Son they told me go up where the gold grows
Lake County Colorado I'll make you my home
Build a cabin in the pines under the Great Divide
Say my grace and pick all day from the mountain side
Left a wife and kids to tend the Atlantic tide
And I made my way west to a city in the sky
Ten thousand feet high and a million miles away
I write unanswered letters and send them every day
I worked in the smelter, I worked for the man
I worked selling coffee out of my tin can
But I'd never had a life like this under the blood red sky
Where the earth is ever-changing, and nobody asks you why
I have seen the ages, I have been to war
I have grown up tall, man, thought that I was more
But the great sky closes in now, a breath I try to take
I’ve reconciled losing my life on the banks of slide lake.
Then one night a bunch of us packed in to the saloon
Somebody said, "you know we'd make a good platoon
Homestake is rich in silver, there's an old mine up there,
the Herald say you can try your luck, but only if you dare."
We packed up extra rations, our canary on the sled
Snow was up to our thighs, until we reached the shed
We stashed our gear and made it clear by spring we would return
With ore to spare and fame to bare, and enough money to burn
I have seen the ages, I have been to war
I have grown up tall, man, thought that I was more
But the great sky closes in now, a breath I try to take
I’ve reconciled losing my life on the banks of slide lake.
The winter there above the trees was cold and dark and raw
But by day we picked at the mountain's hip, not waiting for the thaw
The wind whipped our backs, as we pounded the mighty stone
By night we'd settle by the fire, telling stories of our home
And had i a chance to speak, at the laying of my grave
I'd ask my love to join me, but my choices i would stay
For it were a blessing, to watch it as it came
The slide that took me under, was a sight of god the same
Great mandolin playing and a fun album all around! I love the non-traditional addition of cello on this album, especially on "I Shall Be Released." David LaBoone
This album speaks to the continuum of African diasporic culture that is central to the vibrant canon of Americana folk music. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 29, 2020
Bright and skipping songs that foreground the sound of the banjo and fingerstyle guitar in music that feels timeless. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 5, 2020
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018