Fototoek

'The Mountain' Steve Earle

De foto is een kwalitatief povere 8mm film still uit 1976, onderweg via de Cumberland Mountains richting Hazard en Harlan. 'Coal mining in Kentucky' Bron: Wikipedia

"I was young on this mountain but now I am old
And I knew every holler, every cool swimmin' hole
‘Til one night I lay down and woke up to find
That my childhood was over and I went down in the mine"

"The Mountain is the eighth studio album by Steve Earle, backed by the Del McCoury Band, and released in 1999 (see 1999 in music).
The album was a significant departure from Earle's previous work, being the first wholly bluegrass album he had written. Earle made the album as a tribute to the founder of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, who had died in 1996.
The album was nominated for a 2000 Grammy Award in the "Best Bluegrass Album" category (Earle's seventh Grammy nomination). Two tracks from the album were released as singles in the UK: "Dixieland" (distributed to radio only) and "The Mountain" (a commercial release).
Emmylou Harris performed the song "Pilgrim" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on July 10, 2017." Bron: Wikipedia

'The Mounbtain' heeft veel raakvlakken met 'You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive' met 'Patty Loveless' dat aan bod kwam bij mijn eigen bewerking ervan: 'Ze Zouden Elkaar Nooit Meer Zien', elders in dit album.

Het nummer spreekt me aan, niet alleen vanwege bovenstaande, maar vooral ook in combinatie met de herinneringen en eigen ervaringen in de regio van de Coalmines, de Cumberland Mountains en Kentucky. Meer daarover in 'Goedkoop door Amerika'.

En hierom: 'Striking Kentucky Coal Miners VS State Police (1973)' Bron: YouTube
"Clip taken from 'Harlan County, USA' (1976)", brrrrr.

'The Mountain' Steve Earle

I was born on this mountain a long time ago
Before they knocked down the timber and strip-mined the coal
When you rose in the mornin' before it was light
To go down in that dark hole and come back up at night

I was born on this mountain, this mountain's my home
She holds me and keeps me from worry and woe
Well, they took everything that she gave, now they're gone
But I'll die on this mountain, this mountain's my home

I was young on this mountain but now I am old
And I knew every holler, every cool swimmin' hole
‘Til one night I lay down and woke up to find
That my childhood was over and I went down in the mine

There's a hole in this mountain and it's dark and it's deep
And God only knows all the secrets it keeps
There's a chill in the air only miners can feel
There're ghosts in the tunnels that the company sealed

Niemand minder dan Levon Helm, drummer en zanger van The Band, speelde dit nummer ook ooit met Steve Earle samen:
'Levon Helm and Steve Earle - The Mountain', Greek Theatre LA - Aug 15, 2010

Levon Helm speelt dit nummer zelf op 'Dirt Farmer': 'Levon Helm - The Mountain'