Double Americana is back in full swing- every Wednesday at noon EST. Let's all take a moment and thank our lucky stars, shall we? We've missed you as much as (we're sure) you missed us. We've mentioned this before, but this round we're going to be doing things a little differently. You'll still get to hear the theme song and we'll still be playing everybody's favorite part of Double Americana, "What's In The Fruitbowl?" but we'll also be bringing you some of our own songs and some more current tunes as well. So tune in and keep up.
This week on Double Americana we're covering the classic folk ballad, "500 Miles," also known as "Railroader's Lament," covered by Bobby Bare and The Kingston Trio among others. We first heard it sung by the fabulous Peter, Paul and Mary. Most likely, this song was written by American folksinger, Hedy West, although like most good folk songs, there are some discrepancies in the paper trail. But if you were going to place a bet on who wrote it, go with her. It's a homesick song and one that tells the very specific story of a poor, railroad worker traveling far from home, trying to make their way in the world. The homesickness, though, is universal and transcends the specifics. We thought it a fitting song as we're returning to the States this week from Canada, and although our home is never far away, neither is the homesickness.
What were you doing in Canada, you might ask. Well, mostly we were hanging out on an organic farm with our friends, Piper and Carson. (Go listen to their music!) We pulled up our camper next to theirs, creating our very own international trailer park, and discussed important world issues such as the likelihood of the existence of Sasquatch, our responsibility to the earth, how to tour on the cheap, and our collective love/hate relationship with the TV show Nashville. Something we've learned this year is that humans are resilient, transient creatures who can create home anywhere. And one of the ways we do this is by creating community. Even though we were strangers on foreign soil, we felt right at home with our friends.
Thanks for staying in touch with us. You can catch us in person this week in New York and Pennsylvania by checking out our tour dates. And as always, catch Double Americana Wednesday at noon EST at www.facebook.com/theroughandtumble.
