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Doc Watson — Sittin' On Top Of The World
Album: Doc Watson
Avg rating:
7.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 947









Released: 1964
Length: 2:34
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Was in the spring
One sunny day
My sweetheart left me
Lord, she went away

And now she's gone
And I dont' worry
Lord, I'm sitting
On top of the world

She called me up
From down in Al Paso
She said "Come back, daddy
Ooh, I need you so"
And now she's gone
And I dont' worry
Lord, I'm sitting
On top of the world

(break)

If you don't like my peaches
Don't you shake my tree
'n Get out of my orchard
Let my peaches be
And now she's gone
And I dont' worry
Lord, I'm sitting
On top of the world

And don't you come here runnin'
Holding out your hand
I'm gonna get me a woman
Like you got your man
And now she's gone
And I dont' worry
Lord, I'm sitting
On top of the world

't Was in the spring
One sunny day
My sweetheart left me
Lord, she went away
And now she's gone
And I dont' worry
Lord, I'm sitting
On top of the world
Comments (39)add comment
 chinacat wrote:
Thank you cc_rider and sfyi2001. I'm a long time Doc Watson fan. As a "former young picker" I can't tell you how many times I tried to play along with Doc's recordings only to just put the guitar down and shake my head with a big grin on my face. But I regress.  So as to  your comments.....it's alway nice to learn something new!

My pleasure, chinacat.
Awhile back I turned on to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken' cycle. First edition was 1972 - they were long-haired weirdos just getting started. How they coaxed Country legends to record with them is a mystery, but it is pure genius. Second edition was about 15 years later, last edition (to date) was 2002. Doc Watson absolutely blisters on a couple tracks. Highly recommended.
c.
Learned to finger pick some Doc Watson classics on a Martin D-28 aboard an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea.  Totally satisfying to get them even close to right.  Kept me sane and focused.
 cc_rider wrote:

Okeh Records is still in business. One of the first, if not THE first, companies to produce records by black artists, circa 1920. At the time it was called 'Race Music' - marketed to black folks, who had no other way to hear black performers. 'Race Music' wasn't considered a slur then: there was a certain pride in hearing music made by people who looked like them. Okeh is still around, producing primarily jazz performers.
c.


Thank you cc_rider and sfyi2001. I'm a long time Doc Watson fan. As a "former young picker" I can't tell you how many times I tried to play along with Doc's recordings only to just put the guitar down and shake my head with a big grin on my face. But I regress.  So as to  your comments.....it's alway nice to learn something new!
 sfyi2001 wrote:

                                  



Okeh Records is still in business. One of the first, if not THE first, companies to produce records by black artists, circa 1920. At the time it was called 'Race Music' - marketed to black folks, who had no other way to hear black performers. 'Race Music' wasn't considered a slur then: there was a certain pride in hearing music made by people who looked like them. Okeh is still around, producing primarily jazz performers.
c.
Country soul.
Oh, so Harry Manx DIDN'T write this!

(Well, except for the Taj Mahal ending)
Wonderful track from the Doc - a flat-picking legend.
I don't think I would have ever heard this without RP. Thank you.
 kanabeanz wrote:
Never heard of Doc Watson before, but this song grabbed my attention - really liked it.
 
Oh, you've missing out. Doc remains a legendary figure in music. If you like this, browse some of his other work, it'll blow you away.
c.
normal doc normal... :D
Never heard of Doc Watson before, but this song grabbed my attention - really liked it.
Doc is a master guitarist. The very cream of the crop.
RP is getting rather repetitive



          Via -  https://en.wikipedia.org :

    'Sittin' on Top of the World' is a Country Blues song written by Walter Vinson and Lonnie Chatmon. 
They were core members of the Mississippi Shieks, who first recorded it in 1930. 
Vinson composed the song one morning after playing at a white dance in Greenwood, Mississippi. 
It became a popular crossover hit for the band, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

'Sittin' on Top of the World' has become a standard of traditional American music. 
The song has been widely recorded in a variety of different styles - Folk, Blues, Country, Bluegrass, Rock – often with considerable variations and/or additions to the original verses. 
The lyrics of the original song convey a stoic optimism in the face of emotional setbacks, and the song has been described as a 'simple, elegant distillation of the Blues'.



                                  




this is sweet, I was listening to Mississippi John Hurt just minutes ago and I PSD onto this{#Guitarist}
 tiggers wrote:
Yawn, terminally dull!

 
Thanks for sharing. Now everyone here knows you're terminally dull as well. {#Cheesygrin}
Looking at the video on YouTube I thought this comment was classic:

"love this video you have - this is my family.  Doc is my Great Uncle - at 1:40 if you stop the frame there - the woman right behind Uncle Arthel in the black dress white hair and glasses -our premature Watson White HAIR - that's my Great Grandmaw Annie.  Oh I miss her so and him - all the memories of the whole family on the front porch singing.  The scar I have right below my lip is from falling through the porch after singing one day - they told me not to go to that area the boards were loose.  Oh the things I miss about them all being gone.    Thank You for putting this up.  :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1q4Eb34mwM

also,
 netskink wrote:
Doc is from my home county and friends with my uncle. God rest their souls.
  ... wonder if your uncle knew Great Grandmaw Annie :-)


 tiggers wrote:
Yawn, terminally dull!

 
Then turn it off and tune in to your favorites of yesterday and today
We all know Doc as a Giant on the guitar but his effortless, conversational vocal style is something I have only recently come to appreciate.
Like when Fred Astaire sings Gershwin.  
Yawn, terminally dull!
Doc is from my home county and friends with my uncle. God rest their souls.
 bexhillos wrote:

It was Cream in fact. This though is a great tune.

 
Cream was borrowing from Howlin' Wolf who adapted an even older version for his purposes. Hell, the "original" version from the 20s apparently came from a different song with an almost identical name. This is one of those blues chestnuts that everyone's covered. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_on_Top_of_the_World 

Bill has played a good version by Harry Manx as well, complete with tabla drums, banjo, sitar and some other stuff I can't quite name.  
Crazy pickin' going on
 veloman wrote:
Great. 1st time I've heard that. Only other song of same title was by John Mayall I think. Not half as good as this though
 
It was Cream in fact. This though is a great tune.
I really wish I could rate this more than once.
Great. 1st time I've heard that. Only other song of same title was by John Mayall I think. Not half as good as this though
This is at least an "11".  Gone on to Glory, Mister Watson, you're pickin' for the Almighty now.
If this doesn't make you smile, your soul is dead. 10 {#Sunny}
Good simple music that, in my opinion, defines what country music should sound like.  Not the overblown shlock that is defined as "country" music according to the charts.
I love the subtle conversation Steve Miller has with Doc Watson here.
GREAT stuff. Why the disparity between the rating on the Playlist page and the average rating on the Song page? I see an average rating on the Playlist page of 5 - that is WAY off and I don't even know him that well.
Americana at it's best.
I had the honor, and pleasure, to see Doc and Merle perform live. It was back in the early 80s and the ticket cost $7 in advance. It was in a small music club called Breedings, and my best friend and I sat at a table right in front of the modest stage.

It was amazing.
I feel glad that I got to see him this year at Merlefest. RIP Doc.
Hello Doc,

Rest in peace. Thank you for making bluegrass fans out of rock n roll kids.
I don't know the words - but singing along anyway . Doobie doobie doooo - Sittin' on Top Of The World. 
Ditto the RIP, and thanks RP.
RIP Doc.
RIP.