Ghost Lights was written about the Brown Mountain Lights in western NC, a phenomenon that perplexes scientists and adventure-seekers today. Recorded sightings have gone back as far as 1200 A.D., and as a result, a great many legends have arisen to try and explain them. As natives to the area near Brown Mountain, Jimmy and his wife, Chassta, wanted to write a song that encompassed what their home has to offer, as well as their love for the acoustic tradition of Appalachian story-telling through folk music. What transpired was a song that began at a traditional place and ended in terrain Atkins is known for...rock-infused acoustic songwriting.
lyrics
What ever happened between those trees?
Nobody seems to know.
A flickering fire, a flame in the breeze,
Leaves fall and rises a glow, a glow.
The dancing of torches like birds on a wire,
Watch as they all fade away.
Hovering beacons forged from the fire,
Or maybe a trick our eyes play.
Muddy hills whisper tales from the past,
Stories from lives gone before.
A slave seeks his master, a search party's path,
An ancient race painted for war.
I don't care for ghosts, they do nothing for me.
Everyone has their own take on the story.
But nobody knows...
Down through the ages, spectators swore,
To see lights they could no explain.
Now, centuries later, this misty-mount lore,
Mystifies mankind the same.
I'm not one for ghosts, they don't do much for me.
But everyone that I know claims they have a story.
But what could they know?
Could they really know?
What really happened between those trees?
credits
released October 21, 2016
Lyrics by Jimmy and Chassta Atkins.
Music by Jimmy Atkins.
Produced by Jimmy Atkins.
Acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass guitar, percussion, and vocals--Jimmy Atkins
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Ricky Rodriguez at Bombhouse Recording in Morganton, NC.
Additional talent provided by:
Mike Atkins-drums and percussion
Price Stevens-electric guitars
Alex Powell-MOOG Synths
Artwork:
Photograph used with permission from Joshua P. Warren.
Cover design by Megan Gray.
Jimmy Atkins is a singer/songwriter from Lenoir, NC, where he leads as Worship Pastor at Four Points Fellowship. He is also married to Chassta, the love of his life, and the lead singer/frontman for Christian rock band, Second Hand City.
For one thing, Ricky Rodriguez engineered and mixed it. Danny Stephens (Smalltown Poets) produced it. Jason Germain (Downhere) mastered it. And YOU get to listen. What's not to love? Jimmy Atkins
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