Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room: A Song History

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The earliest recording of “Fifty Miles of Elbow Room” found in the sources consulted here was made for Victor in New York in mid-1930 by Rev. F. W. McGee, a Church of God in Christ evangelist based in Chicago, with a vocal chorus and a small band that, according to the discography, included Henry Allen on trumpet.[1][2] Sources differ on the exact day, with the Discography of American Historical Recordings giving July 16 and the Smithsonian Folkways notes giving June 16.[1][2] Victor’s ledgers note that the song came from Songs of the Kingdom, a booklet of songs collected by Evangelist Sister A. M. Stokes.[1] Victor issued the side in 1933 on record 23401, and Harry Smith later chose it for his Anthology of American Folk Music, first issued by Folkways in 1952.[3][2]

Photograph of a lone figure seated on dark rocks beside a broad river winding between steep canyon walls under a pale sky

Timothy H. O’Sullivan, Iceberg Canyon, Colorado River Looking Above, albumen print from wet collodion negative, c. 1871. A wide western landscape, shown for the song’s sense of open space; it has no connection to the song.

The Carter Family recorded the song in New York on October 14, 1941, with A. P. Carter singing bass, Sara Carter on autoharp and Maybelle Carter on guitar.[4] Bluebird released it in July 1942 on B-9026, backed with “Keep on the Firing Line.”[5] In the sources consulted here the writer remains uncertain: the discography lists a “Herbert Buffam” as composer citing a secondary reference, marking that credit as not confirmed, and reports that the Bluebird label credits Sara Carter, perhaps only as arranger.[4][5] Hymnary.org names no author for the text and indexes it in a single hymnal, dated 1961.[6]

The song is now regarded as a gospel standard and is often linked with the Carter Family.[7] Later recordings include one by Iris DeMent and one by Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange with Josh Moore.[2][7] Elwood Donnelly includes it in Such Singing You Will Hear: 35 Songs Of The Carter Family, a book of instruction and notes for mountain dulcimer, backup and voice, with every song in DAD tuning.[8]

Our book that contains the song "Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room"

Sources

  1. Discography of American Historical Recordings: "Victor matrix BVE-62352. Fifty miles of elbow room / Rev. F. W. McGee".
  2. Smithsonian Folkways: "Anthology of American Folk Music" (liner notes, SFW 40090).
  3. Discography of American Historical Recordings: "Victor 23401".
  4. Discography of American Historical Recordings: "Victor matrix BS-067995. Fifty miles of elbow room / Carter Family".
  5. Discography of American Historical Recordings: "Bluebird B-9026".
  6. Hymnary.org: "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room".
  7. WUNC: "Come Hear NC: Songs We Love, Fifty Miles of Elbow Room".
  8. Elwood Donnelly: "Such Singing You Will Hear: 35 Songs Of The Carter Family".
  9. Image: Timothy H. O’Sullivan, Iceberg Canyon, Colorado River Looking Above, albumen print from wet collodion negative, c. 1871. The Cleveland Museum of Art.

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