bill callahan, “in the pines,”
from:
“Not sure what it is about this song, but once you hear it, you won’t soon forget it.
Haunting? Oh yeah. Mysterious? Just a bit. And wide open to reinvention.
Spend a bit of time hearing how different musicians have understood it over the years on this very comprehensive catalog.
Among the dozens collected here, you will find some surprises and some particularly original takes by the likes of Odetta, Kurt Cobain, Sir Douglas Quintet, Tiny Tim, Clifford Jordan…
Bill Callahan’s version strikes me as one of the most personal and touching of the lot. His comment on the song: “I see it like an oracle. It must be passed”.
”
“The longest train I ever saw
Went down that Georgia line
The engine went by at six o’clock
And the cab went by at nine
In the pines, in the pines
The sun never shines
And we shiver
When the north wind blows
Well I asked the captain
For the time of day
He said he
Threw his watch away
A long steel rail
And a short cross tie
And I’m on my
Way back home
In the pines, In the pines
The sun never shines
And we shiver
When the north wind blows
Little girl,Little girl
What have I done
That makes you treat me this way
Well you have caused me to weep
You caused me to moan
You caused me to leave my home
In the pines, In the pines
The sun never shines
And we shiver
When the north wind blo”
