top of page



This Southern-fried country ballad was written by George McCorkle, guitarist for the Marshall Tucker Band. Set during the California gold rush, it tells the story of a family that sets out from their home in Carolina looking to strike it rich. The singer ends up getting shot dead, and his widow is left with a worthless claim.


Toy Caldwell played steel guitar on this track, but according to McCorkle, he played it out of tune because he had just recently bought the instrument and didn't know how to tune it properly.


This was The Marshall Tucker Band's second-highest hit, the highest being "Heard It In A Love Song." It was also one of their only two Top 40 hits.



Lyrics


Took my family away from our Carolina home

Had dreams about the west and started to roam

Six long months on a dust covered trail

They say heaven's at the end

But so far it's been hell


And there's fire on the mountain

Lightening in the air

Gold in them hills and it's waiting for me there


We were digging and shifting from five to five

Selling everything we found just to stay alive

Gold flowed free like the whiskey in the bars

Sinning was the big thin Lord

And Satan was the star


And there's fire on the mountain

Lightening in the air

Gold in them hills and it's waiting for me there


Dance hall girls were the evening treat

Empty cartridges and blood lined the gutters of the street

Men were shot down for the sake of fun

Or just to hear the noise of their 44 guns


And there's fire on the mountain

Lightening in the air

Gold in them hills and it's waiting for me there


Now my widow, she weeps by my grave

Tears flow free for her man she couldn't save

Shot down in cold blood by a gun that carried fame

All for a useless and no good worthless claim


And there's fire on the mountain

Lightening in the air

Gold in them hills and it's waiting for me there


Fire on the mountain

Lightening in the air

Gold in them hills and it's waiting for me there

Waiting for me there



Songwriters: George Mccorkle

Fire On The Mountain lyrics © Peermusic Publishing







Comments

Couldn’t Load Comments
It looks like there was a technical problem. Try reconnecting or refreshing the page.
bottom of page