About the song
“Mountain Music” is a song recorded by American country music band Alabama, written by lead singer Randy Owen. It was released in January 1982 as the lead-off single and title track to Alabama’s album Mountain Music.[2]
About the song
“Mountain Music” — a song melding the Southern rock and bluegrass genres — has variously been described by country music writers as “a modern country classic”[3] and a song that “practically defined what country groups have strived to accomplish.”[4]
According to Randy Owen’s book Born Country, “Mountain Music” took him three years to write. He wanted to put his childhood experiences into a song.
The song references chert rocks, which according to the band is one song lyric that is commonly misheard.
Vocals
“Mountain Music” is one of the few Alabama songs where solo vocals can prominently be heard from band members Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook (in the song’s third verse, where lead singer Owen trades off lead vocals with his bandmates).
Brad Paisley’s 2011 single “Old Alabama” incorporates the bridge from “Mountain Music”, again sung by Owen, Gentry and Cook.[5]
Single and album edits
The single edit to “Mountain Music”, released for retail sale and radio airplay, cuts the following from the album version:
The introduction, in which an old mountain philosopher speaks about someday climbing a mountain. This Walter Brennan impression was done by Bob Martin, a guitar handler and roadie with the band. It refers to a song Brennan recorded called “Old Rivers”, which repeats the line “… one of these days I’m gonna climb that mountain…”[6] A harmonica solo can also be heard at the very beginning.
A series of guitar riffs slowly builds in tempo from slow to very fast. This is nestled between the third refrain and the fast-tempoed fiddle-heavy musical bridge before the finalé.
Video
Lyrics
Oh, play me some mountain music
Like grandma and grandpa used to play
Then I’ll float on down the river
To a Cajun hideaway
Drift away like Tom Sawyer
Ride a raft with ol’ Huck Finn
Take a nap like Rip Van Winkle
Daze dreamin’ again
Oh, play me some mountain music
Like grandma and grandpa used to play
Then I’ll float on down the river
To a Cajun hideaway
Swim across the river
Just to prove that I’m a man
Spend the day bein’ lazy
Just bein’ nature’s friend
Climb a long tall hick’ry
Bend it over, skinnin’ cats
Playin’ baseball with chert rocks
Usin’ sawmill slabs for bats
Play some back-home, come-on music
That comes from the heart
Play somethin’ with lots of feelin’
‘Cause that’s where music has to start
Oh, play me some mountain music
Like grandma and grandpa used to play
Then I’ll float on down the river
To a Cajun hideaway, hey, hey!
Oh, play me mountain music
Oh, play me mountain music
Oh, play me mountain music
Oh, play (yee-haw!)