Oklahoma Hills
"Oklahoma Hills" is a song written by Woody Guthrie. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[1]
Jack Guthrie, Woody's cousin, later changed the lyrics and music and in 1945 recorded a Western swing version which he took to number one on the Juke Box Folk Records charts.[2] The B-side of the song, entitled, "I'm Brandin' My Darlin' With My Heart" peaked at number five on the same chart.
Country singer Hank Thompson, joined by His Brazos Valley Boys, also recorded a well-known version of "Oklahoma Hills". Thompson's western swing rendition reached No. 10 on the Billboard magazine Hot C&W Singles chart in 1961.
Woody's son, Arlo Guthrie, recorded the song for his album Running Down the Road, released in 1969 by Warner Bros. Records.
In 2001 the Oklahoma State Legislature declared Woody's version the official state folk song.
Chorus
- Way down yonder in the Indian nation
- I rode my pony on the reservation
- In the Oklahoma Hills where I was born
- Way down yonder in the Indian nation
- A cowboy’s life is my occupation
- In the Oklahoma Hills where I was born
Recordings
Recordings of "Oklahoma Hills" have been made by these singers, among others:
- Chet Atkins
- Floyd Cramer
- Gene Autry
- Moe Bandy
- Johnny Bond
- Tommy Collins
- The Dinning Sisters
- Charlie Feathers
- Arlo Guthrie
- Jack Guthrie
- Jimmy Lafave
- Mary McCaslin
- Country Joe McDonald
- Michael J. Miles
- Michael Parks
- Marvin Rainwater
- Jim Reeves
- The Reno Brothers
- Carl Smith
- Bruce Springsteen
- Kay Starr
- James Talley
- Hank Thompson
- Ernest Tubb
- T. Texas Tyler
- Ian Tyson
- Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
References
- ↑ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 146.
External links
- Lyrics at woodyguthrie.org.
- Oklahoma Session Laws—Section 47 - Oklahoma State Folk Song; declaring "Oklahoma Hills" as the Oklahoma State Folk Song.
| Preceded by "At Mail Call Today" by Gene Autry |
Most Played Juke Box Folk Records number one single by Jack Guthrie July 28, 1945 |
Succeeded by "You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often" by Tex Ritter |