Music Used on the Series

Season 5, episode 14: 7:10: "Springfield Mountain," absolutely authentic and traditional, based on true events from 1761, and considered the first fully American folk song. The lighthearted version sung by Burl Ives may have originated with later musicians. His version is interesting as when he gets to the nonsense words in the chorus he is almost yodeling. 11:15: conclusion of "Springfield Mountain." Burl Ives varies this part by partly speaking and partly singing. 19:28: originally known as "The Jolly Fellow," or also as "Come, Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl" and some variants, it is dated by scholars to the mid-17th century and was inspired by an even earlier song. 49:23: "Devilish Mary," traditional, can't find when first written or collected.

Season 5, episode 17: 0:00: "Sourwood Mountain," traditional, attributed to different composers going back to at least 1880 and said to have originated from "Springfield Mountain," based on a true event from 1761. 39:17: "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers," a minstrel song penned by African-American James A. Bland in 1879.

Season 5, episode 19: 0:00: "Pick a Bale of Cotton," traditional of African American origin which seems to have originated during slavery so would date to 1865 or earlier. The phrase "Oh Lordy" in this song's chorus appears to have been introduced by American folk musician Huddie Ledbetter, known as Lead Belly, in 1945. (In the version we sang in school in the 1970s it was "Oh Mandy." Probably banned altogether from school use now.) 7:28: "Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie." The earliest known performance of "Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie" dates to 1936, and was popularized by Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. It was either written by Ledbetter or adapted by him from an earlier traditional song. 27:16: Usually sung as "He's Gone Away," though here John Davidson sings, "I'm Goin' Away," the phrase used by Carl Sandburg in "The American Songbag" in 1928. Sandburg's book popularized the best known version of this American folk song said to date from the Civil War, but which may well be of Scottish origin, as it bears some distinct resemblance to "The Lass of Roch Royal" (also known as Child #76). Some believe it may date from the late 18th century, as the phrase “10,000 miles” is meaningless in terms of the Civil War but does make sense for the British Empire. This song with a distinct Appalachian sound contains a lot of "floaters," or phrases which turn up in a lot of songs. A pampered girl needing help getting dressed does not seem to fit well in Appalachia but well might in a song referring to nobility in Scotland. Bottom line: all three of these songs came into the form used here in the 20th Century but could have originated much earlier.

Another one I left out earlier, written for these episodes. Season 2, episode 29: Starting at 0:00: Jerry Wallace sings "A Man With a Dream" by Ernie Sheldon. Also Season 2, episode 30, starting at 0:42.

Season 5, Episode 21: Music: 5:30: "The Three Little Pigs" by Sir Alfred Scott-Gatty, first sung by him in 1870, printed that year as sheet music, and later published in a book collection. Some of the words have been changed here. I don't read music very well but looking at the sheet music the tune does not appear to be the same either. Same story with the same moral somewhat reworded. https://irishsheetmusicarchives.com/Sheet-Music-Catalog/Three-Little-Pigs-The-AlCon-SL-00-066.htm 17:16: "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago," which seems to have first been published in 1894 as "I Am a Highly Educated Man," with lyrics by Harry C. Clyde and music by H. C. Verner. 32:32: Israel sings the chorus to "Come, Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl." 36:25: "The Three Little Pigs" reprise. 42:55: Little ditty about Homer. 48:45: "The Boston Tea Tax," published as early as 1840. Unclear whether it really dates to the Revolution or was written later.

Season 5, episode 26: 3:48: Daniel plays and sings a tune reminiscent of an Irish melody to which several songs have been set, notably "Rosin the Bow." This tune may very well be traditional.

Season 6, episode 1: A few words about John Chapman, aka "Johnny Appleseed," played here by Roger Miller. He wasn't born until 1774, and considering that Season 1 was 1775, at one year per season this should still be only 1780 so Johnny should be about five years old here. Israel Boone was fifteen years older than Johnny Appleseed. Johnny did not start his apple seed journeys until 1806, which is still within the boundaries pushed by the series, which included events as late as 1807. Johnny traveled far and wide but never to Kentucky. To my knowledge there is no record of Johnny being musical. He was legendary for many things including wearing a cooking pot on his head, not depicted here, although he carries a couple of cooking pots which clang together. Music: 1:20: Johnny is making up a song about his travels. Songs here likely composed by Roger Miller. 3:07: Song about Adam and Eve, similar to a song which has gone under several titles and was said to have been written as "Song of Creation" by William H. Bozarth in Grayson, Kentucky in 1818. 5:20: "Oh, the Summertime is a-Comin' In," a variation of “Sumer is Icumen In” which is written down in an illuminated manuscript dating from the early 1260s and found at Reading Abbey. One of the earliest songs used here if not the earliest. 11:51: "Come to Me," probably written for this episode. 21:00: "Oh, the Summertime is a-Comin' In." 30:36: "Three Brave Men Set Out to Fight," can't find origin for this one. 33:04: "And Those Who Would Never Come Back to This Town," sounds like he's making this up. 42:35: Johnny makes up a healing song to the tune of "Oh, the Summertime is a-Comin' In." 44:40: "Scarborough Fair," which has origins dating back to at least 1670. This is a different tune than that popularized by Simon and Garfunkel who recorded it in 1966, but there are doubtless various versions.
(Continued below.)

Season 6, Episode 1 continued: 45:54: "Oh, the Summertime is a-Comin' In," embellished with nonsense in Roger Miller's unique personal style. 47:00: Johnny starts to finish the song he started at the beginning. 48:14: Johnny leaves singing the same song.