Music Monday: Fire On The Mountain (video)
Posted By RichC on February 15, 2026
A unique song for this week’s Music Monday after seeing the video below on social media. It is an old time fiddle song that has roots dating back to at least the early 19th century, appearing in print as early as 1814 in Riley’s Flute Melodies under the title “Free on the Mountains.” Fire on the Mountain might be remembered from the Grateful Dead’s song or a popular version from The Marshall Tucker Band.
This version below is widely played across the Southern and Midwestern United States and is known for being performed at breakneck speed, giving rise to the popular folklore that the fiddler plays so fast the fiddle catches fire and ignites the mountain.
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