Grateful Dead Family Discography: I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago

I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago

Composer: Traditional / H.C. Verner / Harry C. Clyde

I Was Born Ten Thousand Years Ago was played by Bob & Jerry (Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia) in 1961.

I Was Born Ten Thousand Years Ago is one of a large family of songs with a wide range of titles and lyrics. Other titles includes Four Thousand Years Ago, Six Thousand Years Ago (both also preceded by 'I Was Born'), Highly Educated Man, The Historian, I'm The Man That Rode the Mule Around the World, and When Abraham and Issac Rushed the Can.

A version of the song was published in 1894 with the title I Am a Highly Educated Man. This version was credited to Harry C. Clyde (lyrics) and H. C. Verner (music). It is possible that this was an adaptation of an existing song. Some recordings credit these writers, others credit the song as Traditional.

I was Born Ten Thousand Years Ago has been adapted by more recent songwriters. Examples include Woody Guthrie's Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done, the Chad Mitchell Trio's The Great Historical Bum, Liam Clancy's The Liar, and Bob Hilliard and Burt Bacharach Ten Thousand Years Ago which takes the original as a starting point only.

Jerry Garcia recordings

Before The Dead, Jerry Garcia, 2018

Other recordings

This list is not intended to be comprehensive.

no info Single (The Girl I Left In Sunny Tennessee / I'm The Man That Rode The Mule Round The World), Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, 1925
no info Single (Wild Bill Jones / I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago), Kelly Harrell accompanied by Henry Whitter, 1925
no info Single (I Was Born Four Thousand Years Ago / Just Plain Folks), Kentucky Mountain Boys, 1926
no info Single (Hand Me Down My Walking Cane / I Was Born Four Thousand Years Ago), Lester McFarland / Robert A. Gardner, 1927
no info Single (Knoxville Girl / I Was Born Four Thousand Years Ago), Lester McFarland And Robert A. Gardner, 1927
no info Single (Sara Jane / I Was Born Four Thousand Years Ago), Collins Brothers The Pride Of Kentucky, 1927
no info Single (Sara Jane / I Was Born Four Thousand Years Ago), Cramer Brothers, 1927
no info Single (I Was Born Four Thousand Years Ago / You Are False But I'll Forgive You), Miller Bros./ Miller Bros., 1928
no info Single (Four Thousand Years Ago / Georgia Man), The Georgia Organ Grinders, 1929
no info Single (Man That Rode The Mule Around The World / Life And Death Of Jesse James), Dave Macon & Sid Harkreader, 1929
no info Single (Four Thousand Years Ago / Liza Up In The 'Simmon Tree), Bradley Kincaid, 1929
no info Single (Let Tha Mule Go Aunk! Aunk! / Four Thousand Years Ago), Bradley Kincaid, 1929
no info Single (Four Thousand Years Ago / Liza Up In The 'Simmon Tree), Dan Hughey, 1929
no info Single (Who Stole The Lock From The Hen House Door ? / Four Thousand Years Ago), Otto Gray & His Oklahoma Cowboys, 1931
no info Single (In The Valley Of Yesterday / Four Thousand Years Ago), The Vagabonds, 1933
no info Single (Whistlin' Joe From Kokomo / Four Thousand Years Ago), Hoosier Hot Shots, 1935
The Tin Angel Presents Vol 3 (EP), Odetta & Larry, 1954
The Tin Angel, Odetta & Larry, 1954
no info Laughing America, Oscar Brand, 1957
no info The Boll Weevil Song and 11 Other Great Hits, Brook Benton, 1961
no info Tell Tall Tales!, New Christy Minstrels, 1963
no info Happy Party Songs for Boys and Girls, 1963
no info Salute to Uncle Dave Macon, Stringbean, 1963
Doc Watson, Doc Watson, 1964
no info Beginning Folk Guitar: An Instruction Record For Beginners, Jerry Silverman, 1964
no info Mountain Ballads And Old Time Songs, Bradley Kincaid, 1964?
no info Carolina Tar Heels, Carolina Tar Heels, 1965
no info Play And Sing American Folk Music, Clarence Ashley & Tex Isley, 1966
no info Country Music Hall of Fame, Volume 5, Various Artists (Stringbean), 1966
no info The Best of, Oscar Brand, 1967
no info Single (Memories Are Made Of This / I Was Born Ten Thousand Years Ago), Val Doonican, 1967
Elvis Country, Elvis Presley, 1971
no info Elvis Now, Elvis Presley, 1972
no info Some American Folk Songs Like They Used To, Spider John Koerner, 1974
no info Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers, Vol. 4, Charlie Poole, 1976?
Rode the Mule Around the World, Tracy's Family Band, 1981
no info Old-Time Songs And Hymns, Volume 1, Bradley Kincaid, 1984
The Tin Angel, Odetta, 1993
no info Folkways Years 1944-1961, Cisco Houston, 1994
Folk Song America, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Oscar Brand), 1994
Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters, Elvis Presley, 1995
no info Rural Route 2, Bob Bovee and Gail Heil, 1996
no info Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1, (1923-1924), Fiddlin' John Carson, 1998
no info The Elvis Presley Collection: Treasures 1970-1976, Elvis Presley, 1999
Elvis Country, Elvis Presley, 2000 (CD bonus track)
Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3: 1928-1929, The Skillet Lickers, 2001
Keep My Skillet Good & Greasy, Uncle Dave Macon, 2004
Classic Sides 1924-1938, Uncle Dave Macon, 2004
no info From His Roots, Elvis Presley, 2004
Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers and the Highlanders, Charlie Poole, 2005
You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music, Charlie Poole / Various Artists, 2005
no info Paramount Old Time Recordings, Various Artists (George Reneau and Lester McFarland), 2006
no info Serenade in the Mountains, Various Artists (Otto Gray & His Oklahoma Cowboys), 2006
no info A Man And His Guitar 1927-1950, Bradley Kincaid, 2012
no info The Rise And Fall Of Paramount Records 1917-1927 Vol 1 (USB edition), Various Artists (Collins Brothers), 2013
no info Live And In Person: Greenwich Village 1963, Clarence Ashley, 2017