New Song Lyrics – Moonshine’s a Running

Hi folks,

I’ve just written a brand spanking new song called “Moonshine’s a Running”. Here are the lyrics and below that will be a brief explination of the song –

Moonshine’s a Running

Moonshine’s a running

From the side of the hill

I make my living

From the pot and the still
.

Moonshine’s a running

From the side of my hill

I feed my young un’s

From the pot and the still
.

I work all day toiling in the dirt

When the chillun’s cry from hunger, that’s when I hurt
.

Moonshine’s a running

Like my Pappy did before

As his Daddy did

When he washed upon this shore
.

Moonshine’s a running

It’s an honest man’s trade

The sheriff let’s me know

When it’s time for the raid
.

These hills are alive with the smell of mash

And quiet whispers at night and promises of cash
.

Moonshine’s a running

On an Appalachian night

I’ll brew my magic

By the harvest moon tonight
.

Moonshine’s a running

It’s time to move the shine

The dogs are a sniffin’

I’ve been given the sign
.

The sheriff said “I hear ya farmin’ the woods?

There’s new folks in town out lookin’ for your goods”
.

Moonshine’s a running

It’s time to move on

It’s the end of the verse

But not of my song
.

Moonshine’s a running

Little bellies full tonight

But who knows tomorrow

If their belts will be tight
.

It’s a life I never chose to be

But a man does what he does, for his family
.

Moonshine’s a Running

On the side of my hill

I made my living

On the pot and the still
.

Moonshine’s a running

Time to rest my bones

I died a moonshiner

Four miles from my home
.

The cold and wet got me in the night

Daddy won’t be home, but everything’s alright
.

Moonshine’s a running

On the side of a hill

They’ll make a new life

From the pot and the still
.

Moonshine’s a running

It’s the way it’s always been

It will always live on

In both kith and kin
.

A hundred fires in the woods tonight

A hundred souls will go on, fight the good fight
.

Written by Jamie McPherson

Sunday 10 June 2013

Words and music © 2013 Copyright Jamie McPherson

The line “moonshine’s a running” came to me while reading a Foxfire article about moonshining in the Appalachian Mountains called “The Fine Art of Moonshining”. It was a great article written in the 60’s of the dying art of Moonshining (the distilling of illegal whisky). One thing that touched me deeply was that it was accepted by all the locals, including the local law enforcement, as for many it was the only way they could feed their families. Life was tough for these folks, and they had to do whatever they could to survive. Their only real concern was the Federal law enforcement agencies, who could spell a lengthy prison sentence for them. But to feed their families, it was worth the risk. So, I hope I was able to catch the spirit of this within the song.

The song was really born out of the chords. I was noodling around with the guitar last weekend and started to play these chords. I recorded them on my mobile so I wouldn’t forget. Then, yesterday I played back the chords and wrote the music structure on a neet little program on my mobile. And this morning I sat down and wrote out the lyrics.

So, I hope you enjoy Moonshine’s a Running. Hopefully soon I’ll have a rough demo up so you can listen to it.

Beannach leibh,

Jamie

Song Lyrics – Just a Simple Cowboy

Hi folks,

Here are the lyrics to my latest song “Just a Simple Cowboy” that I wrote a couple of weeks ago, that I had the pleasure of giving a Fringe debut. After the lyrics, there is a simple explanation of the song. I hope you enjoy –

Just a Simple Cowboy

 

I was born in Louisiana

In the land of the Choupiqui

The Captain, his wife

And a troubled boy called “me”

 

In the Crescent City

Walks the souls like you and me

Whom death they tried to cheat

But it’s never meant to be

 

The Captain taught me how to kill

A hundred miles from the coast

He was a simple sailor killing

Vampires and ghosts

 

The Captain got too slow one night

And copped one in the neck

So I headed on out West

To get away from all this heck

 

I got me a horse and rope

Joined the cowboys on the range

But peace didn’t last long

Camping out beyond La Grange

 

Injun Joe came back to life

And killed us all, almost

He didn’t figure on a cowboy killing

Vampires and ghosts

 

Seven years on the land

Huntin’ vampires down

Killing thirty out on the trail

And a hundred in your town

 

If my blood looks good to you

And you want to grab a bite

You’ll answer to my Winchester

Cause I have you in my sights

 

If you die and walk the streets again

Then your ass is toast

Cause I’m a simple cowboy killing

Vampires and ghosts

 

I went on to the Chicken Ranch

To get myself a gal

I called in to the lobby and

Down came Miss Bell

 

“I heard of a dark-haired beauty

Her name is Raven Knight”

She came on up to my room

And blew out the light

 

I tore her skirts in two

And tied her to the posts

“I don’t mean no disrespect mam

Are you a vampire or a ghost?”

 

When I draw too slow

They’ll suck my cold blood dry

It’s the fate of the hunter

To wither and to die

 

Point that stake right at my heart

And pound that bad boy down

Say a prayer and bury me deep

Deep beneath the ground

 

I’ll stand in judgement for my crime

Before the Heavenly Host

He’ll ask what deeds shame a man like me

What scares me the most

 

I’ll tell him I’m not perfect

And I’m not a man to boast

I was just a simple cowboy killing

Vampires and ghosts

 

Words and Music © Copyright 2013 Jamie McPherson

Written 26 February 2013

 

This song, of all things, was inspired by a video game on my phone. Welcome to the 21st Century! With my upcoming Fringe show entitled ‘Life, Love and the Death of a Cowboy’, I thought it was time to write another song. One in which the hero dies. I couldn’t think of a better subject than a simple cowboy hunting and killing vampires and ghosts. My cross genre song 🙂

A bit like my other songs, geography plays a big role. To me, if you can set a geographical location, the song is half written. It gives a sense of place and time. We are all very visually orientated, so it makes it easier for the listener to picture the song in their head if they can relate to the places it is coming from. And, I also love the journey from one place to another. It sits in well with the characters journey. A journey of place, a journey of life.

The places I used in this song are all real. Louisiana, New Orleans and La Grange. The Crescent City is another nickname for New Orleans. I wanted the story to start down South and move West (“Go West young man!”). The Choupiqui are the Native American tribe of that area. And, being on the Mississippi, I thought his father would have to be a riverboat captain. A simple sailor living a hundred miles from the coast. The Chicken Ranch was an actual brothel just outside of La Grange. And of course there is your town. This is yours and for your imagination only 🙂

So, this young man is trained by his father to kill vampires and ghosts, but then his death prompts him to try to escape this violent world. Only to discover that there is an unatural violence everywhere, and only he is equipped to deal with it.

Of course the story ends with the death of the hunter. It’s the old saying of “he who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword”. The reality of a violent world is that the good guy will eventually die. And of course, death is not the final word. One must answer for ones life and actions.

So, I hope you enjoy my lyrics to Just a Simple Cowboy. It was fun playing it live and I look forward to recording it one day when my studio is up and running again. In the meantime, if you want to see the chords for the song, they are on my website at www.jamiemcpherson.com.au

Beannachd leat,

Jamie