For the last few months I’ve been sharing thoughts about my favorite musicians and songs during my live event every Monday morning.
Tomorrow I aim to talk a little about story songs.
A commenter brought the subject to mind when they suggested I listen to the song “Tall Weeds and Rust” by The Tennessee Bluegrass Band.
I shared the song in a post back in January of 2023. After that Don Casada wrote a guest post for us about his thoughts on the song. You can find it here.
After I revisited “Tall Weeds and Rust” I started thinking of other story songs.
Back in March of 2021 Paul started an annual Story Song Series on the Blind Pig and The Acorn YouTube channel. My mind immediately went to some of the songs we’ve done for the series.
Songs like “The Angels Rejoiced in Heaven Last Night,” “I Haven’t Seen Mama in Years,” and “BJ the DJ.”
Of course when it comes to story songs the list is pretty much endless. Many of the songs we’ve uploaded since back in 2008 are story songs. “Desperadoes Waiting for a Train” and “Dream of a Miner’s Child” come to mind. Appalachia is known for love ballads, murder ballads, and even child ballads. All tell a story—usually a terribly sad one. Several of them can be found on the channel.
Tom T. Hall was often called The Story Teller for the moving songs he wrote about slices of real life. He was born in 1936 (one year before Pap) in Olive Hill Kentucky. After serving in the Army Hall was a radio announcer as well as a performer finally getting his big break in 1963 when one of his songs was recorded by a country artist, Jimmy C. Newman.
After moving to Nashville, Hall went on to record hit songs as well as write songs for many of the greats like Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, George Jones and Alan Jackson.
My earliest memory of Tom T. Hall is his classic song “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died.” My older brother, Steve, had a triple record set of country hits which he forbid me and Paul to touch. But as soon as he left for work we’d grab the tunes and listen to the country greats of the day.
Back in 2009 Paul uploaded another one of Hall’s hit story songs “Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine.”
Hope you enjoyed the song! Click on the colored words in the post to visit the other songs I mentioned.
Tipper
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I always enjoyed Tom T. Hall’s music back in the day. Our kids had a cassette tape of children’s songs that he recorded, too. There were several favorites on it…”The Mysterious Fox of Fox Hollow” was one of them.
Haven’t thought about Tom T Hall or this song since the late 70’s. Love Paul’s rendition too!
Great song and Paul has a wonderful voice!
To the discussion of story songs I belatedly add “My Old Yellow Car” by Dan Seals. It checks all the boxes as a solid story song about a man who looks back longingly at another time and place.
I sat at a table with Tom T. Hall when he was writing “Old Dogs & Children” at the Six Flags Ramada penthouse. Johnny Rodriquez was a friend of mine and still with The Storytellers..before his first hit. My trio was the house band there at the time. Johnny invited me up to meet Tom T. and we helped him work on a bottle of good Scots whiskey. They had been on tour in Florida and had come up from Miami. Hall said something about a song he was getting started on..about a man in a bar in Miami . Nice guy. Never met him again but all the Ramada Staff got free passes to his two shows at Six Flags. I guess the grief of losing his wife drove him over the edge..suicide victim.
Good golly, doesn’t that song capture in poetry and music the passing of the small farm lifestyle. It sure fits Appalachia after WWII; old fields growing up in broomsage, goldenrod, asters,rabbit tobacco, cedars, sumac and blackberries, horse-drawn farm equipment grown over and rusting. But it also captures overgrown barns, tipples, fences and rusting railroad tracks. Lived it, seen it over many miles from home. Makes me wonder if Tom T came to the end feeling like he didn’t belong anymore. There are some kinds of changes that are mighty hard on the human spirit. Seen that, lived that to.
Story songs are great. There are so many. Many folk songs are story songs whose writers are unknown. While John Prine has been mentioned, I don’t understand why Dolly Parton (Coat of Many Colors to name just one) and Doc Watson haven’t been.
Two of my favorite story songs are The Tennessee Stud and Tom Dooley.
I have just heard from my grandson, he was told it was not COVID but a bad sinus infection. I appreciate and thank everyone for praying for him. There are no words to describe the love I have for my grandsons and son. After loosing my daughter 12 years ago today and my wife of 47 years 3 years ago, they are the only things I have left that make my life worth living.
Daddy, Uncle Josh, and Raymond got to perform with Tom T on the bluegrass spectacular show in 1979. I always get a kick out of seeing my daddy in his 70s era since I didn’t come along till 83. There’s a video on YouTube of daddy singing fox on the run with Tom T and Mac Wiseman at that show…It’s titled “Raymond Fairchild with Tom T Hall Grand ole opry 1979”
Tom T. Hall earned the moniker “The Storyteller.” Two further favorites he penned that I would add are “That’s How I Got to Memphis” and “Homecoming.” The latter is filled with sadness and deep meaning, and much the same can be said for Hall’s death (he killed himself).
Other songwriter singers I consider truly top drawer are Merle Haggard, Boxcar Willie (although his wife had a big and maybe the key role in songs such as “The Wind of Yesterday”), Dwight Yoakum (his “Readin’, Ritin’, and Route 23” speaks just as much to folks of portions of WNC as it does to those of his eastern Kentucky homeland, since Route 23 took a lot of Carolina mountain folks to the auto plants of the Midwest in the late 1950s and 1960s), Roger Miller, and Willie Nelson. Incidentally, lest you think Roger Miller was all goofy story songs about “King of the Road” or “My Uncle Used to Love Me but She Died,” listen to his song, “Old Friends,” offered in company with Willie Nelson. The there’s perhaps the most prolific of them all, Whispering Bill Anderson.
You’ve got a mighty fertile field for a lot of posts to come, and I for one look towards them with eagerness.
Jim Casada
Have you heard Tom T. Hall’s song “I hope it rains as my funeral”?
My husband has a tendency from time to time to get stuck on some really sad song which he will play over and over again until it seems to take on a life of its own. Back around 2007 this was one of those songs. I never did quite understand the meaning of the final line of the song. And given the risk of getting a two page essay answer, I did not ask my husband’s interpretation. Of course, he has since moved on to other hauntingly sad songs to listen to ad infinitum.
I guess the humorous part is: now after being married to him almost 50 years, I sorta like it when he gets stuck on one of those sad songs because most of the time he is an extremely overly optimistic person.
At any rate, he and I are both huge fans of story songs including of course the wonderful late John Prine and Johnny Cash and lots of others….
P.S. Just found out you were a professor at Winthrop. The mother of my best friend (since 9th grade!) was an alum from there. So I heard a lot about it from her. My husband and I are University of the South alums. Yea, Sewanee’s Right!
Thanks for sharing, Paul. I have always liked Tom T. Hall songs. Hope everyone has a blessed Sunday!
I was introduced to Tom T Hall’s music when I met my future husband in college. It wasn’t the kind of music my husband was exposed to growing up but had become his favorite. I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard a Tom T song! In later years we happened to move pretty close and I took my boys to his and Miss Dixie’s Christmas Open House. Once I just happened to get in line behind him in a small grocery store check out line. He didn’t act like the star he was but like an ordinary person and I always admired that. Not many years ago I bought some odd pieces of flatware and a few other things at his estate sale when he downsized. He was a great storyteller and to me, but even more important, an ordinary man. His music has meaning if you listen closely. I still have all the old as well as more recent albums but haven’t listened to them in years. I guess I should listen to it again now. I’m sure it will stir up a lot of memories. It already has this morning. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing this – I have long time enjoyed Tom T Hall.
I have been a music teacher for many years. I oft have my students analyze songs and story songs are my favorite to have them discover the meaning of. Some that come to mind are “Medicine Springs” by Ralph Stanley, “Ode to Billy Joe” by Bobbie Gentry and one that has a real surprise, “Tragic Romance” by Grandpa Jones.
The Year That Clayton Delany Died is one of my favorite songs, and I sing it often. It reminds me of someone I knew when I was a child.
So funny about sneaking into Steve’s room to listen to his albums when he wasn’t home. I always loved music and did that too to my older brothers!
I’ve always enjoyed story songs and this is one of my favorites.
I have many favorites but for Tom T. Hall, I absolutely love that song “Old Dogs, and Children and Watermelon Wine.” I’ve listened to Paul sing and play his guitar for many years and he always does a fantastic job. Plus, I must say, Granny and Pap sure raised three up-standing children to be faith-filled, hard working, strong pillars for their family and country. God bless you all and have a great week!!
James King recorded several story songs. Bed By The Window, Thirty Years of Farming and others. Mournful for sure! I’m from Montgomery Alabama and enjoy your blog and videos so much!
I forgot to mention this in my other comment, I often listen to the song Tall Weeds And Rust. It is a perfect description of what has been and is going on in my area.
Thank for sharing Paul…he is a gem and is sooo polished. I believe I have heard all of these songs that started in my youth and Tom T. Hall has some good stuff. Blessings for Granny and the rest of your growing family….Hugs
I have always liked Tom T Hall and his songs. I don’t know if it would be considered the same and don’t know the proper word for it, but I like listening to Red Sovine and his songs such as Giddy Up Go and especially Roses For Mama. Porter Wagner would also do some songs like this.
I am feeling down/worried this morning, 12 years ago today my only daughter died. I was feeling a lot better yesterday, my sister was doing better, and then late yesterday I got news of my autistic grandson being very sick, it sounded like he has Covid-19 to me. He is going to the doctor this morning. I have been praying for him during the night. Please pray for him.
Randy-I’m sorry. I will pray for your grandson.
So sorry to hear this. Sending prayers for you and your family.
Will pray for your grandson
My favorite Tom T Hall song! Do you know where I can buy some watermelon wine?
John-I’m sorry I don’t know. Glad you enjoyed the song!
I also love story songs and especially those written and performed by the late and great John Prine. Hello in There, Sam Stone, Souvenirs, Paradise, and so many others. I also love Iris Dement, Sheila Kay Smith, and Ola Belle Reed. I was listening to one of the songs performed by your girls and Paul, and a neighbor stopped by and laughed at me being a northerner listening to what he called “Hillbilly music.” I simply said, “It’s my favorite music in the world.” That is the truth and one of the reasons I love Blind Pig & the Acorn and Celebrating Appalachia, both full of the best music to be heard.
Tom T Hall, me and Jesus, praise God hallelujah