Climbing High Mountains

Climbing High Mountains, sometimes called Trying to Get Home, is an old southern spiritual.

This is a good one to lead in a sing-a-long. It’s got essentially three lines. It’s also sung slow so there’s a lot of room for folks to explore their own harmonies. And since it’s pentatonic there’s a good chance their harmonies will actually sound phenomenal.

Lyrics
I’ve been climbing high mountains, trying to get home I’ve been climbing high mountains, trying to get home I’ve been climbing high mountains, climbing high mountain I’ve been climbing high mountains, trying to get home I’ve been wading deep waters, trying to get home ... I’ve been moving through dark valleys, trying to get home ... I’ve been climbing high mountains, trying to get home ...

Numbers
Melody only 3566163566 6133531333 6133531 66163 3566163566

1=C (Am) or 1=Eb (Cm)

Locals
Lee Leonard likes to sing it in A minor. Mick Kinney plays an awesome accompaniment on piano.

Samples

 * [[Media:ClimbingHighMountains_numbers.ogg|Climbing High Mountains sung by the numbers]]

Inspiration

 * Here's a laid back but very powerful version of Climbing High Mountains done by Bernice Johnson Reagon and friends.


 * And then there's Blind Willie McTell with Curley Weaver singing harmony on this one . Weaver’s harmony is very chromatic (or bluesy), using a lot of half steps as he walks down the scale.