Sourwood Mountain/Cripple Creek

Becky played these two last night at the jam. Wonderfully done. We all had a great time playing them.
Here is a youtube of the combination played together in medley.(Thornton Spencer, fiddler, accompanied by two children, Emily and Kilby. (thanks for my friends in VA for the info)



Chords to Sourwood Mountain are
Part A
D-|D-|D-|A7D|D-|GA7|D-|A7D|| OR G D7 G D7 G

Lyrics are

Chickens are a crowing on Sourwood mountain,
Hey Ho Diddle Dum Day.
So many pretty girls you can't count them,
hey ho diddle dum day.
My true love she lives in Letcher,
hey ho diddle dum day.
She won't come and I won't fetch her,
hey ho diddle dum day.




Chickens crowin' on Sourwood Mountain
Hey-ho diddle-um day
So many pretty girls I can't count em
Hey-ho diddle-um day

My true love's a blue eyed daisy
Hey-ho diddle-um day
She won't come and I'm too lazy
Hey-ho diddle-um day

Big dog bark, little dog bite you
Hey-ho diddle-um day
Big girl courts, little one spite you
Hey-ho diddle-um day

My true love's a blue eyed daisy
Hey-ho diddle-um day
If I don't get her, I'll go crazy
Hey-ho diddle-um day

My true love lives at the head of the hollow
Hey-ho diddle-um day
She won't come and I won't follow
Hey-ho diddle-um day

My true love lives over the river
Hey-ho diddle-um day
Few more jumps and I'll be with her
Hey-ho diddle-um day

Ducks in the pond, geese in the ocean
Hey-ho diddle-um day
Devil's in the women, if they take a notion
Hey-ho diddle-um day


Cripple Creek is one of the first fiddle tunes I learned to flatpick, but alas not well.
Lyrics for Cripple Creek are said to get a bit bawdy. Here is what I found.I could not find anything online very much bawdy.

Here is the traditional tame version. One of them anyway.

I got a gal at the head of the creek
Goin up t' see her 'bout the middle of the week
Kiss her on the mouth, just as sweet as any wine
Wraps herself around me like a sweet potatoe vine

Goin' up t' Cripple Creek, goin' on the run
Goin' up t' Cripple Creek t' have a little fun
Goin' up t' Cripple Creek, goin in a whirl
Goin' up t' Cripple Creek t' see my girl

Girls up on Cripple Creek about half grown
Jump on a man like a dog on a bone
I'll roll my britches up to my knees
An' wade in ol' Cripple Creek when I please

Goin' up t' Cripple Creek, goin' on the run
Goin' up t' Cripple Creek t' have a little fun
Goin' up t' Cripple Creek, goin in a whirl
Goin' up t' Cripple Creek t' see my



Here is another version


Cripple Creek

I got a girl and she loves me
She's as sweet as she can be
She got eyes of baby blue
Makes my gun shoot straight and true

Goin' up Cripple Creek
Goin' on a run
Goin' up Cripple Creek
to have a little fun
Goin' in a whirl,
Goin' up Cripple Creek
To see my girl

Cripple Creek's wide and Cripple Creek's deep
I'll wade old Cripple Creek before I sleep
Roll my britches up to my knees,
I'll wade old Cripple Creek when I please

Repeat Chorus

I went down to Cripple Creek
To see what them girls had to eat
I got drunk and fell against the wall
Old corn liquor was the cause of it all

Repeat Chorus

Well I married a wife in the month of June
I married her up by the light of the moon
We live down on Cripple Creek
We've been there about a week

Repeat Chorus

I got a gal at the head of the creek
And I'm goin' down to see her 'bout the middle of the week
Kiss her on mouth just as sweet as any wine
Wraps herself around me like a sweet potato vine.

Repeat Chorus