'm Dying, Mother" Lesson
Added 2020-10-14 04:01:00 +0000 UTC[fDGCD] I learned "I'm Dying, Mother" from the recording of Bert Hare on Art Rosenbaum's "Art of Field Recording Sampler" album (Dust To Digital, 2006): https://dust-digital.com/shop/art-of-field-recording-sampler
"I was in East Kentucky, in this little town called Asher. I went to the general store and post office and asked the postmaster, Bert Hare, 'Are there any fiddlers or banjo or guitar players around?' He said, 'Well, I play guitar a little bit.' He took his guitar out from under the counter, and he starts playing some religious ballads and singing. I asked if I could get my tape recorder..." - Dr. Arthur S. Rosenbaum
One summer eve as the sun was setting
The wind blew soft and cold,
A young man lay on a bed of fever
And the tears stood in his eyes.
I'm dying, Mother, I'm surely dying
And Hell is my awful doom,
Come take my hand and
Press it tight for my heart is sad with gloom.
The other night as I left the meeting
The Spirit bid me pray,
Said, "Not tonight but
Next week only--I must go and dance with the gay."
O Mother dear go tell my comrades
Not to do as I have done,
When the Spirit calls do
Not deny him or put him off in fun
Comments
Thank you so much for this tune and lesson. I heard you play it in your videos but never dared to try it. Now I find myself getting in the melody almost in a sort of a trance rhythm. I keep playing it and trying things out getting lost in it. If only I could sign it!
Jesus-David Jerez-Gomez
2024-10-16 02:11:57 +0000 UTCThank you!
Seth
2020-10-27 17:45:48 +0000 UTCSeth, I think the song first appeared in print sometime during the late 1800s, so it would predate the Spanish Flu by 20 years or so. Things like Scarlet Fever, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, etc. were occasionally sweeping through in those days.
Clifton Hicks
2020-10-27 16:51:57 +0000 UTCThink it’s a about Spanish Flu?
Seth
2020-10-27 15:38:53 +0000 UTCOh yay! I’ve been looking forward to trying this song out!
bambuza
2020-10-15 11:36:06 +0000 UTCO yeah! Anytime I sing either this one or "Hills of Mexico" I have to drop my 3rd string down to E in order to hit them high notes. I can still sing it in F, but with much less gusto. With the 3rd tuned up to G, I am worthless on those two songs!
Clifton Hicks
2020-10-14 17:35:46 +0000 UTCI am glad to see you return to this one. I noticed you had to tune way down to sing it. I usually play my own version in standard tuning, but I can't really sing high enough to pull it off without tuning waaay down.
Micheál Mac Labhrás
2020-10-14 17:23:02 +0000 UTCThanks, Al, I'm writing that one down. Never heard it.
Clifton Hicks
2020-10-14 17:04:47 +0000 UTCClifton, you might want to do "Claude Allen" if you haven't already. Alan Lomax recorded Hobart Smith singing it with guitar. I recently went to Hillsville VA to explore this true story and found it still alive in many places, like the original courthouse.
Al Neale
2020-10-14 16:50:57 +0000 UTCGreat tune, thanks Clifton!
Alan Douglas
2020-10-14 16:10:44 +0000 UTCThanks, John. It's good to hear that. I ain't quitting.
Clifton Hicks
2020-10-14 16:08:30 +0000 UTCI will look into The Welcome Table. I have done a few other good hymns/gospels like Prodigal Son, Tribulations, Jesus On the Main Line, Lonesome Valley, and we used to tare up Old Time Religion all the time when I played in a band.
Clifton Hicks
2020-10-14 16:08:03 +0000 UTCBeautiful mournful tune and really a very fine arrangement that speak to that. Thank you Clifton!
Peter Schell
2020-10-14 16:03:05 +0000 UTCAwesome Clifton! Been waiting on this one for a while now. As a guitar player making the cross over into Banjo the two finger picking style is right up my alley, and is in fact pretty darn easy for me. However, I struggle with overhand...getting better, but slowly. This is such a beautiful piece of music, and thought this one would be a good one to try and improve my overhand technique...and singing. Many thanks for covering this one. I'd love to hear some more southern hymnal type music from you in the future...heck...I'd love to hear how you'd play something like "The Welcome Table".
Shawn Walters
2020-10-14 14:31:07 +0000 UTCClifton, if only you knew how much we appreciate what you bring to us musically and historically!! Thank you! THANK YOU!!!
John L Schneider
2020-10-14 13:37:25 +0000 UTC
