The Mountain
Maxida Märak & Downhill Bluegrass Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before they knocked down the timber and strip-mined the coal
When you wake up in the mornin' before it was light
To go down in that dark hole and come back up at night
I was born on this mountain, this mountain's my home
She holds me and keeps me from worry and woe
Well, they took everything that she gave, now she's gone
But I'll die on this mountain, this mountain's my home
I was young on this mountain
but now I am old
And I knew every holler, every cool swimmin' hole
‘Til one night I lay down and woke up to find
That my childhood was over and I went down in the mine
Dan váren lev riegádam
mälggat le dat rájes
dalloj guohtom sjattaj ja boahttsu
gieverdin viejtto
valla dálla ednam le tjoaskes ja tjarggat,
ij majdek danna sjattá
ij ge boatsoj gruvvarájgev
máhte rasstit
Dat le muv viesso
There's a hole in this mountain and it's dark and it's deep
And God only knows all the secrets it keeps
There's a chill in the air only miners can feel
And there's ghosts in the tunnel that the company sealed
It's my home
The Mountain by Maxida Märak & Downhill Bluegrass Band is a captivating piece that evokes nostalgia and a sense of loss for the beauty of the mountain. The song opens with the singer reminiscing over the days before the timber was cut down and the coal strip-mined. They narrate scenes of waking up before dawn, going down the deep, dark hole and coming back up only at night. The singer considers the mountain their home and source of comfort.
However, the second verse takes a darker tone. The singer, now old and familiar with every holler and cool swimming hole, notes that their childhood is gone. They went down into the mine - perhaps literally or metaphorically - and never returned the same. The third verse takes on a supernatural turn, exploring the secrets hidden within the mountain, secrets that only God could fathom. There's a sense of melancholy and an eerie feeling of miners trapped in the tunnels, ghosts of the past, shut in by the company.
Overall, The Mountain reflects on the destruction of nature and the human cost in the pursuit of resources. It highlights the relationship between man and nature, how nature offers solace and how we perceive it as our home. The chorus is both an ode to the mountain, which holds the singer, and a testament to their determination to remain there, the place they will eventually die.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born on this mountain a long, long time ago
The singer was born on the mountain a long time ago before it was heavily exploited and damaged.
Before they knocked down the timber and strip-mined the coal
The mountain was full of trees and coal before they were destroyed by constant logging and mining.
When you wake up in the mornin' before it was light
To go down in that dark hole and come back up at night
People used to wake up early in the morning before it was light to work in the mine all day and come back out only at night.
I was born on this mountain, this mountain's my home
She holds me and keeps me from worry and woe
The singer considers the mountain his home and it offers him a sense of comfort and protection.
Well, they took everything that she gave, now she's gone
But I'll die on this mountain, this mountain's my home
It's my home
The mountain has been exploited so much that there's nothing left to take, yet the singer remains loyal to his home and wants to die there.
I was young on this mountain
but now I am old
And I knew every holler, every cool swimmin' hole
‘Til one night I lay down and woke up to find
That my childhood was over and I went down in the mine
The singer grew up on the mountain, enjoying its natural features until he had to work in the mine and that's when his childhood ended.
Dan váren lev riegádam
mälggat le dat rájes
dalloj guohtom sjattaj ja boahttsu
gieverdin viejtto
valla dálla ednam le tjoaskes ja tjarggat,
ij majdek danna sjattá
ij ge boatsoj gruvvarájgev
máhte rasstit
Dat le muv viesso
These lines are in the Sami language and their meaning is unclear. It appears to be a reference to the singer's cultural heritage or ancestry.
There's a hole in this mountain and it's dark and it's deep
And God only knows all the secrets it keeps
There's a chill in the air only miners can feel
And there's ghosts in the tunnel that the company sealed
It's my home
The mountain is now empty and scary, full of secrets and ghosts. Only the miners who have worked there can feel its true emptiness and despair, yet the singer remains loyal to it as his home.
Contributed by Amelia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fredrikenglin8184
i live in the middle part of Sweden. I have grow up here were we got most mines in the whole part of Sweden sense 300 years ago. and even if Maxida is from north I feel the connection of love for our land and mountain. I don't think it matters from were you come, you can always feel the connection.
@jnfc749
Tears are flowing...than You!
Tack! Fan detta e det bästa jag hört på länge!!!
@0422russ
Some of the best Mountain Music I have ever heard. Brilliant vocals and amazing musicianship. This is as good as any bluegrass music coming out of the states. Thanks for posting this great tune and amazing band. Vocals are soulful and powerful. Russ Evans
@elkabalci
this song is like an undiscovered treasure
@pitatele
Material is for all of us, so good and beauty song and lady with native language.
@ulfalmqvist3774
Mer sådan musik förtjänar uppmärksammas och väldigt skicklig musiker och skicklig sångare som detta. :D
@williecarter2717
I wish I could like this more than once, I’m digging it.
@fixitright9709
From the wasted fields of old Erie to the coal shafts of Scotland and to rest last at the railroads of the Appalachians God rest my peoples souls.
@spiritof6986
The Sami and the Celts of Britain,seem to have a lot in common.
Love of the winter sun,the mountains,music that comes from the heart and a deep respect for our land and the animals that we share it with.
Loads of love to all of my Sami brothers and sisters.
We are many,but we are one.
@Freedeeism
Klockan är inte ens sju på morgonen, jag var trött men vaken så jag slog igång youtube och hittade hit. Jag har hört Maxida solo förut men det här slår ju allt!!! Klarvaken och ståpäls över hela kroppen! Helt underbart!! Tack.
Fridens från Härliga Härjedalen //Freedeee