Today’s post was written by Paul.
I stumbled upon the video I’m sharing today in one of my computer file folders. I hope you get a kick out of Katie’s musings at the beginning about what happens when there’s a sunny rain shower 🙂
Sometimes when the Pressley Girls and I finish a practice, I ask them to experiment with some song or other. This time, it was one of Pap’s songs called “God’s Sunshine on the Mountain.” He told me that he wrote it one day while making deliveries in his oil truck. This was in the early 90’s. He said that the day was very gloomy, but he could see the sun shining brightly on a mountain top near Hiawassee, GA, which inspired him to write this song. To me, it sounds like a prayer set to music.
At some point during our practice session that day, Katie mentioned that she had been listening to Pap and his brother Ray sing the song on an old cassette tape while driving around in her 4-Runner. Katie listens to a lot of old cassettes, not because she’s trying to be a hipster but because the CD player doesn’t work in her vehicle, and sadly, the radio plays mostly garbage. Anyway, I suggested we try the song, and we experimented with various keys and arrangements. This one turned out better than the rest.
We commented that we would try it again the next time we practiced and that we would really work out the kinks. Of course, we forgot all about it by the next week and moved on to other stuff.
This a great song, one of Pap’s most popular or most well-received. I didn’t consider including it on the CD that I’m producing because I thought Pap and Ray’s recording of it did the song justice already. With regard to experimenting with the song, as far as I know, this is the only time that the Pressley girls and I have sung a trio where I didn’t sing some type of harmony. Usually, Katie sings the lead and Corie and I sing harmony. In this video, I’m singing lead, and Katie and Corie are both singing harmony, one high (Corie) and one low (Katie). It definitely produces a different sound than the other trios we’ve done.
Back when we shot this video and when I watched it the other day, I knew something seemed strange about our version of it. I found a video of me and Pap singing it on the BPA channel, and then I knew what was strange: the chorus and verse are supposed to have slightly different melodies and chord patterns. The verse contains only two chords, while the chorus contains three. When Corie, Katie, and I sang the song, we went from memory and accidentally sang both the verse and chorus to the tune/chord pattern of the verse. If you watch the video of me and Pap here, you’ll see that we should have gone to C on the line “help me FIND the way that’s right.” That’s how it should have gone when we were in G major. Once we changed to A major, we should have gone to D major on the word “find.” There’s nothing wrong with two chord songs. Hank Williams had several amazing 2-chord songs, and Pap and I did some (like Twilight is Stealing and I Can’t Say I’ve Ever Been More Lonesome, both of which can be found on this site or on the Blind Pig and The Acorn YouTube channel). However, I wish we had included the third chord. I have no idea what type of turn-around or break I was attempting before the last chorus. 🙂 I think I momentarily forgot that we were in A.
Somewhere in my house, there’s an old VHS of Pap, Ray, and I performing this song live in South Georgia at a place called “The Music Barn.” Perry Stalcup played bass. I searched unsuccessfully to find it. If I can find it and figure out how to convert it, I’ll upload it. The crowd that night was really good, and there are a couple of funny stories that go along with that trip/concert. Again, maybe I can find and upload it. Please tune back in next month when Corie and I, Lord willing, will upload a song for Charlie Louvin’s birthday.
Lyrics:
There are times, here in the valley, my way is hard to find, And I long for the mountain, where God’s sun always shines.
Oh, Lord, please guide me. Help me find the way that’s right. With the shadows falling ’round me, help me walk in the Light.
Here my time is swiftly passing. My day is almost gone, But God’s sun shines on the mountain, and He’ll light the pathway home.
Oh, Lord, please guide me. Help me find the way that’s right. With the shadows falling ’round me, help me walk in the Light.
Hope you enjoyed the trio!
Original singles released on Spotify.
Shepherd of My Soul (Album released in 2016).
Paul
Lovely song and was played and sung beautifully!
Thank you
Sorry to be so late posting. Homecoming here today.
What believer has not felt what Pap said? We are always wanting to know where the light is and resisting being overwhelmed by the darkness. While I love the beauty of the gold-tinted trees, ridges and mountain tops when I am myself in shadow, I feel the loss and the need to that the light come again.
I have to smile a bit at one thing. This song shows Pap was living the scriptural exhortation, “whatsoever things are true, …whatsoever things are lovely, . . think on these things.”
Beautiful!! Though I’m not a Christian per se I have always loved gospel music. It is truly one of our great “indigenous” music genres.
Thank you!
Great song! Who amongst us hasn’t been in that valley? Nothing like a prayerful song to help you to the other side of the mountain in your life. Hugs
What beautiful happy harmony! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful song , photo, and story.
Absolutlely beautiful! What talent Pap had writing this and Paul and the girls playing and singing. What a blessing! Have a great Sunday everyone!!
My great grandmother (Irish) always said if it was sunning while raining that “The Devil was KISSING his wife”. The rain (devil) & kissing wife (sunshine). I always say it to my kids to keep it alive & to remember even in the bad, there can be good. And if you asked my granddad (her son) what his favorite color was, he would reply “sky blue pink”. Now you go find yourself a sunset & you will see exactly what he meant! It is one of the prettiest sights at my house (his homestead). The front of our house faces the West, with a large pasture across the street. We have front row seats to the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Wish I could show you all the way Tipper shows all the great things about her life!
Thanks to Paul and The Pressley Girls for a beautiful song (what such great harmony!) to start a Sunday morning.
Beautiful – love family harmony. Take care and God bless ❤️
Great song, beautifully played and sung.
Wonderful, all.
Paul’s voice is too fine to always be kept partly hidden under the harmony bushel basket. More like this!
Just what I needed this morning! (Besides my coffee – LOL) Listening to the harmony is like looking at colorful rocks underwater – so much to see and appreciate.
I am NEVER NOT ASTOUNDED BY YOUR TALENTED FAMILY! I enjoyed Pap’s song a lot! You all covered the song in a most wonderful way and I enjoyed the words, melody, singing and picking of each of you! Absolutely a beautiful song for a soggy Sunday morning with a hint of sunlight! Thanks so much!
Enjoyed the song and the words have such beautiful meanings.
I enjoyed the post and the singing video so much. The three are such blessings and so are you Tipper. Thank you for sharing!
I enjoyed this song! I love the opening words – “There are times, here in the valley, my way is hard to find, and I long for the mountain, where God’s sun always shines”. How true those words are to me, especially this week. Your Dad knew how to write my feelings down!! Paul wrote a great description, it was very interesting. I like hearing what was going on in your Dad’s life when he wrote his songs. Everyone did wonderful in this video. Thank you for sharing it this morning, Tipper!
Donna. : )
I enjoyed the song and love listening to Paul pick a guitar. I have listen to the Blind Pig playing some of the old hymns before going to bed over the last few nights. All I know about music is that it either sounds good or it don’t, talking about the different cords is like talking Greek to me. I can’t play a radio without getting static.
Katie, I have alway heard it said that the devil was beating his wife if it was raining while the sun was shining.
I like Katie’s twist on that old saw when the sun shines in the rain:
“The Devil is gonna have a domestic violence call.”
That’s lovely! You guys did a good job!
Thanks for sharing…love the harmony. Great song and words…Pap had a lot of talents and you inherited them and passing them on. Gospel music has been around for a long time and your song brings up an old memory of mine…my first ‘gospel sing’ was in the early 50’s going to a ‘sing’ and listening to the ‘Blackwood’ Brothers….I am sure it was before your time, but they were gems of the Gospel world back them. God Bless
Really enjoyed your song this early morning!
Lovely!