The Grandfather didn’t disappear - the ‘Revenue Man’ (Treasury Agent) did. The Granddad has an illegal whiskey still and any stranger who goes up Copperhead Road doesn’t come back.
RIIIIGHT?! Who else starts a song with a bagpipe sounding synth & then busts out with a mandolin?! It really works for a song about moonshiners though! 😂
I once heard a folk singer who performed both bluegrass as well as Celtic folk say that the only difference between Celtic folk and bluegrass is the type of whisky they drank.
Grew up in SwVA, coal and tobacco. My family made their own 'homebrew'. Got a picture of my Dad in the Pacific during WWII sitting by a still he made. 17 years old, grinning!
Steve Earle is his own genre. Him and another legend, Townes VanZandt are similar. You should check out Guitar Town, by Earle. One of my favorite songs, so fun
@Carol Martin...Copperhead Road is classic Steve Earle & I love it. But listen to Transcendental Blues a lot, as well. The song LonlierThan This hits you in the solar plexus...
I went somewhere with my dad a few days before he passed away and Guitar Town was the last song we listened to together. Such a bittersweet memory because that has always been one of my favorite songs since it came out! ❤
His first album was a number one country album, then he ran of favor with Nashville, so he made this record as a deliberate attempt to get on Rock Radio. He's recorded in a bunch of styles.
there are some songs that will get someone in their 60's get up and walk over to the device he or she is listening to and give it some volume. this is one of them! R.I.P. Justin.
Southern Rock baby... The bagpipes at the beginning represent our Scottish heritage. Many Scott's settled Appalachia and brought their distilling arts with them.
The sheriff headed up Copperhead Road with all he had,and he never came back.His grand daddy died when the car he was driving on the weekly whiskey run caught fire or exploded(the whiskey was burning)When the man came back from Viet Nam he had a new plan.He took seeds from several strains of pot and planted them on Copperhead Road.The DEA had helicopters in the air and it reminded the man of being back in Nam.
Exactly right, Reva. Masterfully written and a most compelling performance. I had a CD store when this came out and we sold the heck out of it, mostly because I liked it and the story and never tired of talking to customers about it. Thank you, Jayvee!
@Rose Madder It was the Johnson County Sheriff’s old car, which his Dad bought at a Maons lodge. Took a coat of primer to cover the logo on the car, for which his Dad and uncle rebuilt the engine (so it would be fast enough to evade or outrun the revenue man). Quite a story!
So happy to see your reaction to my cousin. This is a great song and is a fantastic songwriter artist. I love him. I love hearing him he's great he's a special artist and it shows how much he loves his profession.✌i think country more then anything.thank you and i absolutely loved your reaction to this song. Steve has many more. I have a son, my ian he's in bad, bad health and steve just lost a son only a few months ago. towns earls flesh isnt with us but j.towns earl was so damn talented and here in spirit.....but there are very talented people in my famiy as im sure alote of familys im parcial. 😇✌🤗 thank you darling i love your work. I love and ur reaction put such a big smile on my face thanks again God Bless u love... Oh the song he tributed to his son im going to use for my son ian. Ian means john in scottish. No parent should barry their children i want to go before ian but doesnt look that way. So look into that song. he wrote to help bring closure. Steve earle has his own channel i highly encourage you watch it and listen to it. I will get the name of the song for u or i will try i listen to it once a week steves songs lift my spirits...... But i dont have family so i ask others if u hav family dont take it for granted. I am blessed though i have a daughter jamie rose, Avery my musician son since age 3. You put an instrament in his hand and he plays it.Avery is VERY meek and tallented. Born with a writing talent as well. Love to all and ✌ sorry for rambling on....💗😇i here the scottish in this son would it be bag pipes lol i dont but i here scottish in his music. Very special
As Carol mentioned below, Steve Earle was a genre unto himself. I'd call this country-tinged southern folk-rock with a touch of southern gothic. The main plot line of this story song was that the singer ("John Lee Pettimore III")'s grandfather ran a still to create moonshine during the prohibition. An interesting trivia fact is that Nascar has its roots in the moonshiners of the south modifying their cars to outrun the police. One verse of the song talks of the "big block Dodge." Tragically, though it took me quite a while to realize it because the lyrics are a bit abstract, but Grandpappy's life ends in a fiery crash when he was taking his weekly load of moonshine out for delivery to Knoxville, the verse goes: Then the sheriff came around in the middle of the night Heard mama cryin', knew something wasn't right He was headed down to Knoxville with the weekly load You could smell the whiskey burnin' down Copperhead Road Then the song moves to the coming of age of the narrator who volunteered for the army on his (presumably) 18th birthday because "They draft the white trash first, 'round here anyway." When he gets back from Vietnam, he has a new plan to grow marijuana in the fields alongside Copperhead Road. While in Vietnam, he "learned a thing or two from Charlie, don't ya know" and was able to thwart the DEA's attempts at busting his operation. "Charlie" was slang for the Viet Cong (the north Vietnamese that American forces were fighting against. The meaning here is that he learned tactics to get rid of the spying helicopters without a trace from the north Vietnamese, which explains the last verse: And now the D.E.A.'s got a chopper in the air I wake up screaming like I'm back over there I learned a thing or two from ol' Charlie don't you know You better stay away from Copperhead Road Brilliant song.
@Gerald H I definitely agree that his albums from the last 20 years are Americana. His ‘80s albums were more outlaw country, alt-country, rock country. In the end, it’s a moot point. He’s good. That’s all that matters. I saw him a few years ago on a bill with Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam. He killed “Copperhead Road.”
I love this song, remember it very well from when it came out many years ago. For the style I consider it Southern Rock with a twist of Bluegrass. The bluegrass cause of his style with the guitar and his way of picking. He is awesome!
Steve Earle, something of a legend and one of the great storytellers and a real smart guy. Yeah, it's country-rock or rockabilly. It's not a personal-true story for Steve Earle, but it's still a story with a lot of truth. Steve Earle did take a lot of drugs in his time as well, pretty much a pick-and-mix of everything. Later on he had a reoccurring role in The Wire as a drug counsellor called Walon. And if you haven't seen The Wire, why not? :) Anyway, great reaction once again Jayvee. I also strongly, strongly recommend the band Richmond Fontaine, who also do this kind of heartfelt, storytelling alt-Americana rock. Their album Post to Wire is a good start.
The revenuer man was who didn't come back. The father died in a fiery crash delivering moonshine whisky. This song and Guitar Town will always be my two favorite songs by Steve.
Ohh my actual you did it 🥰 best day ever! Hands down, one of the best albums ever made.. Steve Earle is in a class of his own and you are a legend, cheers!!
It's Outlaw country Bluegrass Style! Adult set in Tennessee it really describes about anywhere in Rural America. And that's what good songwriters do, they write songs anyone can relate to. And in the case of this song it's timeless as well.
I went to three Garth Brooks shows during his late 90s tour. Every show, the last song that played over the intercom before Garth and the band came on stage was this one. Knowing Garth, I suspect that this was his "go to" song to get him pumped up to perform.
It would be considered as country rock. This song has a powerful beat and sound, Lyrics are simple, but in your face, bringing it on strong. I love the bag pipes which give it that heritage tradition. And yes, lots of Scottish and Irish people in that area. I don't know anyone who doesn't get into this song either for the beat, the sound or the lyrics. I'm glad you liked it too.
Ever since that run on "Archer" where Cheryl Tunt became "Cherlene" I can't see Outlaw Country without thinking about it. The weirdest part is that the country music they made for the show was pretty good.
My son bougjtme this dvd for my birthday when it came out.perfect gift. The celtic background music and story telling was whatiliked.also a biographical song was onit. Guitartown.
Yes!! Brilliant. Glad you liked it. Lyric-wise, one of the more unusual ones out there - there's no chorus, it's a true "story song". He's got so so so many you should check out - like: Devil's Right Hand, Johnny Come Lately, Galway Girl, Guitar Town, Telephone Road, Regular Guy, Snake Oil, etc, etc.
Before i even listen to this, im so ecstatic you are reviewing this coz its one of my all time favourites & Steve ( RIP) looks bloody amazing in this video Thank you Jayvee for playing this Please try & play Britains songstress Leona Lewis & her 114 million views of her brilliant song " RUN" C'mon Jayvee, ive asked & asked you dozens of times to play this amazing lady & this ultra fabulous goosebump inducing song. I promise a million times you will not regret playing LEONA LEWIS - " RUN" thankyouthankyouthankyou
Steve Earle is like not quite country, not quite southern rock, but somewhere in between. A lot of people don’t realize, he played Waylon in The Wire, and sang the outro song to Season 2. It’s called Feel Alright, check it out!
I just realized the grandfather died. He said the Sheriff came around and his mamma was crying and something wasn't right. He had left with his weekly load. You could could smell the whiskey burning down Copperhead road. I take that to mean his grandfather's whisky was burning on the highway.
@@RinniePere is right. The first verse is about his grandfather who made moonshine. And the Revenuers went after him and never came back from Copperhead road. (Granddaddy dissapeared them) The second verse is about his dad who ran whiskey/moonshine in a Big-Block Dodge. (That used to be a police car.) And on one of his runs things went wrong. The sheriff came around to give his mother the bad news that his car had crashed. That's why you could smell the whiskey burning down Copperhead road. The third verse is about him and how after serving in Vietnam he decided that instead of going the alcohol route he'd try growing weed. And he booby-trapped his place in case anyone got too nosey.
Oh and a few things some of you young "whippersnappers" might not know about Vietnam.... Slang term for the enemy, the Viet Cong, was "Charlie" and "Charlie" set a lotta NASTY booby traps for American soldiers. Pungi sticks. Bouncing Bettys. Etc. So "I learned a thing or two from Charlie, doncha know" means the guy's guarding his marijuana patch with some UGLY surprises. Another line I've always wondered about is, "The D.E.A.s got a chopper in the air." It sometimes sounds like "The V.A.'s got a chopper in the air." V.A. means the Vietnamese army, and a lot of Vietnam vets had "flashbacks" about being in the jungle when stressed. So MAYBE, when the guy's in his patch with the cops after him, he's having a psychotic episode about being in Nam.
I was told southern rock. Still badass. He sounds like a country singer, but don't look like it. He looks like a rocker. I'm not even a big country music fan, but love this.
Yep. That was his best album - a masterpiece - also check out his first hit - Guitar Town - also awesome. He was known as a country-rocker - a common genre in the late 80's. Supposedly it was a true story.
Someone said rockabilly, but I don't think so. I think it's "hard bluegrass" and country-rock. Lotta bluegrass twang going on in there. I had no idea Steve Earle used to look like that. Ha. Wow.
The best way I could describe this genre would be as folk rock. It's a great blend of country/rock/celtic music. Story telling is very common in Celtic music. Steve Earle is great. You should check out his rendition of Brown Eyed Girl.
I've been wanting this song for like a year at least!! Being from Kentucky you know about places like this. You don't go driving into those hollows (pronounced hollers) if you don't know the people who live there. Once it was moonshine, now it might be pot growing. Either way you might not make it out without being shot.
I think the instrument at the beginning and the end is the uilleann pipes. Yes, a great idea to include them. If you want to listen to another great song from the same album, try "Johnny Come Lately" or "Snake Oil."
The song is essentially telling a story of generations of a family and how the business stays the same, but the product changes. His Grandfather was bottlegging Moonshine, whiskey etc, then he ( the grandson ) went to Vietnam, learned about drugs etc, he came home, and changed the Moonshine to drugs ( From the line he " took the seed from Colombia and Mexico " ).
One of the things I always loved about Steve Earle is his willingness to try new things. He called this song and the album it came from (also called Copperhead Road) "power twang". He said it was a loose mixture of country, world music and heavy metal - if you can imagine. You might also want to check out: : "A Regular Guy", "Guitar Town" and "Snake Oil". Genius music!
They would disappear you, that’s what happened. Copperhead road is in Johnson county Tn. Not a good place to mess around unless you are from there or know people there.
I'm not all that fond of genres. Artists absolutely should feel free to cross all those artificial marketing boundaries. But for what it's worth, a lot of Steve Earle's music falls into a category they call 'Americana' along with other folk-country-rock artists like Lucinda Williams and Patty Griffin.
I agree that artists should feel free to cross genres, but they aren't all artificial (although some are). That said, you have to learn about a genre thoroughly first in order to break through it successfully and not completely alienate your audience.
Hey I suggested this awhile back :)Always reminds me of my dad, he used to drive up in the hlls of southeast Ohio with this song blasting on the radio.
My friends taught me the line dance to this song. It's so much fun and you have to speed up at the end, and the music speeds up too! Such a good time! 😊 You're out of breath and realize how out of shape you are too! 🤣🤣
Back In the day we would all pack Into a car and head to the local bottlo. And we would play this song loud enough for the trees to shake. Ahh the bush.
Dude!!! Thank you!!! Check out I Feel Allright!! His son Justin Townes Earle sadly passed away from a drug overdose and had a very contentious relationship with his dad. Justin and his dad are two of my favorite artists. Check out Justin’s Harlem River Blues. Also My Mama’s Eyes😢😢😢
One of my favorite songs, it wasn't a single, is off Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator. It's called Billy Austin, and it is a tough one to listen to, with so many truths about the prison system and the death penalty. I also love, Someday, off Guitar Town, Hardcore Troubador, and soo many. His most recent album J.T. is a tribute to his son Justin Townes Earle who was an amazing singer/songwriter in his own right. He recently died of an overdose. The entire album is covers of his son's songs, but the last one, he wrote for Justin, and it is heart-wrenching. Steve's got so many amazing songs and albums. It's a great rabbit hole to go down. Thanks for reacting to him! He went to high school at Holmes High School in San Antonio, TX, in my aunt's class. He and my mom used to jam together back around 1970. ✌🏼
I'm Scottish and recently found out it was the Irish Scott's who migrated up in the Appalachian mountains. That's where moonshine was made illegally. But this back story is why they started out with bagpipes
![[Reaction] Steve Earle - Copperhead Road (TomTuffnuts Approved)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lfI8uTcJtd0/mqdefault.jpg)
![[Reaction] Steve Earle - Copperhead Road (TomTuffnuts Approved)](/img/tr.png)
The Grandfather didn’t disappear - the ‘Revenue Man’ (Treasury Agent) did. The Granddad has an illegal whiskey still and any stranger who goes up Copperhead Road doesn’t come back.
That is correct they reflect on that at the very end of the video where they show three generations sitting in the rocker.
Then his daddy died in a fire,car crash running from the law.
I thought grandad made moonshine and dad sold whiskey then son weed
@@inkoinfinity2 moonshine is bootleg whiskey
@@CissyL-f1b ah
RIIIIGHT?! Who else starts a song with a bagpipe sounding synth & then busts out with a mandolin?! It really works for a song about moonshiners though! 😂
A legend that's who
Has to do with that Scottish heritage.
Being from Appalachia I can relate 😂 Such a Celtic vibe( people here mainly scotch/Irish) Running that Moonshine/ and Weed 💰
Never realized there was a Celtic vibe to Appalachia. That's cool to know.
@@thefullnomad6543 yes, heavily Scots-irish
This is me too.. flat footing makes me think of a less refined river dance lol
I once heard a folk singer who performed both bluegrass as well as Celtic folk say that the only difference between Celtic folk and bluegrass is the type of whisky they drank.
Grew up in SwVA, coal and tobacco. My family made their own 'homebrew'. Got a picture of my Dad in the Pacific during WWII sitting by a still he made. 17 years old, grinning!
Steve described himself as “ too country for rock. Too rock for country
Steve Earle is his own genre. Him and another legend, Townes VanZandt are similar. You should check out Guitar Town, by Earle. One of my favorite songs, so fun
@Carol Martin...Copperhead Road is classic Steve Earle & I love it. But listen to Transcendental Blues a lot, as well. The song LonlierThan This hits you in the solar plexus...
I went somewhere with my dad a few days before he passed away and Guitar Town was the last song we listened to together. Such a bittersweet memory because that has always been one of my favorite songs since it came out! ❤
"Guitar Town" is one of my favorite songs ever. I don't know why, but I just love the sound of it. Can always put me in a good mood.
🤠 TOWNES!!!
I am no expert, but it could be considered Southern Rock. This song has the wonderful story telling of historic country music with hard tempo of rock.
And some blue grass intertwined in there...
@@Wolverines77 I agree
Yes, i love it and love him too. Very honest runs in our blood.
His first album was a number one country album, then he ran of favor with Nashville, so he made this record as a deliberate attempt to get on Rock Radio. He's recorded in a bunch of styles.
The very beginning of this song is Scottish and Irish which are the very people who settled in this area. Listen to the bagpipes.
there are some songs that will get someone in their 60's get up and walk over to the device he or she is listening to and give it some volume.
this is one of them!
R.I.P. Justin.
Southern Rock baby... The bagpipes at the beginning represent our Scottish heritage. Many Scott's settled Appalachia and brought their distilling arts with them.
I believe mostly Scottish and Irish
The pipe sound is synthesized.
Actually the pipes sound is keyboard. I thought it was pipes too.
Steve Earle had a son named Justin Townes Earle. He was also a great musician who sadly passed away last year. RIP.
The sheriff headed up Copperhead Road with all he had,and he never came back.His grand daddy died when the car he was driving on the weekly whiskey run caught fire or exploded(the whiskey was burning)When the man came back from Viet Nam he had a new plan.He took seeds from several strains of pot and planted them on Copperhead Road.The DEA had helicopters in the air and it reminded the man of being back in Nam.
Exactly right, Reva. Masterfully written and a most compelling performance. I had a CD store when this came out and we sold the heck out of it, mostly because I liked it and the story and never tired of talking to customers about it.
Thank you, Jayvee!
Yep, that's the story. From one of the great songwriters and storytellers!
The ‘Revenue Man’ headed up the Holler, not the Sheriff. During prohibition that’s a Federal Treasury agent.
@Rose Madder It was the Johnson County Sheriff’s old car, which his Dad bought at a Maons lodge. Took a coat of primer to cover the logo on the car, for which his Dad and uncle rebuilt the engine (so it would be fast enough to evade or outrun the revenue man). Quite a story!
@Rose Madder the car wrecked and exploded
This is one of my favorites of ALL time!!! Great Southern Rock song about runnin moonshine in the mountains. Also- love his “brand new plan”
I absolutely LOVE this one. One of my top ten of any genre.
Best brand new plan ever. Lol
I freakin love this. I'm not usually much of a country fan, but the Celtic element & story was enthralling 🍀
There's a country dance to this song. I would guess genre is country. Great beat and contagious.
So happy to see your reaction to my cousin. This is a great song and is a fantastic songwriter artist. I love him. I love hearing him he's great he's a special artist and it shows how much he loves his profession.✌i think country more then anything.thank you and i absolutely loved your reaction to this song. Steve has many more. I have a son, my ian he's in bad, bad health and steve just lost a son only a few months ago. towns earls flesh isnt with us but j.towns earl was so damn talented and here in spirit.....but there are very talented people in my famiy as im sure alote of familys im parcial. 😇✌🤗 thank you darling i love your work. I love and ur reaction put such a big smile on my face thanks again God Bless u love... Oh the song he tributed to his son im going to use for my son ian. Ian means john in scottish. No parent should barry their children i want to go before ian but doesnt look that way. So look into that song. he wrote to help bring closure. Steve earle has his own channel i highly encourage you watch it and listen to it. I will get the name of the song for u or i will try i listen to it once a week steves songs lift my spirits...... But i dont have family so i ask others if u hav family dont take it for granted. I am blessed though i have a daughter jamie rose, Avery my musician son since age 3. You put an instrament in his hand and he plays it.Avery is VERY meek and tallented. Born with a writing talent as well. Love to all and ✌ sorry for rambling on....💗😇i here the scottish in this son would it be bag pipes lol i dont but i here scottish in his music. Very special
As Carol mentioned below, Steve Earle was a genre unto himself. I'd call this country-tinged southern folk-rock with a touch of southern gothic. The main plot line of this story song was that the singer ("John Lee Pettimore III")'s grandfather ran a still to create moonshine during the prohibition. An interesting trivia fact is that Nascar has its roots in the moonshiners of the south modifying their cars to outrun the police. One verse of the song talks of the "big block Dodge." Tragically, though it took me quite a while to realize it because the lyrics are a bit abstract, but Grandpappy's life ends in a fiery crash when he was taking his weekly load of moonshine out for delivery to Knoxville, the verse goes:
Then the sheriff came around in the middle of the night
Heard mama cryin', knew something wasn't right
He was headed down to Knoxville with the weekly load
You could smell the whiskey burnin' down Copperhead Road
Then the song moves to the coming of age of the narrator who volunteered for the army on his (presumably) 18th birthday because "They draft the white trash first, 'round here anyway." When he gets back from Vietnam, he has a new plan to grow marijuana in the fields alongside Copperhead Road. While in Vietnam, he "learned a thing or two from Charlie, don't ya know" and was able to thwart the DEA's attempts at busting his operation. "Charlie" was slang for the Viet Cong (the north Vietnamese that American forces were fighting against. The meaning here is that he learned tactics to get rid of the spying helicopters without a trace from the north Vietnamese, which explains the last verse: And now the D.E.A.'s got a chopper in the air
I wake up screaming like I'm back over there
I learned a thing or two from ol' Charlie don't you know
You better stay away from Copperhead Road
Brilliant song.
Thanks for the explanation! I was familiar with the lyrics but I was missing most of the context.
Earle called this album a mix of bluegrass and heavy metal. I always think of him as alt-country, like Drive-by Truckers. But I could be wrong.
@John McNally...That's the thing: he fits no particular genre, just does what he likes. And I love it!
@Gerald H I definitely agree that his albums from the last 20 years are Americana. His ‘80s albums were more outlaw country, alt-country, rock country. In the end, it’s a moot point. He’s good. That’s all that matters. I saw him a few years ago on a bill with Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam. He killed “Copperhead Road.”
@John Mc Nally... Haven't seen anyone request Lucinda Williams; love her music
@@trismaccarran9950 Yes, Lucinda. Also John Hiatt. (I’m a fan of Lilly Hiatt, too.)
What a story teller Earle is!
I love this song, remember it very well from when it came out many years ago. For the style I consider it Southern Rock with a twist of Bluegrass. The bluegrass cause of his style with the guitar and his way of picking. He is awesome!
Steve Earle, something of a legend and one of the great storytellers and a real smart guy. Yeah, it's country-rock or rockabilly. It's not a personal-true story for Steve Earle, but it's still a story with a lot of truth. Steve Earle did take a lot of drugs in his time as well, pretty much a pick-and-mix of everything. Later on he had a reoccurring role in The Wire as a drug counsellor called Walon. And if you haven't seen The Wire, why not? :) Anyway, great reaction once again Jayvee. I also strongly, strongly recommend the band Richmond Fontaine, who also do this kind of heartfelt, storytelling alt-Americana rock. Their album Post to Wire is a good start.
Every classic Rock list needs some Steve Earle to it. Copperhead Road is indeed a classic.👍👍💯
The revenuer man was who didn't come back. The father died in a fiery crash delivering moonshine whisky.
This song and Guitar Town will always be my two favorite songs by Steve.
Ohh my actual you did it 🥰 best day ever! Hands down, one of the best albums ever made.. Steve Earle is in a class of his own and you are a legend, cheers!!
It's Outlaw country Bluegrass Style!
Adult set in Tennessee it really describes about anywhere in Rural America. And that's what good songwriters do, they write songs anyone can relate to. And in the case of this song it's timeless as well.
I went to three Garth Brooks shows during his late 90s tour. Every show, the last song that played over the intercom before Garth and the band came on stage was this one. Knowing Garth, I suspect that this was his "go to" song to get him pumped up to perform.
Love this song! Great artist. Did you know that NASCAR racing originated from running moonshine? They had to have cars that could outrun the police.
I did not know that! 😲
I knew that. :) One of my grandpas was one of those moonshine runners in fact.
IIRC some got their engines to run on moonshine
Wow i have learned so much reading the public comments!
NASCAR sure did evolve from moonshiners wheels which later influenced the fast and furious petrolheads
i get yu jay . its got that devil went down to georgia feel , with the story , and the battle , its a great combination of music
It would be considered as country rock. This song has a powerful beat and sound, Lyrics are simple, but in your face, bringing it on strong. I love the bag pipes which give it that heritage tradition. And yes, lots of Scottish and Irish people in that area. I don't know anyone who doesn't get into this song either for the beat, the sound or the lyrics. I'm glad you liked it too.
Love this tune!!!
He's Outlaw Country. Now, he's really more singer/songwriter. So damn independent.
Ever since that run on "Archer" where Cheryl Tunt became "Cherlene" I can't see Outlaw Country without thinking about it. The weirdest part is that the country music they made for the show was pretty good.
What an innovator. He has paved the way for a lot of even current country/rock artists, but he has always been his own voice. Amazing storyteller!
Loved the bagpipes and mandolin in the beginning!
This song was played every night at the local country line dance club.
Grandpa was a Moon Shiner. He made illegal alcohol on Copper Head Road.
My son bougjtme this dvd for my birthday when it came out.perfect gift. The celtic background music and story telling was whatiliked.also a biographical song was onit. Guitartown.
Yes!! Brilliant. Glad you liked it. Lyric-wise, one of the more unusual ones out there - there's no chorus, it's a true "story song". He's got so so so many you should check out - like: Devil's Right Hand, Johnny Come Lately, Galway Girl, Guitar Town, Telephone Road, Regular Guy, Snake Oil, etc, etc.
Please listen to Guitar Town by him. It is a great song, but only ever see this one.
I’m from East Tennessee, Copperhead Road is a real place. Great song right here!!
Before i even listen to this, im so ecstatic you are reviewing this coz its one of my all time favourites & Steve ( RIP) looks bloody amazing in this video
Thank you Jayvee for playing this
Please try & play Britains songstress Leona Lewis & her
114 million views of her brilliant song " RUN"
C'mon Jayvee, ive asked & asked you dozens of times to play this amazing lady & this ultra fabulous goosebump inducing song.
I promise a million times you will not regret playing
LEONA LEWIS - " RUN"
thankyouthankyouthankyou
Steve Earle is like not quite country, not quite southern rock, but somewhere in between. A lot of people don’t realize, he played Waylon in The Wire, and sang the outro song to Season 2. It’s called Feel Alright, check it out!
I just realized the grandfather died. He said the Sheriff came around and his mamma was crying and something wasn't right. He had left with his weekly load. You could could smell the whiskey burning down Copperhead road. I take that to mean his grandfather's whisky was burning on the highway.
Yup. Hell of a song.
It was his Dad who died, not his grandfather.
@@RinniePere is right. The first verse is about his grandfather who made moonshine. And the Revenuers went after him and never came back from Copperhead road. (Granddaddy dissapeared them)
The second verse is about his dad who ran whiskey/moonshine in a Big-Block Dodge. (That used to be a police car.) And on one of his runs things went wrong. The sheriff came around to give his mother the bad news that his car had crashed. That's why you could smell the whiskey burning down Copperhead road.
The third verse is about him and how after serving in Vietnam he decided that instead of going the alcohol route he'd try growing weed. And he booby-trapped his place in case anyone got too nosey.
@@Divhreaza, exactly and suggested that he learned a few gorilla warfare tactics from the North Vietnamese.
Love this song!!! Thanks!!!
The absolute country rock anthem!
Love the bagpipes intro to this song. Great song. Thanks for covering.
It wasn't the granddaddy that didn't come back from copperhead road, it was the revenue man.
Oh and a few things some of you young "whippersnappers" might not know about Vietnam....
Slang term for the enemy, the Viet Cong, was "Charlie" and "Charlie" set a lotta NASTY booby traps for American soldiers. Pungi sticks. Bouncing Bettys. Etc.
So "I learned a thing or two from Charlie, doncha know" means the guy's guarding his marijuana patch with some UGLY surprises.
Another line I've always wondered about is, "The D.E.A.s got a chopper in the air."
It sometimes sounds like "The V.A.'s got a chopper in the air." V.A. means the Vietnamese army, and a lot of Vietnam vets had "flashbacks" about being in the jungle when stressed.
So MAYBE, when the guy's in his patch with the cops after him, he's having a psychotic episode about being in Nam.
Steve Earle also has an amazing song called "Galway Girl" which you should check out.
You’ll appreciate even more when you figure out what it’s really about
I was told southern rock. Still badass. He sounds like a country singer, but don't look like it. He looks like a rocker. I'm not even a big country music fan, but love this.
Also check out his song "The Devils Right Hand"
I KNEW you would love this one! I only discovered it about five years ago and I probably play it 3-4 times/week.
Dam dis breddas voice crazy catchy 🔥 gotta luv dat old school vybz sound
Great reaction. You should also listen to Johnny Come Lately from the same album. Earle recorded it with the Irish folk-punk band The Pogues.
Love the contrast references to ww2 and Vietnam veterans homecomings in this song.
Great request & reaction to one of my faves ✌
Yep. That was his best album - a masterpiece - also check out his first hit - Guitar Town - also awesome. He was known as a country-rocker - a common genre in the late 80's. Supposedly it was a true story.
Someone said rockabilly, but I don't think so. I think it's "hard bluegrass" and country-rock. Lotta bluegrass twang going on in there.
I had no idea Steve Earle used to look like that. Ha. Wow.
I was distracted the whole time by how he looked in the video, haha. That’s not the Steve Earle I know.
Definitely leaning more towards bluegrass in his later years one of his best albums was called The Mountain. With bluegrass legend Del McCoury.
The best way I could describe this genre would be as folk rock. It's a great blend of country/rock/celtic music. Story telling is very common in Celtic music. Steve Earle is great. You should check out his rendition of Brown Eyed Girl.
I've been wanting this song for like a year at least!!
Being from Kentucky you know about places like this. You don't go driving into those hollows (pronounced hollers) if you don't know the people who live there. Once it was moonshine, now it might be pot growing. Either way you might not make it out without being shot.
From BC Canada..grew up on this song!
I think the instrument at the beginning and the end is the uilleann pipes. Yes, a great idea to include them. If you want to listen to another great song from the same album, try "Johnny Come Lately" or "Snake Oil."
Great song!
Outlaw country!!!!
Rockabilly is the genre
The song is essentially telling a story of generations of a family and how the business stays the same, but the product changes. His Grandfather was bottlegging Moonshine, whiskey etc, then he ( the grandson ) went to Vietnam, learned about drugs etc, he came home, and changed the Moonshine to drugs ( From the line he " took the seed from Colombia and Mexico " ).
I love the drop/change up too
One of the things I always loved about Steve Earle is his willingness to try new things. He called this song and the album it came from (also called Copperhead Road) "power twang". He said it was a loose mixture of country, world music and heavy metal - if you can imagine. You might also want to check out: : "A Regular Guy", "Guitar Town" and "Snake Oil". Genius music!
Good song.by Steve earle.
I've never heard this before, very interesting.
They would disappear you, that’s what happened. Copperhead road is in Johnson county Tn. Not a good place to mess around unless you are from there or know people there.
Yes!!! Thank U😎✌
There's a mandolin but no banjo.
Great track 😀👍
My dad introduced me to this song. Excellent 😊 x
In Tennessee there's plenty of families that had moonshine runners and moonshine makers. Years and years ago.
Yeah it screams , CLASSIC
I'm not all that fond of genres. Artists absolutely should feel free to cross all those artificial marketing boundaries. But for what it's worth, a lot of Steve Earle's music falls into a category they call 'Americana' along with other folk-country-rock artists like Lucinda Williams and Patty Griffin.
I agree that artists should feel free to cross genres, but they aren't all artificial (although some are). That said, you have to learn about a genre thoroughly first in order to break through it successfully and not completely alienate your audience.
You should check out Jason Isbell’s “Elephant.” Great song.
Love this 🎵
Hey I suggested this awhile back :)Always reminds me of my dad, he used to drive up in the hlls of southeast Ohio with this song blasting on the radio.
Some say a mix of country and Irish Folk music
We always called it Rockabilly (know idea if its right or not). You should hear Jerry Reed- Eastbound and down, She got the gold mine I got the shaft
OK. Copper head Road. you listened!! I've not heard your reaction yet but oh mate. Nice one!!!
My friends taught me the line dance to this song. It's so much fun and you have to speed up at the end, and the music speeds up too! Such a good time! 😊
You're out of breath and realize how out of shape you are too! 🤣🤣
KickASS song.
You should check out Steve Earle's earlier rockabilly stuff. Cadillac is a great one, also The Devil's Right Hand is a great Earle tune!
He is a mix of Rock, Folk, Celtic and Blue Grass.
Galloway Girl is likely his best song. But he is phenomenal. Devil's Right Hand is great too.
The title is Galway Girl, as in Co Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Check out his rendition of this with the amazing Sharon Shannon. Stunning!
Hell yes finally...Absolutely LOVE this song. Reminds me of my cousin, the last song I played for him. Thanks Jovaughn, AKA Lowrider.
Call it rockabilly !
Back In the day we would all pack Into a car and head to the local bottlo. And we would play this song loud enough for the trees to shake. Ahh the bush.
Genre….”crossover”…..and not a banjo. It’s a mandolin. I am a heavy/hard/metal girl all the way, but I do love a good story. Steve Earle delivers.
You are freaking awesome.
Dude!!! Thank you!!! Check out I Feel Allright!! His son Justin Townes Earle sadly passed away from a drug overdose and had a very contentious relationship with his dad. Justin and his dad are two of my favorite artists. Check out Justin’s Harlem River Blues. Also My Mama’s Eyes😢😢😢
I second Harlem River Blues. Great song. Justin was so good!
Song is great
The family was making and running moonshine and when he came back from Viet Nam he changed the family business to marijuana.
From a distance a still smells like fresh baked bread, up close its a special sweat smell....two smells you never forget.
Review "Guitar Town" by Steve Earle.
Takes me back 🔥🔥
One of my favorite songs, it wasn't a single, is off Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator. It's called Billy Austin, and it is a tough one to listen to, with so many truths about the prison system and the death penalty.
I also love, Someday, off Guitar Town, Hardcore Troubador, and soo many. His most recent album J.T. is a tribute to his son Justin Townes Earle who was an amazing singer/songwriter in his own right. He recently died of an overdose. The entire album is covers of his son's songs, but the last one, he wrote for Justin, and it is heart-wrenching. Steve's got so many amazing songs and albums. It's a great rabbit hole to go down. Thanks for reacting to him! He went to high school at Holmes High School in San Antonio, TX, in my aunt's class. He and my mom used to jam together back around 1970. ✌🏼
Billy Austin's from The Hard Way originally. Shut Up... is a live album.
@@adrian_de_graaf I love the live version, though. Lol Forgot about the other album.
Javone listen to My Guitar gently Weeps with Prince...you will luv that one...
He’s a great artist, try guitar town, devils right hand, the other kind.
I'm Scottish and recently found out it was the Irish Scott's who migrated up in the Appalachian mountains. That's where moonshine was made illegally.
But this back story is why they started out with bagpipes
Lovin spoonful - summer in the city