This is a short traditional song from the good 'ole USA that Dave turns into a quiet solo ballad. It doesn't hurt that the song is all about my favorite pastime, drinking whiskey. If you're a Dave fan, you probably know about his love for whiskey (he tends to talk about it during his shows more than you'd think) and the way he performs this song leads me to believe he loves playing it as much as he love to drink it. Dave started playing this song only two years ago in 2009, so it's a new treat for Dave-heads. According to dmbalmanac.com, this song is properly titled "Jack of Diamonds" and has been performed by the incomparable Pete Seeger. Seeger's performance is what Dave modeled his version of the song.
Title: Rye Whiskey
Original Artist: Tex Ritter, Pete Seeger
Why I Love It: Every time I've heard Dave introduce this song, I always detect an undertone of excitement, though he may not be overt about it, I know he loves playing the song. He delivers the lyrics very delicately and he hits the high notes with a beautiful rasp. The way he strums along perfectly reflects the song's roots in 1930's traditional American drinking songs. Though there may be no profound message to the song, you can never really go wrong with a song all about drinking.
Memories: The first time I heard this song was when listening to the Live In Europe 2009 album. I remember being on the bus, heading home from class and the unique sound of this song compared to much of Dave's other stuff grabbed my attention. Ever since then, I dreamed of hearing it live. My dreams came true this past year when I heard "Rye Whiskey" at the Gorge on Sept. 4.
Favorite Lyric: If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck/ I'd dive to the bottom and never come up
No comments:
Post a Comment
Talk to me