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.
Tennessee Stud
Doc Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I left Tennessee very much alive.
I never would have got through the Arkansas mud
If I hadn't been a-ridin' on the Tennessee Stud.
I had some trouble with my sweetheart's pa,
And one of her brothers was a bad outlaw.
I sent her a letter by my Uncle Bud,
And I rode away on the Tennessee Stud.
The Tennessee Stud was long and lean,
The color of the sun, and his eyes were green.
He had the nerve and he had the blood,
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud.
One day I was riding in a beautiful land
I run smack into an Indian band
They jumped their nags with a whoop and a yell
And away we rode like a bat out of hell.
I circled their camp for a time or two,
Just to show what a Tennessee horse can do.
The redskin boys couldn't get my blood,
'Cause I was a-riding on the Tennessee Stud.
We drifted on down into no man's land,
We crossed that river called the Rio Grande.
I raced my horse with the Spaniard's foal
'Til I got me a skin full of silver and gold.
Me and a gambler, we couldn't agree,
We got in a fight over Tennessee.
We jerked our guns, and he fell with a thud,
And I got away on the Tennessee Stud.
I got just as lonesome as a man can be,
Dreamin' of my girl in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Stud's green eyes turned blue
'Cause he was a-dreamin' of a sweetheart, too,
We loped right back across Arkansas;
I whupped her brother and I whupped her pa.
I found that girl with the golden hair,
And she was a-riding on the Tennessee Mare.
Stirrup to stirrup and side by side,
We crossed the mountains and the valleys wide.
We came to Big Muddy, then we forded the flood
On the Tennessee Mare and the Tennessee Stud.
A pretty little baby on the cabin floor,
A little horse colt playing 'round the door,
I love that girl with the golden hair,
And the Tennessee Stud loves the Tennessee Mare.
The lyrics to Doc Watson's "Tennessee Stud" depict the story of a man who left Tennessee in 1825, facing trouble with his sweetheart's family, and embarked on a journey full of adventure on his trusty horse, the Tennessee Stud. The singer's survival through the Arkansas mud is attributed to the stud's prowess, and they go on to face an Indian band, a Spaniard's foal, and a gambler. Throughout these offerings of danger, the duo emerges victorious through sheer nerve and blood, and central to their survival is their undying love for their sweethearts in Tennessee.
The song tells a classic Western story of a man and his horse, and their adventures across the vast American landscape. The Tennessee Stud is portrayed as a companion that offers protection, loyalty, and unwavering support, creating an unbreakable bond between man and animal. The lyrics also touch upon the theme of love and the lengths people go to be with the ones they love. The Tennessee Stud's green eyes turning blue, a sign of his dreaming of a sweetheart, is a beautiful illustration of the bond between the singer and his horse as they both long to be reunited with their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Along about eighteen twenty-five,
In the year 1825 around this time
I left Tennessee very much alive.
I departed Tennessee in good health and in high spirits
I never would have got through the Arkansas mud
I would have failed to go past the Arkansas mud if not for
If I hadn't been a-ridin' on the Tennessee Stud.
my horse, the Tennessee Stud, that I was riding
I had some trouble with my sweetheart's pa,
I experienced some problems with the father of my lover
And one of her brothers was a bad outlaw.
Also, one of the brothers of my sweetheart was a notorious criminal
I sent her a letter by my Uncle Bud,
I used my Uncle Bud to deliver a note to my beloved
And I rode away on the Tennessee Stud.
I left the place on the Tennessee Stud
The Tennessee Stud was long and lean,
My horse, The Tennessee Stud, was slim and long
The color of the sun, and his eyes were green.
It had a golden coat and green eyes
He had the nerve and he had the blood,
The Tennessee Stud had courage and strength
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud.
There was never a horse as impressive as The Tennessee Stud
One day I was riding in a beautiful land
Once, I was riding in a scenic environment
I run smack into an Indian band
I suddenly came across a group of native Americans
They jumped their nags with a whoop and a yell
They swiftly mounted their horses with excitement and cheer
And away we rode like a bat out of hell.
We swiftly departed with great haste and panic
I circled their camp for a time or two,
I rode around their base a couple of times
Just to show what a Tennessee horse can do.
To demonstrate the potential of The Tennessee Stud
The redskin boys couldn't get my blood,
The native American men couldn't hurt me
'Cause I was a-riding on the Tennessee Stud.
because I was on the Tennessee Stud
We drifted on down into no man's land,
We rode freely into unoccupied territory
We crossed that river called the Rio Grande.
We went past the river, Rio Grande
I raced my horse with the Spaniard's foal
I made my horse compete with a Spanish horse
'Til I got me a skin full of silver and gold.
Until I won a lot of money in the form of precious metals
Me and a gambler, we couldn't agree,
I had an unresolved disagreement with a gambler
We got in a fight over Tennessee.
We had a physical altercation over the state of Tennessee
We jerked our guns, and he fell with a thud,
We drew out our weapons, and he hit the ground with a thump
And I got away on the Tennessee Stud.
I fled the scene with The Tennessee Stud
I got just as lonesome as a man can be,
I became excessively lonely
Dreamin' of my girl in Tennessee.
Thinking of my beloved in Tennessee
The Tennessee Stud's green eyes turned blue
The Tennessee Stud's green eyes began to appear blue
'Cause he was a-dreamin' of a sweetheart, too,
because the horse was also fantasizing about a lover
We loped right back across Arkansas;
We trotted hastily back across Arkansas
I whupped her brother and I whupped her pa.
I overpowered and beat up her father and brother
I found that girl with the golden hair,
I located that girl with the golden hair
And she was a-riding on the Tennessee Mare.
And she was riding on The Tennessee Mare
Stirrup to stirrup and side by side,
Riding aligned side by side
We crossed the mountains and the valleys wide.
We rode across the enormous valleys and mountains
We came to Big Muddy, then we forded the flood
We stumbled upon a large, dirty river, that we crossed
On the Tennessee Mare and the Tennessee Stud.
The Tennessee Mare and The Tennessee Stud we were riding on
A pretty little baby on the cabin floor,
A cute little baby located on a cabin floor
A little horse colt playing 'round the door,
A young horse colt running around outside the house
I love that girl with the golden hair,
I deeply love that girl with the golden hair
And the Tennessee Stud loves the Tennessee Mare.
The Tennessee Stud has affection for The Tennessee Mare
Contributed by Bella C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@digeratidesign
In 1975 or '76, in the rain, I had the privilege of sitting about 3 feet from Doc and Merle Watson at a small bluegrass festival in the Cumberland Gap (not sure if we were in Maryland, West Virginia or Pennsylvania)! All my friends were damp and irritated and they went back to our camp, but I stayed with just a handful of people as Doc played his heart out for us for 45 minutes. It was one of the great musical moments of my life - they were both just full of joy and so talented.
@niitsukid
Barbara Davis great memory ! Thanks for sharing
@RogerDHicks-qi5eh
If you were actually in the Cumberland Gap, you were in either KY, TN, or VA.
@jeffalbillar7625
You commented so long ago, but thank you for sharing. I envisioned your experience, through your memory. Too cool.
@minniesfishies3024
@Roger D. Hicks Probably at Delfest (Del McCoury) at the Cumberland (Md.) Fair Grounds. Outstanding lineups year after year.
@genehall8895
Cumberland gap is in Kentucky, beside the Tennessee border.
@jeddyhi
Doc Watson. What more can you say? Legendary national treasure. Will never be another like him.
@barbaralee6410
You're absolutely right, there will never be another Doc Watson, but you should check out a young man called Billy Strings who does an amazing cover of this and many other Doc songs as well as other bluegrass standards and writes some great original stuff too!
@mackdaddie222
Fifteen people disliked this? Doc was and is a national treasure.
@onemanmatt
That is Bizarre! ? :-)