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It seems like mountain songs come from two places: the South, the home of original mountain music, and the West, where bands are either signing about Colorado or are from Colorado. Of course, there are plenty of exceptions, but the majority of iconic songs about mountains tend to fall in one of those two categories. But, there just aren’t that many songs about mountains – unlike, say, pop songs about love, or songs about drugs, or songs about money.
In no particular order:
1. John Denver, “Rocky Mountain High”
This song needs no introduction: famous for being famous, famous for its use in a Coors commercial, and famous for being voted Colorado’s second official state song in 2007. Of course, not everyone loves it, and that’s okay, but there’s not much denying that it’s probably the first to come to a lot of people’s minds when you say “mountain song.” LINK
2. Loretta Lynn, “High On a Mountain Top”
Loretta Lynn was cool before she was friends with Jack White of the White Stripes. Go ahead and attempt to not sing along with her on this track. LINK
3. The Osborne Brothers, “Rocky Top”
FYI, “Rocky Top” is actually not the University of Tennessee’s official fight song, but was adopted by the college’s band in 1972 and might as well be the official fight song in most folks’ minds. LINK
4. Fleet Foxes, “Blue Ridge Mountains”
Not traditional mountain music in any sense, this haunting Fleet Foxes track makes a single reference to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and will make images of wood nymphs appear in your head. LINK
5. Neil Young, “Sugar Mountain”
Actually about lamenting lost youth, and a club Neil Young used to visit as a teenager. LINK
6. Dolly Parton, “Tennessee Mountain Home”
One of the most recognized Dolly Parton songs of all time, this one was actually not much of a hit for Parton. But because quite useful as a theme song at Dollywood. LINK
7. Townes Van Zandt, “Snowin on Raton”
Townes Van Zandt said he loved playing shows in Colorado, because he didn’t have to explain where Raton, New Mexico was (just across the border from Trinidad, on I-25). LINK
8. Harry McClintock, “Big Rock Candy Mountain”
Although there are a couple Big Rock Candy Mountains in the U.S. (one of which is the biggest chunk of exposed rock in Colorado’s South Platte), Harry McClintock’s song is about hobo heaven – the big rock candy mountain. LINK
9. Led Zeppelin, “Misty Mountain Hop”
OK, it’s barely about mountains. Or is it? Ask Robert Plant. LINK
10. Joe Walsh, “Rocky Mountain Way”
The words to “Rocky Mountain Way” came to Joe Walsh when he was mowing his front yard in Colorado, and he walked away from the running lawnmower to write them down. The lawnmower rolled into his neighbor’s garden and destroyed it. The song, and the album it appeared on, The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get, was Walsh’s breakthrough as a solo artist. LINK
11. Toots and the Maytals, “Country Roads” (cover)
Yes, it’s a John Denver song, and when Toots sings it, he changes “West Virginia” to “West Jamaica,” which is actually the less mountainous part of Jamaica, well, one writer for Rolling Stone said it was like John Denver wrote this song for Toots to sing. LINK
12. Flatt & Scruggs, “Blue Ridge Cabin Home”
Classic bluegrass from the legendary Earl Scruggs and the equally legendary Lester Flatt: “When I die won’t you bury me on the mountain/Far away near my Blueridge mountain home” LINK
13. Flatt & Scruggs, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”
See previous, but no singing, just masterful banjo and guitar work by Mr. Flatt and Mr. Scruggs. LINK
14. First Aid Kit, “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” (cover)
This cover of a Fleet Foxes song put sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg on the map – if you’d heard of them before they recorded it in 2008 and put it on YouTube, you probably lived in their native Sweden. LINK
15. Yonder Mountain String Band, “Half Moon Rising”
“Progressive bluegrass,” “jamgrass,” or “hippiegrass,” or bluegrass + Colorado = these guys. Is this a mountain song? They’re from Nederland, and there’s a mention of the Great Divide. We say yes. LINK
16. Phish, “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent”
Phish’s song about a mountain climb, usually lasts between five and 20 minutes when they play it at a show and is part of a larger Phish mythology/storyline, which I don’t know anything about, but Phish fans can tell you. LINK
17. Alabama, “Mountain Music”
An absolute anthem of the South. LINK
Photo by Shutterstock
Dude, check out the Brandi Carlile/Emmylou Harris version of TMHCR on the new John Denver tribute album. Don’t know if it’s better then Toots, but it’s good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEf5zGeE7xU
That whole album is OFF THE METER! The Amos Lee rendition of Some Days are Diamonds is great.
Great tip. Beautiful!
High and lonsesome, God don’t ever let this mountain change, by Charlie daniels
Donovan – “First There is a Mountain”
The Allman Brothers borrowed the melody and turned it into the iconic jam: “Mountain Jam”
Then of course how could you forget The Marshall Tucker Band – “Fire on the Mountain”
Awesome list – I would also include Van Zandt’s “Colorado Girl”
“Mountain Sound” by Of Monsters and Men clearly deserves to live on this list. 🙂
Thanks for mentioning this so I didn’t have to! Great song.
Agreed. Great list. Another would be Van Zandt’s “My Proud Mountains.”
Honorable mention??
The Cult – Aphrodisiac Jacket
Janes Addiction – Mountain Song
GD – Mountains of the Moon
War – Spill the Wine
Levon – The Mountain
the Electric album is on my ipod
What about the Classic European folk song of hiking/climbing: the “Happy Wanderer” – I think Julie Andrews did this in “The Sound of Music”, but the Muppets have a funnier version… check YouTube!!
Add String Cheese Incident’s “Windy Mountain” to this list, a great mountain song from a true Colorado mountain band.
“The snow blows sideways up on windy mountain,
Blows right on by my door.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TRmAytPc80
What about the sing along, “I love the mountains?” That one is always stuck in my head on brutal skibikehikerun climbs.
Hat tip hombre!
Awesome list. Things like this aren’t ever complete, so I’d add to it The Flatlanders, “Keeper of the Mountains.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7P5CZAapmw
What? No Janes Addiction? Ok, so it seemingly has little to do with mountains, but Mountain Song is a great song.
Love this.
Blitzen Trapper “Wild Mountain Nation” should be on there as well
Spotify that list up!!
What Jonny said 🙂
Done…
http://open.spotify.com/user/126561693/playlist/6xipMaOLmcsP2y8c0rwjO5
Thanks Kevin!
Landslide…
There it is.
“Railroad Earth” – by Railroad Earth
Janes Addiction — Mountain Song
Jimi Hendrix — Voodoo Child
Grateful Dead — Fire on the Mountain
Pink Floyd — Fearless
Check out Takenobu’s “Limbo” song, it’s name doesn’t have “mountain” but it’s a wonderful and upbeat song:
“Mountains know my name…”
Definitely Elephant Revival’s “Sing to the Mountain”
Also Baywood’s “I Can Breathe Again” – no explicit use of the word ‘mountain,’ but it captures the spirit perfectly.
YES!!!
Gotta go with Jake… I was listening and watching this as I read your list about mountain songs.
Fire On The Mountain, Grateful Dead Live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNxsL9G9r6g
Done…
I would also like to throw my hat into the ring for The Mountains of Nuevo Leon by Paul Eason. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgcGdaB1kKQ
Gotta throw out the Ozark Mountain Daredevils – Colorado Song…
http://youtu.be/9USx1Dpoj-8
Beatles, “Fool on the Hill”. One of the songs that went through my head climbing Mt. Russell many years ago.
How about
Blues Traveler “the mountains win again”
I guess I’m the only person that has lost to nature.
Blues Traveler “the mountains win again”
Man vs Nature
Who wins?
Modest Mouse “Blame it on the Tetons” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1UzPkkuOtU
Dolorean “These slopes give me hope” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSK3TmKTrF4
Missing 1 serious contribution to Colorado mountain songs
C.W. McCall, father of the “trucker” pop movement in the 70’s. Eventually was the mayor of
Black Bear Road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzWyZ-jM9Is
Another good one… Wolf Creek Pass in big loaded up with Chickens…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6LzWZYWpOU
then there’s about 10 more that are good but a little harder to listen to…v
And perhaps these forgotten gems….the lyrics of these songs are incredible.
Iron & Wine–“Upward over the mountain”
Billy Bragg and Wilco “Remember the mountain bed”
Midlake “Small Mountain”
Patty Griffin “Up to the Mountain (MLK song)”
Steve Earle and Del McCoury Band-“The Mountain”
Midnight Oil “King of the Mountain”
I have a few more good ones, some were mentioned already, but here goes:
Fire on the Mountain – Grateful Dead
Fire on the Mountain – Marshall Tucker Band – completely different song from the Dead version
The Mountains Win Again – Blues Traveler
Black Mountain Side – Led Zeppelin – nice instrumental
King of the Mountain – Midnight Oil
Queen of the Mountain – Burning Spear
Man on the Silver Mountain – Ritchie Blackmore
Mountain Jam – Allman Brothers
Wild Mountain Honey – Steve Miller Band
Snake Mountain Blues – Townes Van Zandt
Blues Travelers~ The Mountains Win Again
Just because a song has the word “mountain” in the title doesn’t make it a mountain song. Songs like Rita Cantu’s “High Country” and Denver’s “Dancing With The Mountains” are closer to the mark.
“Go Down Easy” by Dan Fogelberg on his High Country Snows album keeps my mind in the mountains whenever I hear it. Didn’t hurt that the music video of the song included telemark skiing…..
“Mountain Pass” off the same High Country Snows album by Dan Fogelberg is right up there too in my book for keeping my mind in the mountains….
Think it’s called HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING by Led Zepplin! “Come from the land of the ice and snow where the midnight sun and the hard winds blow…”
Check out The Johnson Party’s “Into The Wild”. Not strictly about mountains, but getting out to where your cell phone doesn’t work.
That Zeppelin cut is called “Immigrant Song.” Check out Gorrilaz “Fire Coming out of the Monkey’s Head,” a great, weird song about a mountain (sort of).
Here’s a mixtape I made of songs about Mountains on Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/user/markida/playlist/68gIw2qTjwxji0WzsdheV6
Be sure to check out some of my others, including a Desert Road Songs mixtape, a Hillbilly inspired one and others!
Enjoy!
Upwards Over The Mountain – Iron & Wine
Ripplin’ Water by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Ridin’ The Storm Out – REO Speedwagon. “Waitin’ On the fallout, On a full moon night in the Rocky Mountain Winter”
The Mountain by Jon Foreman!!
The Edge of the Earth by Switchfoot
Although Lemonheads “Outdoor Man” is about being non-mountain-y, it’s a classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-r2BARj6Oo
I can’t go away with you on a rock climbing weekend
What if somethings on tv and its never shown again
Its just as well I’m not invited I’m afraid of heights
I lied about being the outdoor type
E*I*E*I*O – Blue Mountain Top
Way out of sync with any so far mentioned but definitely a mountain song, The Blue Canadian Rockies, written by a Texan (Cindy Walker) and covered by any number of famous (or once-famous) Americans, starting with Gene Autrey. Sure, it’s been aound a long time. So have the mountains.
A previous poster mentioned C.W. McCall and listed some good songs but in my opinion missed McCalls’s best mountain song, “Mountains On My Mind”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVpzatiyr1k And for bonus information, his songwriting partners and band were Mannheim Steamroller (before they became MS) of Christmas CD/Fresh Aire fame.
And as long as we’re throwing out songs with “Mountain” in the title, Bruce Hornsby has “Stander on the Mountain” and “Candy Mountain Run”.
Happy listening!
I think you forgot one of the most beautiful ones:
Joe Cockers “Up Where We Belong” which is mostly about love, but the theme is mountains.
Found it here on the tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5h02ZmeB5c
Greetings from a Danish Mountain climber
/Bo
It’s a new one Blackberry Smoke- Mother Mountain
Paul Simon, Hearts and Bones
One and one-half wandering Jews
Free to wander wherever they choose
Are travelling together
In the Sangre de Cristo
The Blood of Christ Mountains
Of New Mexico
On the last leg of the journey
They started a long time ago
The arc of a love affair
Rainbows in the high desert air….
“Cold Missouri Waters” by James Keelaghan, no doubt.
https://youtu.be/qomNoN7MCYg
The Mountain Low, Palace Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwYEJUc__ms
NSFW
Didn’t know that signing about Colorado was such a thing in the West. I’ll have to learn how! Thanks for the tip Brendan!
Well…….” There Ain’t No Mountain High Enough to Keep Me Away From You, Babe”
Grandfather Mountain by Railroad Earth may as well have been written by a tour guide from the state park.
Also, their song Long Way to Go is pretty much a hiking anthem.
Hyperballad—Björk