Southern Songwriters with Patrick Davis

-Funding for this program is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

For more than 45 years, and with the support of its generous donors, the ETV Endowment has supported programming that highlights South Carolina's rich culture and history and is proud to sponsor "Southern Songwriters with Patrick Davis."

-Columbia, the heart of South Carolina.

History, outdoor adventure, and more.

You can make a travel plan at ExperienceColumbiaSC.com.

-Additional funding provided by... And these individuals... [ Mid-tempo music plays ] -The South -- mysterious and old, a muse to poets, storytellers, and songwriters, myself included.

There's a beauty in the music that runs through this land, through its rivers and mountains, through its people and towns.

Like this one, my hometown of Camden, South Carolina.

Camden is a small town.

Camden is an old town filled with history, stories, and its share of music.

My name is Patrick Davis.

I'm a singer and a songwriter.

I love traveling.

I love storytelling.

I love playing music with my friends.

And I love the South.

Welcome to "Southern Songwriters" with me, Patrick Davis.

[ Cheers and applause ] Thank you guys so much for being here.

This is my buddy Marc Broussard right here.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Hello.

-Mr. Dan Tyminski.

-Aw, yeah.

[ Cheers and applause ] -And my old friend Mr. Kristian Bush down there.

-Yes, sir.

[ Cheers and applause ] And, well, since this is kind of my party, I'm going to start this sucker off.

[ "Wrong Side of the Tracks" plays ] Nine ball rack on the table Step right up if you're able Sunny's giving lessons, twenty bucks a game Lay your money down, take dead aim House band rockin' way too loud What you gonna do for a biker crowd Ain't no white, ain't no black You're on the wrong side of the tracks You're on the wrong side of the tracks You tried to leave but you came right back To the wrong side of the tracks It's in your blood, and that's a fact Here comes a big ol' limo Creeping up slow 'Cause anything you want, you can get it to go The money comes up Deal goes down It looks like somebody's heading downtown Tires squealing, blue lights flashing Shots fired Cars crashing Well, just keep moving and watch your back You're on the wrong side of the tracks You're on the wrong side of the tracks You tried to leave but you came right back To the wrong side of the tracks It's in your blood, and that's a fact Well, the homeless living hand to mouth Talkin' 'bout movin' farther south Sleeping under the overpass They got a little food, but it will not last Wino dying in the gutter The very last words I heard him mutter You think you're smart, but you don't know jack You're on the wrong side of the tracks You're on the wrong side of the tracks You tried to leave, but you came right back To the wrong side of the tracks It's in your blood, and that's a fact You're on the wrong side of the tracks You tried to leave, but you came right back To the wrong side of the tracks You think you're smart But you don't know jack [ Cheers and applause ] -Yes, sir.

-Thank you.

An uplifting song to start the evening.

-[ Laughs ] I'm going to take it in a slightly different direction.

Just to the east of Lafayette, Louisiana, is the largest swamp in North America.

It's called the Atchafalaya Basin.

It happens to be where my grandparents and their parents and their parents and a few more generations lived in houseboats.

They somehow managed to make their way all the way from Nova Scotia to the swamps of Louisiana and were like, "We made it!

We're here!"

[ Laughter ] And when I'm out there sweating and getting bit up by mosquitoes, I just think back to -- to my ancestors finding those swamps and calling it home.

Must have been a pretty serious ordeal prior to that, you know.

-Must have been pretty terrible in Nova Scotia.

-Well, it seems like Camden and -- and my ancestors have something in common, which is messing around with the British.

[ Laughter ] Fighting off all them Brits.

Anyways, this is a song called "Au Long De La Riviere."

Gulf wind blows Through the swamp tonight To the lengths of the Atchafalaya From Butte La Rose Head east and to the south And look left just past seven miles Au long de la rivire This is not my home It's where we come to play But those that came before us saw fit to stay The loup-garou of Bayou... Would have to make way for the Acadian man Au long de la rivire Along that river, yes Ferns on the ground Underneath the cypress trees Gracefully waltzing in the dark and the summer breeze No place I know could ever feel as good Like being tied up among the cypress trees Au long de la rivire Oh-oh-oh Whoa, whoa Ohh, mm Oh-oh-oh Oooooooooh Oooooh Ooh From a whisper to a scream You can hear most everything Emanating from the ancient woods The fire's almost dead But my heart still rages on Filling my veins thick with Cajun blood Au long de la rivire Along that river, yes Yeah.

Hey, along Yeah.

Hey, along Oh-oh-oh Hey, along Hey, along Hey, along Hey, along Hey, along Ooooh-ooooh-oooooh Ooh-ooh ooh-ooh [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] Thank you very much.

-I remember Marc playing that song at an event we were doing, and I'd never heard it, and I remember saying, man, I feel like that scene in "Shawshank Redemption" when Andy Dufresne breaks into the prison office or whatever and he plays that beautiful Italian music, and they say, "I had no idea what that lady was saying, but it was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life."

That's essentially what just happened right there, boys and girls.

[ Laughter ] -I'm going to go back to my -- my lovely wife.

If she would want me to do one song, this is the first song she ever heard me do.

And it was not a bluegrass song, but I had just written this song when I met her.

So I played her this song, and she thought this was the kind of stuff I did, which I think is why she's with me.

And she found out I played bluegrass after.

[ Laughter ] Okay?

So...

I'll show you what she likes.

[ "Weight on the Levee" plays ] I saw a field of crosses, a servant with a crown Say your prayers and cut your losses Brother, lay your burden down Well, all you sons and daughters You cry just like you sing To your mothers and your fathers A choir of suffering You better get her ready There's weight on the levee Well, I've been drinking too much Trying to wash the trouble down And I've seen a little too much To think it's gonna turn around The devil's in the details And, Lord, it looks like rain Staring at the sky, waiting on a sign Bracing for the hurricane -Whoo!

- Hey, hey, hey, yeah Mm-mm-mm A silent apparition An angel with no tongue Led me through a vision Where all the days were done And all the skies were darkness And all the seas were dry No bell inside the steeple Or no children left to cry You better get ready There's weight on the levee Well, I've been drinking too much Trying to wash the trouble down And I've seen a little too much To think it's gonna turn around The devil's in the details And, Lord, it looks like rain Staring at the sky, waiting on a sign Bracing for the hurricane -Whoo!

- Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah Mm-mm-mm-mm You better get ready There's weight on the levee You better get ready There's weight on the levee You better get ready There's weight on the levee now You better get ready There's weight on the levee, hey, yeah I've been drinking too much Trying to wash the trouble down And I've seen a little too much To think it's gonna turn around The devil's in the details Lord, it looks like rain Staring at the sky, waiting on a sign Bracing for the hurricane Staring at the sky, waiting on a sign Bracing for the hurricane You better get ready Better get ready, hey -Whoo-whoo!

[ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you.

-Well, I knew Marc was gonna love it.

It was a song about a hurricane.

-It's a hurricane.

-I don't love hurricanes.

But I do like bracing for 'em.

-You like hurricane parties.

Yes, yeah, yeah.

-Exactly.

-You've been down there.

We're from -- We're in South Carolina.

We know a thing about a hurricane party, as well.

-Well, I'll tell you a funny story about hurricanes and my ancestors growing up on houseboats.

We had a family reunion not very long ago, and my grandmother's surviving siblings were all there.

And my brother stood up and asked a question.

He said, "How did y'all know if a storm was coming?

How did you know if a hurricane was coming?"

And my Uncle Tan says, "Oh, that's easy.

We would just shove little bits of cloth into the cracks in the walls of the houseboat.

And then when those little bits of cloth started flying back at us, we knew that it was a storm."

[ Laughter ] -That makes sense.

Hey, Kristian.

-Oh, hi.

[ Laughter ] -"Oh, hi."

-Oh, hi.

Um, I'm very lucky to be here today.

Thank you very much.

Also, I'm almost the same height as these guys sitting down.

[ Laughter ] Which is why I wear the hat, just to make me feel better about myself.

It's not about style or country music.

Um, this is a song that plays a lot on country radio.

It is very, um, happy-sounding song.

It's joyous.

And weirdly, now that I'm going to tell you this, you can't unhear it.

This is about the moment right before you kill the person you love.

[ Laughter ] There's some -- There's some very nervous laughter and absolutely no laughing from that couple, for some reason.

-[ Laughs ] -I mean this in the kindest way.

This is not just like, "Oh, I'm going to kill them if they leave the toilet seat in the wrong position."

It's literally the knife was on the downstroke, and the person that you love so much makes you laugh, and you reconsider in that moment.

Now here's the song.

[ Laughter ] [ Chuckles ] [ "Stuck Like Glue" plays ] Absolutely nobody knows me better [ Crowd cheers ] No one that can make me feel so good How did we stay so long together?

When everybody Everybody said we never would Just when I Start to think they're right The love has died There you go making my heart beat again Heart beat again, heart beat again There you go making me feel like a kid To do it, do it one time There you go pulling me right back in Right back in, right back in And I know I'm never letting this go I'm stuck on you Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue You and me, baby, we're stuck like glue Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue You and me, baby, we're stuck like glue Some days I don't feel like trying Some days you know I wanna just give up When it doesn't matter who's right Fight about it all night Had enough You give me that look I'm sorry, baby, let's make up [ Laughter ] You do that thing that makes me laugh Just like that There you go making my heart beat again Heart beat again, heart beat again There you go making me feel like a kid To do it, do it one time There you go pulling me right back in Right back in, right back in And I know I'm never letting this go I'm stuck on you Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue You and me, baby, we're stuck like glue Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, stuck like glue You and me, baby... -Camden may be a small town with just under 8,000 residents as of 2022, but its historical and cultural legacy runs deep.

Notable hometown heroes include actor and singer Samuel E. Wright, who you might remember as Sebastian the crab from "The Little Mermaid," to singer and composer Brook Benton to longtime NFL stars Bobby Engram and Vonnie Holliday.

The list goes on.

But there's one favorite son we should all talk about, and that is Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and absolute American legend Larry Doby.

On July 5, 1947, Larry Doby became the first African-American player in Major League Baseball's American League.

I headed over to the Camden Archives to talk to local sports columnist Tom Didato and local Larry Doby enthusiast Davie Beard about the legacy that is Camden's Hall of Famer Larry Doby.

-They did the Larry Doby Day.

We did it here in '97... -Okay.

-...in front of the courthouse, and they said, "Larry, we'd like to do something in Columbia."

And he said, "No, that's okay.

I've never been to Columbia.

And I'm not going to go there for that."

He said, "I'm from Camden and I'm staying in Camden," so I thought it was pretty cool Larry said that.

-That's amazing.

My little brother actually took one of my Larry Doby baseball cards, and the next thing I know, my mom sends me a message that, "Your little brother's on the front page of the state paper."

-I remember that.

-He was holding one of the cards 'cause Mr. Doby had signed it.

Seven-time All-Star, two-time American League home-run king, and a World Series champion, Larry Doby's Major League Baseball career was nothing short of spectacular.

But the truth is, what makes Mr. Doby's legacy so impressive is that he, just like fellow Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, broke down barriers and forever changed not just Major League Baseball, but the entire world.

Well done, sir.

Well done.

-True story.

[ "Home" plays ] Rolling down the road going nowhere Guitar packed in the trunk Somewhere around mile marker 112 Papa started hummin' the funk Got a jones in my bones, before they know We were singing this melody Stopped the car, pulled out the guitars Halfway to New Orleans Said take me ho-o-o-o-me Take me ho-o-o-o-me Could feel the sun about to rise When I realized we had nothing to fear Just me and my daddy and a kid named Cole Making music nobody would hear Sun lit up, and it spent the night Spillin' over our jubilee Ten thousand cars by the side of the road Groovin' far as the eye can see Said take me ho-o-o-o-me Yeah, ho-o-o-o-me I can't hear you Said take me ho-o-o-o-me Well, now, won't you just come on and take me on home Come on.

Here we go.

Said this Greyhound is delta-bound Baby boy done finally found I said this Greyhound is delta-bound, Mama Baby boy done finally found his way home, yeah Take me ho-o-o-o-me Yes Come on!

Hot damn, you should have felt the groove Like I was swimming in a sea of soul Sun was rising and the day was hot And we all gonna lose control Daddy turned his face up toward the sky And I knew that there's nothing to lose Felt the crowd breathe in, and I closed my eyes And we disappeared into the groove Take me ho-o-o-o-me Ho-o-o-o-me I said won't you just come on, take me home I said won't you just come on, take me home Whoo!

Straight from the water Straight from the water, children Straight from that bayou water Straight from the water, children Straight from the water, yeah Straight from the water, children Straight from the water You don't know nothin' about this Take me ho-o-o-o-me Ho-o-o-o-me - Home - I said won't you take me home Ho-o-o-o-me Whoooo-ooooh Come on, now Whoo!

Come on, take me home Been gone away too long Got to get it, got to get it Got to get it, got to get it Got to get it, oh Whoo-oooh Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Ohhh, oh, yeah [ Cheers and applause ] I was feeling it.

I was feeling that one.

[ Cheers and applause continues ] -Marc Broussard.

So, I'm sure it's cool for you guys out there, but having this seat right here and watching him do that is unbelievable.

Like, it's -- it's -- it's a front-row seat, literally, to some -- I don't know.

Where do you go when that happens?

-I don't know, man.

I'm definitely gone.

I was about to pass out.

[ Laughter ] -I've got nothing.

After he sings, I've got nothing.

Like, this is -- You've -- Twice you've now done this to me.

[ "God Fearing Heathen" plays ] Now, I've cursed at Jesus with smoke on my breath I gave him every reason to leave me for dead But thank God he didn't, 'cause I swear I believe There's a place up in heaven For a God-fearing heathen like me And I know those streets of gold Ain't just paved for the souls Of the straight-walking saints That don't swear, smoke, or drink It's for the losers and the winners And hard-living sinners And God-fearing heathens like me Heathens like me Now, I've danced with my demons When there's nowhere to run I could have stood in the darkness And loaded the gun But I prayed holes in the knees of this old faded jeans For a place up in heaven For a God-fearing heathen like me And I know those streets of gold Ain't just paved for the souls Of the straight-walking saints That don't swear, smoke, or drink It's for the losers and the winners And hard-living sinners And God-fearing heathens like me Now, I've cursed at Jesus with smoke on my breath I gave him every reason to leave me for dead [ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] -Yes, sir!

-Thank you.

[ Laughs ] -Yes, sir.

-Here we go.

Kristian Merrill Bush.

-All my songs are wishes.

Yeah, now that I'm an adult...

...I get these phone calls now from my own kids, which is weird, 'cause at the time, I was just trying to pay my parents back.

This is, um -- This is a Sugarland song.

[ "Baby Girl" plays ] They say this town The stars stay up all night Don't know, can't see 'em For the glow of the neon lights And it's a long way from here To the place where the home fires burn It's two thousand miles and one left turn Dear Mom and Dad, please send money I'm so broke that it ain't funny I don't need much, just enough to get me through Please don't worry, 'cause I'm alright I'm playin' here at the bar tonight This time I'm gonna make our dreams come true I love you more than anything in the world Love, your baby girl Blacktop, blue sky Big town full of little white lies Everybody's your friend, you can never be sure They'll promise fancy cars and diamond rings And all sorts of shiny things Girl, you'll remember what your knees are for Dear Mom and Dad, please send money I'm so broke that it ain't funny I don't need much, just enough to get me through Please don't worry, 'cause I'm alright I'm playin' here at the bar tonight This time I'm gonna make our dreams come true I love you more than anything in the world Love, your baby girl I know that I'm on my way I can tell every time I play And it's worth all the dues I pay When I can write to you and say Dear Mom and Dad, I'll send money I'm so rich that it ain't funny It oughta be more than enough to get you through Please don't worry, 'cause I'm alright I'm stayin' here at the Ritz tonight What do you know, we made our dreams come true 'Cause there are fancy cars and diamond rings And all sorts of shiny things They all add up to nothing compared to you Remember me in ribbons and curls I still love you more than anything in the world Love, your baby girl [ Cheers and applause ] And dreams do come true.

[ Song ends ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] -I've always been a history lover.

So I find it fascinating that Camden was the location of not one, but two Revolutionary War battles.

I wanted to find someone I could talk to a little more about this.

Lucky for me, I ran into Stacey Ferguson, who works with Historic Camden over at McCaa's Tavern.

-I think a lot of folks don't know that when we say "the bar," it is literally because of the bars that you would have on 18th-century taverns and public houses where people would come stay.

So when the business day was over, the proprietor would close the bar to keep the guests out of the liquor supply.

-Feel like a lot of people would like to have some alcohol late at night.

-Right.

-I play music for a living, so I know that to be true.

And since we were in a tavern, Stacey was kind enough to make us some 18th-century-inspired cocktails.

I was hesitant about trying shrub after she told me it was also known as drinking vinegar.

But to my surprise, shrub, especially with a little rum, was quite good.

Dangerously good, actually.

We talked about the Revolutionary War, Historic Camden, and something that made worldwide news -- the uncovering and proper burial of 14 soldiers from the Battle of Camden, which Stacey was honored to help with.

-It was the most amazing project I've ever worked on in my life.

I was fortunate enough to get to help with the dig.

-Historic Camden is such a wonderful spot.

There was a lot of things that happened here that are very important not just to Camden or to South Carolina, but to the history of the United States and to the world, for that matter.

I'm sure that when the Battle of Camden happened, the boys that did make it home, they were drinking a lot of shrub.

So -- So cheers.

-Indeed.

-Thank you so much for hanging out with me.

-My pleasure.

-So there you go.

-Thanks for coming.

-There you go.

Camden.

Thank you.

Speaking of cheers, the boys and I had dinner and drinks before the show at one of my favorite local spots, Steeplechase Sports Bar & Grill.

And after that, we walked down to what I consider one of the best guitar shops in the world, in my completely biased opinion, my dad's Davis & Sons Guitar Shop.

My pops, Rusty, is a guitar-playing legend in these parts, and not just for his musical abilities, but also because every week he teaches an army of 8- to 80-year-olds how to play everything from Taylor Swift to Metallica.

Thanks to my dad, I grew up with music always around.

I like to call him the Eric Clapton of Three Counties, and here's why.

Friday night, Main Street Any city, any town Through the windows, through the walls You hear 'em comin' out They all sound a little different But they're all the same damn thing Those six-string dreams Some are just getting started And some are almost done For some it's all about the money And for some it is just for fun Some are going through the motions And some still believe In those six-string dreams Well, everybody knows it just takes one To get you higher than a man should ever be It's just three chords, but the truth is Four out of five won't survive Those six-string dreams Mm-mm-mm-mm Come on, Daddy.

A few will make it to a bus Some will make it to a van Most will only make it to the corner Playing in a cover band A few will make a million dollars But most just enough to eat On those six-string dreams Yes, those six-string dreams We're all living those six-string dreams Mm-hmm Oh, livin' those six-string dreams We're all livin' those six-string dreams We're still livin' them six-string dreams Mm-hmm Oh, come on, daddy Come on, daddy Come on, daddy [ Cheers and applause ] -You got it, Dad.

[ Cheers and applause ] Rusty Davis.

-Happy day!

[ Cheers and applause ] - There's a soft, sweet space on the back of your neck Smells like rain There's a way you look at me, baby Heals my pain Now, I've studied every inch of your body Baby, what's on your mind But touching your skin just pulls me in Every single time There's a silent conversation Filled with hidden revelations In your eyes And, baby, I'm so into you And every whisper from your soul to my heart Baby, I know it's true You're a sweet little mystery sent to me from the stars That's the beauty of who you are Of who you are There's a faith you're saving for a rainy day I could use right now There's a way that you move my soul to sing Only you know how You are sensual salvation You're the -- You're the holiest temptation And, baby, I'm never, never, never Gonna be the same 'Cause, baby, I'm so into you And every whisper from your soul to my heart And, baby, I know it's true You're a sweet little mystery sent to me from the stars That's the beauty of who you are I can't explain it or begin to conceive All I know is that you make me believe Baby, I'm so into you And every whisper from your soul to my heart Oh, baby, I know Darling, I know, darling, I know I know, I know You're a sweet little mystery sent to me from the stars You're a sweet little mystery sent to me from the stars You're a sweet little mystery sent to me from the stars That's the beauty of who you That's the beauty of who you a-a-a-are [ Cheers and applause ] Thank you very much.

-There's one song that I have to do everywhere I have played for the past 23 or 24 years.

You know the song from that movie.

-Have you had to do it every night?

-I have done this song, every show that I have played for 23 years, and I'm not about to break it tonight.

-Here's a question.

How did this happen?

-This -- This was the song that I was so excited to do that I went and tried out for it, and I got the gig, and I called home to tell my wife at the time.

I said, "Hey, it looks like I've got this voiceover."

And she was very excited.

She said, "Dan, that's great!

What is that?"

And I explained that, "In this case, you would go to the theater and you'd be looking at the screen.

You'd be seeing George Clooney singing, but you'd be hearing my voice coming out."

And without hesitation, she said, "Dan, that's my fantasy."

[ Laughter ] -Whoo!

- Well, in constant sorrow All through his days Well, I am a man Man of constant sorrow Well, I've seen trouble all my days Well, I bid farewell To old Kentucky The place where I was borned and raised - The place where he was borned and raised - Well, for six long years I've been in trouble No pleasure here on Earth I find For in this world I'm bound to ramble I have no friends to help me now - Well, he has no friends to help him now - Well, it's fare thee well My own true lover I never expect to see you again For I'm bound to ride That northern railroad Perhaps I'll die upon this train - Perhaps he'll die upon this train - Well, you can bury me In some deep valley For many years where I may lay Well, then you may learn To love another Whilst I am sleeping in my grave - While he is sleeping in his grave - Well, maybe your friends think I'm just a stranger My face you never will see no more But there is one promise That is given I'll meet you on God's golden shore - He'll meet you on God's golden shore [ Cheers and applause ] -Whoo!

-Aah!

-Thank you!

-I'm so happy right now!

Oh-ho!

I get the goosebumps!

-Wow!

-Thank you.

-[ Laughs ] -Look how happy Marc is.

[ Laughter ] - Whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh Whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh All I can do is go Whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh I don't want to get up, baby Let's turn off the phone I don't want to go to work today Or even put my makeup on I have better things to do Than my to-do list anyway Hide under the covers And waste away the day Just lay here and be lazy Baby, drive me crazy All I want to do Ooh-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh Yeah, all I want to do Ooh-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh Is love you Give me a kiss From that Elvis lip Don't want to miss this I got my whole life to change the world And climb the ladders Looking at you looking at me Is the only thing that matters Come a little closer, baby We can talk without the words Hang a sign on the door Please do not disturb Let's just lay here and be lazy Baby, drive me crazy All I want to do Ooh-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh All I want to do Ooh-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh Is love you Ohh [ Laughter ] Because I'm a resourceful lover... [ Laughter ] ...I brought friends with me.

I know Dan Tyminski can play the guitar.

It's only in the key of dog.

[ Laughter ] She looked at me dumbfounded.

In her last bit of her T-shirt.

"Oh, Kristian, you sure can play that guitar."

[ Laughter ] "Baby, that's George Clooney.

[ Laughter ] That ain't me.

But if you keep your eyes closed, it'll be Marc Broussard."

You ready?

- Ooh-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh - All I want to - Ooh-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, whoo-hoo, ooh, ooh -Yeah, when you buy a horse, you're buying a dream.

Any one of these could end up being a champion.

-Mention Camden, South Carolina, to any serious horse-racing fan, and chances are they're gonna say the Carolina Cup.

Camden is actually known as the steeplechase capital of the world thanks to this annual event.

I met up with local race supporter Tom Mullikin to visit the legendary Springdale Race Course.

Is this the largest steeplechase in America?

-We've had the largest crowd of any steeplechase.

We've had almost 80,000 people out here.

-Yeah.

-And it's a beautiful track.

-Since 1932, the Cup has been raced by thousands of jockeys, including this guy, Toby Edwards, who not only has a cool accent but is also the Cup's current executive director.

Toby gave me a little insight on how steeplechase racing got its name while I tried to avoid stepping in... Well, you know.

-The story goes, it was two Irishmen arguing over who had the fastest horse.

And they walked out of the local pub and were beside a church and they said, "We'll race from this church steeple..." to the church steeple they could see in the distance.

That was the point they could pick out.

-Alright.

-And that distance was 4 and 1/2 miles.

That's a traditional distance of a steeplechase.

-So...two drunken Irishmen started this whole thing.

That makes sense, knowing what I know about the party that surrounds the Carolina Cup.

Camden, the steeplechase capital of the world -- one more thing that makes this little Southern town so special... and me so proud of where I'm from.

- Cause I'm from the front pew of a wooden white church A courthouse clock that still don't work Where a man's word means everything Where moms and dads were high-school flames Who gave their children Grandmother's maiden name Yes, it may not sound like much I said it may not sound like much But it's where I am from Yes, that is where I'm from I sure love where I am from 'Cause we sing "Amazing Grace" Where we are from Come on, Rusty Davis.

Play that old guitar, Daddy.

Mr. Kristian Bush.

Dan Tyminski.

Marc Broussard.

Thank you, Camden, South Carolina.

The very first... -Funding for this program is provided by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

For more than 45 years, and with the support of its generous donors, the ETV Endowment has supported programming that highlights South Carolina's rich culture and history and is proud to sponsor "Southern Songwriters with Patrick Davis."

-Columbia, the heart of South Carolina.

History, outdoor adventure, and more.

You can make a travel plan at ExperienceColumbiaSC.com.

-Additional funding provided by... And these individuals...