John Hartford the Storyteller!
I fell in love with John Hartford when I heard him sing
Gentle on My MInd
I've been a fan ever since.
I first remember John singing in a Campbell's Soup commercial. Then we saw him playing banjo from the audience at the start of each installment of Glenn Campbell's (don't know if there was any relation) weekly television variety series, and "he made a significant impact as one of the creative renegades who contributed to the 'Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour's' ingenious irreverence."
John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937- June 4, 2001) was an American country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore. Hartford performed with a variety of ensembles throughout his career, and is perhaps best known for his solo performances where he would interchange the guitar, banjo, and fiddle from song to song. He also invented his own shuffle tap dance move, and danced on an amplified piece of plywood while he played and sang.
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John Hartford Radio
- Bluegrassbox - Turn Your Radio On
- Bluegrassbox - Turn Your Radio On
This is a 24 hour a day streaming audio site playing live performances of John Hartford from the Etree archive of Bluegrassbox.com. - John Hartford
- Performance on Prairie Home Companion
Enjoy listening to John
Vote for your favorite by clicking on the arrow.
Watch John perform in his quiet, gentle way. He plays various instruments and keeps a beat clogging while he plays and sings!
Gentle on My Mind
Hartford said that he was inspired to write the song's poignant lyrics after seeing the film Doctor Zhivago.
Campbell used "Gentle On My Mind" as the theme to his late-1960s TV variety show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.
While Campbell's version remains the best known in the US, versions by Patti Page and Aretha Franklin were also Hot 100 hits in 1968 and 1969, respectively. In the UK, the version by Dean Martin reached number 2 in 1969. More recently, it was recorded by Lucinda Williams and this version was featured over the closing credits in the 2006 comedy movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
- Gentle on my Mind Wikipedia
- Gentle on my Mind Wikipedia
- John Hartford Wikipedia
- John Hartford Wikipedia
- Guitar Tab ( GENTLE ON MY MIND TAB )
- Guitar Tab ( GENTLE ON MY MIND TAB )
- Harmonica Tabs Gentle On My Mind
- Jim's Giant Harmonica Songbook
Gentle On My MindMusic/lyrics-John Hartford, 1967
tabulated by 5 6 6 6 -6 6 - Glen Campbell Gentle on My Mind
- Glen Campbell sings Gentle on My Mind
Gentle on My Mind Lyrics
It's knowing that your door is always openand your path is free to walk,
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag
rolled up and stashed behind your couch.
And it's knowing I'm not shackled
by forgotten words and bonds
and the ink stains that have dried upon some line,
That keeps you in the back roads by the rivers of memory,
and keeps you ever gentle on my mind.
It's not clinging to the rocks and ivy
planted on their columns now that bind me,
Or something that somebody said
because they thought we fit together walkin'.
It's just knowing that the world will not be cursing or forgiving
when I walk along some railroad track and find
That you're moving on the back roads
by the rivers of my memory
and for hours you're just gentle on my mind.
Though the wheat fields and the clothes lines
and the junkyards and the highways come between us,
And some other woman's crying to her mother
'cause she turned and I was gone.
I still might run in silence, tears of joy might stain my face
and summer sun might burn me till I'm blind,
But not to where I cannot see
you walkin' on the back roads,
by the rivers flowing gentle on my mind.
I dip my cup of soup back from the gurglin',
crackling cauldron in some train yard;
My beard a roughn'ning coal pile
and a dirty hat pulled low across my face;
Through cupped hands 'round a tin can,
I pretend I hold you to my breast and find,
That you're wavin' from the back roads
by the rivers of my memory
ever smilin', ever gentle on my mind...
Send a Card to Someone that's Ever Gentle on YOUR MindLet me know you saw this on the John Hartford Page and I'll give you 2 cards free. I'll also enter you to win a $25 gift card. Drawings are held every Friday!
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More Video of John
- John Hartford Mississippi Valley
- Live concert video taped by fan
- John Making Train Sounds on a board
- Part of live concert taped by a fan.
- mikecompton.net
- The Cross-Eyed Child: Mike w/ John Hartford and Darin Vincent (from The Legend Lives On)
John and Gospel
R Coolidge,T Tucker,G Campbell, J Hartford
Gospel medley with the Desire Community Chorus
Runtime: 6:48
1875 views
2 Comments:
Resource Links for John Hartford
(ST. LOUIS WALK OF FAME)
- John Hartford - Welcome
- The Songs of John Hartford
- John Hartford Audio Interview
- John Hartford is interviewed by Don Swaim of CBS Radio. Singer and songwriter John Hartford was also a writer and author of Steamboat in a Cornfield. Listen to Don Swaim interview John Hartford in 1986 and enjoy a few of John Hartford's favorite songs, including "Gentle on My Mind."
Listen to the John Hartford interview with Don Swaim, 1986
(36 min. 32 sec.) - John Hartford Fan Page
- John Hartford Fan Page
- Bluegrassbox - Turn Your Radio On
- This is a 24 hour a day streaming audio site playing live performances of John Hartford from the Etree archive of Bluegrassbox.com.
- St. Louis Walk of Fame - John Hartford
- ST. LOUIS WALK OF FAME - JOHN HARTFORD Growing up in University City and attending John Burroughs School, John Hartford was
- John Hartford Memorial TribiuteYahoo Group
- JohnHartford-Memorial-Tribute: By the River's of my Memory's
- Goodle Days Yahoo Group
- John Hartford Archival Project - This email group has no official ties with John Hartford, his heirs or estate
We are about the love of John Hartford and his music, this group is dedicated to finding everything that we possibly can about John Hartford from his earliest days going forward. His influence on bluegrass and old time music from the start of his career up until his untimly death. We want to help educate about John's music from the Missouri Ridge Runners era to his last couple of shows with the Hartford String Band.
Cross-Eyed Child
Blue Grass Stuff on CafePress
John Hartford CD's on Amazon
Me Oh My, How the Time Does Fly: A John Hartford Anthology
1987
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
More John Hartford CD's
More John Hartford CD's
Natural to Be Gone 1967-1970
Amazon Price: $21.98 (as of 07/26/2008)
Part of Your History - The Songs of John Hartford
Amazon Price: $17.49 (as of 07/26/2008)
John Teams Up
More Sides to John Hartford
I Want To Hear From You
I've been a fan of John Hartford since I was a kid and I had the pleasure of meeting him personally in the early '80's.
Do you have a story about John? Post it here!
List your favorite John Hartford Song, links or antidotes.
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Deeringboy
Hello CardLady, Thanks for your comments. Again I really enjoy your John Hartford lenses as well. You have done a great job. Posted February 06, 2008 |
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GoodInfo
John Hartford was always one of my favorites. I did not realize that he had died, and only in his early sixties - how sad. His song, "I didn't know the World Would Last This Long" is one I still find myself humming... This lens brought back a lot of nice memories. Thank you - Five stars for sure! Posted October 05, 2007 |
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NanStuff4sale
Excellent! Posted September 07, 2007 |
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Rev_Al
Giving some swamp love. I miss John Hartford. What a national treasure. Thanks for this lens. Posted August 07, 2007 |
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johndilbeck
Wow Pat, this is an incredible lens about John Hartford. It makes me wish I had broadband so I could watch the flicks. I had forgotten how much I liked him. Thanks for the reminder! Act on your dream! JD Posted June 29, 2007 |
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