Whiskey and Water. Blood and Bone. Rivers and Roads.
Aside from my asinine attempt at alliteration, these words are among many tokens that ground most folk and bluegrass songs. They call back oft-forgotten memories deep in our subconscious that tie us to life: the harsh and liberating realities of nature, the essentials and accidents of life, and our roots.
Most endearingly, however, these words evoke a specific place, a home.
Every place I go, most of the people I meet have a genuine love for their home. They are excited to greet a nomad and tell me about the lovely local spots. They want me to enjoy their home as much as they do.
I envy this perspective, as I often struggle to feel at home. But even more so, I admire it.
The easiest way to see the transformational power of love is to look at the transformation of places. When a group of people take pride in and love their home, they will beautify it—not just aesthetically but into a community that can come together and support each other.
Or as Chesterton put it, “Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her.”
Jacksonville was built into a beach. Austin didn’t spring up from the ground one day, even if it feels that way. Raleigh’s sloping paths, which gently curve through the tree-covered hills, were formed with a purpose.
It’s a cliche in Europe that the size of the oldest church or cathedral correlates perfectly with the city’s population.
You can’t help but feel the pride many hold for Kentucky. There are shady red brick neighborhoods. There’s a clash of Southern and Midwestern architecture. (and accents, for that matter)
But, the people here love their Bourbon. Given my Irish roots, I appreciate taking pride in whiskey. Yeah Yeah… it messes up your sleep, can be abused, and gives us old folks debilitating hangovers. However, it also spreads cheer, social connection, and memories(even if they are a bit hazy).
‘Whiskey’ comes from the Irish word ‘Uisce Beatha,’ which means ‘Water of Life.’ Maybe because it makes you the life of the party. I don’t know.
But, it is a perfect segue to bluegrass music, since ‘Water of Life’ would be a killer name for a bluegrass song.
If anything makes my gypsy soul feel at home, it is folk and bluegrass music. Irish and English folk music, as well as the blues, are the strongest influences on it.
You can admire it for its playful story-telling style or the acoustic sounds that tickle your ears at a live venue. But for me, the real power of folk music is that it lives in the tension of things.
In every chord, melancholy interweaves with joy. You remember the friends who are no longer with you and yet be present to the ones sitting right in front of you. There is a sadness for the time that has passed and a hope for what is to come.
Thematically, the token words repeated over and over in folk music will hammer messages of romance, life, and death. However, its most profound message may be about the transformational nature of our love for home. When we sincerely love a place, beauty, community, and flourishing will soon follow.
Here are a few folk and bluegrass songs that bring the post home:
Here are some pictures of me at the Willet Distillery(Yeah, I ain’t great at pictures…):
The Purpose Driven Date 