HARD TO LOVE SOBER - EXPANDED LINER NOTES
Jeff Wall Introduction
Doug Davis Introduction
Track Listing
Lyrics, Credits, and Song Notes
Thanks
Additional Art
Additional Tracks
Jeff Wall Introduction
What you have here is my 5th CD of original music, not counting the Songs and Stories compilation project. It was mostly recorded with Doug Davis in Winston Salem, NC, along with some assistance from friends in Nashville and Arizona. Doug and I had talked about making a record together for awhile now, but had never gotten around to it. Last year (2025) we ran into each other and he told me "I wish you would let me make a record on you. I don't think anyone has ever really captured just who you are, your essence, and it's something that needs to be documented before it's too late".
Doug and I had shared a few stages together, mostly songwriter type things. He's a Power Pop/College Rock kind of guy and I'm a Bluegrass/Alt-Country/dropped out of Community College kind of guy, but we know many of the same people, and we like a lot of the same music. We mostly speak the same language, I figured we could probably make this work, but what kind of record did I want to make? My musical tastes are pretty varied. Should I make a Bluegrass record? A solo singer/songwriter record? a Rock Record? a Country Record? I asked several friends and they all told me the same thing "Just make the damn record, Wall. The songs will tell you what they want. Trust your instincts, and just make the damn record."
That's what we did.
I gave Doug a list of songs that I wanted to record. He gave me list of my songs that he wanted me to record. We argued a little and finally ended up with a list of 10-12 that we thought would make a good record and we got to work. We butted heads a few times. We are both very opinionated. When we had conflicting ideas, we agreed to at least hear the other person out. My wife Alesia has good ears and she's never been afraid to tell somebody that something sucks. While Doug and I were busy disagreeing over something, she would often tell us that we were both wrong, and THIS is what the song needed. Turns out most of the time she was correct. She usually is.
This was truly a collaborative experience with Doug, Alesia, Myself, and all the people who graciously played on this record. It's a Bluegrass record, it's a Rock Record, it's a Singer-Songwriter, Gospel, Country Blues, Americana record. It's a damned fine record, I’m awfully proud of it, and I hope you enjoy it.
Jeff
Doug Davis Introduction
As anyone that’s found themselves within a hundred yards of him for any length of time can tell you, Jeff Wall can be a pain in the ass.
He's loud, opinionated, stubborn, and as elegant as a fart. He's liable to embarrass everyone in earshot while remaining totally oblivious of the fact. He's not Pavarotti, his guitar is probably out of tune, he tells way too many dick jokes, and he doesn't care if he screws up on stage, he's just going to laugh and start the tune all over again...multiple times if he has to. His shows have always been equal parts stand-up comedy, 12-step recovery meetings, roasts, and therapy sessions, with a little guitar-picking thrown in for good measure.
He’s one of the funniest raconteurs you’re ever likely to meet. He’s much more likely to try to make you laugh, or make himself laugh, than to ever try to save the world with one of his songs. What is also the God’s-honest truth is that he’s a deeply authentic human with an inconveniently large heart, and when he does sing of pain and suffering, there’s no fat on the bone. Everything is earned, and everything is lean.
We’ve been kicking around the idea of making a record for a long time now, and I was always hesitant, because I thought it might be a difficult process to make sure that we could successfully get across Jeff’s warmth and humor and the full breadth of what makes him so thoroughly entertaining and raw and warm and gutbucket and authentic. Not to mention how to negotiate Jeff’s old-time traditional roots with his more renegade cow-punk leanings. However, we figured it out and we got it done. Working on this record has been nothing but pure joy, and I’m proud of every verse and chorus, and I sure hope Jeff is proud of it too.
Doug Davis
Track Listing
Storm a Coming 4:28
Be Your Dog 4:05
Hard to Love Sober 4:11
Along for the Ride 2:25
Move Back to the Country 2:29
Love Everybody 3:43
Get Thee Behind Me Satan 3:59
It Ain't Really Church 4:44
I Am Not Here 5:03
Bodies in the Basement 4:36
Get Your Shit and Go 4:23
Be Your Dog - Reprise 1:04
01. Storm a Coming
(Jeff Wall)
The Weatherman says there's a storm a comin'
storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
You better take care, You better take warning
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
Stop at the store get some milk and bread
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
Every flashlight in the house is dead
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
It's starting to rain like cats and dogs
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
Raining so hard it could choke a frog
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
Tops of the trees are spinning round and round
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
Big black funnels reaching down for the ground
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
Neighbors chicken coop just flew past my door
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
The neighbor ain't got a roof no more
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
I'm gonna dig me a hole about 12ft deep
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
The next one that comes well it won't get me
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
The Weatherman said there's a storm a coming
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
If I was you I'd take off running
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm a comin'
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm
There's a storm a comin', there's a storm
Jeff Wall: lead and background vocals, acoustic guitar, Amplified Distorted Vibrato acoustic guitar
Mike Wesolowski: harmonica
Terry VunCannon: lap steel
Doug Davis: electric guitar, bass guitar
Corky McClellan: drums
Patterson Hood: radio announcer
Song Notes:
This song was recorded using my Art & Lutherie AmiCedar parlor size guitar tuned down a full step from E to D. Then I dropped the heaviest string down another full step from D to C. Usually a parlor size guitar’s scale length is too short to tune down that much. This guitar doesn’t care. it's an incredibly resonate instrument. I installed a JJB Prestige 330 pickup into it and must have screwed something up because that pickup is way too hot for this guitar. If I'm not careful, I will overdrive whatever it is that I'm plugged into.
I’m not really known for being careful.
When we were recording this album, I noticed a small vintage Fender Princeton amp in the corner. I don’t know shit about amplifiers other that tubes are supposed to be good, Peavey amps are heavy as hell, but you cant break them no matter how hard you try (I’ve tried. I tried hard too), and Crate amplifiers tend to catch on fire around me. That’s the extent of my amplifier knowledge.
As we were recording and I kept staring at this little amp there in the vocal booth I got to wondering about the sounds I might could get if I were to plug this guitar into that amp, and crank that vibrato knob until it twists off in my hand. Could I get some Pops Staples goodness? Or would I end up with something nasty and mean?
When I could contain my curiosity no longer and I plugged into it, what I got out was nastiest, meanest, goodness you’ve ever heard.
Just before Hurricane Helene struck the Carolinas, my wife had me out in the yard picking up potential debris. I have a 5 gallon bucket in my hand and I'm singing to myself "The weatherman says there's a storm a coming, storm a'coming, there's a storm a'coming. You better take care and you better take warning, there's a storm a'coming there's a storm" I don't know where that verse came from but after about 20 minutes of singing this to myself I realized that it was a great hook and I was already halfway finished with a new song.
I’ve been friends with The Drive-By Truckers for almost 30 years, and all the members past and present have been incredibly supportive of me and my music. Most of the band even offered to help with this project, but we just couldn't make the schedules work. After recording my vocal track, I got to thinking about their song “Tornadoes” from their 2004 album The Dirty South, I thought it might be fun to have Patterson Hood reference those lyrics as a radio announcer and include it as kind of an Easter Egg for their fans, the Heathens. He thought it was a great idea and was all in.
02. Be Your Dog
(Jeff Wall)
I want to love you like a dog,
Unconditionally
I want to be your bestest friend
Yes you can count on me
I want to be your dog
Your little snuggle hound
I want to lay beside you when you sleep
So I can keep you safe and sound
I want to be your dog
Your little furry mutt
I can't wait to kiss your face
After I have licked my butt
I want to be your dog,
I want to be your dog,
I want to be your dog
I want to love you like a dog
My head in your lap
I want to be the first thing you see
When you wake up from a nap
I want to be your dog
You can talk to me
You can tell me all your problems
A little canine therapy
I want to be your dog
Cause it's a mean old world
You're gonna need me to protect you
from those psychopathic squirrels
I want to be your dog,
I want to be your dog,
I want to be your dog
I want to love you like a dog
Not some stupid cat
I won't try to kill you when you pet me
No a dog won't act like that
I want to be your dog
Always by your side
And we can go for walks together
And maybe sometimes for a ride
I want to be your dog
Until the very end
And a hundred years from now
You'll remember your bestest friend
I want to be your dog,
I want to be your dog,
I want to be your dog,
I want to be your dog
Jeff Wall: lead and background vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin
Alesia Wall: background vocals
Doug Davis: electric guitar
Michael Cleveland: fiddle
Travis Williams: upright bass
Corky McClellan: drums
Song Notes:
Yes, I know this song title is very similar to a song title by the Stooges, Iggy’s Pop’s punk band. I’m a fan. I cover that song sometimes. I tried to send this song to Iggy, but I don’t know if he ever got it. I’m not real worried about him getting pissed at me about it. I outweigh him by about 170lbs. I’m not saying that he can’t kick my ass, I’m just saying he should probably pack a lunch when he comes to do it, as It would probably take me 30 minutes to even realize that I’m getting my ass kicked. I’m quite skilled at taking an asswhipping. I’ve had a lot of practice.
But this isn’t about Iggy, it’s about Bob Barker. Allow me to explain….
There is no love any purer than the love of a dog. This started out as a love song to our late dog Bob, aka Ugly Bob Barker. We lost him in 2018 to cancer and still haven’t been able to bring ourselves to get another dog. How do you ever replace the greatest dog who ever lived? How do you ever open your heart up just to know it’s going to get broken again?
I tried to tell this story from his point of view.
After we recorded the scratch track, we realized that it really needed a fiddle. Doug just happened to know a really excellent concert violinist, and had his friend Charlie come in and lay down a track. She did a great job, but it didn't work. the song didn't need a violin, it needed a fiddle. There’s a huge difference. I had a number of friends tell me that I should reach out to the great bluegrass fiddler Michael Cleveland, that he loves doing things like this. I told them all that they were high (and they probably were - you know musicians.) I told them that Michael Cleveland was not going to be willing to play on my record. He’s got a reputation he needs to protect. Besides, He's always busy recording with Bela Fleck, Jason Carter, Billy Strings and winning Grammy’s and shit. He's an "A-List" picker who has won every kind of award there is, He fronts his own group Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper that are all complete badasses. Hell, he's probably getting triple scale. If he's not getting triple scale, then he should be. He's just that damned good.
I was told that he definitely wouldn't do it if I didn't ask, so I asked him, and he said sure, he’d be happy to do it. The first track he cut for us didn’t work. It was just too good, in fact we had to ask him if he could go back in and recut it for us, but this time could he back it off a little, keeping in mind that none of us are "A-list" players, we are all more "Back-of-the-Grocery-List" players. He sent us another take and it was perfect, absolutely perfect, and that is te one we used. But then I got to thinking...that first take is just too good to throw away. I need to find something to do with that..
03. Hard To Love Sober
(Jeff Wall)
Put on your coat son and take me to town
I'm fresh out of beer and there's snow coming down
And being trapped here with your Grandma just makes it seem colder
She's my reason for living, but she's hard to love sober
I came home from Korea in 1953
to the prettiest girl in Lebanon Tennessee
But looks are deceiving let me tell you the truth
She's as mean as a bear with an infected tooth
Some people mellow with age like a fine vintage wine
Others grow rotten like fruit left on the vine
Your Grandma gets meaner as she gets older
I can't live without her, but she's hard to love sober
She tells me she's worried about my wicked soul
and If I don't change my ways then to hell I will go
I said I aint really worried and that made her mad
But after living with her, Hell can't be *that* bad
Some people mellow with age like a fine vintage wine
Others grow rotten like fruit left on the vine
Your Grandma gets meaner as she gets older
I can't live without her, but she's hard to love sober
Some times I think I can't go on living like this
I'd shoot her down but I'm afraid I might miss
The cops would arrest me and take me away
but what if they didn't and instead made me stay?
Some people mellow with age like a fine vintage wine
Others grow rotten like fruit left on the vine
Your Grandma gets meaner as she gets older
I can't live without her, but she's hard to love sober
Some people mellow with age like a fine vintage wine
Others grow rotten like fruit left on the vine
Your Grandma gets meaner as she gets older
I can't live without her, but she's hard to love sober
Jeff Wall: vocal, acoustic guitar
Joey Recchio: electric guitar
Doug Davis: acoustic guitar, piano
Travis Williams: upright bass
Corky McClellan: drums
Song Notes:
This song was loosely inspired by my grandparents Grover (Pap) and Modine (Grandma). Pap was refused enlistment in the military due to having flat feet. He laid track for the railroad, he raised tobacco and anorexic cows and pigs, and Pap drank beer. Pap drank a lot of beer. Grandma was a faithful member of the Church of Christ, and the Church of Christ don’t hold with beer drinking. This was the cause of some conflict in their home. Still they were married for more than 50 years… until he shot her.
I'm told by my mother and aunt that my grandmother could be a hateful, mean, spiteful woman. I never saw that. She doted on us grandchildren. She was however the kind of a woman that would make the Devil go out and cut his own switch. Grandma had no backup in her. When Pap had a stroke and could no longer drive, he was forced to stop drinking as a good Christian woman was not going to be bringing home any more beer. So Pap shot her. I don’t know if that was the reason why, but I would hazard to guess it was a contributing factor. No, it didn't kill her. My Grandma was tough, you weren’t going to be able to kill her with a gun.
Patterson Hood and I once had a discussion about songwriting where he told me that occasionally, he likes to write from the perspective of the antagonist not from the point of view of the good guy. Sometimes the antagonist just has a better story to tell. I adored both of my grandparents, so I’m not taking sides. Besides, I wasn’t there, but I wrote the song from Pap’s perspective. When it came time to record this song, we asked Joey Recchio come in play guitar. Joey is an incredibly talented and versatile player and a super nice guy. He's a tech at one of our local music stores, "The B-String" and takes care of my instruments. I've heard him play in several local groups such as Big Daddy Love and The Deluge, but I had never heard him pull out all the stops and just throw down before. When he showed up for the session, he asked us what we wanted him to play. We told him "Just make it nasty" He pulled a slide out of his pocket and totally melted our faces. Damn, it was perfect.
Listening to the playback we realized that while Joey nailed his part, the song still needed something. Doug decided to try adding a little texture with the piano. My wife Alesia came in, listened to the playback, and told us we were on the right path but the piano needed to be turned up. Doug turned it up. "Louder" she responded. He turned it up some more. "LOUDER!" she said. "Do you not understand the meaning of that word? LOUDER. That piano needs to be as loud as Joey's guitar. That piano is what is going to tie this whole song together."
Doug turned up the piano.
It turns out she was right. That piano ties it all together.
04. Along For the Ride
(Jeff Wall, Jon Weisberger)
Like a ship lost at sea, that ain’t got a rudder
I’m a slave to the winds and the tide
Don’t know where I am or care where I’m going
I’m just along for the ride
It’s been many years since the first time I heard it
And answered the call of the sea
Now I’m all alone, riding the currents
A feather adrift on the breeze
Like a ship lost at sea, that ain’t got a rudder
I’m a slave to the winds and the tide
Don’t know where I am or care where I’m going
I’m just along for the ride
Some day I might have a wife and a family
And tend to my own patch of ground
A house on the hill and a yard full of children
If I can just settle down
Like a ship lost at sea, that ain’t got a rudder
I’m a slave to the winds and the tide
Don’t know where I am or care where I’m going
I’m just along for the ride
Jeff Wall: vocal, acoustic guitar
Riley Baugus: banjo
Song Notes:
I had never done a traditional song co-write when I saw my buddy Jon Weisberger nominated for IBMA Songwriter of the Year. I've known Jon for at least 30 years. He’s a very talented player and has won numerous awards for his songwriting, so I reached out to him and told him that I had never done a cowrite from scratch before. I asked him if he’d be willing to get together and try to write sometime. He was agreeable (don't laugh), so we set a date and I drove up to the mountains of Western NC and we tried to write a song together. As I remember it, I kept pitching him ideas, and he didn't like any of them. "Boring", "It's been done to death" "I'm just not feeling it". I was about out of ideas and then I remembered this one lyric I had been holding onto forever:
"Like a ship lost at sea, that ain't got a rudder,I'm a slave to the winds and the tide. I don't know where I am, or care where I'm headed. I'm just along for the ride"
I sang it for him and he smiled, "We can do something with that." Once we got started it came together pretty quickly.
When it came time to record, Doug and I were talking about our different options. I suggested sea gulls and timber creaking in the background. My pal, the incredibly talented Peter Holsapple had volunteered his assistance and that guy can play anything. So I suggested that we could get him to come in and perhaps play a penny whistle and accordion on the song. Or how about we get Michael Cleveland to play fiddle again and we do a fiddle and guitar duet?
Then I thought about my buddy Riley Baugus, the Jimmy Page of the Old Time Banjo. Riley lives just down the road, but we seldom see each other anymore. I’m much more likely to run into him in an airport in Philadelphia than to cross paths here in town. It had been quite some time since we last had the opportunity to get together and pick so I reached out to him and asked him if he was going to be around for awhile and if so would he like to come in and help out on the record. "Hell yes, that sounds like fun". He came in and he played so good that it brought tears to Alesia's eyes.
Then we started playing clawhammer banjo and acoustic guitar duets of Motorhead, Allman Brothers, and Blind Faith songs. Good Times. You should have been there. or you could go to the links at the bottom of the page….
05. Move Back To The Country
(Jeff Wall)
I’m gonna move back to the country, Gonna live out in the woods
This hustle and this bustle, Ain’t doing me no good
This job feels like a prison, this cubicle’s a cell
I can almost smell the sulfur, I swear this must be Hell
Gonna ditch this suit and tie, go buy some overalls
Go find myself a little town, without a shopping mall
Eat lunch at some small diner, get an extra slice of pie
If I don’t leave this city soon, I swear I’m gonna die
I’m gonna wash my clothes on Sunday, hang them outside on a line
If they smell like hay and honeysuckle, you know that I don’t mind
I’m gonna get myself a dog, and a rusty pick up truck
One day I’ll leave this city, without a backward look
I’m gonna move back to the country, to a place out in the woods
I’m gonna get back to my raisin’, and start living like I should.
Time to slow down and start breathing, put a smile back on my face
This old rat has had all wants, of this old rat race.
Jeff Wall: vocal, acoustic guitar
Buddy Woodward: banjo, mandolin, Nashville-strung acoustic guitar
Travis Williams: upright bass
Song Notes:
This is an older song of mine. It's one that Doug picked out of my catalog and thought that it had the potential of being something special if it was recorded in a band format. I have known Buddy Woodward for about 30 years. I had once sat in with his Country-Rock band the Ghost Rockets many, many years ago. He's currently playing with The Kingston Trio, so when they came through town, we made a point to go to the show. Being in our early 60's we were by far the youngest audience members in attendance. It was a great show. Buddy is an accomplished stage and voiceover actor and has been a member of a number of award winning bands. He plays anything with strings. When I first sent him this track, I asked him to put some banjo down on it. Then I reached back out and told him "Just go for it. Play what you want to play, the way that you want to play it. If we don't like it, we can fix it in edit."
What he sent back to us blew our mind. The song ended up with a real Dillards feel due to the High Strung acoustic guitar. Buddy said that was a trick he picked up from former Dillards banjo player Herb Pedersen. When Alesia and I lived in Missouri back in the 90's we had run into and become friends with the late Mitchell Jayne, the bass player from the Dillards. I wish Mitch could hear this track. I think he would like it.
06. Love Everybody
(Jeff Wall)
When Jesus comes back, He’s gonna be pissed
What the Hell’s going on, He taught us better than this
He said to do unto others, as you’d have them to do unto you
Not screw everybody, before you get screwed
He said help out the needy, take care of the sick,
Love everybody and don’t be a dick (Everybody)
No don’t be a dick (Everybody)
Love Everybody, (Everybody)
and don’t be a Dick (Everybody)
But we’re petty and greedy, always grasping for more
All we care about’s power, or starting some damn war
Compassion is dead, and kindness is lost
Just give me what’s mine, no matter the cost
You can’t buy redemption, no that ain’t the trick
You got to love everybody, and don’t be a dick
No don’t be a dick
Love Everybody, (Everybody)
and don’t be a Dick (Everybody)
Everybody, (Everybody), (Love Everybody)
Everybody, (Everybody), (Love Everybody)
Everybody, (Everybody), (Love Everybody)
Everybody, (Everybody), (Love Everybody)
You’re afraid of the Muslims, afraid of the Jews
You’re afraid of the Queers, and the Immigrants too
But a Heart filled with Love, has nothing to fear
Make peace with your enemies, Hell buy them a beer
You can’t find forgiveness, by throwing a brick
You’ve got to love everybody ,and don’t be a dick
No don’t be a dick
Love Everybody,
and don’t be a Dick
Everybody,
Everybody,
Everybody,
Everybody,
Everybody, (Everybody)
Everybody, (Everybody)
Everybody, (Everybody) (Love Everybody)
Everybody, (Everybody) (Love Everybody)
Everybody, (Love Everybody) (You Got To Love)
Everybody, (Love Everybody) (Love Everyone)
Everybody, (Love Everybody) (You Got To Love)
Everybody, (Love Everybody) (Love Everyone)
Everybody, (Love Everybody) (You Got To Love)
Everybody, (Love Everybody) (Love Everyone)
Everybody, (Love Everybody)
Jeff Wall: vocal, acoustic guitar
Doug Davis: electric guitars, Hammond organ, bass guitar
Corky McClellan: drums
The Don’t Be a Dick Tabernacle Choir: Background Vocals, Handclaps
(The Don’t Be a Dick Tabernacle Choir is: Doug Baker, Jill Bennett, , Dan Dockery, Glad Douse, Barry Gray, Kirby Heard, Steven Jones, Karon McKinney, Scott Orr, Shelly Stevens)
Song Notes:
This is the song I am most known for. I guess you could call it my "hit", My "God Bless the USA", but hopefully not as cheesy, or annoying. Regardless, I’ve learned something from Mr. Lee Greenwood: I'm unashamedly riding this sumbitch until the wheels fall completely off, and then I’m gonna ride it some more. I've already recorded it at least three times.
Doug told me that he always felt that this song really needed a full production version, something that would be suitable for radio play. Unfortunately Radio and the FCC seem to take umbrage at you referring to someone as a “dick,” Even I Heart Radio/Clear Channel executives. We recorded it anyway, and it sounded good, but it wasn't really anything special. It needed something to make it truly special.
I had been listening to the Staples Singers on a long road trip (I told y'all earlier that I'm a huge Pops Staples fan) and I realized that what this song needed was the Staples Singers. I didn't have access to Mavis (I tried) or a Black Gospel Choir, but I had lot of friends who were really good singers, so we put out a call, and the Don’t Be a Dick Tabernacle Choir was born. (I got choked up when I saw that they had all volunteered their time to help me on this recording - Thanks y’all) Between Doug on the Hammond Organ, the hand claps and dulcet tones of the Don’t Be a Dick Tabernacle Choir, I think we ended up with something special. Something that might even bring a smile to Pops face. It brings a smile to my face, and a tear to my eye.
They really made this song something extremely special.
07. Get Thee Behind Me Satan
(Jeff Wall)
The Devil's got a big Cadillac
Long and sleek and black
Jerry Falwell behind the steering wheel
Satan riding in the back
Jesus drives an old church bus
His disciples all inside
smelling like weed and patchouli oil
Flag him down if you need a ride
Get thee behind me Satan
I got things to do
Get thee behind me Satan
Man, I ain’t got time for you
Get thee behind me Satan
I've got places that I need to go
Get thee behind me Satan
Man, You’re moving way too slow
If You find yourself on that Lost Highway
Because of all your sins
When you see that church bus coming
Flag it down and jump on in
But if you see that fancy Cadillac
Turn your head and let it pass you by
Lest you end up in Houston
Drowning in a lake of fire
Get thee behind me Satan
I got things to do
Get thee behind me Satan
Man, I ain’t got time for you
Get thee behind me Satan
I've got places that I need to go
Get thee behind me Satan
Man, You’re moving way too slow
Get thee behind me Satan
I got things to do
Get thee behind me Satan
Man, I ain’t got time for you
Get thee behind me Satan
I've got places that I need to go
Get thee behind me Satan
Man, You’re moving way too slow
Jeff Wall: lead vocal, acoustic guitar
John Cowan: background vocals
Terry VunCannon: lap steel
Doug Davis: electric guitar, bass guitar
Corky McClellan: drums
Song Notes:
I was once thinking about what kind of cars Jesus and Satan would drive. I think about weird shit in the middle of the night driving alone on the highway after a gig. I decided that Satan had to have a vintage Cadillac. Something long, sleek, black, and classy. Something about 30ft long with big ass tail fins. After all Cadillac set the standard for luxury American automobiles back in the 40’s and 50’s. You wouldn't find the Devil in an import, not even a Rolls Royce or a Mercedes, at least not the American Devil. Our devils has got to be Old School Cool, riding in genuine Detroit American steel. The Devil wouldn't be driving himself either, He’s too classy for that kind of shit. The Devil would have a driver and he'd be riding in the back like Hank Williams or JFK. Who would be driving that Cadillac? Would it be a former political leader like Stalin, Hitler, Nixon, or Reagan? Perhaps some famous Heavy Metal Rock Star like Ozzy or Lemmy? or some evil Mass Murderer like Bundy or Manson? No, none of them are evil enough. The only person worthy would have to be a televangelist, some extremely pious hypocritical bastard.
But what would Jesus be driving? You know he Jesus wouldn’t want a driver. He’s not going to ask someone to do something that he could easily do himself. Jesus would be driving, not riding. He was all about peace and love. He probably smelled like patchouli oil, wine, and weed. You know he had hippie chicks crawling all over him. That’s how he got all them disciples. They were hanging around hoping that they could score off the hippie chicks as well. Since Jesus was followed around by a bunch of Hippie chicks and neckbeard disciples, Jesus had to be driving a big ole Blue Bird Church bus that runs on French Fry oil. It's probably painted a bunch of weird colors and covered in Deadhead stickers. It’s got to have big ass loudspeakers mounted on the top blasting Hendrix just as loud as they possibly can at all of the cows in the Shenandoah Valley, while rolling to the Promised Land at eight miles a gallon.
I've known John Cowan for probably 35 years. In Cow years that's at least 3 or 4 wives. He's a good man, (of course I've never been married to him) and has always been good to me. When I asked him to be a part of this project,- that’s him singing the background vocals, he simply asked where and when? I think he might have also told me to stop being such a little bitch. (I rode his ass pretty hard to male sure he didn’t forget). That’s how you know who your friends are. They are the ones who insult you and cuss you out at every opportunity to remind you that you are loved. Once your friends start being very polite to you, that’s when you know one of them is screwing your girlfriend. You can’t turn your back on a polite friend.
08. It Ain’t Really Church
(Jeff Wall)
I've Seen that ole Blue Mosque, and the Temple on the Mount,
I went to Katmandu to see what that was all about.
I've seen the Sistine Chapel and the Tabernacle in Salt Lake,
but it ain't really church now, if you ain't got a snake
No it ain't really church now, if you ain't got a snake,
Reach down and take you up a serpent, if you got the faith
Drink a shot of poison, and don't worry about your fate
It ain't really church, if you ain't got a snake.
In the Holy Bible in the Gospel of St Mark
When they rolled away the stone and Jesus walked out of the dark
He said to his disciples go and out and spread my word,
Out into the wilderness to those who have not heard
Signs will follow my believers demons fleeing at their touch
They'll lay their hands upon teh sick and them folks will jump right up
Poison will not harm them and some will speak in tongues
And they will take up serpents both the elder and the young
But it ain't really church, if you ain't got a snake,
Reach down and take you up a serpent, if you got the faith
Drink a shot of poison, and don't worry about your fate
It ain't really church now , if you ain't got a snake.
Oh the Notre Dame Cathedral you know that's mighty grand
and don't forget the Alamo, out there in the sand
and Gaudi's Holy Family in Barcelona Spain
but it ain't really church, if you ain't got a snake
But it ain't really church, if you ain't got a snake,
Reach down and take you up a serpent, if you got the faith
Drink a shot of poison, and don't worry about your fate
It ain't really church now , if you ain't got a snake.
It ain't really church now, if you ain't got a snake
Jeff Wall: vocals, acoustic guitar
Riley Baugus: banjo
Travis Williams: upright bass
Song Notes:
In the 16th chapter of the Gospel of St Mark, verses 17 and 18, Jesus told his disciples to go and preach the Gospel. He told them "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
So many Christians will pick and choose certain passages in the Bible and use these to beat people up with, saying that "It's here in the Bible, the Unassailable Word of God". They believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, at least the passages that support their myopic worldview. Those passages like "Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged" kind of get skimmed over. I don't think everyone is aware of the fact that the Bible was not written to be a weapon.
When I get invited to attend church, and I feel like being an asshole, (Hey, it happens sometimes) I will ask "Y'all got any snakes? Jesus says y'all got to have some snakes if you really believe. It's right there in the Gospel of St Mark. Let me know when ya’ll get you some serpents”"
I wrote this song initially in jest. I wrote it before the great David Childers told me about singer-songwriter, visual artists Abe Partridge an his great podcast "Alabama Astronaut" where Abe visits a bunch of snake handling churches in Kentucky and Alabama to try and document their music. I don’t want to spoil it by telling you everything that takes place, but Abe was able to shine a light on the raw faith and humanity of these people. I'm atheist/agnostic but I could totally see myself getting caught up in that scene. I have nothing but the utmost respect for people who demonstrate that kind of faith in their lives, instead of just telling you what good Christians they are. Now, I’ll also tell you that I think these people are a little nuts, but these days, who isn't?
I highly recommend you listen to that podcast - Alabama Astronaut
09. I Am Not Here
(Jeff Wall)
I am not here, and I am not there.
The place I am now, is everywhere.
I'm in the mountains, and I am the Sea.
Wherever you turn now, that's where you'll find me.
I know your thoughts, and I know your fears.
I know your sadness, I feel your tears.
I know your heart, how it loves so true.
I'll always be a piece of you.
I am not here, and I am not there.
The place I am now, is everywhere.
I'm in the river, I'm in the Trees.
Open up your heart, that's where you'll find me.
There's No more sickness, there's no more pain.
There's No more guilt, there's no more shame.
I am not old, and I am not young.
My body's gone now, but you know I ain't done.
I am not here, and I am not there.
The place I am now, is everywhere.
I'm down below, I'm up above.
The thing that I am now, is pure perfect Love.
I am not here, and I am not there.
The place I am now, is everywhere.
just like the wind, I'm blowing free.
Just look in heart now, that’s where I’ll be.
just like the wind, I'm blowing free
Just look in heart now, you’ll find me.
just like the wind, I'm blowing free
Just look in heart now, that’s where I’ll be.
Jeff Wall: vocal, acoustic guitar
Doug Davis: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Hammond Organ
Song Notes
My best friend of almost 40 years unexpectedly passed away from cancer a couple of years ago. He had been having some life struggles for a few years prior to this, and that didn't make things any easier for him, or his family. When I got the call that he was gone, his mother asked if I was going to be able to make it to St Charles, MO for the service. I told her I would be there. I was asked if I would be willing to perform a song at the service, Perhaps a John Denver or Dan Fogelberg song. I told her that wasn't what I did, and that instead I would just write him a song, so that’s what I did. When I got to St Charles, I found out that in addition to performing this song, I was also going to be giving his Eulogy. I’m not a preacher. I don’t know anything about eulogies, but I did my best. On the wy back home I got to thinking, that asshole set this up. I know he did, because it’s the exact same thing I would have done to him. What a dick.
I'm sure he was laughing his ass off in the hereafter.
This is the song I wrote for my friend Dennis. I miss you, buddy.
Initially I wasn't going to include this song on the album. The album was already too long as it was, but Doug kept insisting that it HAD to be included. "No Doug, my vocals sound like crap. It's too personal. Maybe the next album" Doug wouldn't let up. "It's got to be on there, it’s the best thing we recorded, even if we have to drop something else, that song has to be on there."
His whining finally got to me.
After multiple listens to this album, Doug was right. This song had to be on the album.
10. Bodies In The Basement
(Jeff Wall)
The Baptists came by this morning,
Said they were worried about her soul.
She said “No Thanks, I’m good”,
but they refused to go.
So she invited them inside,
for a glass of something cold
Now she’s down there in the basement
digging another hole.
She’s got bodies in the basement,
and some in the back yard too
It ain't because she’s evil,
she just hates it when you’re rude
So If you’re selling something,
and she should tell you “No”
just smile and thank her for her time
or you could be the next to go
Well she never wanted trouble,
but trouble just don’t care
every time the doorbell rang,
trouble was standing there
So she’s cleaning up this crappy town,
one asshole at a time
Making this a better place
for the meek, polite, and kind
She’s got bodies in the basement,
and some in the back yard too
It ain't because she’s evil,
she just hates it when you’re rude
So If you’re selling something,
and she should tell you “No”
smile and thank her for her time
or you could be the next to go
Some were politicians,
Others sold Amway
One he tried to kick her dog,
And you know that ain’t okay
And you can’t call them victims,
Naw they all chose their fate
The thing you must remember,
Not all heros wears a cape.
Jeff Wall: vocals, acoustic guitar
Alesia Wall: special guest backhoe appearance
Tom Hampton: baritone guitar, pedal steel
Doug Davis: bass guitar
Corky McClellan: drums
Song Notes:
Several years back I would come home from work and there would be three big older Black women standing on my porch talking to my wife. I'd see them there every week or two. I asked my wife what the deal was. Who were these women and why were they there? It turns out that they were Church ladies who had come to talk her about Jesus and to ask her to come visit their church.
My wife is not a fan of organized religion.
I said to her, "You know, and I know, that you will never attend their Church. Have you told them this? Why didn't you just run them off?"
She told me "Yes, I told them that, and they know I'm not going to attend their church. We don't talk about Church. We don't talk about Jesus. Instead we talk about raising kids, we talk about our husbands, we talk about the weather, we talk about flowers. We just talk about stuff. They are sweet. They are nice, and I like them. They make me feel good. That's why I didn't run them off, because they are always so nice. I like nice people."
If you are nice, polite, and kind, my wife will bend over backward for you. But if you treat her rudely, or treat anyone around her rudely, then she will politely and kindly reach into your chest, remove your still beating heart, and feed it to you, with an angelic smile on her face. She is not going to tolerate rudeness or people being mean ...to anyone.
I'm 6'7" and I weigh somewhere around 325lbs. She is 5'4" and a half and weighs maybe 130lbs. She's the only person on this planet I am afraid of. Don't fuck with her, she will hurt you. If you had any sense, you'd be afraid of her too.
11. Get Your Shit and Go
(Jeff Wall)
Living was easy in the Garden of Eden,
Rent controlled, free food there for the eating
Then the serpent showed up with some forbidden fruit
They took a little bite and then they knew the truth
The Lord He showed up with an eviction note
He said Adam and Eve, It’s time to get your shit and go
He Said, Get your shit and go, children, Get your shit and go
Y’all ain’t welcome here no more, get your shit and go
Don’t be hanging round my door, just get your shit and go
God said to Noah go and build me a boat
Start gathering up the things you want to keep that do not float
Gather up my creatures, load them two-by-two
Better get to moving son, you got some work to do
The Lord decided this world was a wicked, evil place
It was time to pull the handle, and flush it all away.
He said Get your shit and go, Noah, Get your shit and go
We ain’t welcome here no more, so get your shit and go
don’t be hanging round that door, just get your shit and go
Moses told the Pharaoh, better set my people free,
Before my Lord lays a trip on you like you ain’t never seen
He’ll turn the water into blood, make frogs fall from the sky
He’ll stop the sun, He’ll send some bugs, Kids’ll begin to die
Pharaoh came to Moses had his hat held in his hand,
Said gather up your people and get the hell off of my land.
Get your shit and go, Moses, Get your shit and go
You ain’t welcome here no more, so get your shit and go
Don’t be hanging round my door, just get your shit and go
When the end times are upon us, and Gabriel blows his horn
You better hope that you been living right or you’ll curse the day you’s born
Heavens gates will be open with those streets there paved with gold
The Righteous will have a home up there and never will grow old
But the Wicked won’t be welcome, in Heaven they can’t stay
They’ll shut the gates and lock the doors, and send you on your way
They’ll say Get your shit and go, Sinners, Get your shit and go
Y’all ain’t welcome here no more, so get your shit and go
Don’t be hanging round our door, just get your shit and go
Get your shit and go, Sinners, Get your shit and go
Y’all ain’t welcome here no more, so get your shit and go
Don’t be hanging round our door, just get your shit and go
Jeff Wall: vocals, acoustic guitars
Phil Fusion (aka Itchy Bruddah): B-Bender electric guitar
Doug Davis: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Hammond organ, bass guitar
Corky McClellan: drums
Song Notes:
This is another old song. I've somehow developed a reputation for writing profane Gospel songs. It’s not something I go out of my way to try and do. I'm not doing it for shock value. It's just the way these songs come out. It’s the way I hear God talking in my head. “Hey Fucker, you trying to get me to smite you? You know I got a strong smiting hand. I’ll smite the shit out of you in a heartbeat”. Me talking about God (or Jesus) using profanity really gets under some people’s skin. They get mighty angry and yell, "God would never use profanity!"
"How do you know that? Are you placing limits on God? Do you personally know that God would never say a dirty word because it's vulgar, but for some reason drowning every person and every creature on earth except Noah and his crew isn’t vulgar at all? How about when God would send down a plague to wipe out entire nations, including innocent little children, that wasn’t vulgar at all? Of having His soldiers kill all of the men, women, children, and even animals of a city and then salting the fields, that wasn’t vulgar at all? Ow when He started killing all the first born sons of Egypt? Was that even just a little bit vulgar? But if I suggest that God Almighty were to use the word “shit” I’ve crossed a line? I guess the next thing y’all are going to suggest is that y’all gather up some rocks and start showing me some of that forgiveness and love, right?”
"You’re such an expert on what God and/or Jesus, but I'll bet you fuckers ain’t got a single serpent in your church”
I guess I still have some unresolved issues with Christianity.
I don’t know how long Phil Fuson and I have been friends. I don’t remember how or where we ran across each other, probably some internet board music circle jerk thing. We know a lot of the same people, none of which you would ever list on a resume as a personal reference. When I started recording this album, I asked him if he would be willing to strap on his B-Bender and give me some twisty, bendy goodness on this song. He did better than that, he went way beyond goodness, he gave us greatness. Unfortunately there were still holes in the song that needed to be filled. Doug added some organ in the background just to fill some of these holes. Alesia told him it wasn't enough organ. (I’ve heard that before) Alesia told him "Remember how on the song "Hard to Love Sober", how I had you turn up the piano? You better be doing that same thing to the organ, or else we're going to have us a" Bodies in the Basement" type situation. “
Doug turned up the organ. It sounded good, really good. I thought however that it could sound better, I asked him to go back in and get full-on Billy Preston with this and give me a bunch of tasty right hand frills. Doug apologized to me and told me that it couldn't happen. We had run out of both time and money. The album needed to go to mastering by a certain date, and we needed to honor that. We could chase perfection forever, but we didn’t have forever. We were going to have to settle for Good Enough. Fortunately for us, Good Enough turned out to be great.
12. Be Your Dog - Reprise
(Jeff Wall)
Jeff Wall: lead and background vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin
Doug Davis: Producer's voice
Alesia Wall: Mashed Potatoes
Michael Cleveland: fiddle
Travis Williams: upright bass
Song Notes:
I had to do something with that unused Michael Cleveland track I told you about earlier. It was just too good to throw away.
THANKS
So much thanks, love, and extremely grateful appreciation go out to all the players who helped on this album:
Riley Baugus, Michael Cleveland, John Cowan, Doug Davis, Phil "Itchy Bruddah" Fuson, Tom Hampton, Corky McClellan, Joey Recchio, Terry VunCannon, Alesia Wall, Mike Wesolowski, Travis Williams, Buddy Woodward
The Don’t Be a Dick Tabernacle Choir: (Doug Baker, Jill Bennett, Dan Dockery, Glad Douse, Barry Gray, Kirby Heard, Steven Jones, Karon McKinney, Scott Orr, Shelly Stevens)
Support, Advice, and Encouragement provided by:
Drive-By Truckers, (Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Brad Morgan, Jay Gonzalez, Matt Patton), Jenn Bryant, Courtney Francesca and all of The Heathens, Peter Holsapple, Phil Lee, Webb Wilder, Dallas Wayne, Jubal Lee Young, Thom Jutz, Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, Mark Dillon, The "B" String Winston-Salem NC, Doo-Dad Farm Greensboro NC, Richard Emmett & Andy Tennille and the fine folks @ The RamKat Winston-Salem NC, Caroline Wright, Jon Weisberger, Marcos Harkness
In Memory of Wes Freed, Dennis Valentine, Peter Cooper, and Ugly Bob Barker. I love and miss all of you fuckers.
Produced and Engineered by Doug Davis @ Flytrap Studio Winston-Salem NC
Associate Producers: Alesia Wall, Jeff Wall
Mastered by Alex McCollough @ True East Mastering
Album/CD Design & Artwork: Marcos Harkness @ Harkness Design
There is no way I could have ever made this record without the love, support, and encouragement of my wife Alesia (even if she does make fun of my mandolin playing)
Thanks to Doug Davis for being such a righteous dude.
Jeff Wall
ADDITIONAL ART
ADDITIONAL TRACKS
Riley Baugus, who appears on two tracks on the record, is a superstar of the old-time music scene. When he came over to record, we decided to spend some time jamming. There was no rehearsal, we were just having fun. Fortunately Doug captured it all.