Mathias Dahl, The Fiddle Maker

From the Album Living In A Rich Man’s World

I once worked for a man, who made and repaired violins
Few have ever known the trade quite as well as him
He tooled down an old piece of spruce with his oaken hands
The closest friends that he had were those violins

He made his first fiddle when he was only ten-years old
With an old jackknife he whittled down his first scroll
The body of that fiddle was an old cigar box
Later-on he used 200-year-old wood to make those fiddle tops

His eyes would shine when he’d start to play on
One of them fiddles that he hand made
Like a master surgeon that can give a blind man site
He took an old piece of wood and brought it back to life

He said that Stradivarius came on down to him
Taught him how to make the varnishes for all them violins
I’d once seen a photograph of their fiddles side by side
The main difference between the two was the name I read inside

Folks came from far and wide to get all of them fiddles repaired
I recall one man who drove 400 miles to get his fiddle bow rehaired
They knew no one like Mat, who could ever do work quite like him
The sweetest sound I ever known is that of the violin

When I hear our friend Pete playing
I think of old Mat Dahl and them fiddles that he made
He made his first fiddle in the year of 1901
He completed three hundred before his life was done

His eyes would shine when he’d start to play on
One of those fiddles that he handmade
Like a master surgeon, who can heal deaf ears
Old Mat he’s gone now, but them fiddles they’re still here.

Words & music by Larry Long
Copyright Larry Long 1981; Renewed 2025 / BMI

*Mathias Dahl was born in 1888. He immigrated from Norway to escape the draft but was then drafted in this country. At the close of the war, he set up shop in Minneapolis and handcrafted a total of 350 violins, 18 violas and 9 cellos in his lifetime. His instruments are internationally acclaimed for their excellence. Mathias once told me, “Me and the Mrs. couldn’t have children, so these fiddles are my children.” From his instruments a world of music has been created and to him this song is given.

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