Formed in 2001, The Duhks (pronounced like "ducks") are a five-piece Canadi… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in 2001, The Duhks (pronounced like "ducks") are a five-piece Canadian folk-rock group. Four of them are from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their music draws heavily on Celtic traditions, but is also influenced by gospel music, bluegrass, and other North American musical traditions, and uses acoustic instruments with rock and Latin-influenced percussion. In spring 2016, the band announced that they would no longer be touring. They have not released any new music since 2014.

The band's name derives from banjoist Leonard Podolak's earlier band Scruj MacDuhk (pronounced Scrugg MachDuke). MacDuhk was a warrior chieftain who fought with William Wallace, resisting English occupation of Scotland, during the reign of King Edward I. The entire name is a wordplay on the Disney character Scrooge McDuck created by Carl Barks.

In March of 2007 lead singer and budding songwriter Jessee Havey left the band to pursue other interests. Singer Sarah Dugas joined the band in July of 2007 and is on the road with The Duhks.

In late 2007, percussionist Scott Senior left the band to spend more time with his family, as his partner, Tara Beckta, was expecting their second child. Christian Dugas, Sarah's brother and a former bandmate of Leonard Podolak, has since joined The Duhks. Other members are fiddler Tania Elizabeth and guitarist Jordan McConnell.

In October 2007 The Duhks Sustainability Project http://www.greenduhks.com was launched to raise awareness about ways to live a more economically-viable and ecologically-sustainable lifestyle. In April 2008, The Duhks performed a post Earth Day benefit in Nederland, Colorado.

In spring 2016, the band announced that they would no longer be touring. They have not released any new music since 2014.

http://www.duhks.com

Black Mountain Lullaby
The Duhks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Gather round my table
Say grace with me
In my little trailer
In the mountains of Wise County
Grief is mine forever
Sadness my story
Down in Inman Holler
In the mountains of Wise County

Bye baby baby bye
Little baby bye bye
Bye baby baby bye
My little baby bye bye

Mountaintops are made of 1, 000 pound boulders
That roll down the hills and on to our shoulders
Lord let me bear it for safekeeping
Lord let me shield it from my dearest Jeremy

Bye baby baby bye
Little baby bye bye
Bye baby baby bye
My little baby bye bye

Mama will rock you til you are sleeping
Angels will hold you in their keeping
Powerful men will make their money
Your name will live here in the mountains of Wise County

Bye baby baby bye
Little baby bye bye
Bye baby baby bye

My little baby bye bye
My little baby bye bye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Duhks' "Black Mountain Lullaby" are steeped in sorrow and loss, while also expressing a sense of hope for the future. The song is likely about a woman in Wise County, in the mountains of Virginia, who has suffered a great loss and is left alone to bear her grief. She invites others to join her at her table, offering to say grace with them, but even amidst company, she is unable to shake her sadness. The lyrics "Grief is mine forever, sadness my story" indicate that her pain is a permanent fixture in her life.

The second verse is particularly poignant, with imagery of heavy boulders rolling down hills and onto the shoulders of those who live in the mountains. The woman asks for the strength to bear the burden of her grief, and to protect her loved ones from it. Despite the weight of her sorrow, she promises to care for her child, rocking them to sleep and entrusting them to the care of angels. The final verse hints at the harsh reality of life in the mountains, where powerful men make their money, but also offers a glimmer of hope in the promise that her child's name will live on in the mountains of Wise County.

Line by Line Meaning

Gather round my table
Join me around the table.

Say grace with me
Let us pray together before we begin eating.

In my little trailer
In my small and modest mobile home.

In the mountains of Wise County
Located in a hilly region in Wise County.

Grief is mine forever
I will always bear the pain of my sorrows.

Sadness my story
My life is marked by great sorrow and grief.

Down in Inman Holler
Located in the valley of Inman.

Bye baby baby bye
Farewell, my dear child.

Little baby bye bye
Goodbye, my little one.

Mountaintops are made of 1, 000 pound boulders
The peaks of the mountains consist of large, heavy rocks.

That roll down the hills and on to our shoulders
These rocks tumble down the slopes and onto our backs.