Charles Wesley Godwin
A native of Morgantown, West Virginia, singer-songwriter Charles Wesley God… Read Full Bio ↴A native of Morgantown, West Virginia, singer-songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin paints a rich and honest portrayal of his homeland and its people with his debut album. Seneca is a moving snapshot of his 26 years of life and well-soiled roots in the Appalachian hills, a backdrop that has given birth to some of the most intelligent and hard-working people in the country.
When you partake in his gripping storytelling, it comes as no surprise that Godwin’s shared bills with the likes of Shooter Jennings, Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Luke Combs, Aaron Watson, David Allan Coe, Sundy Best, Waymore’s Outlaws and Nicholas Jamerson. Godwin is truly at home on stage and alongside like-minded musicians who go against the grain and shake up the status quo.
“This album will give people a really good look into what it’s like culturally in Appalachia. People have a way-off view from the outside of what we’re all about, what our priorities are and how smart we are,” says Godwin. The record is steeped to perfection in gentle mountain streams and a way of living that is surprisingly universal. Through earnest, sinewy craftsmanship, he mitigates the stereotypes that plague the state and reconfigures expectations.
Another essential piece of his story, “Shrinks and Pills” exhibits a dry, sly humor and sees Godwin lament the roar of the open road in his ears and an unquenchable homesickness wedged deep in his bones. He misses the comfort of his homestead, but he wouldn’t have it any other way–heartache be damned. “Hardwood Floors” dazzles in the dim light of a local pub as he shares a tender embrace with his wife amidst the ho-hum of the crowd.
Notable players include Eric Heywood (Son Volt, Ray LaMontagne & the Pariah Dogs) on pedal steel and Ben Townsend (of Hillbilly Gypsies) on fiddle and banjo. From start to finish, the record is riddled with an abundance of “human things,” Godwin says, like failure, the ups and downs of marriage, and getting back to a simpler way of life.
His ideals seep into every inch of his work and stem from humble beginnings of working the West Virginia land and being taught what really matters in life at an early age. Godwin’s father was a coal miner and his mother a schoolteacher. He grew up hunting, fishing, and playing sports, living a pretty traditional homespun life.
It wasn’t until much later–after being cut from auditions for the West Virginia University football team–that he picked up the guitar in his spare time. A year later, he could play a full song quite expertly, and he knew then he was on to something. During his 2013 study abroad in Estonia, his frequent rehearsal sessions in his apartment flat drew the attention of flatmates and led to his first-ever gig at a fashion show. “It was really never anything I intended to do,” he recalls.
But it was clear this was his destiny. When he returned to the United States and later graduated from WVU in 2014, he realized he had a great talent in singing and playing bluegrass and traditional country music. Godwin soon started touring and playing out professionally, beginning a full-time music career in 2015. He enjoyed a short run in a band called Union Sound Treaty, but conflicting schedules led to lackluster shows and overall unreliability.
It was time to branch out on his own, and that’s when Seneca began to take shape. The album, especially in such moments as “The Last Bite” and “Sorry for the Wait,” is an amalgam of influences, running from Creedence Clearwater Revival to Simon & Garfunkel to The Allman Brothers. Godwin’s voice echoes off the weathered but still vibrant Appalachian countryside, rumbling up the peaks and tumbling back down into the valleys, and his heart-torn confessionals are born of the earth itself.
Charles Wesley Godwin carries his past firmly on his shoulders. He hasn’t been damaged by such a symbolic act, however, and he’s only grown wiser and more aware. On Seneca, he proves to be a fitting ambassador for West Virginia and a people long misunderstood and tragically forgotten. If anything, listeners will rediscover their own wants and desires within the album’s sonic walls and universal themes of compassion, strength, and unity.
When you partake in his gripping storytelling, it comes as no surprise that Godwin’s shared bills with the likes of Shooter Jennings, Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Luke Combs, Aaron Watson, David Allan Coe, Sundy Best, Waymore’s Outlaws and Nicholas Jamerson. Godwin is truly at home on stage and alongside like-minded musicians who go against the grain and shake up the status quo.
“This album will give people a really good look into what it’s like culturally in Appalachia. People have a way-off view from the outside of what we’re all about, what our priorities are and how smart we are,” says Godwin. The record is steeped to perfection in gentle mountain streams and a way of living that is surprisingly universal. Through earnest, sinewy craftsmanship, he mitigates the stereotypes that plague the state and reconfigures expectations.
Another essential piece of his story, “Shrinks and Pills” exhibits a dry, sly humor and sees Godwin lament the roar of the open road in his ears and an unquenchable homesickness wedged deep in his bones. He misses the comfort of his homestead, but he wouldn’t have it any other way–heartache be damned. “Hardwood Floors” dazzles in the dim light of a local pub as he shares a tender embrace with his wife amidst the ho-hum of the crowd.
Notable players include Eric Heywood (Son Volt, Ray LaMontagne & the Pariah Dogs) on pedal steel and Ben Townsend (of Hillbilly Gypsies) on fiddle and banjo. From start to finish, the record is riddled with an abundance of “human things,” Godwin says, like failure, the ups and downs of marriage, and getting back to a simpler way of life.
His ideals seep into every inch of his work and stem from humble beginnings of working the West Virginia land and being taught what really matters in life at an early age. Godwin’s father was a coal miner and his mother a schoolteacher. He grew up hunting, fishing, and playing sports, living a pretty traditional homespun life.
It wasn’t until much later–after being cut from auditions for the West Virginia University football team–that he picked up the guitar in his spare time. A year later, he could play a full song quite expertly, and he knew then he was on to something. During his 2013 study abroad in Estonia, his frequent rehearsal sessions in his apartment flat drew the attention of flatmates and led to his first-ever gig at a fashion show. “It was really never anything I intended to do,” he recalls.
But it was clear this was his destiny. When he returned to the United States and later graduated from WVU in 2014, he realized he had a great talent in singing and playing bluegrass and traditional country music. Godwin soon started touring and playing out professionally, beginning a full-time music career in 2015. He enjoyed a short run in a band called Union Sound Treaty, but conflicting schedules led to lackluster shows and overall unreliability.
It was time to branch out on his own, and that’s when Seneca began to take shape. The album, especially in such moments as “The Last Bite” and “Sorry for the Wait,” is an amalgam of influences, running from Creedence Clearwater Revival to Simon & Garfunkel to The Allman Brothers. Godwin’s voice echoes off the weathered but still vibrant Appalachian countryside, rumbling up the peaks and tumbling back down into the valleys, and his heart-torn confessionals are born of the earth itself.
Charles Wesley Godwin carries his past firmly on his shoulders. He hasn’t been damaged by such a symbolic act, however, and he’s only grown wiser and more aware. On Seneca, he proves to be a fitting ambassador for West Virginia and a people long misunderstood and tragically forgotten. If anything, listeners will rediscover their own wants and desires within the album’s sonic walls and universal themes of compassion, strength, and unity.
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Charles Wesley Godwin Lyrics
10-38 Time for a patrol ride Cruisers sitting outside One fifth do…
All Again I watch you walkin' 'cross the floor And I've been missing…
Another Leaf I've been wondering when we'll find a moment to get…
Blood Feud I see Mitchell coming up the switchback Ain't no running fro…
Bones Lay off the cocaine, lay off the shame Lay off thinkin'…
Coal Country I'm going down to Charleston Through the shadow of the mount…
Cranes of Potter Claire was the mayor's daughter Knees went weak when I saw…
Cue Country Roads I've been gone so long away from my home Most outsiders…
Dance in Rain Those new eyes look to me Born desire to live free I'll…
Family Ties Tied down with a full heart In my wild days from…
Gabriel Up high in west Virginia Where you can touch the sky…
Gas Well I've never been too good to pick up a penny…
Half A Heart She's just a girl born in stormy weather Her heart a…
Hardwood Floors Go put on that blue dress The one you know I…
Headwaters (One, two, three, four, five, six) I was born up on…
Here In Eden Imagine there's a garden visualize a spring It's a hard way…
Here in Eden Imagine there′s a garden Visualize a spring It's a hard way …
How the Mighty Fall Church bells ringin', gospel singin' Mary's l…
Jesse I was walking down the road ′bout a week ago Underneath…
Keep On Turning Windmill, keep on turning Keep rolling through the sky Watch…
Lost Without You I've got that feeling in my chest No embrace can addres…
Lyin It's been a few years now since I've felt an urge…
Lyin%E2%80%99 Low It's been a few years now Since I've felt an…
Lyin' low It's been a few years now since I've felt an urge…
Lyin\xE2\x80\x99 Low It's been a few years now Since I've felt an…
Miner Imperfections He wasn't one to talk much when we'd pull off…
Needle Fall Down Time in the evening, I pulled out my gun Prepared for…
Over Yonder I′m Allegheny high Leanin' back into my ride I′m goin' 'cros…
Pour It On Wrong place, wrong time" is a phrase I′m attached to Chisel…
Seneca Creek In the spring of 1949 That′s when I crossed the county…
Shrinks and Pills Another ten-to-two on a weekend night My voice is worn and…
Skyline Blues If I let go of this wheel Will I break my…
Sorry for the Wait I ran these hills since the day I could stand And…
Soul Like Mine The highway's worn on me Can't tell a friend from enemy As…
Strawberry Queen I never would've guessed it in a hundred years or…
Strong Money′s been a wise buck this year Now there's things in…
Take Me Home Country Roads Almost Heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoa…
Temporary Town There's a tide turning in this temporary town Winds of …
That Time Again (We rollin'?) I'm drawing blanks in my mind I indulge in dr…
The Flood There is a storm brewing in the southeast Grandmamma feels i…
The Jealous Kind I got a letter from Maria, you know her English…
The Last Bite I got a match and I′ve got a knife I'm going…
Two Weeks Gone One, two You know what to do I'm turning left on red There…
West of Lonesome There's a fire upon my mountain Blood is on the floor Water…
Willing and Able Lately, I ain't been much use That's breaking me in two You'…
Winter's Come and Gone Oh, little redbird, come to my windowsill Been so lonesome s…
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