Going Back to the Blue Ridge Mountains

King held the side for nearly three years. On 31 August 1949 it came out on King 803, coupled with “Blues Stay Away From Me,” which the brothers had cut that May and which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007. The 78 credits “Goin’ Back” to Jim Scott; its partner is credited to both Delmores with Henry Glover and Wayne Raney. Later records are not consistent: a 1973 Folkways LP names the Delmore Brothers, Norman Blake’s 1999 album names Alton Delmore, and Jim Mills’s 2002 CD keeps Jim Scott.

The singer is going back to the Blue Ridge Mountains, leaving today, and each verse tells the woman he is leaving why. She can’t be his little darling or his little pet any more; she has caused him lots of trouble and had her little way, and he is fed up with her. Every verse closes with the same line to her: “Honey baby I’m goin’ away.”

The Country Gentlemen sang it live at the Folk Gallery Club in Syracuse, New York, on 1 November 1964, with Charlie Waller on lead, John Duffey on tenor and Eddie Adcock on baritone, backed by Ed Ferris on bass. Folkways made it the title track of an LP of those recordings in 1973. The band Limited Edition recorded it in Miami in October 1975, and Bob and Dana Kogut included it on Heart of the Mountains (Pinecastle, 1993). Norman Blake played it on Far Away, Down on a Georgia Farm (Shanachie, 1999). For My Dixie Home (Sugar Hill, 2002), banjo player Jim Mills cut it on 20 May 2002 with Dan Tyminski singing lead, Paul Brewster on tenor, and Adam Steffey, Stuart Duncan and Barry Bales in the band.