Cabin On The Hill
by B.L. Shook
"In 1914, at the age
of 18, Bolivar Lee Shook was stealing a ride on a
freight train near his home in Prentiss County,
Mississippi, and was thrown from the train. He injured
his leg and remained a cripple for life. His disability
kept him from manual labor, and he turned to music for a
livelihood. He taught piano and singing and tuned pianos
until his death in March 1964. He spent his childhood in
a frame cabin on a hill located about six miles south of
Booneville, Mississippi, overlooking a wide valley to
the east and a wide valley to the west. In the west
stands a low range of mountains. Knowing the setting of
his childhood home, it is not difficult to determine the
inspiration for this song. His songs were not fictional,
but are a reflection of his life and experiences.
—Donald Franks, Attorney
Cabin On The Hill
There's a happy childhood home in the memory I can see
Standing out upon the hill 'neath the shadow of the tree
If I only had my way, it would give my heart a thrill
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill.
Oh, I want to wander back to the cabin on the hill
'Neath the shadow of the tree, I would like to linger
still
Just to be with those who love, joy my heart would
overfill
And I want to wander back to the cabin on the hill.
But the saddist of it all, I can never more return
To that happy childhood home, matters not how much I
yearn
If I only had my way, it would give my heart a thrill
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill.
