Dear Reader,
It’s Thursday morning, and my mind is heavy. Heavy as the thick fog that settled in over night. A snow bringing fog if there ever was one.
I warned of the false spring, and the first tell tale signs of East Tenn’s next little winter are here to bear witness.
Now that I have retreated back to the safety and comfort of our home, and out of the mountain elements, I have been pondering some rather dark and disturbing stories. For one, there is a story that has been placed on me to tell next, or in unison, with “The Devil in the Vine”. This next story, that I am calling “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” is extremely dark. The events that took place during, and after the civil war in these hills made the generations long feud between the Hatfields and McCoys look like a schoolyard squabble. It’s that dark. I am now beginning to realize why I have been called upon to explore the darker parts of myself with this page. If I am going to tell this story, and I think it’s time to do so, I am going to have to get to know the Devil in a whole new way. He ran wild through these hills back then, and with the fires of Hell stoked by war, he had a field day with many a mountain folk and family.
With that said, I have been listening to music this week that will give me a different kind of Freedom. A kind of spiritual freedom that will allow me to access the dark, and yet not become lost in it. The freedom to explore pain, sorrow, and depravity without losing my levity or light hearted nature. It is with this in mind that I bring to you what is sure to feel like a schizophrenic’s shuffled playlist.
You can’t tell a good ghost story in the light of day, now can you? Not while your soul is being overshadowed by all that light, and everything looks so ordinary. For a good ghost story, one must wait till nightfall. When the sun goes to bed and your soul begins to cry out to the night. This week’s first song is from The Revivalists. Please click the link below and listen along. They are an old favorite of ours in this house. More extended family if you will.
My oldest son made the statement one evening this week that he had likely listened to more of The Revivalists’ music in his life, than any other one band or artist. In our home, that is making a bold claim. Especially for Loki! He’s a musician himself and he learns through immersion. So if these guys have had that much of an impact on him, they absolutely must be freedom bringers, and therefore must be added to the list. This song in particular.
I can remember many rides amongst these mountain roads, late at night while the heat of the day and the mist of the coming morning began battling it out over the creeks that follow the roads down the mountainside. Whether we were making our way home from a cross country journey, or from a day trip to Asheville or Charlotte for a show, The Revivalists always were the “just gotta get home…..” selection.
Some of our journeys start in the dark, rather than end there. For these adventures we need something that is rooted in darkness. Something, that if you let it, might pull you in with it. These are journeys not meant for the weak. If you’re of the “be afraid for the sake of your soul” mindset, you may want to skip this next one and head right on down to #3.
Because, Dear Reader, #2 for this week’s Freedom Music Friday post is from 3.
Yeah, this week, 2 is 3, and 3 is a ghost.
And he has stayed a ghost. We miss him.
He also serves as a reminder, to me especially, of what happens when you put your loyalties all in one direction.
You are however, Free to do as you please. As long as you want to be.
Hey, there you are. Whether you gave 3 a shot, or just skipped over it entirely, doesn’t matter, glad your back.
3 is one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever come across. I know the devil well, yet, he and Hank have a different kind of relationship. I wish I could say it was healthy and that ol Hank will be just fine, but…it’s been a while since he’s been seen. We are going to see his family’s latest sacrifice to the world of music, IV and the Strange Band this spring. No idea what to expect.
Now to complete this completely random grouping of music I would like to offer up a song that I just stumbled upon, by a group that I loved in the 90s, and then kept there. Not that I don’t still listen, I just didn’t listen to anything they released since 1999 or so. Eeeeasssst 19…99 that is.
This song jumped out at me this week, and I haven’t been able to shake it. I don’t think it will be difficult to see where it fits into my theme of spiritual freedom this week. That is to say. If you get it, you get it.
Get it?
Love you Dear Reader,
I hope you can take one of these songs into the weekend with you. Just remember to make it serve you, not rule you.
-Will
👻❤️👻