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Keep Your Head Down, Johnny

from Witness by Angela Easterling

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about

I love Bluegrass music and have written many songs influenced by it, but I had never really tried to write a straight-up Bluegrass song before. I really wanted to write something that had a very traditional sound. I was reading a book about the life of a woman in Appalachia in the 1910's-1920's. The hardships she had to endure not only just in such a difficult life and times, but additionally at the hands of men, were shocking to my modern sensibilities. I had the idea to write a song about someone from that time who lives they life they want to live on their own terms, someone who is born a woman, but lives their life as a man, only not in a modern context. What might that have looked like a hundred years ago?

lyrics

KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN, JOHNNY

There ain’t no kindness in this life for a woman.

I know that God must be a man.

For all the fear and the pain and the sorrow

He laid it down in her hand.



Mama, she birthed 10 children. She buried five of them.

Before the last baby died, He took Mama’s breath, too.

Was His only mercy in the end.



CHORUS

Keep your head down, now Johnny!

Boy, don’t you look them in the eye.

For they’ll see that your cheek’s like the down of the rose,

And know that you’re telling a lie.



Daddy had no use for a grown daughter – just another mouth to feed.

He sent me yonder mountain with Ol’ John Blythe

The year I turned fifteen.



That man taught me the meaning of The Devil,

Bloody sheets, broken bones and shame.

I left him layin’ down in the dark holler,

Rode west with his suit and his name.



My name is John Blythe of Kansas.

I carry the mail ‘cross the plains

I stare at the ground when I ride into town,

And I whisper this sad refrain.

credits

from Witness, released October 28, 2022
All songs written by Angela Easterling

©2017-2021 DE L’EST Music (ASCAP)

Except:

Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)

By Woody Guthrie and Martin Hoffman

©1961, 1963 Ludlow Music (BMI)



Produced by Brandon Turner.



Tracks 1, 3, and 10

Recorded at Studio 101, Woodruff, SC

Engineered and mixed by Brad Phillips.



Tracks 2, 4, 8 and 9

Recorded at Southeastern Sound, Campobello, SC

Engineered and mixed by Buddy Strong.

With additional recording at Mill Street Studio, Inman, SC.



Tracks 5, 6, 7, 11, and 12

Recorded at Studio 101, Woodruff, SC

Engineered and mixed by Ian Guthrie.



Additional recording for all tracks at Crooked Floor Studio, Greer, SC

Engineered by Brandon Turner.



Mastered by James DeMain at Yes Master, Nashville, TN.



Musicians:



Brandon Turner: Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Lap Steel, Resonator Guitar, Bass (Track 2), Upright Bass (Track 5), Piano, Organ, Banjo, Harmony Vocals.



Don McGraw: Bass



Jeff Hook: Drums and percussion (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12)



Scott Stinson: Drums and percussion (Tracks 3, 5, and 8)



Ted Lucktenberg: Mandolin (Track 5), Cello (Track 11)



David Rice: Fiddle (Track 5)



Fayssoux Starling McLean: Harmony Vocals (Track 5)



Ian Guthrie: Harmony Vocals (Tracks 5, 7, and 12)



Angela: Vocals, Harmony Vocals, and Acoustic Guitar.

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Angela Easterling Greer, South Carolina

"Angela Easterling is a bright shining star on the horizon! Her gift is so special. Brought me back to the time the Byrds recorded "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" - tradition meets youthful exuberance!" Roger McGuinn, The Byrds

Angela is a 4 time Kerrville New Folk Finalist,
2 time Wildflower Songwriting Finalist and a Telluride Troubadour. ... more

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