We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.
/

lyrics

Going Across The Mountain/"Little Giant"
Traditional American Ballad, originally popularized by Frank Proffitt, who claimed it was written by a family member. The ballad is telling the story of a lone farmer from the South who decides to cross the mountains during the Civil War to join the Union Army, and "to give [Jefferson Davis'] men a little of my rifle ball." The song is sung by the soldier-farmer, it seems, more to steel his own nerves and confidence than it is to calm his lover. We never learn if he returns.


"Frank's grandfather, a great admirer of Abe Lincoln, chose to go the hard way--he went 'across the mountain to join the boys in blue'. (Once, separated from his outfit, he wandered into a camp of Confederate soldiers and found himself face to face with his own brother, who had made the other decision. By feigning insanity, he managed to escape and rejoin his own unit, but one can well imagine the anxious moments experienced by the two brothers in the interim.) Frank learned this song, which describes the farewell of a 'Southern Yankee' to his sweetheart, from his father. Frank is not sure, but it seems likely that his father had it, in turn from his father,"
-Sandy Paton, 1962, Folk-Legacy LP "Frank Proffitt, Reese, N.C."

Jo Yong-boon halmoni ran the "Little Giant"/작은거인 food and drink mini-diner for decades across the street from the famous Ahyeon outdoor market in Seoul. Her shop, along with many others on the same street, were mercilessly bulldozed by the local government in response to the complaints of citizens living in the nearby newtown apartments. The newtown parasites got the clean, widened street without independent merchants that they wanted, but they couldn't kill the Little Giant. After spending a few years in a temporary location protected by anti-development activists, Jo Yong-boon halmoni has re-opened her shop, now inside the Ahyeon traditional market. The Little Giant survived the fickle and vindictive greed of the higher classes in the area bent on development and destruction of everything old in the region, thanks to Jo halmoni's resistance and the widespread support for her from locals and activists. Many of her close friends and neighbor merchants have not been so fortunate.

credits

from THROUGH DARK VALLEYS / 이산 II, released January 1, 2021

license

tags

about

Seth Mountain 이산 image

Seth Mountain 이산 South Korea

Seth Martin (aka Seth Mountain or 이산), is a roots musician originally from the Pacific Northwest (US).

Continuing in the radical tradition of artists like Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Utah Phillips, Martin has been living in Seoul since 2015. He regularly performs with Korean and foreign folk, indie and rock acts.

"Quite possibly the closest thing we have to Woody Guthrie."
--Bill Mallonee ... more

contact / help

Contact Seth Mountain 이산

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

Seth Mountain 이산 recommends:

If you like Seth Mountain 이산, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now