When's the last time you heard THIS song?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

The Big Rock Candy Mountains

On a summer day in the month of May a burly bum came hiking
Down a shady lane through the sugar cane, he was looking for his liking.
As he roamed along he sang a song of the land of milk and honey
Where a bum can stay for many a day, and he won't need any money

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

There's a lake of gin we can both jump in, and the handouts grow on bushes
In the new-mown hay we can sleep all day, and the bars all have free lunches
Where the mail train stops and there ain't no cops, and the folks are tender-hearted
Where you never change your socks and you never throw rocks,
And your hair is never parted

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

Oh, a farmer and his son, they were on the run, to the hay field they were bounding
Said the bum to the son, "Why don't you come to the big rock candy mountains?"
So the very next day they hiked away, the mileposts they were counting
But they never arrived at the lemonade tide, on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

One evening as the sun went down and the jungle fires were burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking, and he said "Boys, I'm not turning."
"I'm heading for a land that's far away beside the crystal fountains;"
"So come with me, we'll go and see the Big Rock Candy Mountains."

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, there's a land that's fair and bright,
The handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars all are empty and the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees and the cigarete trees,
The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, all the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hay
Oh I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall, the wind don't blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, you never change your socks
And little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too
And you can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains the jails are made of tin,
And you can walk right out again as soon as you are in
There ain't no short-handled shovels, no axes, saws or picks,
I'm a-goin' to stay where you sleep all day
Where they hung the jerk that invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

I'll see you all this comin' fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountains!

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

1. Um.... never?

:shrug:

[Left Is Write]

2. I used to play it on the piano.

It was in a piano book my mother had had when she was learning piano as a kid, and the lyrics were somewhat different.

[tuvor]

3. Sang it in grade...three?

Laughed at the word "bum".

[gmoney]

4. Love the Beat Farmers version

...but last time I heard it was over the opening credits of "O Brother Where Art Thou?"

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

8. Yep, that's exactly where I heard it last night!

I LOVE that movie....

[gmoney]

11. The Beat Farmer version lyrics

One evening as the sun went down, the jungle fires were burnin'
Down the tracks came a hobo hikin', and he said: Boys, I'm not turnin'
I'm headed for a land that's far away beside the crystal fountain
Come with me we'll go and see the Big Rock Candy Mountain

In the Big Rock Candy Mountain there's a land that's fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars all are empty and the sun shines everyday
Ah the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountain

In the Big Rock Candy Mountain all the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay hard-boiled eggs
The farmers' trees are full of fruit, the barns are full of hay
I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall and the wind don't blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountain

In the Big Rock Candy Mountain you never change your socks
And little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too
You can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountain

I'll see you all this comin' fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountain

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=40285327&selectedItemId=40285365

[StClone]

5. As a Kid my family played the Album (Hank Williams?)

Frequently and it is part of the soundtrack of "O Brother, Where Art Thou." That fun little song adds to that movie.

[MuseRider]

6. Just the other day.

I was listening to my sound track of "Oh Brother". Great tune, my father used to sing (?) that when I was little.

[AlienGirl]

7. Such a sad song!

To me it always sounds like the speaker in the song is preparing to die, rather happily, and looking forward to the afterlife. It's melancholy and I love it (because I'm a sucker for that sort of thing)!

Tucker

[Initech]

9. My dad has the O Brother soundtrack and plays it NON STOP!!!!

It's driving me crazy!!!

Oh and Big Rock Candy Mountain is #2.

[sparky_in_ma]

10. Yesterday

Playing the "O'Brother" CD.