Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCXXIV--Chatham County Line: Speed of the Whippoorwill

A few years back when I was working at a thrift shop, they had Pandora piped in over the intercom and after a few months of listening to drivel, I decided one day to punch in "folk" and see what came up on the system.  I've always been something of a fan of Americana music and it seemed a good opportunity for hearing something new for a change (plus it was run by a religious organization and folk seemed a little less likely to feature devil's music that might offend our Christian customers).  What I didn't realize at the time is that this week's tune--as well as a host of others--proved to be a renaissance of sorts for my love of music, and I've spent a good chunk of what free time I've had since then letting my curiosity get the best of me and finding even more tunes that make my heart go pitter-patter.

Chatham County Line was formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1999 and as you might guess, have yet to become a household name.  However, they have released nine albums over the years and have had at least one #1 album on Billboard's bluegrass charts (once again this week, getting info on a small band has proved to be most difficult).  Chatham County Line features four nattily dressed musicians (often in coats and ties) who play acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle, and banjo respectively.  They have become known for a lively live show, and have become very popular in Europe (especially the Netherlands--so many cool Dutch kids!).

Needless to say, "Speed of the Whippoorwill" was not released as a single, but it was originally released in  2006 on their most appropriately named album, Speed of the Whippoorwill.  For those wondering, typing a double "o" after a double "p" is extremely odd....

Fun Fact:  I got curious as to just how fast a whippoorwill flies, and while I found they are a nocturnal bird that feeds on moths and other flying insects, lay two to four eggs a year, care for their eggs without a nest on the forest floor, and are named for the sound of their mating call. I could find nothing that said the whippoorwill was a particularly fast flying bird.  Kind of a bummer!

"Speed of the Whippoorwill" tells the story of a man working on the railroad back in the day, the rigors of the job, and why he's doing it--to earn money to get back home so he can be with his true love.  What could be more Americana than that, for Christ's sake?  The song features simple yet heartfelt lyrics, vocals that capture the protagonists hurt as well as hope, an upright bass which keeps the song's rhythm (I'm sure I've featured a song without drums but I'll be darned if I can remember it), and two emaycee fave's, a fiddle and a banjo (how can anyone not love a fiddle and a banjo?).  In all honesty, it certainly might not be everyone's cup of tea musically, but it's a fine example of what American traditional music has to offer, and it's also a nice reminder that the playing of instruments makes some beautiful noise...and it's good once in a while to appreciate that.

Lyric Sheet:  "Water boy come running, I'm dry as the dirt/The day's keep getting longer, I've got hurt on top of hurt..."

Alas, I could only find a live version on YouTube--it doesn't quite do justice to the studio version, but it still showcases the band's talent.  Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee