Bluegrass Pines

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Bill Payne

One of the new songs with Robert Hunter lyrics and music by Bill Payne.

Deep away in the bluegrass pines
Where the wide, wide river
Of whiskey winds
Deep away in the bluegrass pines
Glory in the territory
Sanctuary chimes

Wanted to tell you about a friend of mine
One of you could call it the roving kind
Life seems short when you left forever
Wasn't so smart, but pretty damn clever
By the whiskey river in the bluegrass pines

Deep away in the bluegrass pines
Where the wide, wide river
Of whiskey winds
Deep away in the bluegrass pines
Glory in the territory
Sanctuary chimes

We both belonged to the same damn chain gang
Leave my late friend, Lash LaRue
Wait till morning when the tide rolls out
For things we'd rather not talk about
By the whiskey river in the bluegrass pines

Take away in the bluegrass pines
Where the wide, wide river
Of whiskey winds
Deep away in the bluegrass pines
Glory in the territory
Sanctuary chimes

Deep in the bluegrass forest at midnight
Moon turned down as soft as candlelight
Mandolins stutter, the banjos frail
While the last electric stars grow pale

The patter of twilight guitars creep
From under the bracken where they sleep
Tones of strings are tuning
Full choir of bullfrogs crooning

Deep away
Deep away, in the bluegrass pines
Glory in the territory
Sanctuary chimes

Set out on gator back from Lake Diane
Twelve string banjo in my left hand
Busted up seven along the way
That's all I got left to play

Days gone by out on the run
What little good or harm we done
Those who died, the rest still dying
By the whiskey river in the bluegrass pines

Deep away in the bluegrass pines
Glory in the territory
Cemetery chimes

Been on the wagon ninety nine years
Make it one more, you owe me a beer

Deep away in the bluegrass pines
Where the wide, wide river
Of whiskey winds
Deep away in the bluegrass pines
Glory in the territory
Sanctuary chimes

"When Robert Hunter and I began writing, he usually sent me the lyrics first. After several times of doing it this way, he suggested I send him the music first. I had a short instrumental entitled 'Banjo Wanderings'. I was amazed at how this small clip inspired the expansive and wonderful lyrics he called 'Bluegrass Pines'.

"The music I gave him essentially covered only the chorus. Everything else was the result of his imagination and my mining of the melody and chords from the scenery he painted. He asked at one point through e-mail - the only way we ever communicated - if I knew who Lash LaRue was, and I told him yes, he used a whip to go after the desperados rather than use a gun.

"I love this song and its influence on those who performed it. I love the intelligence and spirit that Molly Tuttle, with grace and beauty, created, through her legato acoustic guitar lines with Scott's soaring slide, a dance of kinetic magic. Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams' vocals, powerful, and at times angelic, provided the perfect tapestry for me to sing against. I thank Robert Hunter for his gift."