The first recording of "Big Rock Candy Mountain" was in 1928 by Harry McClintock. Since his version reached #1 on the Hillbilly Hits chart in 1939 (yeah, I didn't think there was such a chart either, amazing right?) many others have taken it under their musical wings. Most notably, the song was featured in the Cohen Brothers film, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" in 2000.
Here's a sampling of the Lyrics:
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
There's a land that's fair and bright,
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night.
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines every day
And the birds and the bees
And the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs
Where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
You can check out the rest of the lyrics
here. Take a look at some versions of "Big Rock Candy Mountain" below and let me know which ones you prefer. The first, I believe, is actual footage of Harry McClintock singing the song.
