Hills of Mexico | Performance
Added 2018-05-30 04:53:00 +0000 UTCMy banjo is tuned: dBEAB (fDGCD, relative, aka "F Tuning")
I learned this song from the famous recording of Roscoe Holcomb from Daisy, Kentucky. In the past I've mostly used up-picking to accompany this song; here I chose to finger pick it in an effort to more closely follow Holcomb. While this song's popularity has grown in recent years, and there are many fine versions now floating around, John Haywood's rendition is the best I have heard.
Look out for a discussion/lesson on this amazing piece of music as well as one or two close up shots of the hands playing it. Note that I included my own original verse about the "ambush." Also note that I always switch the refrain to "Gulf of Mexico" on the last verse.
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When I was in old Fort Worth in 1883
Some old Mexican cowboy come stepping up to me,
He said how are you young fellow how would you like to go
And spend a summer season in the hills of Mexico?
Having no other appointment back to him I said
It's according to your wages according to your pay,
He said I'll pay to you good wages and travel to-and-froe
If you spend a summer season in the hills of Mexico.
A lightning storm came on us it made the cattle run
Now our pleasures all had ended our troubles just begun,
We got covered in the stickers that on the cactus grow
And the outlaws gunning for us in the hills of Mexico.
(original verse) They caught us in an ambush way back in the hills
They were quite a few in number and the cowboy they did kill,
I made a run to save him but alas I was to slow
So I left him with the outlaws in the hills of Mexico.
I boarded on a steamboat she carried my to my home
How the bells they did ring and the whistle it did blow,
How the bells they did ring and the whistle it did blow
On that God-forsaken steam boat in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Comments
Man this is so good! Thanks Clifton 🙌
Jesse Francis
2021-01-25 18:42:40 +0000 UTCJohn used to play with Kevin Howard, Brett Ratliff and Joe Mooser (now deceased) in a band called "The Travelin Snakes": <a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/thetravelinsnakes" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.reverbnation.com/thetravelinsnakes</a> and I think he still plays with "Rich and the Po Folks." He has a few recordings also available here:<a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/johnhaywood" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.reverbnation.com/johnhaywood</a> Besides that there's only his videos on Youtube that I know of. George may know or have some other recordings. It seems that his excellent recording of Hills of Mexico is no longer online anywhere.
Clifton Hicks
2018-06-27 00:47:19 +0000 UTCwhere can u get Haywood's recording of this tune or other stuff by him
Tony Thomas
2018-06-26 22:31:11 +0000 UTCYou should do more cowboy/western songs!
Micheál Mac Labhrás
2018-05-30 19:17:35 +0000 UTCAwesome cliff. Your ones my favourite version. Looking forward to a lesson how to play this. Love this tune.
louie goodwin
2018-05-30 18:16:35 +0000 UTCGood gracious, what a beautiful song! Damn! You're making me want to learn two finger.
Mike Rebitzke
2018-05-30 17:43:46 +0000 UTCAmazing playing, as usual. I was listening to your recordings on Bandcamp, and was wondering wether you could do a video on "Little Bird" as heard on "From The Hills And From The Plains"
Fabrizio Schwarz
2018-05-30 09:52:49 +0000 UTCKurosh, it's a mighty hard song to sing and play. We will take plenty of time to break it all down for you; expect at least two more videos on it and more if need be.
Clifton Hicks
2018-05-30 05:34:22 +0000 UTCBeen trying to piece together this tune between watching you, Willie Watson, Meredith Moon, and of course Roscoe, along with the tab from Rosenbaum's book. But can't seem to get it to flow.
Kurosh Ghodshowghi
2018-05-30 05:32:07 +0000 UTCThanks, Robert. I will try and really go into detail on my right hand attack in the forthcoming discussion.
Clifton Hicks
2018-05-30 05:21:55 +0000 UTCThanks for sharing your version of this song. This is song is ideally suited to your banjo style of accompaniment. I am looking forward to your discussion of your right hand technique.
Robert T. Gibney
2018-05-30 05:16:48 +0000 UTC
