1. |
The Garden
03:24
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I used to walk with Grandpa up across a hill each morning
To the garden growing on the other side
A river nestled gently flowing through a lowland valley
From the hilltop we could see for miles and miles
Off in the distance were the smokestacks from the factory
Where my grandpa he had worked since WWII
And up along the mountainside the sun reflects machinery
Where my brothers helped to put the Parkway through
Satisfied by progress this ever-changing world was changing fast
And Grandpa always said: "man must pay for each mistake of his past"
I'm not talkin' 'bout the good ol' days like they are gone forever
But there is a time our kids may never know
In the crisp clean air of morning
The sun would shine so brightly
On Gramps and me when I was ten years old
It's been nigh on twenty years now since I walked across that hilltop
But this time I held my own child's hand
I knew things would look much different from the garden of my childhood
I saw man's inhumanity to man
There were no cattle grazing, no corn was growing tall
Ten years ago the interstate came through
A constant flow of traffic an abandoned shopping mall
And that old factory provided us our view
Instead of hearing birds sing
We heard planes and trains and traffic coming through
What could I do?
And the mountains were no longer in view
(Repeat first two verses)
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2. |
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Daddy when you're ready the coffee's done
It'll be a little while before they come
So while your waiting for the others
Won't you please tell me another
Of the tales about the many things you've done
Tell the one about old Mike again
How old hunting dogs can be your closest friend
Oh dad I love the way
You bring back your yesterday's
Tell the one about old Mike again
chorus
Silver hair and smiling clear blue eye's
Nobody else I know is half as wise
One day I know you'll be gone
but your memory will live on
When we tell our kids the things that grandpa did
Mama cried when you went off to war
So afraid you'd die alone on foreign soil
From the stories that you tell
War was like a living hell
Old vets don't get a hero's welcome anymore
You nurtured seven children with your wisdom
Its because of you I think we'll do just fine
But now that we're all grown raising families of our own
We sure miss the way you took us back in time
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3. |
Mama Always Said
03:02
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I saw them hungry eyes look at me
With a fierce and wild eyed stare
He's busted down the gate
And now he's coming after me
I got to get on away from here
I bet my feet didn't even touch the ground
I was pursued by the hounds from hell
At the forests edge I got the nerve to turn around
It was just Mrs. Johnson's cow
It was just Mrs. Johnson's cow
Chorus
Mama always said don't go in them woods
After evening shadows fall
There's animal that are hungry and they'll eat you if the could
And they will catch you if you fall
They will catch you if you fall
Now we'd been told not to play in that old barn
Or we might meet the boogey man
He's hiding in the shadows with teeth as long as nails
And he will get you if he can
So we took up bets on a dee double dare
To see who'd be the first to run
Well the boogey man was gone
And some polecats were at home
And that is one bet nobody won
That is one bet nobody won
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4. |
Grandma Did It All
03:19
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She'd been tempted before
To walk out the door without looking back
But her conscience wouldn't let her
She carried the weight
There's no way to re-pay her for her sacrifice
She gave all her life
And she never complained
She was there at the end of every day
Washin', cookin', cleanin' for us all
As I recall
Grandma, oh Grandma did it all
Chorus
No sooner was a task complete
'Til it was faced to be done once again, and again
She'd sing in a voice so sweet
Old gospel hymns that sweetly teach
The promise of beginning at the end
Where true reward begins
Disabled by war
Grandpa was Grandma's biggest chore
But she never once resented
The love that she gave
But oh how she craved a better way
If she'd had the chance to live it
Now with grandkids to raise
She'll be there at the end of every day
Washin', cookin', cleanin' for us all
As I recall
Grandma, oh Grandma did it all
Chorus
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5. |
My Carolina Home
03:23
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Left a lot of tracks and traces
Been inspired by the sights I've been shown
But the longer I'm away
Convinces me I'll never stray
Far away, from my Carolina home
Chorus
Let me live in my homeland of Western Carolina
On the summit of a mountain so high
Let the valleys surround me
Let the full moon spellbound me
Let me hear the call of the pines
In a special place I've got
Each time I'm there I thank God
For the beauty and the freedom I have known
I may never be wealthy
But my sanity is healthy
Living's easy in my Carolina home
Repeat Chorus
Look at that old moon
Through the pine trees on the hill
And off in the distance you can hear a whip-or-will
This kind of being lonesome
Is the best you'll ever feel
Look at that old moon
Through the pine trees on the hill
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6. |
Hey Old Timer
03:27
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He knows the name of every bird and tree
And he harvest's what he planted in the spring
With the woman at his side he knows the joy that life can bring
For over fifty years now they have planted a many seed
They raised eleven children who all still live close by
They often come to visit or just to seek advice
And with each passing year they know their days are numbered now
With faith and love and God above they still get along somehow
Chorus
Hey old timer, where are you-going
Its been nice-a-knowing you were there
Hey old timer you're the end of an era
That I think I live better than the one we're living now
They live by modest means and never took to modern ways
The first in line to lend a hand they work hard every day
Of the highest moral fiber,
Sunday's found them at their best
Taking time for one another on this Holy day of rest
Now many may not think, that they'd be gratified
And they act like folks who live this way don't set their goals to high
Its not for fame and luxury that money can buy
A man's worth is not weighed by his purse
But by how he lives his life
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7. |
Pathway of Struggle
03:23
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I'm good to my dog and I'm there for my neighbor
Meet all my own needs and stay true to my labor
I tend to my own business put simply
I try to excel at the things that I love
And I try to keep faith and make the most of
All who bear false witness against me
Chorus
I'm walkin' this earth a little contender
Aware of my worth and proud of my gender
The mirror sees me at peace within my own skin
So if my lot in life is to be a have not
I'm grateful, I'm blessed with the little I've got
While walking this pathway of struggle
For women and men
We learn early on that life holds no promise
The way to behave is to live your life honest
For the virtue of patience I have waited
This era of time is a world of extremes
With a modern day pill that will cure anything
Will that make life a little less complicated
For every addiction a side effect reigns
How long will this ghost in your closet remain
The strongest of human's have faults they could claim
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8. |
Little Things
02:32
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If you want to make me happy
Just take the time to notice
All the little things
(all the little things)
I'm not into expensive or materialistic
just the joy having your love
Should bring to me
(and all the little things)
Chorus
So when we're kissin'
I need to feel the thrill right from the start
and when you're holding me
I need to know you feel love in your heart
and with the words love brings
My mind must be content with
All of the little things
(little things you say to me)
Honey you could bring me flowers
But I’d rather take a walk out in the woods
(one of the little things)
We can pick some daisies
And laugh and talk the way young lovers should
(I love the little things)
Chorus
All the lovely little things you do
that make me feel so close to you
the looks you give the words you say
the little things blow me away
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9. |
Housewife Blues
02:31
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Well I've had about enough of the attitude
About wives who stay home, the kind of work they do
About how they ought to be out working earning money
Well I think I've more than paid my dues
I'd like to fill y'all in on a fact or two
I've got those fed up, guilt ridden, tired of mopping housewife blues
So I went and filled out some applications
That asked me to list my qualifications
And all the places that I had worked before
Then after some careful examination
Personnel would do some investigation
To decide what I might best be suited for, so I wrote
I'm a wife, I'm a mother, I'm a friend
Employed by my husband and my kids age twelve and ten
You've ask me what I'm qualified to do
Here is a list I have compiled for you
I can bake and roast and fry and stew
Clean everything from commodes to tennis shoes
I wash and wax and keep the garden hoed
I keep a budget write checks pay bills
When somebody's sick I pass out the pills
and in the summertime "guess who" gets to keep the yard mowed
When someone needs a good deed do-er
There's no-one any tried and true-er
Than the lowly housewife with nothing better to do
I never miss a school event and worry about every penny that's spent
I've got those fed up guilt ridden tired of mopping housewife blues
Now I'm a somewhat happily employed woman
My bankroll's growing and the job is humming
Fact is now I have more time to rest
But nothing sparkles and nothing shines
The house is a mess and the grass is high
And my husband's convinced that I'm not doing my best
So I'm working my notice to quit my job
So I can stay home and work like a dog
Without pay or recognition for what I do
Now I don't like to gripe and complain
But this lack of respect could drive a woman insane
I've got those fed up, guilt ridden, tired of mopping housewife blues
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10. |
All My Trials
02:54
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11. |
Ode to Popcorn Sutton
04:24
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He was known far and wide
All who knew, knew he took pride
In a gallon quart or pint of 180 proof moonshine
He'd say some was made for fightin', some was made for lovin'
Some was just the banjo pickin' kind
For over thirty years folks would come from far and near
For what they'd been told was mountain gold with a lightning bite
The nicest man you ever met, he's even on the internet
Making gallons quarts and pints of 180 proof moonshine
Chorus
They drank moonshine in the moonshine
Played bluegrass underneath the pines
From early Saturday morning 'til Sunday's break of dawn
Way down deep in a backwoods holler
That's where Popcorn made his dollar
And as far as we could tell he wasn't doing nothing wrong
He'd just made his last run
After this one he'd be done
When the boys from ATF come knocking at his door
Maybe someone tipped them off
This was the last time he could be caught
With the hundreds of gallons he had stored
March sixteenth 2009
He cranked his three jug Ford one last time
Then closed the door on the fumes that would slowly end his life
I'd be willing to bet he drank a toast to the ATF
With 180 proof Popcorn Sutton moonshine
Got to work the mash about a week and a half
Light the burner, cap the stack
Lay the paste to all connections
Look for leaks in all directions
Those cold copper coils would hold the truth
When the beads leave in a flash its 180 proof
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Ginny McAfee North Carolina
To any in the many who have heard the powerful voice of Ginny McAfee, you will be pleased to hear that she will be in the
studio in 2013 focusing on original material!
Given the fact Ginny has been surrounded by music since the womb and several of the songs to be released were written during her stay there, she feels it is less coincidence and more like fate.
... more
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