Wolverton Mountain: A Very Unusual Song Quiz

Answer: 1962

The song spent 9 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts in the U.S. in 1962, and launched Claude King's career.

(Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverton_Mountain")

Answer: Merle Kilgore

Merle Kilgore was an American country music singer, songwriter and manager. Not only did he co-write "Wolverton Mountain" with Claude King, but he also co-wrote "Ring of Fire" with June Carter Cash. He also wrote for Johnny Horton ("Johnny Reb") and Tommy Roe ("The Folk Singer").

Merle Haggard and Harlan Howard have authored many country songs, but not this one.

Answer: Clifton Clowers

The father's name is Clifton Clowers. He was an actual person who lived on Wolverton (Woolverton) Mountain in Arkansas.

Answer: All of these

Clifton Clowers is "mighty handy with a gun and a knife" and "he may take my life."

Mr. Clowers also apparently is able to communicate with the animals on the mountain, because "The bears and birds tell Clifton Clowers if a stranger should wander there."

In addition, the mountain itself appears to be either enchanted or set up with some sort of security system: "And Wolverton Mountain protects her there."

Answer: Her tender lips are sweeter than honey

All we really know about her is that "Clifton Clowers has a pretty young daughter" and "Her tender lips are sweeter than honey".

The young woman's name is never given in the song.

Although we are told that the narrator loves her, there is no evidence that she is in love with him or even knows of his existence.

Interestingly enough, there was an answer song by Jo Ann Campbell called "Girl from Wolverton Mountain" which hit the charts in August 1962. It's sung from the point of view of a girl who is yearning for a husband and is tired of being isolated and lonely on the mountaintop. However, even the answer song does not specify a particular person as the object of her affections.

Answer: He is determined to keep trying.

The song ends rather inconclusively:

"I don't care about Clifton Clowers,
I'm gonna climb up on his mountain,
I'm gonna take the girl I love."

Some people say that this song is a metaphor for perseverance when confronted with obstacles.

Answer: True

In addition to his singing career, Claude King also did some acting. According to Wikipedia, he appeared in the 1982 television miniseries "The Blue and the Gray" and appeared in some feature films.

Answer: The father in the song is named after Merle Kilgore's uncle

Clifton Clowers was the name of songwriter Merle Kilgore's uncle. He was a real person who lived on the real Wolverton (Woolverton) Mountain in Arkansas.

If you are like me, then you are probably wondering why a man would write a song like this about his uncle! Was he in love with his own first cousin?

Answer: Arkansas

Wolverton Mountain (or Woolverton Mountain) is an actual place in Conway County, Arkansas (USA).

Merle Kilgore was born in Kentucky.

There is apparently a Wolverton Mountain Resort in Virginia, a Wolverton Mountain, New York, and a Wolverton Mountain Gun Club in Washington, but none of these are the mountain that this song was based on.

Answer: Trent Reznor

Trent Reznor is the lead singer of the alternative rock band Nine Inch Nails. As far as I know, he has never recorded this song, although one of his songs, "Hurt", was recorded in Johnny Cash.

Nat "King" Cole recorded the song in 1962, and it first appeared in the U.S. on his album "Ramblin' Rose (and More)".

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded the song, and it appears on their album, "American Dream".

Hank Williams, Jr. released the album "All for the Love of Sunshine" in 1970 in the U.S., which contained this song.