Haunting lyrics. Tom T. Halls songs always tell a story. This story is about all the guitar picker's that didn't make it, or didn't care to. Great song. Love it. Always did.
I always loved this song. I lived 2 houses down from a guy that was an amazing guitar player. He was so much better than I ever was. I'd work on a piece for a week, play it for Gary, and he'd smile, and tell me, "That's really good, but I think it goes like this", and though he had never played it, he would do it perfect. Later I had an old 1960 Olds station wagon, and we used it to transport his groups equipment to gigs downstate from East Peoria. There were times we slept in the car, no food, very little sleep. I guess I was his first roadie. Later that same group renamed itself REO Speedwagon. I miss my friend Gary RIchrath, Rest In Peace Gary.
My dad use to tell me put my old guitar away ain't no money in it and it'll lead you to a early grave. So I heard this song when I was 6. I just got done picking it and was recalling my childhood. I know now I'm poor a poor person can't go anywhere and I've seen and heard MANY MANY people who could play and sing better than anyone I've heard in Nashville in the past 40 years and they hard working poor common people. I been to Star search played in bands and made some albums but here I am at home poor. I'm glad some of the old outlaws and common people made it back then or we'd have no good music.
You are right,the best country singer/songwriter ever,his songs/stories are so true to life,i love the one about the letters,have lots of his LPs and play them all the time.
I am grateful to have Tom T. Hall when I was 6 years old. HE was about to get on his bus after a show and he saw me with my autograph book and though he was dog tired he came down and signed it and was so nice to me. I always remember his songs I loved "Sneaky Snake" as a kid and had his albums. My God I miss people like this ! Songs with heart!
ah guys , preserve such soul in country music . I am afraid when i will finally be able to reach nashville , tennesse . I wont be able to hear such soulful songs , ahh ahh i like those singers so badly . Even being 12 time zones away and growing up and living in complete different world . .
I am now a fan of Tom T. Hall. Everyone said he's just a storyteller but he's also one heck of a singer. I really like him. THe 1st time I saw him was with Tammy Wynette's show he was good, but now he's really likable to listen to. Way to go Tom T. Hall.
I love this song because it brings back a childhood memory for me. When I was abt 8 or 9 we lived in the country and our closest neighbor was a young man named Ed who played guitar and sang at festivals, street dances,,etc. My Dad played guitar and sang as a hobby,and Ed wld often visit us and they wld play together. I probably had a little bit of a crush and remember how kind he was to me. He always had something nice to say and wld sometimes play Basketball with me (I was a tomboy back then).. Time went on as it does and he moved away and gt married. He and his wife started having problems and she went to stay with her parents. He went to try to talk to her and was asked by her dad to leave, so he walked away, but as he did the dad shot him in the back and murdered him. I can't express how heartbroken I was when we heard the news. I was abt 10 or 11 by that time. The no good SOB who killed him died in prison for what he did. That line "Nobody ever knew it but I went out in the woods and I cried" is exactly what I did. I guess I thought if I cried in front of my parents I wldnt be able to stop. Ed was a wonderful person who didn't deserve such a terrible thing! He left this world way too soon but I carry his memory in my heart. Sorry the post is so long but that's my story of who this song makes me think of. Rest In Peace Ed ❤
I noticed that someone made a comment about Clayton teaching Tom how to drink booze at a young age. That certainly didn't apply in my case and I doubt it did in Tom's either. He said he changed the name and age so he probably changed other things as well. To me this is a song of tribute for anyone who looked up to someone as a kid who was a musician but made time to make us feel cared about
Velina This song reaches down in side and makes you fill pain, love, good&bad times of life and friends sounds like ED was the kind of person to look up to and call a friend and I bet your the same kind person. As he sounds like he was a find person to spend time with. Thanks for posting and letting people get to know ED just a little
I think that is a sad, but poignant story. Thanks for sharing it. It's funny, isn't it, how great music can affect us in such a deeply personal way? Good songwriting never gets old.
i have always thought the world of tom t hall,i was a kid in the early 1970's.tom t hall was my hero.he reminded me of my song writng family.the wilsons ,the warriners of russell county ky.good times.
For some odd reason this just made me think of grandfather who suffered PTSD from veitnam (70-71) and drank until 2006 when when he had triple heart bypass surgery. I was 12 at the time and for the next 3 year no matter how sick my grandfather felt we would a aways go fishing and I always heard these old songs. He would do whatever he could no matter the cost for his family. Im now 24 and I drink and love these old songs and in some odd way this song is him.
Thank you. There are so many good songs that I remember the song but not the name. Sometimes the station names it and the artist, but not always. Or I don't have a pencil and my memory holds for about five minutes.
Yep another top song, do love the TomT Hall hope he's living a good life in his twilight years and we get to treasure the ones he's writing now later in our life to look back on
@kirbyj72 Hi, I listened to that album heaps when I was a kid. Fox of Fox Hollow was the album. My 2 older kids who are now 15 and 19 loved it to. I now have a 2 year old and decided to track down the CD. I bought a CD that had all of the songs from the original album, plus some newer kids songs that he did. Country Songs for Children. I live in Australia and I ordered it via Amazon. My 2 year old says Sneaky Snake as soon as we get in the car. !!! I still love it too ! Good luck
