This is an old traditional tune I learned from the listening to Tony Rice and Norman Blake. In the late 80’s they released two albums together with guitar and voice (great stuff). If you don’t have them, please check them out. We are in drop D tuning, key of D. As usual, we’ll be using slurs to add smoothness to our playing, but honestly, the right hand will be making the difference between a poor performance and a good one.
Here’s the lyrics to this classic bluegrass tune:
I’ve traveled o’er this country wide seeking fortune fair
Up and down the two coast lines I’ve traveled everywhere
From Portland East to Portland West back along the line
I’m going now to the place that’s best, that old hometown of mine
Eight more miles and Louisville will come into my view
Eight more miles on this old road and I’ll never more be blue
I knew some day that I’d come back I knew it from the start
Eight more miles to Louisville the hometown of my heart
There’s bound to be a gal somewhere that you like best of all
Mine lives down in Louisville she’s long and she is tall
But she’s the kind that you can’t find a traveling through the land
I’m on my way this very day to win her heart and hand