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I’m Sittin’ on Top of the World
Traditional Blues Song; Widely known ARTIST: Art Gillham’s version- Words: Ted Koehler Music: Jimmy McHugh © 1925 (Renewed 1953), EMI Feist Catalog, Inc.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: Early 1900’s
OTHER NAMES: “Sittin’ on Top of the World”
RELATED TO: “Some Summer Day” “Come Back Baby,” “My Friend Robert” “Come On In My Kitchen,” “Keep On Dealin’ (melody)”
RECORDING INFO: Campbell, Frank. Frank Campbell & the Country Blues, Campbell, LP (196?), cut# 4; Double Decker String Band. Evolution Girl, Marimac 9021, Cas (1988), cut# 20; Emerson's Old Timey Custard-Suckin' Band. Emerson's Old Timey Custard-Suckin' Band, Emerson's ESP 2006, LP (1970), cut#A.04; Evans, Joe. Early Country Music, Historical HLP-8002, LP (197?), cut#A.03; Fox, Curly. Champion Fiddler, Vol. 2, Rural Rhythm RR 252, LP (196?), cut# 2; Gorman, Skip; and Rick Starkey. Late Last Night, Marimac 9602, Cas (1991), cut# 6; Limited Edition. Limited Edition Presents the Limited Edition, Limited Edition, LP (1975), cut#A.01; McGee, Sam & Kirk. Stars of the Grand Old Opry, Guest Star GS 1505, LP, cut# 3; Michael, Walt; & McCreesh, Tom. Dance Like a Wave on the Sea, Front Hall FHR-017, LP (1978), cut# 14; Monroe, Bill; and his Bluegrass Boys. Knee Deep in Bluegrass, Decca DL-8731, LP (196?), cut# 12 (I'm Sittin' on Top of the World); Moody, Clyde. Moody's Blues, Old Homestead 90013, LP (197?), cut#A.04; Poston, Mutt; and the Farm Hands. Hoe Down! Vol. 6. Country Blues Instrumentals, Rural Rhythm RR 156, LP (197?), cut# 2; Ringer, Jim. Any Old Wind that Blows, Philo 1021, LP (1975), cut#B.06; Smith, Hobart. Hobart Smith, Folk Legacy FSA-017, LP (1964), cut# 12; Stecher, Jody; and Kate Brislin. Blue Lightning, Rounder 0284-C, Cas (1991), cut# 4; Thomas, Tony. Old Style Texas and Oklahoma Fiddling, Takoma A-1013, LP (195?), cut# 16; Watson, Doc. Doc Watson, Vanguard VSD-79152, LP (1964), cut#A.02; Watson, Doc; Clint Howard and Fred Price. Old Timey Concert, Vanguard 107/8, Cas (1987), cut#A.05; White, Roland. I Wasn't Born to Rock'n Roll, RidgeRunner RRR 0005, LP (1976), cut# 9f; Wills, Bob; and the Texas Playboys. Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 8. More of the Best, Kalidescope F-32, LP (1988), cut# 6; Wiseman, Mac. 20 Old-Time Country Favorites, Rural Rhythm RHY-258, CD (1997), cut# 8; Young, Lonnie, Sr. Sounds of the South, Atlantic 7-82496-2, CD( (1993), cut#2.14
Art Gillham Oct. 24, 1925, New York: I'm Sitting On Top Of The World
Mississippi Sheiks, 1930
Charlie Patton “Some Summer’s Day” 1930
Two Poor Boys (Joe Evans and Arthur McClain), 1931
Milton Brown, 1934
Bob Wills, 1935
Single, Bill Monroe, 1957
Knee Deep In Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, 1958
Whole Lotta Shakin', Carl Perkins, 1958
Old Style Texas and Oklahoma Fiddling, Tony Thomas, 195?
Wayne Raney and the Raney Family, 1960
Doc Watson, Doc Watson, 1964
Hobart Smith, Folk Legacy, Hobart Smith, 1964
Real Folk Blues, Howlin' Wolf, 1965
Bluegrass Style, Bill Monroe, 1965
Hometown Guitar, Chet Atkins, 1968
Frank Campbell and The Country Blues, Frank Campbell, 196?
Champion Fiddler, Vol. 2, Curly Fox, 196?
The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions, Howlin' Wolf, 1971
Greatest Folksingers of 60s, Various Artists (Doc Watson), 1972
Live and Cookin', Howlin' Wolf, 1972
Chester Burnette A.K.A. Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf, 1972
Any Old Wind That Blows, Jim Ringer, 1975
I Wasn't Born To Rock 'N' Roll, Roland White, 1976
Old Timey Concert, Doc Watson, 1977
Pat Webb - Guitar, Pat Webb, 1977
Dance Like A Wave On The Sea, Walt Michael and Tom McCreesh, 1978
Hoe Down! Vol. 6, Country Blues Inst. Mutt Poston and The Farm Hands
Early Country Music, Joe Evans, 197?
Top Of The World, Earl Scruggs, 1983
It Ain't Easy, Chris Smither, 1983
Swingin' Piano 1920-46, Various Artists (Vera Guilaroff), 1983
Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 8, Bob Wills And The Texas Playboys, 1988
Evolution Girl, Double Decker String Band, 1988
Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol 2, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1989
Blue Lightning, Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin, 1991
The Chess Box, various Artists (Howlin' Wolf), 1991
Late Last Night, Skip Gorman and Rick Starkey, 1991
Good As I Been To You, Bob Dylan, 1992
Complete Recordings 1951-1969, Howlin' Wolf, 1993
Original Folkway Recordings, Doc Watson, 1994
Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley 1960 Through 1962, rereleased 1994
Strange Things Happening, Sleepy La Beef, 1994
Off Yonder Wall, Jelly Roll Kings, 1997
The Carter Family On Border Radio 1938-1942, The Carter Family, 19??
Original Carter Family In Texas- Vol. 4- Radio Transcriptions, Carter Family
1934-37, The Light Crust Dough Boys, 19??
Crystal Creek, 19??
Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers, 19??
SOURCES: Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley’s Original Folkways Recordings, Bruce Dix-Mel Bay Pub;
NOTES: Blues song, various keys. In the repertoire of fiddler Howard Armstrong (b. 1908) who has been called the last of the black string band musicians, and fiddler Curly Fox.
Generally attributed to Walter Vincson (Walter Jacob) and Bo Chatman (Lonnie Carter/Bo Carter) from the Mississippi Sheiks who first recorded “I’m Sittin’ on Top of the World” in 1930. A song titled “I’m Sittin’ on Top of the World” by Art Gillham in 1925 has the lyrics "I'm sitting on top of the world" but is a different song. Charlie Patton’s “Some Summer Day,” also recorded in 1930, is a similar song with similar lyrics.
For the Mississippi Shieks Walter Vinson (Walter Jacob) played both guitar and fiddle, Sam Chatman played guitar, Bo Chatman (Lonnie Carter) played guitar and fiddle with Charlie McCoy played banjo and mandolin. It is probable that Walter Vincson (also Vinson) adapted the song from folk sources or from Chatman's half brother- Charlie Patton who sang "Some Summer's Day." He possibly borrowed the lyric line- "I'm sitting on top of the world" from Gillham.
Jacobs and Carter wrote and performed under a number of different names; Bo Chatman (Carter) and Walter Vincson (Jacobs). “I knew Walter Vinson in Chicago & taped him at a friend's house in l962. Vinson (or Vincson) was an original member of the Mississippi Shieks. He told me he had written "Sittin' On Top Of The World" and it had been ripped off from him by various blues artists. The drunker he got the more angry he got about that song and he simply wouldn't sing it for us,” Art Thieme
“After Walter Vinson died, Sam Chatmon badmouthed him every chance he got and belittled Walter's role in the Shieks. This was, seemingly, to boost his own position now that there was nobody to check out the details with. Personally, I tend to believe Mr. Vinson's claim of authorship here. We can never really know,” Jimmy Martin on the Dirt Band's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken, vol. II"
Art Gillham’s Version- Words: Ted Koehler Music: Jimmy McHugh. Below are the lyrics to Gillham’s version, which is a different song:
I'm sitting on top of the world,
Just rolling along, just rolling along
I'm quitting the blues of the world,
Just singing a song, just singing a song.
"Glory Halleluia,"
I just phoned the parson,
"Hey, Parson, get ready to call."
Just like Humpty Dumpty
I'm going to fall.
I'm sitting on top of the world,
Just rolling along, just rolling along.
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