A tribute to Charlie Patton, composed by Fahey in Yazoo City, Mississippi, … Read Full Bio ↴A tribute to Charlie Patton, composed by Fahey in Yazoo City, Mississippi, in 1963. Open C tuning. [Technical note: to the best of the editors' knowledge there are no examples of the use of open C tuning prior to the first recordings of Fahey and Robbie Basho, indicating it may have been a Fahey innovation.]

Sunflower River Blues
John Fahey Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by John Fahey:

Blueberry Hill I found my thrill On Blueberry Hill On Blueberry Hill Whe…
Boddle Am Shake Boodle am, boodle am, boodle am, boodle am, boo Toodle am,…
I I wish I knew how It would feel to be free I…
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear It came upon the midnight clear That glorious song of old Fr…
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning Fred: Well, keep a-your lamp Annie Mae: (Trimmed an burni…
Layla What'll you do when you get lonely And nobody's waiting by…
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town I just came back from a lovely trip along the…
Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
St Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…

The Christmas Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
The Little Drummer Boy Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum Our newborn King…
Tulip I met you in a garden in an old Kentucky…
Will The Circle be Unbroken I was standing by my window On one cold and cloudy…

You On and on she'll walk this earth Her face like a…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS

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Comments from YouTube:

@matthewcoombs3282

2y↑73

I love how Fahey created his own universe with his music. It is a place I want to live in forever.

@bustermot

2y↑3

Be careful

@alcoholya

1y↑1

@@bustermot temper expectations with alcohol...

@TheSludgeMan

46w↑1

Nicely put

@nbafan7260

45w↑2

its called america

@skronked

39w↑1

Yessir

@richardburt9812

3y↑43

Learned it in college, 1973. Incredibly beautiful harmonic effects. Fahey's attack and the way he raises the volume for some parts and then lowers again for the foundational parts are unique. Even the sound of his fingerpicks on the guitar strings.

@guitarmuse2

What was the tuning on this song? I am guessing it isn't standard.

@girmonsproductions

1y↑1

@@guitarmuse2 it is open C

@nancyeaton731

1y↑1

He loved classical music, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he picked this up from the dynamic change rules used in repetitive phrases of classical compositions.

@totallyrufus

47w↑2

It must be nice to be old and not have much time left on this crazy earth. I'm only 32 and have a long time left. I don't want to be in this woke world. I want to live how people did in the old days when things weren't so politically correct.

@BlindArthurBlake

14w

@@totallyrufusI am 54. Creating your own reality exclusive of the dull bars and hammers of society is a survival skill. Trends come and go. To thine own self be true, and all that.

And work on learning some songs in open C tuning. It's fun to swim around in once ya get the hang of it

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@lenfantdestoises3048

10y↑123

I love when that tune comes in at the end of dogfight, it's such a great movie.

@Ralphoifyful

6y↑10

Such a pity they didn't use it for any actual scene in the film, but it was still a great surprise to hear it

@heymoe70

4y↑7

I just finished watching it and had to hear this song again. Wonderful! 😍

@nottavictim5

4y↑6

Just saw it! Had to shoot right over. Powerful version

@riverbanzachamploo9725

3y↑2

me too.

@mikehawkertz9237

3y↑1

Check out Elizabeth Cotton - Vastopol. I believe John ripped off that song

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@mikesaundersnyc5200

1y↑12

John Fahey : #35 on the Rolling Stone list of top 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

@johnmcleod8961

14w↑1

beautiful...the music that he's able to create out of these alternatve tunings is truly inspiring.

@aPasPlainjane

5y↑43

glad to hear this, and glad Mr. Fahey is being remembered.

@mikehawkertz9237

Pretty sure he may have ripped this song off of Elizabeth Cotton - Vastopol

@BlindArthurBlake

14w↑2

He may have borrowed a harmonic idea here and there perhaps in the same way Elmore James would use parts of Robert Johnson songs. But the major difference is this song is in an open C tuning and Elizabeth Cotten's Vastapol is in open D. The chord fingerings are different. Also, they aren't exactly identical when you listen to them back to back

Who wrote the Midnight Special? Was it Leadbelly because his is famous? Or Crying Sam Collins because he recorded it first?

I think there's room enough in the world for interpretation

@aPasPlainjane

14w

@@BlindArthurBlake been listening and enjoying blues and jazz for about six decades. Dad had a fair amount of jazz records which i benefited from greatly. I started my record collection with Leadbelly and i think he remains very relevant today ( wash dc is a bourgeoise town- i lived there, and his Titanic echos down the years, with the latest victims to arrogance being the teflon bullet, the Titan, which self imploded within the last two years killing 5.).
No one totally invents music; everything rests on what came before.

There's an interesting 2 min youtube video Donovan put out a couple of years ago, remarking on the genesis of music from his area (Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and England), making the journey to America, becoming American country and folk (blues on a separate track), then all of the above being rolled into the British invasion, and rolled back to England and the rest of the world. I think his point is well taken. I always respect the originators and those that play their hearts out, even without getting famous. But we all borrow. Mostly the writers remain obscure, and an artist may receive extra credit. But i would ask if the music comes from us, or from some place beyond us.

@DwainDwight

5y↑37

Simply unbelievable. Endless tone & emotion in his playing.

@adbksl

2y↑6

One of my favorite films. The soundtrack is very nostalgic and on point with the Era and scenes.

@baxterwilliams9290

34w↑6

I would not be surprised if this song inspired some of Going to California has a similar feel

@kamacazi8

4y↑31

Dogfight movie, saw it in full for the first time today. I saw it twice in a row. Never done that with a movie, finish it and start it again.. at least not as an adult haha. Pure passion and love, leading with your heart and eventually finding an opposite attraction. luck and passion in it's purest form, may we all be so lucky in this rare form.

@riverbanzachamploo9725

3y↑6

me too. i first saw it 2 days ago. time. i watched it three times, then went to sleep, then woke up again and watched. it's my new favorite movie.

@kamacazi8

3y↑1

@@riverbanzachamploo9725 Better late then never!. Some things speak to us, in our own timeframe. The art/material is timeless, just depends on us when we soak it up

@riverbanzachamploo9725

3y↑2

@@kamacazi8 Agreed

@keithpopko2540

I just saw it on TCM a couple of days ago for the first time ever. When it first came out I passed on it because I didn't care for the premise, but I gave it a shot when I found it on TCM. Wow, great movie with great acting and chemistry between River Phoenix and Lily Taylor. It will remain in their archives for a couple of weeks. I've seen it four times in the last two days.

@hausofvishy8695

2y↑10

So groovy like pastoral folk like youth and summer

@SamGulliver

5y↑32

What a mood

@Epiclater

3y↑10

Sends me chills

@paulgraves8302

2y↑6

Love it , the part where he go's down kind of sounds like the Led Zeppelin song "Poor Tom "

@jureysprudence

7y↑30

The Sunflower River flows next to Indianola, Ms. where BB King reigned.

@loontil

Riiiight...

@hausofvishy8695

3y↑7

Jiimmy Page , Elizabeth Cotton and Mississippi John Hurt are dancing to this i feel

@nathanael8612

3y↑1

I agree with Elizabeth an John, I really like the photos of them together they seemed like they got along well. John is a sweet man an Elizabeth a sweet woman:)

@nathanael8612

3y↑1

Also this is very reminiscent of honey babe your papa cares for you, that one certain part you can hear it

@hausofvishy8695

@@nathanael8612 Sure is

@Spencerxo

11y↑13

beautiful

@jonathanzielke2280

5y↑35

I am currently trying to learn some Fahey pieces to do a tribute show. So influential for me.

@StLSonata

5y↑1

Grab the best of fahey tab pdf from delta slider blog.. It's so good man. This is the first song in the book.

@andersonbispovieira7937

6y↑11

Simplesmente maravilhoso

@maestaspg

2y↑4

For Eddie Birdlace and Rose!

@lambertroberts

9y↑4

The Yellow Princess !!!

@ericjhaber

6y↑17

This scene in Master of None always makes me cry

@StLSonata

5y↑1

Guess I'm gonna have to rewatch it.

@jonathanmauldin8801

Which scene???

@ambieofilms

5y↑1

@@jonathanmauldin8801 Season 2 episode 9 Storm King Art Center

@Klaus312

4y↑2

Good stuff

@ivantg4028

3y↑27

I can't help but imagine Jimmy Page being influenced by this.

@JPhil1961

3y↑6

He was on the 3rd album Led Zeppelin 3

@PimBataille

3y↑7

Bron-Yr-Aur always makes me think of John Fahey personally

@JPhil1961

@@PimBataille same here

@MaxSabbath666

3y↑1

@@JPhil1961 there are parts of this that sound like "poor tom"

@bradleykb

First thing i thought of too!

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@coatlennon

5y↑17

First Fahey tune i learned, open C, and there's a great bit where you don't have to fret and you can slide your finger along the the low E string which is now tuned to C

@jeffsech

4y↑6

Open C, the poor man's 12-string!

@donwilkie

2y↑1

I love open C I have even tuned my bass into open C for that really low sound

@icydelon

2y↑1

holy damn

@everyday316

7y↑6

Excellent

@budzugan

2y↑2

some parts remind me of Led Zeppelin´s Poor Tom so very much

@donniemaxwell6864

9y↑4

Oh yeah...

@paullevine1813

No denying that 12 string, You can hear where Leo borrowed some licks, not to mention the rest of us...

@MrFloopy99

+paul levine in America yes but not here

@xenophonon123

3y↑4

whfs 102.3 bethesda, maryland brought me here. (marhalo, cerphe )

@peanisface3950

2y↑3

isnt this the same as Poor Boys Long Way From Home?

@donnlarossa9173

8y↑9

John had that Leo Kottke style maybe before Leo Kottke? lol Early i was playing him and Jansch and Renbourn and Joe Pass and Grant Green and Gabor Szabo licks ...big influences

@donnlarossa9173

8y↑1

Wow cool thanx...

@rhymeocerous

6y↑2

Fahey & Jansch were both such absolute originals.

@pboyfan

4y↑3

Fahey discovered Kottke.

@wavepainter

3y↑1

Leo Koke, playing a Fahey song, said onstage..."...John Fahey made my life. The best friend I ever had."

@karlshrader6997

2y↑1

You can hear Kottke's Busted Bicycle in there

@danielromano7615

eestupendo unico,,

@warriorroad5076

7y↑2

jeff tweedy brought me here

@scottgall8383

It's alright

@ronnieparker4311

24w↑2

I can hear where jimmy page got his acoustic licks ! Very led zeppelin ish !!!! Fahey 🤘 space ace ron ⚡️⚡️⚡️

@user-bt3bo7hl6f

29w

I hear a lot of Fleetwood Mac in this.

@cwmiller2006

2y↑2

Dog Fight brought me here

@dickjohnson1158

4y↑18

Josh Turner guitar

@elijahevans9430

4y↑1

Yes sir

@uglyawesome

4y↑2

Dick Johnson Welcome. I found Josh Turner through my love of John Fahey!

@tehee-

4y↑2

That guy is nothing but a flash in the pan compared to the master.

@cunard61

4y↑3

Josh Turner is no flash in the pan, I can assure you, his guitar skills are among the best I've heard today, and his cover of this classic is worthy of the master himself.

@tehee-

4y↑1

@@cunard61 He is the most emotionless musician I've ever seen. He plays by the lines, never feels the music.

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@cresentsun4

7y↑20

Master of None

@anapaulavilla2839

1y↑1

Dogfight! <3

@jessbowden8874

8y↑3

My Michelle, guns N roses intro???.......

@mikehawkertz9237

3y↑2

This sounds ALOT like Vastopol by Elizabeth Cotton who is a lot older I believe... did He rip that song off ??

@Oliv3rb

3y↑16

vestapol is an old tune. elizabeth cotton didnt write it either. I dont think john fahey ever claimed ownership of it. though there is obviously the dirty history of rich white artists taking old folk tunes of unknown origin, played by black blues artists, and recording them thereby acquiring copyright. I dont think thats the case here. it comes from a tune called the Siege of Sevastopol about the crimean war. john faheys 'Poor Boy Long Way From Home' is also a take on Vestapol I believe.

@poopadoopalis

3y↑1

@@Oliv3rb Obviously it had nothing to do with musical talent and professionalism.

@frog9695

The section after the main riff sounds an awful lot like Jackson by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash while we're on the topic

@SuzieKew

23w

Yes, 'Poor Boy' has a lot in common with Vestapol, not least for being in the same open tuning, usually known as Vestapol tuning. But Sunflower River Blues is quite different, in Open C, where the low string is a C, giving it a really deep bass feel, and the intervals between strings are different to Open D/Vestapol.

@deenibeeniable

3y↑10

I'll get flamed if I say how much more soul I think Fahey has than Kottke, so I won't say it.

@stephstilley1305

2y↑3

i agree so hard with this lol my dad gets pissed off at me whenever i say the same thing

@deenibeeniable

2y↑2

@@stephstilley1305 And I truly hate it when Kottke sings, lol.

@whiskeyman2112

Soul? Who cares? Both great pickers in the same league.

@deenibeeniable

@@whiskeyman2112 If you think soulfulness has nothing to do with what makes good music "great", you're either an android or fucking stupid. Get out more. It'll help.

@SuzieKew

23w

I don't hate it when Kottke sings (his voice is way better than he describes it!) but it just turns him into any old singer-songwriter where the guitar is downgraded to mere accompaniment, and doesn't show what he can really do. So it's a waste of space on his albums.

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