A few months back I heard a singer-songwriter on a segment of NPR. His name was Jon Randall and he was one of the two writers (Bill Anderson was the other) of “Whiskey Lullaby” sung by Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss. He has a CD out and one of the songs I like a lot is North Carolina Moon. Check out the lyrics…
North Carolina Moon
I woke up this morning to the humming of the engines Hauling nature's finest from the Gulf of Mexico Ridin' this ol' river is peaceful but it's lonesome It makes wonder how the old folks are at home (chorus) Now the years have blown by me like the wind through the pines But the song of the south is ever sweet as homemade wine Oh how I miss those mountains when the Laurels are in bloom And the southern stars are dancin' 'round a North Carolina moon
Just rolled through Memphis I could
hear them guitar's a playing
They had the blues so bad it almost broke my heart
Don't sound nothing like a band of tree frogs singing
When every now and then they'd get in tune
with grandpa's harp
(repeat chorus)
When I die boys make me this promise
You'll send my body back up North Carolina way
I don't want no tombstone just lay me next to mama
And let the honeysuckle grow wild upon my grave
(repeat chorus)
(JON RANDALL, RONNIE STEWART)
For a great article on Mountain Laurel, see this (The Sweet Mountain Laurel of Spring) in the Blue Ridge Gazette.