From the recording Songs of Rabble and Roots

This song was inspired by my love of the mountain dulcimer, and is about the mountain dulcimer and its roots. It is dedicated to the Scots-Irish immigrants who called Appalachia their home and created the instrument, and to all those who continue its legacy today. ~ Carolyn

Lyrics

The sweet song of the mountains from this box upon my knee
With a voice sent down from Heaven just like angels when they sing
Ballads, hymns, and dance tunes passed down through my family
The sweet sound of the mountains, is like honey from the bees

I’ve learned every story sung on that old front porch swing
My granny to my mama, then my mama she taught me
The Smokies in the distance, purple mountains majesty
Passed down through generations. Toe to toe and knee to knee

The sweet song of the mountains from this box upon my knee
With a voice sent down from Heaven just like angels when they sing
Ballads, hymns, and dance tunes passed down through my family
The sweet sound of the mountains, is like honey from the bees

It’s just a simple box they made with wood from some old tree
Three strings and a turkey quill to strum the melodies
Pretty Saro, Barbry Allen, Shady Grove, and Cripple Creek
They’d work all day and pick all night. That’s my mountain legacy

Some day when I’m older and my children they’re all grown
They’ll come to visit grandma’s house with babies of their own
I’ll sit them on the front porch swing and sing those melodies
And pass along our stories. Toe to toe and knee to knee

The sweet song of the mountains from this box upon my knee
With a voice sent down from Heaven just like angels when they sing
Ballads, hymns, and dance tunes passed down through my family
The sweet songs of the mountains, I learned at my granny’s knee
The Sweet sound of the mountains is like honey from the bees