Tony Rice - Greenlight On The Southern

[E.M. Bell]

If you are like me, and have a love of Bluegrass Music, you will like this. I first heard this song a few years ago, and if there was ever a true RR song for the Southern, this would have to be it.

Green Light on the Southern was written by Norman Blake, and has been preformed by many groups, but only recorded by and released by Blake, and Tony Rice (that I have found anyway). I had not been able to find it online anywhere, but Jreb member Adam Wells recently sent me a link to a Tony Rice version he found on YouTube.

Clink the link, turn the speakers up and enjoy...once you hear it, its hard to get out of your head!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=talNRabNeyA

Standing on the sidetrack at the south end of town,
On a dry, hot, dusty August day, the steam pipe blowing down,
The fireman with his long oilcan oiling the old valve gear,
Waiting for the fast mail train the semiphore to clear.

The engineer in the old high cab, his gold watch in his hand,
Looking at the waterglass and letting down the sand,
Rolling out on the old main line, taking up the slack,
Gone today but, so they say, tomorrow he'll be back.

Oh, if I could return to those boyhood days of mine,
And that green light on the Southern, Southern Railroad Line.

[Kentucky & Indiana Terminal RR]

I like when he sings about the rusted rail on the weed grown branchline, I figure he rode across the old Lawrenceville branch for inspiration. That's good stuff.

[Ptrainman]

And I thought I was the only one that liked bluegrass around here. That is a great song though, wish it was on Amazon or something.


Paul

[JCagle]

There are quite a few of us that like bluegrass around here. Some of us have musical tastes that seem at times like they have multiple personalities.

http://www.amazon.com/Greenlight-On-The-Southern/dp/B003UM4PUG

[Ponce de Leon]

The first time I heard this song (and I think it was this version), I was sitting in a darkened auditorium with over 900 people at Stockton, California. It was Winterail, 1989, and I was watching Steve Patterson's excellent multi-media show on a number of topics. Steve grew up in east Tennessee, and he was quite partial to the Southern. All of a sudden, that Tony Rice tune came up, and one by one, Steve's great shots of Southern green and tuxedo power starting dissolving across the huge screen. I was overwhelmed--and I felt a surge of emotion, and a few tears. It was wonderful!

[mbgphoto79]

A classic, thanks for posting this. I remember growing up listening to Doc Watson's Ballads From Deep Gap riding with my dad to go railfan the Loops.

[Backyard]

  Nice to hear about my favorite Norman Blake song done by Tony Rice on my favorite website...

[Ptrainman]

Thanks for the link Jason. This one is now on my list.


Paul

[E.M. Bell]

Bluegrass music is a matter of taste..those that have good taste like it...HA! 

When I was a wee lad of 17, a good friend of mine asked me to go help him with a job one weekend, and that job was doing the sound and "production" for a Bluegrass festival in Big Hill KY. At that time, I was thoroughly entrenched in hard rock and heavy metal at that point, but I soon learned the error of my ways. After that one show, I was HOOKED..and worked pretty much for free every chance I got to help him do shows.. I set up speakers, toted cables, adjusted mikes, held an umbrella over Bobby Osbornes Two Thousand dollar cowboy hat on stage during a outdoor show, sat in the middle of some late night jam sessions around the fire (and with a jug of shine) with some of the biggest names in Bluegrass, stood in complete awe one night in the shadows of the stage behind Ralph Stanley as he sang "Oh Death"  and even got a little peck on the cheek from Alison Krauss one time....so yea, I like Bluegrass

As Jason said, there are a bunch of us here at Jreb that have known each other for a long time, and if someone looked through our collections of CD's, 8 tracks and vinyl, it would look like we where a bunch of Bi-Polar rednecks...Eclectic does not even begin to describe it!  Mozart to Haggard, Sinatra to Panterra, (and lets not forget the KING of rockabilly..the Reverend Horton Heat)  but I  always lean towards something heavy on Banjo and upright Bass.

Trains and good tunes go together....and now yall know why I have a little dirty spot on my left cheek...aint washed that little kiss off since 1992

[Ptrainman]

Bluegrass makes up most of what I listen to. i also like country, especially older country, but I dont care to much for Rock and what most people my age listen to now.


Paul

[lwjabo]

I admit to liking Country and Blue Grass. Might have something to do with my Scot Irish heritage. I do like other kinds. From Jazz to the Blues. I've often though Blue Grass and the Blues are so much alike. The same ideas with a different beat. The story is times were hard but people over came and survived. I wished someone had made more recordings of the Gandy Dancers and there songs. Today they would be worth millions. If you have never seen someone roll a spike hammer it is something to be seen. With some old Gandy singing it would be better than any thing on the History Channell today.

[Backyard]

  The cool thing about Bluegrass Music is that the performing artists are totally accessible. You can meet & greet, get the albums & articles for sale, hang out with your favorite stars.

You do not get that with most other genres of music.