Junie's Place: Sutter's Mill ~ Dan Fogelberg

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Sutter's Mill ~ Dan Fogelberg

NOTE:

This post which I read today reminded me of this song/story , and it sent me on a very nice journey in search of Dan's music!

BTW-this is an interesting blog post!
Check it out!

http://zettsett.blogspot.com/




"Sutter's Mill"


This is a very good song from Dan Fogelberg's, "High Country Snows" album of 1985.

This album satisfied Dan's long time desire to put together a group of his songs with a definite county and old west sound and flavor!

On this album one can find some of the most respected and well known names in country music who combined and blended their talents with those of Dan Fogelberg. The resulting-end product- was an excellent album - every song on it- and one of my favorites to listen to!

~~~

OK- History buffs-
-before you jump on me for posting historically incorrect information,
(Or Dan Fogelberg for writing this song)
I'm aware that John Sutter did not actually find the first gold nugget, although it was found at his mill. It was James Wilson Marshall who found the first nugget while working for John Sutter.

This event started the Gold Rush in Coloma, Ca - in 1848





Sutter's Mill

Dan Fogelberg


In the Spring of Forty-seven,
So the story, it is told,
Old John Sutter went to the mill site
Found a piece of shining gold.

Well, he took it to the city
Where the word, like wildfire, spread.
And old John Sutter soon came to wish he'd
Left that stone in the river bed.

For they came like herds of locusts
Every woman, child and man
In their lumbering Conestogas
They left their tracks upon the land.

(Chorus)
Some would fail and some would prosper
Some would die and some would kill
Some would thank the Lord for their deliverance
And some would curse John Sutter's Mill.


Well, they came from New York City,
And they came from Alabam'
With their dreams of finding fortunes
In this wild unsettled land.

Well, some fell prey to hostile arrows
As they tried to cross the plains.
And some were lost in the Rocky Mountains
With their hands froze to the reins.
Oh...

(Chorus)

Well, some pushed on to California
And others stopped to take their rest.
And by the Spring of Eighteen-sixty
They had opened up the west.

And then the railroad came behind them
And the land was plowed and tamed,
When Old John Sutter went to meet his maker,
With not one penny to his name.
Oh...

(Chorus)

And some would curse John Sutter's Mill
Some men's thirsts are never filled.

~~

Thanks for this wonderful vid go to
Youtube
and
JMEagle101

Labels: , , , ,

4 Comments:

At 12:21 AM , Blogger Martha Z said...

This is a wonderful video, thank you for finding it. Even if the song is in error it does a great job of telling the story.

 
At 6:44 PM , Blogger Carole Burant said...

What a wonderful song Dan wrote to tell the story of John Sutter's Mill! I had never heard of it before so what a treat. I can just picture what it looked like when word got out that gold had been found at his mill...I guess it's been the same since the beginning of mankind, if there's a chance of getting rich, people go for it!! Thank you for sharing this video/song, dear Junie, if it wasn't for you there are so many songs I wouldn't have been aware of:-) xoxo

 
At 11:22 PM , Blogger JunieRose2005 said...

Martha,

Happy you enjoyed the song!

Dan Fogelberg was my favorite from the early 70s and he gave us a lot of beautiful songs over all those years!

 
At 11:31 PM , Blogger JunieRose2005 said...

Pea,

Yes, it's a wonderful song. Even tho John Sutter wasn't actually the one who found the gold; it was found at Sutter's Mill.

Pea, I'm happy if I've brought you to some music you might not have discovered on your own! That's the way it should be...music should be shared. A lot (well-most) of the music I share these days- a very dear friend has introduced me to, over the past several years; someone I met on a music forum more than 7 years ago! :) It's been an adventure getting into all the music!

However- as far as Dan Fogelberg goes...his music has been a big part of my life since the early 70s!

Hugs))


Junie

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home