Churchill Get Downs
Amos Lee, Dwight Yoakam, Colter Wall, and a Derby playlist
I've spent enough nights in the bluegrass state
—Jason Isbell, Life You Chose
All of the Music Swap guys have spent some nights (aka lived) in the Bluegrass State. In this edition, we’re highlighting songs connected to our old Kentucky home in honor of the Kentucky Derby. Speaking of the Derby, Adam Tait has a special playlist waiting for you in the Bonus Track section.
Louisville by Amos Lee (Ben)
We all know how to spell it, but not everyone agrees on how to pronounce it. Looavul. Luhvul. Loueville. Looaville. Looeyville.
Amos Lee sings about heading back to Louisville, which is what I wish I was doing this weekend for the 150th running of the roses. Amos Lee makes great music and is even better live. Add this tune to your Derby party playlist.
Little Ways by Dwight Yoakam (Jonathan)
While Kentucky is known for horses and bourbon, and is the birthplace of bluegrass music, it also has produced some incredible pure country artists. One of them is Dwight Yoakam, who hails from Pikeville, KY. My pick today showcases his rich honky tonk sound.
Me and Big Dave by Colter Wall (Kody)
Colter Wall was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. That’s 23 hours away from Louisville, Kentucky, yet Colter has ties to the Bluegrass State, having lived there for a season of his young career. I’ve always loved how this song talks about “hunting down rhymes with a Kentucky poet,” a reference to his friend Travis Blankenship, an adjunct English professor turned music manager. Give this friend of Kentucky a listen. His voice will take you to a rural western world older than the Kentucky Derby.
Bonus Track: A Churchill Get Downs Playlist
There is NOTHING like the two weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby, especially as a Louisville resident. From Thunder to the Derby itself there is so much going on and happening. Heading to Churchill Downs is one of the highlights of the spring season for me and my wife. As I write this I am currently sunburned, oh the sun DOES shine bright, from an action-packed Thurby where I won big on my first wager and failed to win again. Curse you horse racing.
In all the commotion I recently realized that I didn’t have a Derby playlist so with that being the case, I present to you Churchill Get Downs. Like the aforementioned two weeks filled with much to do, this playlist features Kentucky artists, the King, and even a little Jerry Garcia Band to get you in the Derby mood. If I missed a Derby song, be sure to shout it out in the comments. Weep no more my lady, and take it easy on the juleps this weekend!
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Adam Tait is a regular writer for the Music Swap. He resides in Louisville Kentucky with his wife Maggie and sons Thomas and Harvey. Nothing gives him more joy than creating a good playlist. If you need a playlist for a holiday, a new artist, a road trip, or any other occasion, Adam is your man. For his first concert, he saw Wilco in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama.
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Enjoy some Derby songs while you wait for the “fastest two minutes in sports.”
-TheMusicSwap
It’s definitely not the right fit for a fun Derby party, but Ryan Adam’s “Oh My Sweet Carolina” is on my KY playlist. The line, “I miss Kentucky and I miss my family. All the sweetest winds they blow across the South,” gets me every time. I must’ve played it once a day when I lived in Chicago.