Looking for sheet music: Hickory Wind

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 30 Apr 2002 8:49 pm

Does anyone have the music for this Gram Parsons song... Hickory Wind?

The lyrics, chords, guitar tab, and MP3 are all available on line, but I'm looking for a copy of the sheet music... if any was ever made available. I've searched the databases of 3 libraries and found no song books with this song. I've also searched several of the on line sheet music sites. Maybe this song was never available in sheet music? ...I thought I might get lucky here. I'll pay for a copy, or buy a book, or whatever.

Hickory Wind was on the classic Byrds album Sweetheart of the Rodeo and I think it was also on GP's Grievous Angel

------------------
My Site | Doug's Free Tab

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 1 May 2002 8:46 am

Doug - I just checked with Byron Berline, and he doesn't know of any sheet music for the song. I thought I'd ask him, as he included it on his "Tribute to Clark/Parsons" cd.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 1 May 2002 9:04 am

There's an especially beautiful version by Emmy Lou Harris on her album 'Blue Kentucky Girl'. I have the Warner Bros LP from 1979 and the liner notes have the words.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 May 2002 9:04 am

Thanks Kenny

Yes, Emmy Lou Harris has a nice version. The lyrics and chords are on the gramparsons.com site: http://www.gramparsons.com/tab/tab_css.php?lyric=hicko [This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 01 May 2002 at 10:14 AM.]

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 1 May 2002 10:24 am

Doug, looks like a good time to get BIAB
or TablEdit out and write your own score.
Heck, I'm sure you know the song inside out
and upside down.
Maybe get 6 or 7 folks together to come up with notation, and then pick the best from each. I know I would have trouble with the
little subtlties, like dotted notes etc.
We all could come close, and then you could fine tune it.You know how to write in real notation, right?

It's a great song. I never get sick of it.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 May 2002 7:30 pm

Hi Chip,

Yes, I can play the song and write it on TE... It's a simple melody, but I've heard at least 3 versions of the song and the melody is not exactly the same in each version. The differences are slight, but I was hoping to get the sheet music to nail down the exact melody. Maybe I"ll just go with The Byrds version.

------------------
My Site | Doug's Free Tab

Boomer · Post by **Boomer** » 4 May 2002 5:33 pm

If you can't find the sheet music to "Hickory Wind", you might try the sheet music to "Satisfied Mind". Sounds to me like Gram took liberties with this melody. Best, Boomer

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 5 May 2002 7:30 am

I doubt that Gram ever wrote down the music. If sheet music exists, it is probably a music company's transcription from a popular recording (most likely The Byrds version). You're at least as likely to get it right as the music company's scribe, so follow your ears.

------------------
<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 5 May 2002 9:02 am

If it was copyrighted, there oughta be a lead-sheet somewhere, I would think.

By the way, just what is a "Hickory Wind"? The song doesn't explain the term.

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 5 May 2002 9:15 am

The wind going through Hickory trees?

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 5 May 2002 12:54 pm

Yup. That's it. "The wind in the pines" (Hickory).

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 6 May 2002 1:39 pm

Hmmmm, but the hickory isn't a conifer (pine tree). It's actually akin to the Walnut, and has leaves.

The old Johnny Horton song "Whispering Pines" is probably a better metaphor, because the wind makes a kind of "swooshing" sound (that's an onomatopoeia) blowing through the needles...as opposed to wind blowing through leaves, which makes a kind of "rustling" sound.

No matter, I had thought that the reference might be to the smell of Hickory burning carried on the wind. Burning Hickory has a very distinctive aroma, that's why it's used for smoking meat. But, the song doesn't elaborate.

Oh well, enough useless trivia for now.