dhanners623 Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 (edited) No, the song's not about politics... When I was a kid growing up in East Central Illinois, we'd sometimes go to Terre Haute to go shopping. Before the advent of I-70, to get to Terre Haute from my hometown, you took Route 40, which took you through West Terre Haute, one of the sorriest zip codes on the planet. The place was run down and just did not project an air of success. On the east edge of town, there was a big trash dump, and it always seemed like it was smoldering. The smell was horrible. I have no idea why, but the dump came to mind the other day and I started writing, and this song is the result. (Since filming the video, I tweaked a couple of lines, as noted in the lyrics.) I'm playing my '16 J-35, strung with Martin Monel mediums that have been on there awhile. Thanks for listening, and happy Thanksgiving! Trash Dump Fire © 2019 by David Hanners When I was a child we’d drive to Terre Haute Take Route 40 then Old National Road Right before National hit Paris Avenue That big trash dump would come into view Old tires smoldered, brown haze made you choke Roll up the windows and hold your nose I could not understand how people lived ‘round that Dad’d say, “It’s West Terre Haute, they’re not aristocrats” West Terre Haute had been a coal mining town Coal played out, things spiraled down Buildings and people had seen better days Now it was where others threw stuff away That fire burned years, land and air were corrupt Burned ‘til the Feds came in and made them clean it up Trucked in topsoil, Lord knows what they spent They have flea markets there now on some weekends They say hard times are just a test But the people who say that always live someplace else If I were rich, I would’ve bought me a boat Slipped her into the Wabash and left West Terre Haute Edited November 27, 2019 by dhanners623 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfish Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 623 That told the story, some great lines in the song. I like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 David-very James McMurtry-like. Very Americana. I like it. QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 Great song, David! I really like the low pace, and it really helps emphasize the lyrics. You have posted several great songs here. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what do you do with them? Your songs deserve to be documented and given a chance to be heard by more folks. Do you plan on eventually recording your stuff in a more professional situation? Lars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 23 hours ago, Lars68 said: Great song, David! I really like the low pace, and it really helps emphasize the lyrics. You have posted several great songs here. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what do you do with them? Your songs deserve to be documented and given a chance to be heard by more folks. Do you plan on eventually recording your stuff in a more professional situation? Lars Thanks for the kind words, all. When we move back to the U.S., I may record an album or two. I don't see much use recording them in Cyprus; all the musicians I want to work with are back in the U.S., and if I released a CD here, I doubt I would sell a single copy. I have since revised the song. Decided it needed a chorus. Haven't recorded the new version yet, but here are the revised lyrics. I'm cutting and pasting the lyrics, so I apologize for the big type. When I was a child we’d drive to Terre Haute Take Route 40 then Old National Road Right before National hit Paris Avenue That big trash dump would come into view Old tires smoldered, brown haze made you choke Roll up the windows and hold your nose I did not understand how people lived around that Dad’d say, “It’s West Terre Haute, they’re not aristocrats” (Chorus) Women with hard eyes spoke with few words Their husbands bought Falstaff on the way home from work Some say hard times are just a test But the people who say that always live someplace else West Terre Haute had been a coal mining town When the coal played out, things spiraled down Whitewashed buildings had seen better days Now it was where others threw stuff away Wives in housecoats hung wash on the line You got the feeling they were just doing time Serving their sentence in tumble-down homes Near the trash dump fire in West Terre Haute (chorus) That fire burned years, land and air were corrupt Burned ‘til the Feds made them clean it all up Trucked in topsoil, Lord knows what they spent They have flea markets there now on summer weekends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 I really liked it, Steve Earl vibe to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 (edited) I liked as well! Def Steve Earle vibe... nice job.... Edited November 30, 2019 by Salfromchatham Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 Thanks! The song is still trying to find itself. The version I'm toying with now is four verses, no chorus, but I may go back to a chorus. It takes awhile for a song to figure itself out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted December 2, 2019 Author Share Posted December 2, 2019 Edited the song (heavily) and did some rewriting. Here is where it stands now: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Hey, I really like it, especially the last verse. Great imagery. We don't have any coal mines were I live, but the scenes in your song hold true for so many small towns here too. Here it's the close down of small manufacturing businesses having a hard time to compete in a globalized world. Have you heard "Cumberland Gap" by Jason Isbell? A song on the same topic as yours, but in a different style. Your way of writing lyrics reminds me very much of Isbell's. Lars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagull Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Only got to hear the last version, but I liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfish Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 David, I don't like your latest version of the song Your first version has lines of imagery , that this version lacks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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