“On Top of Old Smokey” or “On Top of Old Smoky” is a traditional nursery rhyme and folksong, sharing the same tune with On Top Of Spaghetti.
There aren’t many evidences about the origin of this song and its author is unknown. Most commonly the lyrics are connected with the Great Smoky or Smokey Mountains located along the Tennessee and North Carolina border, an area populated by Irish and Scottish people. It is believed that the song dates back to the 1840’s. However it was first recorded in 1911 by Belden, in the USA.
The song has become popular in 1951 when it was performed by Pete Seeger within the American folk band The Weavers. It has also been played by some notorious singers and bands such as Libby Holman (1942) Burl Ives (1951), ABBA (1978) Bruce Springsteen (1980s) or much earlier by the country musician George Reneau (1926) or the folk singer Bradley Kincaid (1929).
“On Top of Old Smokey” Lyrics
On top of old Smokey,
All covered with snow,
I lost my true lover
From courtin’ too slow.
From courtin’ too slow, dear,
From courtin’ too slow,
I lost my true lover
From courtin’ too slow.
On top of old Smokey,
I went for to weep,
For a false-hearted lover
Is worse than a thief.
Is worse than a thief, dear,
Is worse than a thief,
For a false-hearted lover
Is worse than a thief.
For a thief, he will rob you,
Of all that you have,
But a false-hearted lover
Will send you to your grave.
Will send you to your grave, dear,
Will send you to your grave,
But a false-hearted lover
Will send you to your grave.
He’ll hug you and kiss you,
And tell you more lies,
Than the ties of the railroad
Or the stars in the skies.
The stars in the skies, dear,
The stars in the skies,
He’ll tell you more lies, dear,
than the stars in the skies.