Today’s post was written by Paul.
Today I’m sharing a fun song composed by good friend, Wayde Powell, II. My friend Caleb had never heard “Wish I had a Big Moon Pie” before we jumped in on it in front of the camera. I wasn’t very familiar with it myself, but I wanted to seize the opportunity to do another video with Caleb while he was visiting.
I never asked Wayde exactly what he had in mind when he wrote this song, but to me, this song is about finding the best things out there in each category. This is probably my interpretation because I’ve had lots of friends and family members who identified and sought out certain models or manifestations of certain things.
For example, my Papaw Wade Wilson had certain pocket knives and chainsaws that he prized above any others available. My Uncle Ray had certain mandolins that he saw as the top-of-the-line. Pap had certain cars and certain car engines that he put more faith in, etc.
A cool aspect of Wayde’s song is that any singer can sing it and put in their own favorite items or things.
Some bluegrass fans may notice that the melody is pretty much the same as the old standard “More Pretty Girls than One.”
As a nod to Pap, I made up and sang the verse about the M1 Garand Rifle, which Pap carried in the Marines and believed to be the finest rifle ever devised.
With the last verse, Wayde wisely brought more depth to the song when he added lyrics about the value of a true friend. I thought it was neat that he wrote that verse in second person, as if singing to the audience.
There’s an interesting documentary on YouTube about the history of Moon Pies (an Appalachian delicacy). You can see it here.
A funny backstory regarding Wayde’s association with Moon Pies… Wayde and my buddy Jamie Shook had a band together for several years. They performed as the Ellis Walden Band. They put on some very entertaining shows in lots of state parks and other venues. Somewhere along the line, Wayde came up with a marketing idea. In addition to writing the Moon Pie song, he bought t-shirts that featured the Moon Pie logo. He also started bringing coolers full of Moon Pies and RC Colas to every performance. They placed the Moon Pies and RC’s at the foot of the stage, and folks could grab them for free. Of course, audiences loved it, especially kids. With this approach, Wayde successfully convinced many people that the Ellis Walden Band was indeed sponsored by Moon Pie and RC, including my sister Tipper, who asked me after one of their shows, “How can we get a sponsorship like that?” I hated to end the spell that that Wayde had cast, but I had to tell Tipper that there was no sponsorship, just Wayde buying the pies and drinks and giving them away. If Moon Pie and RC had been smart, they would have in fact sponsored the Ellis Walden Band by at least providing the giveaways.
Several times in recent years, friends of mine have been surprised to see me drinking an RC because they didn’t realize they were still made and sold. Though I’ve always been an RC man, I never cared much for Moon Pies, though the rest of my family always loved them. Often, when Pap and I would go fishing together, when I was a kid, he would get a Moon Pie at Carl Green’s Store in Brasstown and take it with him as his snack. I’d usually get a candy bar and some potato chips, and I’d get an RC to drink.
You may be wondering why I’m talking about RC’s and why Wayde paired the pies with RC’s. Well, as you’ll see in the documentary, though they’re separate companies, there has always been an association between the two things in Appalachia. In fact, Appalachian Acorns who are old enough, probably remember hearing the phrase “RC Dope and a Moon Pie.” “Dope” is an old timey word for a cola or soft drink in Appalachia.
These days, Wayde spends his time as a photographer rather than a musician. Though I miss his music, he’s an excellent photographer. I’ll close by saying that Wayde Powell, II is a songwriter who is a deep thinker, even though this particular song from him is more about fun than introspection. Very early in the Original Thursday series, I did a song of Wayde’s called “Mountain Woman.” I was a little disappointed that it didn’t get more views. It’s a fantastic song. You can see the video I recorded of it here.
Thanks for watching!
Paul
Original singles released on Spotify.
My dad ran the “Dope wagon” in a local mill when he was young. (he was born in 1927) It was called the “Dope wagon” because Coke had cocaine in it at that time. Just a little extra info. I have drank RC with a Moon Pie my whole life. (I was born in 1952). Every once in a while I still get the pair just for the memories.
Paul, great singing by you and amazing picking by you and Caleb!
It’s a cute and catchy tune!
Really enjoyed Paul’s Moon Pie song! It brought back so many wonderful memories from the 1980’s when my dad owned Sunrise Grocery, a little country store in Blairsville near Vogel State Park. He always kept a good supply of RC Colas and Moon Pies on hand. He later sold the store to Bob Clemmons and his son Jason now owns it. Jason carries on the tradition and still keeps it well stocked with Moon Pies and RC Colas and several other ol’ timey drinks, and is well known for his famous boiled peanuts. Not to plug Sunrise, but it’s still a delightful little country store and carries lots of other uniquities as well. So, Randy, now you know where you can find a Moon Pie, so grab your little grandson and go get y’all a RC Cola and Moon Pie! I think both of you would really enjoy it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loamVbAOsPo
I love stopping by the Moonpie store in Pigeon Forge TN when we’re over that way. I didn’t know so many flavors of Moonpie existed! They also have some nice Christian gifts in that store. Anyway, my daddy and alot of the old timers growing up would talk about RC colas and Moonpies or peanuts in a bottle of coke. I’ve never been a big soda drinker so I didn’t care for those combos. Growing up in Clyde NC my go-to snack from the ez stop was a 3 musketeers and a yoohoo which me and daddy would stop and get on our way to go fishing. I sure do miss those days!
I enjoyed moon pies and R C cola in the 1950s especially in the fall when taking a bale of cotton to the gin in a mule drawn wagon. After getting weighed in and getting in line to gin the cotton I would tie the mules to the wagon in front of me and go to the store across the road J H Barret and Son for my moon pie and R C. This was about the only time I had money to spend which was earned by picking cotton. Sometimes in the spring I could earn money by chopping cotton, $3.00 per day. Mr. Bens store was close by and maybe on Saturday I might get a moon pie. There is a moon pie festival held in June at Bell Buckle Tn. honoring the moon pie.
I can remember moon pies, and vaguely RC. We still have a version of the Moon pie here. It was a dear friends favorite of all treats. I like how you added a nod to your Pap, Paul. This is a catchy tune. Sunday blessings.
Love it! Daddy was born and raised in Harlan County Kentucky. He said RC and a Moon Pie was a coal miners champagne and caviar.. ha ha ha!!! Blessings from Ohio.
It is a blessed day in Ellijay! We’re staying in a cabin for a week ! So peaceful, we slept soundly! God blessed us. I’m a fan of vintage sodas , trying to find if RC has glass bottles for our old coke machine.
Thanks Paul, enjoyed this fun song. I grew up with RC and moon pie. I buy moon pies by the box at Sams Club. If I have a snack of a pack of nabs I want a Pepsi or Mountain Dew with it but if I have a moon pie I want a RC.
I dearly loved moon pies. As a child in Bluefield, W Va my mom didn’t like me to have them very often. So I’d slip up to Mawmaw’s next door and she’d hand me one out the back door. I’d slip up in the woods to eat it and I still remember how much I enjoyed that. She kept a box stashed away for those moments but I never found where she kept them.
Love your post today! Every time we visit Pigeon Forge we go to the Moon pie Store. Bring home boxes for the family.
Now, that was some mighty fine pickin!
Moon pies are a thing in our family too! Momma was from eastern KY and Daddy from southern middle KY so that would have been a very good rare treat for them.
Now singing about the Mustang is my kinda language. I had a ’65 and my twin cousins had a ’68 fastback …we drove the wheels off those things. Wish we still had them. Our daddies (brothers) made us learn on manuals because we could drive anything then. They both retired from Ford Motor Co.
Have a beautiful day and thank you for sharing the beautiful music!
What a great, fun song to start off today with. Moon Pies are the best! You & Caleb did a fantastic job with this song.
I wish I had a big moon pie to have with my coffee this morning. I seriously love moon pies, but only have one occasionally. When I was a kid, we lived across from a little country gas station/store. Every once in a while, on a Saturday night—while watching HeeHaw or The Lawrence Welk Show—my dad would go to that little store and bring home one big bottle of RC and a bag of chips. We would all share it for a special treat. I am sure no one would think sharing a large glass bottle of RC would be a special treat these days, but we did not get one very often—so it was to us. Thank you for the very cute song and for the special memory you reminded me of this morning.
You probably know that Bellbuckle TN has an RC Cola and Moon Pie festival when it’s 1000° each summer.
Happy Sunday!!! You started us out with a good toe tapping tune that got us a smiling!
Great post Paul in several different ways. Everybody ought to learn, hear or be reminded of something fun. Also like your “Appalachian Acorns” ’cause I R 1. That is a better term than “BP&A’er” I think that I have used. Lots of food for thought in being an acorn. And as you say, everybody can make up their own verses (except don’t drop or change the last one). For me, I’d have to have a verse about a”mountain farmstead” or “homestead” or “farm” etc and another about either a “green” or a “blue” “mountain view”. Your tribute to Pap is spot on to as I worked with a vet who was in the South Pacific in WWII and he would talk about the Garand. To tell even two or three things one would most like to have speaks volumes about one’s nature. Finally, about the ROC cola my maternal Grandmother liked hers with Ritz crackers, the old buttery good version that snapped without crumbling. I have not had an RC in decades, may have to fix that.
That is a fun song. I like the way it can be adapted and personalized by the singer. Haven’t had a Moonpie in years.
Again Paul a wonderful blog. Where I come from, New Hampshire, we never heard of Moon Pies but RC Cola could be bought just about anywhere. When I moved from Hawaii to Florida to marry Diane I soon learned about Moon Pies. Het whole family ate them and she loved hers with chocolate milk.
The first thing I do every morning is read my Bible and then read you and your sister’s blog. I have learned so much about this part of the country from it. As I have said before reading it brings me back to the times I played and worked in the northern Appalachian Mountains (White Mountains) of New Hampshire. Bless you.
My mother who grew up in eastern Ky, often spoke of having a moon pie and RC Cola while growing up. She said it was her favorite snack. I’ve had them and they were pretty tasty.
I have never heard a song about a moon pie but have heard the phrase moon pie and RC cola all of my life. I think moon pies were once made and still may be made at Chattanooga, Tennessee. I am thinking when I was a lot younger and visiting my Aunt at Chattanooga, she took us by the plant. In the past I have had moon pies and RC colas but now it is hard to find a RC cola around here.