This version of “Big Rock Candy Mountain” is for beginner/level 2 piano solo. If you’d like to listening to it, check out an MP3 recording at MakingMusicFun.net. Students may also find the recording and lyrics helpful as they learn the piece. Be sure to bookmark the page for later.
Big Rock Candy Mountain – Easy Piano Sheet Music
About Big Rock Candy Mountain
The “Big Rock Candy Mountain” is a classic American folk song that tells the story of a hobo’s idyllic vision of a utopian paradise.
The song originated as a folk ballad in the early 20th century, likely evolving from older folk songs and legends. The earliest known recording was made in 1928 by Harry “Haywire Mac” McClintock, who is often credited as the song’s author.
The lyrics describe a fantastical place called the Big Rock Candy Mountain, where the streams are lemonade, cigarette trees grow, and “the hens lay soft-boiled eggs.” It paints an alluring picture of a carefree, trouble-free life for hobos and wanderers.
The whimsical, humorous lyrics and catchy melody made “Big Rock Candy Mountain” a popular folk song that spread through oral tradition and early recordings. Over the decades, it has been covered by numerous artists across country, folk, and bluegrass genres.
While the origins are somewhat murky, the song’s enduring popularity speaks to its ability to tap into the human desire for an idealized, utopian refuge from the hardships of life. The carefree, almost childlike vision of the Big Rock Candy Mountain has resonated with generations of listeners.
Lyrics of Big Rock Candy Mountain
One evening as the sun went down
And the jungle fire was burning
Down the track came a hobo hikin’
And he said, “Boys, I’m not turning
I’m headed for a land that’s far away
Beside the crystal fountains
So come with me, we’ll go and see
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
“In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
There’s a land that’s fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
“In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
All the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth
And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmers’ trees are full of fruit
And the barns are full of hay
Oh I’m bound to go where there ain’t no snow
Where the rain don’t fall, the wind don’t blow
In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
“In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
You never change your socks
And the little streams of alcohol
Come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats
And the railroad bulls are blind
There’s a lake of stew and of whiskey, too
You can paddle all around ’em in a big canoe
In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
“In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
The jails are made of tin
And you can walk right out again
As soon as you are in
There ain’t no short-handle shovels
No axes, saws or picks
I’m a-goin’ to stay where you sleep all day
Where they hung the jerk that invented work
In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
“I’ll see you all this comin’ fall
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains”
About the Composer of Big Rock Candy Mountain
Harry McClintock was an American singer, songwriter and hobo who was active in the early 20th century. He is believed to have first recorded and popularized the song in 1928, though the melody and lyrics likely evolved from earlier folk traditions.
McClintock was born in 1882 in Knoxville, Tennessee. As a young man, he rode the rails as a hobo and developed a deep familiarity with hobo culture and lore. This informed much of his original songwriting, including “Big Rock Candy Mountain.”
While McClintock is often cited as the composer of “Big Rock Candy Mountain,” the origins of the song are somewhat murky. It’s possible the melody and lyrics evolved from earlier folk ballads and legends that McClintock then adapted and popularized through his recordings in the late 1920s.
Nevertheless, Harry “Haywire Mac” McClintock’s association with the song and his role in spreading its popularity through his performances and recordings have solidified his legacy as the primary composer of this beloved American folk standard. His hobo-influenced perspective shaped the song’s distinctive character.
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