The band members, already accomplished musicians, first came together in early 2001. Originally comprised of guitarist/vocalist Todd Sheaffer, violinist/vocalist Tim Carbone, mandolinist/vocalist John Skehan, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Andy Goessling, drummer/vocalist Carey Harmon, and bassist ]Dave Von Dollen, the group played both original compositions mostly written by Sheaffer, the former From Good Homes songwriter, as well as traditional songs. After just three weeks of rehearsals, they went into a local recording studio and tracked a five song demo. Recorded live with no overdubs except backing vocals, The Black Bear Sessions set Railroad Earth's career in motion. Within a week they had a manager on board who then sent their demo out to some of the country’s most prestigious festivals, quickly landing a slot at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. That was their tenth gig. The Black Bear Sessions was released to the public in June 2001, and following their appearance at Telluride Sugar Hill Records approached the band and offered them a record deal. The Black Bear Sessions contains some of the most popular songs in Railroad Earth's repertoire, including "Seven Story Mountain" and "Head."
In June 2002, one year from the release of their debut, Railroad Earth’s second album, Bird in a House, came out on Sugar Hill Records, featuring songs such as "Bird In A House," "Like A Buddha," and "Mighty River.". The band continued its steady touring schedule, playing theatres, folk-music festivals, jam-band festivals, and other venues, while gathering much praise for its unique sound and enjoyable live concerts. The band eventually built up a fanbase who call themselves Hobos.
In 2003 Dave Von Dollen was replaced by bassist Johnny Grubb. In 2004 the band released its third studio effort, The Good Life, featuring "Storms," Mourning Flies," and "Goat." The band continued to tour throughout the country, and its first live album, Elko, was issued in late January 2006. They performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on September 15, 2007.
The band's fourth studio album, entitled Amen Corner, was released on June 10, 2008. The new album features songs such as "Been Down This Road," "Hard Livin'," "Waggin' The Dog," and "Lovin' You".
On November 11, 2009, Grubb announced his departure from the band after Railroad Earth's New Year's Eve run of shows in Portland, OR. In February 2010, Andrew Altman of the Codetalkers and Blueground Undergrass was named as his successor.
The band's self-titled fifth album was released on Oct 12, 2010. The album features Andy Goessling playing electric guitar for the first time, plus an 11-minute instrumental written by John Skehan entitled "Spring-Heeled Jack" (SHJ is John Skehan's initials backwards); the latter is the longest studio track to date for the band.
Andy Goessling passed away in October 2018.
The Hunting Song
Railroad Earth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
my daddy pulled out a fish
I watched it flop and shake
Started slowin down, til it barely moved
I stood ten feet back and stared
til it was through
I felt it way down inside
I felt it way down inside
When I saw that bird come out
I knew the time had come for me
She started movin for the clear blue sky
I aimed quick, let the bullet fly
I saw it goin right at her, pass her by
As I watched that bird fly away
I dropped my gun and cried
I felt it way down inside
I felt it way down inside
We got a deer laid him in his tracks
About fifteen mile from the hunting shack
When we walked up, he was still alive
I had to cut his throat with my grandfather's knife
I slit his belly, his gentle form
Had to reach my hand inside
It was soft and warm
I pulled out his heart, took a bite
as it went down my throat
I felt that animal fight
I felt it way down inside
I felt it way down inside
The Hunting Song by Railroad Earth is a song that explores the complex relationship between man and nature. The opening lines set the stage for the rest of the song, as the singer recalls a childhood memory of his father catching a fish. The fish is then described as flopping and shaking, until it finally stops moving altogether. This description is full of pathos, as it represents the death of something once vibrant and full of life. The singer feels the full weight of this moment, as he stands ten feet back and stares until it is over.
The song then shifts to the present day, where the singer goes hunting with his comrades. He shoots a pheasant, which he initially feels is a success, but then watches it fly away unharmed. Suddenly he is overcome with a wave of emotion, drops his gun and cries. This moment of vulnerability reveals the deeper complexity of the relationship between man and nature. The singer is not simply a hunter out for a kill; he is a person who feels deeply the consequences of his actions.
The Hunting Song is a powerful song that captures the complexity of human emotions and our relationship with nature. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery and pathos, conveying a sense of loss as well as a deep respect for the natural world. This is a song of reflection and contemplation, and it forces us to confront our own relationship with the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a boy, at the cold blue lake
The singer is reminiscing about his childhood spent by the lake
my daddy pulled out a fish
The singer's father caught a fish while they were fishing
I watched it flop and shake
The singer watched the fish struggle as it was pulled out of the water
Started slowin down, til it barely moved
The fish slowly stopped moving until it was dead
I stood ten feet back and stared
The artist watched the fish from a distance
til it was through
The fish had died and stopped moving
I felt it way down inside
The singer felt a deep emotional response to the death of the fish
I felt it way down inside
The artist's emotional response was intense and resonated deeply within him
Shook a pheasant from a tree
The artist scared a pheasant out of a tree
When I saw that bird come out
The artist became aware of the pheasant's presence
I knew the time had come for me
The singer knew that it was time for him to hunt and kill the pheasant
She started movin for the clear blue sky
The pheasant began to fly away
I aimed quick, let the bullet fly
The singer quickly aimed and shot at the pheasant
I saw it goin right at her, pass her by
The singer missed the pheasant with his shot
As I watched that bird fly away
The singer saw the pheasant fly away, unharmed
I dropped my gun and cried
The artist was overwhelmed with emotion and dropped his gun while crying
I felt it way down inside
The artist's emotional response was deep and resonated within him
I felt it way down inside
The singer's emotional response was intense and affected him internally
We got a deer laid him in his tracks
The singer and friends killed a deer
About fifteen mile from the hunting shack
The deer was killed far away from their usual hunting spot
When we walked up, he was still alive
The deer was not yet dead when they found it
I had to cut his throat with my grandfather's knife
The artist had to kill the deer by cutting its throat with a family heirloom knife
I slit his belly, his gentle form
The singer cut open the deer's belly
Had to reach my hand inside
The artist had to put his hand inside the deer's belly
It was soft and warm
The deer's insides were still warm and soft
I pulled out his heart, took a bite
The singer took a bite of the deer's heart
as it went down my throat
The deer's heart went into the singer's stomach
I felt that animal fight
The artist felt a sense of strength and energy from eating the deer's heart
I felt it way down inside
The artist's sense of strength and energy resonated deep within him
I felt it way down inside
The singer's emotional and physical responses were powerful and affected him internally
Contributed by Eliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.