Story Behind The Song

Based on a true story lived by my older brother in the 1950's in East Tennessee outside Bristol, TN. Grandpaw bought moonshine on occasion and hunted all his life and cautioned my brother to take one drink and move along if he ever encountered a still while hunting in the mountains. Grandpaw was contacted by a moonshiner that my brother had been observed from the woods as he took his one drink and minded his business (as a smart young fellow that he was). The moonshiner's daughter and the sundown reference are poetic devices only and the story does make a great 'moutain music' song, which is different from bluegrass..

Song Description

Singer recalls his lesson from his grandpaw to take care if he encounters a moonshiner's still or the moonshiners daughter.

Lyrics

I can hear it in my head just the way that grandpaw told me

it's clear as mountain rain in my hands;

Must be thirty years ago, but it seems like yesterday

when a mountain boy became a mountain man.


(He said) "Back up in the hills just beyond the Holston Mountain

there's a different kind of life that the mountain men all know

and if you listen to me now, you'll STAY ALIVE on the mountain;

pay attention to the moonshiners' code ...

Just pay attention to the moonshiners' code!"


Just take your drink of the moonshiner's whiskey;

turn your collar to the wind and walk away.

All the whipporwills will know when you're walkin' on the mountain...

take my advice at the end of the day.

Chorus:
Don't go callin' on the moonshiner's daughter?

don't go lookin' for the mooshiner's still.

'cause if a man ain't off the mountain by the time the sun goes down,

he ain't comin' home tonight and never will.