I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling

[Suspicious Minds]

Elvis sang a snippet of this tune during the Million Dollar Quartet jam session.

https://youtu.be/MTHrYFAqD4A

The original was written by Bill Monroe.

First recorded by Bill Monroe And His Blue Grass Boys on October 27, 1947.

Released as a single on July 12, 1948 (Columbia 20459). Flip side ‘Little Cabin Home On The Hill’.

26F3F847-0FC2-40E1-BEC2-02B002E23DFD.jpeg

A promo disc for radio stations was released on April 12, 1948.

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https://youtu.be/qxrmBao8vgo

https://youtu.be/l23jyxEqvn8

Some background info:

The song is about a dying girl who faces the sure prospect of going to heaven, with the opening lyrics; "Our little girl had taken sick one evening as she walked home from school and then her deathbed soon claimed her, it made us so sad and so blue.”

As Robert Cantwell put it in his book Bluegrass Breakdown: "the sick child leaves the world with a rebuke to her parents, whose tears imply that their faith has been shaken."

Bonus: A historical timeline of bluegrass

https://americanamusictriangle.com/timelines/bluegrass/

[Colin B]

I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling - Lyric.JPG

Not a dry eye on the forum...

[Colin B]

...The song is about a dying girl who faces the sure prospect of going to heaven, with the opening lyrics; "Our little girl had taken sick one evening as she walked home from school and then her deathbed soon claimed her, it made us so sad and so blue.”

As Robert Cantwell put it in his book Bluegrass Breakdown: "the sick child leaves the world with a rebuke to her parents, whose tears imply that their faith has been shaken."...

Wouldn't their tears imply they were upset at the tragic loss of their young daughter ?

[Suspicious Minds]

...The song is about a dying girl who faces the sure prospect of going to heaven, with the opening lyrics; "Our little girl had taken sick one evening as she walked home from school and then her deathbed soon claimed her, it made us so sad and so blue.”

As Robert Cantwell put it in his book Bluegrass Breakdown: "the sick child leaves the world with a rebuke to her parents, whose tears imply that their faith has been shaken."...

Wouldn't their tears imply they were upset at the tragic loss of their young daughter ?

I would think so too, Colin.

[Mister Moon]

I deeply dislike this kind of morbid songs.

Like, I love Hank Williams, but "The Funeral", which shares theme with the song discussed here, is too much for me.

[Colin B]

I deeply dislike this kind of morbid songs.

Like, I love Hank Williams, but "The Funeral", which shares theme with the song discussed here, is too much for me.

We had a glut of this type of song back when.

Tell Laura I Love Her, Leader of the Pack, Running Bear etc.

[Mister Moon]

I deeply dislike this kind of morbid songs.

Like, I love Hank Williams, but "The Funeral", which shares theme with the song discussed here, is too much for me.

We had a glut of this type of song back when.

Tell Laura I Love Her, Leader of the Pack, Running Bear etc.

Yes, but that was later, the teenage "tragedy" songs. "Teen Angel", by Mark Dinning, was another. Or "Dead Man's Curve", by Jan & Dean. I like those songs. There was an album partially devoted to that (see link below).

But those morbid country songs, I can't stand them. Like "Old Shep". They are sick stuff, the way I see it.

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Death-Glory-And-Retribution/release/4743387