The Caverns Sessions

- Hidden deep beneath the Cumberland Mountains, in Grundy County, Tennessee, lies one of the world's most magical musical adventures, The Caverns Sessions.

Three million years in the making, pure acoustics offer music from the heart of the American experience.

Center stage and deep inside the mountain This time, welcoming, "The Wilder Blue" ♪ 'Cause I'm still in the running ♪ ♪ Still gonna wind up running this town ♪ - It's deep down sound in the Caverns.

Coming up next.

- Fire in the hole!

[upbeat country music] [upbeat country music] [upbeat country music] [cheering and applause] [eerie dramatic music] ♪ Well, we landed in Seattle feeling barely half alive ♪ ♪ It was around about 4:30 in the morning, maybe 5 ♪ ♪ I was one crispy critter after two weeks on the road ♪ ♪ Seeing my reflection in the mirror ♪ ♪ Man, it showed ♪ ♪ We loaded up the bus, with the cold rain drizzling ♪ ♪ Driving back to Texas, to play a show in Midland ♪ ♪ Climbed up in the cab, and jammed her down in gear ♪ ♪ Drove along half in a dream for what seemed like years ♪ ♪ Well, bless my bones, show me to the stage ♪ ♪ I'll pull my hat low, do I show my age ♪ ♪ Do a little dance ♪ ♪ and give them all a grin ♪ ♪ And underneath the lights ♪ ♪ I'm coming out again ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Well, I drove away the daylight ♪ ♪ There was no place park ♪ ♪ So I kept the hammer down ♪ ♪ Rolling thunder through the dark ♪ ♪ Townes Van Zandt singin' Snowin' On Raton ♪ ♪ As I climbed over a mountain pass ♪ ♪ in a construction zone ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Come around a curb to see a semi in my lane ♪ ♪ Headlights, a blinding horn blaring like a train ♪ ♪ Yet his big rig screamin' like demons in the hills ♪ ♪ Missed us by an inch and man, it gave me cold chills ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Well, bless my bones, show me to the stage ♪ ♪ I'll pull my hat low do I show my age ♪ ♪ Do a little dance and give them all a grin ♪ ♪ And underneath the lights ♪ ♪ I'm coming out again ♪ Hey!

[upbeat country music] [upbeat country music] ♪ Now y'all, the band was drinking beer in back ♪ ♪ spilling it on the floor ♪ ♪ And however much they drank there was always one more ♪ ♪ I was jamming the oldies good ol' fiddle of steel ♪ ♪ As the moonlight made my hands ♪ ♪ look bone white on the wheel ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ I guess I never noticed that the tank never went dry ♪ ♪ The troopers never looked up when we were speeding by ♪ ♪ By the time the sun came up we were feeling mighty fine ♪ ♪ We gave a whoop n' holler ♪ ♪ when we crossed the Texas line ♪ [whoops n' hollers] ♪ Now the show was going down ♪ ♪ at a place called Cook's Garage ♪ ♪ And finally up ahead, I saw the sign like a mirage ♪ ♪ Pulled up to the entrance ♪ ♪ and the fella said, who are you?

♪ ♪ I said well I'm Zane Williams ♪ ♪ and we're the "Wilder Blue" ♪ [cheering and applause] [upbeat country music] ♪ Now y'all I've never seen a look ♪ ♪ quite like the one that he gave me ♪ ♪ Over his shoulder ♪ ♪ I read what it said on the marquee ♪ ♪ Midland reunited for one final show ♪ ♪ He said, "The Wilder Blue?"

♪ ♪ Man, they died in a bus crash ♪ ♪ Must have been 30 years ago ♪ [eerie guitar sound] - Three, four!

[upbeat country music] ♪ Well, bless my bones, show me to the stage ♪ ♪ I'll pull my hat low do I show my age ♪ ♪ Do a little dance, and give them all a grin ♪ ♪ Underneath the lights, we'll come alive again ♪ ♪ Well, bless my bones as I play you a tune ♪ ♪ While all the pretty people go ♪ ♪ howling at the moon ♪ ♪ Do a little dance and give them all a grin ♪ ♪ Underneath the lights we'll come alive again ♪ [upbeat country music] [cheering and applause] - All right.

You feeling all right?

It's good to be in Grundy County.

This is our first time at The Caverns.

What a lovely, natural space y'all have here.

In these parts as it were.

- Yeah.

Where we live, you know, I'm just a couple hours from the border of Mexico, and uh, we used to go drive down to Del Rio, Texas, and cross the Rio Grande into Acuna, Mexico.

And Zane and I wrote a song about that called, "Adios" and it goes like this.

[cheering and applause] [accordion plays] [accordion plays] ♪ When I walk through the doors of these border town bars ♪ ♪ It's like walking 30 years back in time ♪ ♪ There's dollar beers and hand-rolled smokes ♪ ♪ Cowboys telling gringo jokes ♪ ♪ it's all I need to keep you off my mind ♪ ♪ For a while ♪ ♪ I was king of the McGill Hildago scene ♪ ♪ Howling up at the warm Acuna stars ♪ ♪ My new friends drink my wallet dry ♪ ♪ And I end up alone each night ♪ ♪ Sleeping on the floorboard of my car ♪ ♪ Adios... ♪ ♪ Rio Grande ♪ ♪ Adios... ♪ ♪ My old friend ♪ ♪ I'm going back to Texas ♪ ♪ like an arrow through the wind ♪ ♪ So until we meet again ♪ ♪ Adios ♪ [gentle country music] ♪ Well, I kissed my dear soul ♪ ♪ on the day I left for Del Rio ♪ ♪ And I pressed my last twenty in her hand ♪ ♪ I had no cure for the tears in her eyes ♪ ♪ I told her I'd miss her and I did not lie ♪ ♪ But it sure good to be headin' home again ♪ ♪ Adios... ♪ ♪ Rio Grande ♪ Adios...

♪ ♪ My old friend.

♪ ♪ I'm going back to Texas like an arrow through the wind ♪ ♪ So until we meet again ♪ ♪ Adios ♪ [gentle country music] ♪ She was midnight and you were mornin' ♪ ♪ She was starlight and you were blue hill country sky ♪ ♪ As the road rolls out before me ♪ [gentle country music] ♪ I see you both between the lines ♪ [gentle country music] ♪ Adios... ♪ ♪ Adios... ♪ ♪ I'm going back to Texas like an arrow through the wind ♪ ♪ So until we meet again ♪ ♪ Adios ♪ [gentle country music] [cheering and applause] - Thank you very much.

[band shouts] - This next song is a little ditty about, surfing the waves that life throws at you, the highs and the lows.

[drum beats] - And trying your best to not lose track of who you are and where you're headed.

[drum beats and bass plays] - I wrote it during the first COVID lockdown, when a lot of things were up in the air.

And for me, I just came back to truth and love.

And the things that I know and things I can count on.

That was the inspiration for this tune right here.

It's called, "Wave Dancer".

[gentle country music] ♪ On the angry waves ♪ ♪ I am a dancer ♪ ♪ And my own ♪ ♪ True course I'll keep ♪ ♪ Truth and love ♪ ♪ Will be my standard ♪ ♪ Till the day I'm dragged under the deep (c'mon!)

♪ [audience cheers] [gentle country music] ♪ Oh, brother of mine ♪ ♪ I've seen you suffer ♪ ♪ Bending low ♪ ♪ Under your load ♪ ♪ Still we sang ♪ ♪ With one another ♪ ♪ Walking a mile ♪ ♪ On the progress road ♪ ♪ Woahhhhhhhh ♪ ♪ Oh, sister dear ♪ ♪ I've seen you cryin'♪ ♪ And it makes ♪ ♪ My conscience bleed ♪ ♪ To see how long ♪ ♪ You have been strong ♪ ♪ Still how desperate is your need ♪ ♪ On the angry waves ♪ ♪ I am a dancer ♪ ♪ And my own ♪ ♪ True course I'll keep ♪ ♪ Truth and love ♪ ♪ Will be my standard ♪ ♪ Till the day I'm dragged under the deep ♪ [gentle country music] [gentle country music] ♪ And darkness falls and faith is shaken ♪ ♪ May our friendship never fade ♪ ♪ Till that moment when we awaken ♪ ♪ To the brighter day ♪ ♪ That we have made ♪ ♪ On the angry waves ♪ ♪ I am a dancer ♪ ♪ And my own ♪ ♪ True course I'll keep ♪ ♪ Truth and love ♪ ♪ Will be my standard ♪ ♪ Till the day I'm dragged under the deep ♪ ♪ Till the day I'm dragged (till the day I'm dragged) ♪ ♪ Under the deep... ♪ [cheering and applause] - Whoo!

- Thank you so much.

- Whoo!

- Feeling good now, baby!

- Feel real good.

- Y'all still feeling good with us?

[cheering and applause] - In the meantime, we're going to make Andy play this tiny keyboard, eh?

[mellow keyboard music] [mellow keyboard music] [mellow country rock music] ♪ Still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Still takin' it day by day ♪ ♪ Still gettin' up early puttin' in the work ♪ ♪ Pushin' through the hurt, baby ♪ ♪ Don't count me out long as I'm above ground ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Still gonna wind up runnin' this town ♪ [mellow country rock music] ♪ You've been out sunnin' ♪ ♪ Smokin' with the big guns ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm runnin' ♪ ♪ But you don't know what I'm runnin' from ♪ ♪ I ran down, I ain't going back ♪ ♪ Yeah, you might have heard ♪ ♪ I got a little off track ♪ ♪ but I'm still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Still taking it day by day ♪ ♪ Still getting up early putting in the work ♪ ♪ Pushin' through the hurt, baby ♪ ♪ Don't count me out long as I'm above ground ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Still gonna wind up runnin' this town ♪ [mellow country rock music] [mellow country rock music] ♪ You've got your heated seats ♪ ♪ Set on cruise control ♪ ♪ But the easy streets do your heart and soul ♪ ♪ Because heart and soul is about all I've got ♪ ♪ I'm in the outside lane, but I'm coming in hot ♪ ♪ Still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Still takin' it day by day ♪ ♪ Still gettin' up early, puttin' in the work ♪ ♪ Pushin' through the hurt, baby ♪ ♪ Don't count me out long as I'm above ground ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Still gonna wind up runnin' this town ♪ ♪ Still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Still takin' it day by day ♪ ♪ Still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Still trying to find a way ♪ ♪ Still in the runnin' ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey hey ♪ [mellow country rock music] [mellow country rock music] [cheering and applause] [mellow country music] [mellow country music] ♪ Ashes of a star ♪ ♪ Swirling in our face ♪ ♪ I think of all the history come before ♪ ♪ And mysteries accounted for ♪ ♪ And many more that we still can't explain ♪ ♪ As we sit out by the garden ♪ ♪ Where the hummingbirds are fighting over flowers ♪ ♪ So you read the news ♪ [soulful electric guitar] ♪ Everything that's going wrong ♪ ♪ Star nights are born ♪ ♪ With the warm night thunderclouds formin' ♪ ♪ And which side we should be on ♪ ♪ But when I look at the world I don't see sides ♪ ♪ I see facets of a giant, cosmic disco ball ♪ ♪ And I see us all flyin' down the mountainside ♪ ♪ Smell the brakes burnin' ♪ ♪ Tell the ghost of Lincoln he can drive ♪ ♪ Spinnin' in a wheel within ♪ ♪ a wheel that's always turnin' ♪ ♪ Learnin' what it means to be alive... ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Ripples spreadin' out ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Dancers in a line ♪ ♪ Older than we've ever been ♪ ♪ We'll never be this young again ♪ ♪ And never know when we'll run out of time ♪ ♪ As we race along the razor's edge ♪ ♪ And look over the window ledge ♪ ♪ At the canyon of Old Man, Missouri ♪ ♪ Won't you come with me and go ♪ ♪ Flyin' down the mountainside ♪ ♪ Smell the brakes burnin' ♪ ♪ Tell the ghost of Lincoln he can drive ♪ ♪ Spinnin' in a wheel within ♪ ♪ a wheel that's always turnin' ♪ ♪ Learnin' what it means to be alive... ♪ [mellow country music] [mellow country music] [upbeat country music] ♪ Let's go flyin' down the mountainside ♪ ♪ Smell the brakes burnin' ♪ ♪ Tell the ghost of Lincoln he can drive ♪ ♪ Spinnin' in a wheel within a wheel that's always turning ♪ ♪ Learnin' what it means to be alive ♪ ♪ We'll go flyin' down the mountainside ♪ ♪ Smell the brakes burnin' ♪ ♪ Spinnin' in a wheel within a wheel that's always turnin' ♪ ♪ Flyin' down the mountainside smell the brakes burning... ♪ ♪ Spinnin' in a wheel within a wheel that's always turnin' ♪ ♪ Woo-hoo, hoo ♪ ♪ Wo-hoo!

yea!

hoo ♪ ♪ Whoo, yeah boys!

[Upbeat country music] [upbeat country music] [upbeat country music] - Oh, yeah!

[cheering and applause] [upbeat country music] [upbeat country music] - Thank you, Grundy County!

Thank you to The Caverns!

[music outro] - Thank, y'all.

[cheering and applause] ♪