The lyrics are probably no older than the year 1900, and the tune is of unknown origin. It has become a standard among bluegrass musicians and is often one of the first songs a banjo picker learns.[1]
Origin and context
Its time of composition is unknown, and according to Bob Coltman, the tune is probably older than the lyrics.[2]
"(From East Tennessee; mountain whites; from memory; 1909)":
Goin' to Cripple Creek, going in a run;
Goin' to Cripple Creek to have my fun.
"(From South Carolina; country whites, MS. of Mr. Bryan; 1909)":[4]
When Cecil Sharp collected folksongs in the Appalachian Mountains in 1917 he found two versions of "Cripple Creek", one from Lizzie Abner of Oneida, Kentucky[5] and another from Alice Wilson of Pineville, Kentucky, a variant which begins "Buck Creek Girls, don't you want to go to Somerset?"[6]
Recordings
The first recording was in 1924 by Sam Jones (also known as Stovepipe No. 1), a black one-man-band. The Skillet Lickers recorded the song later in the same year.[2] Luther Strong was recorded in 1937 by the Library of Congress singing the song.[1]
Tony Saletan performed a banjo instrumental of "Cripple Creek" on Episode 27 (December 16, 1969) of the first season of Sesame Street to accompany a limberjack demonstration.
Leo Kottke performed a fingerpicked acoustic guitar arrangement on his 1971 album Mudlark.
^Rogers, Austin. "Cripple Creek"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
^American Folklore Society (1915). Journal of American Folklore. Published for the American Folk-lore Society by Houghton, Mifflin, and Co. pp. 180–1. Retrieved 20 July 2012.