Collins, Judy - The Coming Of The Roads Lyrics






Now that our mountain is growing
With people hungry for wealth
How come it's you that's a-going
And I'm left all alone by myself?

We used to hunt the cool caverns
Deep in our forest of green
Then came the road and the tavern
And you found a new love it seems

Once I had you and the wild wood
Now, it's just dusty roads
And I can't help from blamin' your going
On the coming, the coming of the roads

Look how they've cut all to pieces
Our ancient poplar and oak
And the hillsides are stained with the greases
That burned up the heavens with smoke

You used to curse the bold crewmen
Who stripped our earth of its ore
Now, you've changed and you've gone over to them
And you've learned to love what you hated before

Once I thanked God for my treasure
Now like rust it corrodes
And I can't help from blamin' your goin'
On the coming, the coming of the roads





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Collins, Judy The Coming Of The Roads Comments
  1. h.... l....

    Quand je pense qu'il m'aura fallu attendre tout ce temps pour pouvoir enfin entendre cette version originale de la chanson "l'arrivée des routes" en v.f que Anne Vanderlove avait reprise en 1967 qu''elle interprétait majestueusement ,pour arriver à entendre la version écrite paroles et musiques par son auteurJudy Collins "ici" présente
    Merci de tout coeur pour ce partage dont je peux bénéficier trente ans plus tard puisqu’en effet ma découverte de cette sublime chanson (e v.f ) remonte aux années 80
    Merci encore et joyeux Noël à tous et à toutes

    A très bientôt ,amitiés Hubert

  2. h.... l....

    Cette version existe aussi en Français elle est interprétée par Anne Vanderlove en 1967 .
    4Merci pour la découverte version originale par Judy CollinsAmitiés ert à très bientôt Hubert

  3. A.... G....

    It"s what capitalism does to nature.

  4. T.... ....

    Coal, oil - always figured they were so hard to get to and so far removed because they evolved down there and had no business influencing other ecosystems. Goodbye oceans, goodbye forests. Goodbye.

  5. �.... �....

    stunning version

  6. D.... Y....

    Coal curses the land under which it lies only because of greed and short-sightedness.

  7. m.... t....

    Timeless and beautiful

  8. f.... h....

    real n raw...betrayal....

  9. M.... ....

    One of Judy's most beautiful songs - and that is really saying something!!

  10. T.... ....

    Love this song - have the old vinyl with it on it, and will keep it forever.

  11. f.... ....

    Mary Hopkin recorded a Welsh language version of this in 1967-68 titled Tyrd yn ol, wrongly translated as "Can't Help Falling In Love" !
    I can see that Judy's version here (1965) inspired Mary's, two to three years later.  Beautiful song.  Who was this Billy Edd Wheeler?

    f.... ....

    You might enjoy hearing American folk singer, Prisicilla Herdman sing this song.
    Just type in Priscilla Herdman, "The Coming of the Roads" on Youtube to hear it.
      

    f.... ....

    @folkmusicgirl Thank you I will.  Priscilla also sang the poems of Henry Lawson very well.

    f.... ....

    +Col Johnson Billy Ed also wrote "Jackson" which was a big hit for Johnny and June Cash, and a Top 10 hit again for Jerry Lee Lewis and sister Linda Gail Lewis in 1969.

    f.... ....

    Judy recorded at least two other songs by Billy Ed Wheeler, "Coal Tattoo," and "Red-Winged Blackbird." I think Peter, Paul and Mary recorded one, maybe this one, on a later album.

    f.... ....

    Wheeler also had some kind of country chart hit, and his own recordings were more successful in the Country market, I think. But some others covered some of his songs, too--including Richie Havens, Jefferson Airplane and others. Of course his most famous song in the folk vein might be "High Flying Bird," but he also wrote even more famous country songs. From his webpage: Billy Edd's career in country music began with songs recorded by Rex Allen, Roll Up Your Sleeve, and Hank Snow, Blue Roses. Ritchie Havens, Judy Henske, We Five, and several other artists did High Flying Bird. Judy Collins recorded The Coming of the Roads and Winter Sky. (Peter, Paul & Mary also did The Coming of the Roads.) But his first big hit was The Rev. Mr. Black by the Kingston Trio, followed by the Johnny Cash-June Carter version of Jackson, also a pop hit by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood. Kenny Rogers struck platinum with Coward of the County and Long Arm of the Law. Elvis reached # 2 with It's Midnight, and Jerry Reed charted high with Gimme Back My Blues. Billy Edd charted with several songs, but his only hit as an artist was Ode To The Little Brown Shack Out Back.Other chart songs include O.C. Smith's I Ain't the Worryin' Kind, Hank Williams Jr.'s A Baby Again, Johnny Cash's Blistered, Pat Boone's Rock Boll Weevil, Glen Campbell's Anne, The Kingston Trio's Coal Tattoo and Desert Pete, Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn's You Blow My Mind, and other songs by George Hamilton IV, Chet Atkins, Ed Bruce, Del Reeves, etc. (Several artists recorded Sassafrass
    Billy Edd's songs have been recorded by 150 artists in this country and abroad, selling over 57 million copies. His Coward of the County was made into a movie starring Kenny Rogers and his song Jackson was featured twice in the movie Walk the Line.

  12. f.... ....

    Just a stunning version!  So beautiful and pure like silk of voice!

    f.... ....

    At the right moment... over the many years I have loved this song - back to when her album was first released - her voice, the melody & the lyrics still bring unanticipated, unexpected tears to my eyes. Pure beauty. Emotionally & for its message I am Lovingly blindsided by The Coming Of The Roads

  13. c.... ....

    always loved this song...

  14. C.... H....

    Once the trees are gone, so will we.

  15. r.... ....

    came to get this for comment on the winds blowing out of West Virginia - all I can think is that this is the whirlwind we reap from having long ago abandoned the land and people of appalachia to the savage despotism of coal, timber, and oil companies.

    r.... ....

    a woeful truth...

  16. a.... ....

    this song blew me away when i first heard it when i was fifteen and it still does fifty years later. great to finally know who wrote it. gorgeous song, gorgeous vocal, thanks!

  17. L.... P....

    so so sad. We need to protect our mother, Earth.

  18. L.... P....

    I sang this to my kids at bedtime. This is so sad, today the miners remove whole mountain tops to get at the coal.

  19. C.... J....

    Was written and originally sung by Billy Edd Wheeler, afraid I can't throw any more light on it.Judy recorded it in 1965

  20. B.... ....

    Just curious... does anyone know if this same tune without the words was sung by anyone else. Or with different words than this? I don't remember these words at all... just the tune.

  21. B.... ....

    I've been humming this on and off every now and then for like 40 years, never knew where it came from... the tune in my head had no words. Now I know where it came from. Must have heard it as a teen.. love it. Voice of an angel.

  22. C.... J....

    Thank you piscean60 It is nice to know there are other on this planet who have a soul - Johnson28316

  23. p.... ....

    this song is so beautiful it hurts- thanks so much for posting, haven't heard it in ages-

  24. J.... D....

    " A tear for West Virginia"

  25. D.... Y....

    I grew up in the bottomland hardwoods of east Alabama. Nature was always my Muse and I thought this natural beauty would last forever. Now I fear to think of what the ufture will bring. I loved to lie on a bed of leaves and look up through the teees and be rocked by thier gentle swaying in the breeze. Those woods are still there and I will fight to see that they are never paved over for a Walmart!

  26. B.... T....

    Bambie Graham and I used to do this song at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, it's written as more of an aria so it is a serious work to sing. In my mountain home of Jackson Hole you can imagine the words are meaningful, this song is a rare beauty and then there is Judy's gentle, honest, lovely voice. I would love this song to kept available so more artists & fans might come to know it, even though that would give profit to those who are trying to get you to take it down.

  27. l.... ....

    I was born in 1978, and I grew up listening to Judy Collins. As I grew, I came to understand many social issues through her songs. And I've influenced more than a few folks to check out her music. Thanks for posting some of the less-available material! I have this on LP, but how many else do?!

  28. T.... ....

    Beautiful and powerful !

  29. J.... H....

    Off of her Fith Album-I love this song, Thanks!

  30. J.... H....

    Tremendous voice! Classic song! I have always been a fan of Judy Collins. I like all of her Elektra Records recordings and this song is a favorite!

  31. J.... T....

    This is off of her Fifth Album. I have all of her recordings so I don't know which I like best, but this was a nod back to her folk roots before she got into more rock oriented music. And kids nowadays just have Rihanna and such. Sad.

  32. f.... ....

    Such a beautiful voice, such perfect tone and perfect vocal range. Also, such a great, great photo of Judy!

  33. R.... F....

    I first heard this song in the late 60's, I've listened to it often since then and it is still beautiful, moving and timeless. Thanks for uploading it.

  34. C.... N....

    love you thoughts thanks for sharing... it is insidious... but it hits in the heart of personal relationships.

  35. S.... W....

    I have been lucky enough to travel in many remote places all over the world, and I have seen the effect of greed on local communities when the roads and the industry they bring with them creep into the mountains, The destruction of the world's rainforests is a crime but no-one ever gets prosecuted. - 'you've learned to love what you hated before'

  36. p.... r....

    Beautiful, thanks for sharing ...