Cold Mountains: An Appalachian Folk Song of Separation

“Cold Mountains,” a song about separation and loss, is one of my favorite songs from the rural south. This song was sung by Texas Gladden, and I learned my version from friend Sam Gleaves. I love the very tactile imagery in this song- I can feel the coldness of the mountain waters and the chilly air amongst the rhododendrons on the mountainside. While this imagery can often be one of comfort in songs, here it’s a reflection of how alone the narrator feels. When we miss our loved ones, even familiar places can feel alien. 

Singer Texas Gladden, pictured with her children in the 1930s.

Some of the ways you hear me using my voice in this song are forms of expression that have been a part of traditional song in Appalachia- influenced by European, African-American and (undoubtedly) Native indigenous cultures. Where I choose to resonate in my body, how my voice breaks, how I might slide on a note…these are ways of moving sadness through the body and letting the song do its therapeutic work. 

You can join me and other tradition-bearers in my upcoming course “The Unquiet Grave” to learn these vocal techniques and explore Appalachian and Scottish songs of lament and release. This class weaves together a healthy dose of storytelling and folklore alongside song to help us understand traditions to mourn and release the dead across Scottish and descendant Appalachian cultures. 

Connect with ancestral knowledge and sounds with me this fall!