Behind the Songs
BEHIND THE SONGS
01. Freight Train
Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten wrote this song when she was just eleven or twelve years old,
growing up near the railroad tracks in Carrboro, North Carolina. She was a remarkable
self-taught, left-handed musician who played a right-handed guitar upside down. Her unusual
style of playing became known as “Cotten picking.” The song captures both the sound of the
passing trains and the longing to go somewhere beyond home.
02. Shine on Harvest Moon
A vaudeville-era favorite, introduced by Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth in the Ziegfeld Follies
of 1908. The song became an enormous popular success. Although Bayes and Norworth
received the official songwriting credit, questions about the song’s origins have lingered
among music historians.
03. Georgia on My Mind
Written by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics by Stuart Gorrell, in 1930. Although there has been
speculation that the song was written about a woman named Georgia, it is generally
understood as an affectionate tribute to the state. Ray Charles’s unforgettable 1960 recording
brought the song worldwide recognition.
04. Walking My Baby Back Home
A charming portrait of courtship in another era. Originally recorded by several artists, it
became especially popular through Nat King Cole. The song follows a couple on their
nighttime walk home, complete with kisses, petting, and a stop for barbecue. A somewhat
surprising verse finds the fellow parked outside her house all night!
05. Cool Water
Bob Nolan’s classic Western ballad tells the story of a man and his mule, Dan, crossing a
scorching desert. Their desperate search for water becomes almost a dreamlike experience,
as mirages promise relief just beyond reach. A beautiful example of the storytelling tradition of
the American West.
06. Route 66
Bobby Troup wrote this classic in 1946 during a cross-country trip to California with his wife,
Cynthia. Originally considering Route 40 as the subject, Cynthia suggested Route 66 instead.
The result became one of the great American road songs, celebrating the highway that
connected Chicago to Los Angeles.
THE ESCHER SESSIONS • DIGITAL PLAYBILL • 707. ’Til There Was You
Written by Meredith Willson for his musical The Music Man. It is a song about discovering a
whole new world through love. The Beatles introduced it to an entirely new generation when
they recorded it for their 1963 album With the Beatles.
08. Bye Bye Love
Written by husband-and-wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, this song was
rejected by numerous performers before the Everly Brothers recorded it in 1957. Their version
launched them toward stardom and helped establish the close-harmony sound that would
influence generations of musicians.
09. Can’t Help Falling in Love
The melody has roots in the much older French love song Plaisir d’amour. Reworked by Hugo
Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss, it became an Elvis Presley classic in the
1961 film Blue Hawaii. Some of Elvis’s associates questioned whether the ballad suited his
rock-and-roll image. Elvis disagreed!
10. Six Days on the Road
A landmark of the truck-driving country tradition, this song captures the long hours,
exhaustion, and pride of the American long-haul trucker. First recorded by Dave Dudley in
1963, it became a country hit and helped establish a whole subgenre of trucking songs. Its
original lyrics even include a reference to taking pills to stay awake.
11. Last Thing on My Mind
Tom Paxton’s beautifully understated folk song is about regret, separation, and the things left
unsaid when a relationship ends. Written during the Greenwich Village folk revival of the
1960s, it became one of the most frequently covered songs in folk and country music.
12. Passionate Kisses
Lucinda Williams wrote this wonderfully direct song about the everyday things we all want
from life: a comfortable home, affection, a little recognition, and, yes, some passionate kisses.
Mary Chapin Carpenter’s 1992 recording brought it to a much wider audience. A great
example of Americana’s ability to turn ordinary desires into an extraordinary song.
THE ESCHER SESSIONS • DIGITAL PLAYBILL • 8Behind the Songs
Set II — Songs 1–17
01. Different Drum
Written by Michael Nesmith of The Monkees but made famous by Linda Ronstadt and the
Stone Ponies in 1967. It is a declaration of independence from a relationship in which two
people simply want different things. The song became an early anthem of personal freedom
and helped introduce Ronstadt to the world.
02. The Weight
The Band’s signature song opens with a reference to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and takes us
on a strange, memorable journey involving characters such as Miss Fanny and Crazy
Chester. Featured in the 1969 film Easy Rider, the song is full of biblical imagery, American
characters, and mysterious obligations. What exactly is “the weight”? That’s part of the fun.
03. Wichita Lineman
Jimmy Webb wrote this song for Glen Campbell after seeing a solitary utility worker high on a
telephone pole while driving through Oklahoma. The result is a remarkable combination of
loneliness, longing, and the vast American landscape. The recording features the legendary
Los Angeles session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew, including bassist Carol Kaye.
04. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad
A traditional American folk song, also known as “Lonesome Road Blues.” Its roots reach back
to the early recording era of Appalachian music. Woody Guthrie helped popularize the song
during the Dust Bowl years, and the Grateful Dead later made it a familiar part of their concert
repertoire. A perfect example of old folk material finding new life.
05. Pancho and Lefty
Townes Van Zandt wrote this classic in the early 1970s. He recalled that the song came to
him over roughly three and a half hours while staying in Texas. Inspired by the atmosphere of
the American Southwest and the mythology of outlaws and revolutionaries, it tells a haunting
story of friendship, betrayal, and fate. Emmylou Harris helped bring it wider attention, and
Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard turned it into a major hit in 1983.
06. On and On
Stephen Bishop wrote this breezy soft-rock favorite after an everyday walk to a neighborhood
grocery store in Los Angeles. Its easygoing melody and tropical feel suggest an escape to
somewhere warmer. A reminder that Americana can borrow freely from outside the traditional
folk and country worlds.
07. Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)
One of Bob Dylan’s more mysterious songs, released in 1978. Dylan occasionally introduced
it in concert with a surreal story about encountering a strange old man on a train traveling
from Mexico toward San Diego. The song’s imagery invites interpretations involving politics,
history, spiritual uncertainty, and personal searching.
08. Listen to the Radio
Nanci Griffith’s affectionate tribute to the companionship of music and radio. The song takes
us on a journey through the American South, where a familiar voice on the radio can provide
comfort, memories, and a connection to home.
09. In Spite of Ourselves
John Prine’s wonderfully funny love song, recorded as a duet with Iris DeMent. It celebrates a
couple who are clearly imperfect, occasionally eccentric, and completely devoted to one
another. Proof that a love song doesn’t have to be sentimental to be romantic.
10. Desdemona’s Building a Rocket Ship
Jimmy Buffett takes us into the wonderfully imaginative world of Desdemona, a baker with a
vision of building a rocket ship and traveling to the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters. The song is
full of Buffett’s characteristic mix of whimsy, storytelling, and cosmic adventure.
11. Better Together
Jack Johnson’s warm, uncomplicated love song, written for his wife. Its central message is
simple: life is better when shared with someone you love. Sometimes the most effective
songwriting doesn’t need to be complicated.
12. Swept Away
The Avett Brothers drew inspiration from the extraordinary true story of the 1884 shipwreck of
the yacht Mignonette, a story also explored in The Custom of the Sea. A darker tale beneath
the band’s appealing folk-rock sound, it raises questions about survival, morality, and the
human condition.
13. Sandstone Creek
An original composition by our own Derek Escher and Tim Murphy. Inspired by Jonathan
Raban’s Bad Land: An American Romance, the song explores the difficult history of settlers
who were encouraged to claim and farm land that was often unsuitable for agriculture. A
distinctly American story of optimism, ambition, and disillusionment.
THE ESCHER SESSIONS • DIGITAL PLAYBILL • 1014. Traveling Alone
Jason Isbell’s reflective song explores the emotional cost of life on the road and the loneliness
that can accompany a touring musician’s life. Its understated arrangement and personal
storytelling capture the vulnerability that has become a hallmark of Isbell’s songwriting.
15. All Your Favorite Bands
Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes wrote this as a warm farewell and a heartfelt wish for someone
who was once an important part of your life. It is about the enduring affection that can remain
even after people drift apart. One of those songs that feels like a hug.
16. Right Back to It
Written by Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee while she was backstage at Wolf Trap, opening
for Jason Isbell and Sheryl Crow. The song explores the ordinary rhythms of a long-term
relationship: its routines, ups and downs, and the quiet commitment that keeps two people
together. A contemporary example of Americana’s continuing emphasis on honest
songwriting.
17. I Hear Them All / This Land Is Your Land
“I Hear Them All,” associated with Ketch Secor and Old Crow Medicine Show, is a call for
empathy and a reminder to listen to the voices of ordinary people. Woody Guthrie’s “This
Land Is Your Land,” written in 1940, is one of America’s most enduring folk songs. Together,
they create a powerful reminder of music’s ability to connect us across generations.
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