Doc played guitar in both flatpicking and fingerpicking style, but was best known for his flatpick work. His virtuosity combined with his authenticity as a mountain musician made him a highly influential figure during the folk music revival. He pioneered the fast and flashy bluegrass lead guitar style which has been adopted and extended by others such as Clarence White and Tony Rice. He was also an accomplished banjo player and in the past had accompanied himself on harmonica as well.
In 1986 he received the North Carolina Award and in 2000 he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor. In 1997, Doc received the National Medal of the Arts from President Clinton.
He was generally joined on stage by his grandson and Merle's son Richard as well as his musical partner of twenty years, Jack Lawrence.
He was host to the annual MerleFest music festival held every April at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The festival features a vast array of acoustic style music focusing on the folk, bluegrass, blues and old time music genres. It's named in honor of Merle Watson and is one of the most popular acoustic music festivals in the world, drawing over 85,000 music fans each year.
In late May 2012, Watson was listed in critical condition but was responsive at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after undergoing colon surgery. Watson had fallen early in the week. Watson did not break any bones, but an underlying condition prompted the surgery. Watson died on May 29, 2012 at the medical center at the age of 89.
Greenville Trestle High
Doc Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How I'd wander and enjoy
I'd watch the trains as they'd go by
And the whistle's lonely sound
You could hear for miles around
As they rolled across that Greenville trestle high.
But the whistles don't sound like they used to
Hard times across the land
Mean no work for the railroad man
And the Greenville trestle now don't seem so high.
On the river bank I'd stand
With a cane pole in my hand
Watch the freight trains up against the sky
With black smoke trailing back
As they moved along the track
That runs across that Greenville trestle high.
But the whistles don't sound like they used to
Lately not many trains go by
Hard times across this land
Mean no work for the railroad man
And the Greenville trestle now don't seem so high.
When the lonesome whistles wind
I get ramblin' on my mind
Lord, I wish they still sounded that way
As I turned to head for home
Lord, she'd rumble low and long
Towards the sunset at the close of day
No, the whistles don't sound like they used to
Lately not many trains go by
Hard times across the land
Mean no work for the railroad man
And the Greenville trestle now don't seem so high.
No, the Greenville trestle now don't seem so high.
The song "Greenville Trestle High" by Doc Watson is a nostalgic and melancholic ode to the disappearing mode of transportation in America: the railroad. The singer of the song, who is portrayed as a grown-up man reminiscing about his childhood, remembers with fondness how he used to watch the trains go by over the Greenville Trestle, a high bridge over a river. He recalls how the sound of the train whistle could be heard from miles away, and how the black smoke trailing from the trains created a contrast against the blue sky.
However, the singer also acknowledges that times have changed. The whistles don't sound like they used to, and not many trains go by anymore. The hard times across the land have meant no work for the railroad man, and the Greenville Trestle doesn't seem so high anymore. The nostalgia in the song is not only for the lost thrill of watching the trains go by, but also for a way of life that is slowly disappearing.
The juxtaposition of the past and the present, the excitement of the trains and the sadness of their disappearance, gives "Greenville Trestle High" its emotional power. The song speaks not only to those who remember the heyday of the trains but also to those who have seen the impact of changing technology on their own lives. The song serves as a reminder that progress comes with a price, and that we should remember and appreciate what is lost in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember as a boy
When I was young, I recall
How I'd wander and enjoy
I loved taking leisurely strolls
I'd watch the trains as they'd go by
I'd observe the locomotives in motion
And the whistle's lonely sound
I'd take notice of the forlorn whistle
You could hear for miles around
The sound carried far and wide
As they rolled across that Greenville trestle high.
As they moved over the elevated bridge in Greenville
But the whistles don't sound like they used to
The sound has changed from how it was in the past
Lately not many trains go by
There's been a decrease in train traffic recently
Hard times across the land
The current state of the country is filled with difficulties
Mean no work for the railroad man
This has led to a shortage of employment for railway workers
And the Greenville trestle now don't seem so high.
The bridge that once appeared to be very elevated now seems much lower
On the river bank I'd stand
I would position myself by the waterfront
With a cane pole in my hand
While holding a fishing rod
Watch the freight trains up against the sky
I'd witness the cargo trains against the backdrop of the sky
With black smoke trailing back
The smoke would follow behind
As they moved along the track
While the trains proceeded on the rails
That runs across that Greenville trestle high.
Which went over the elevated bridge in Greenville
When the lonesome whistles wind
Whenever the lonely whistles blow
I get ramblin' on my mind
I start to feel the urge to wander
Lord, I wish they still sounded that way
Oh, how I long for the whistles to sound the way they used to
As I turned to head for home
While I began to make my way back home
Lord, she'd rumble low and long
The train would make a deep, drawn-out sound
Towards the sunset at the close of day
Heading towards the setting sun as the day comes to an end
No, the Greenville trestle now don't seem so high.
The elevated bridge in Greenville, which once appeared high, now seems much lower
Contributed by Mackenzie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ibBluegrassOutlaw
Love this great song song by Doc!
@michaelsix9684
great song
@GraceandKnowledge
"The whistles don't sound the way they used to..."