Gavin B.

Song of the Day


Steve Young inspired an entire generation of outlaw country musicians.


Rock Salt & Nails- Steve Young This 1969 rendition of the Utah Phillips classic is my all time country and western song. I uploaded it to YouTube when I discovered the song wasn't available there.

Steve Young was the most soulful country vocalist of his era and a big influence on Waylon Jennings, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Townes Van Zandt, Emmylou Harris and country rockers like the Byrds and the Burrito Bros.

In fact the guy making that harmonium organ sound like a fiddle on this version of Rock Salt & Nails is none other than Gram Parsons. Chris Hillman is playing bass and Gene Clark the original vocalist for the Byrds plays harmonica on other tracks of the album. The most amazing instrumentalist on the song is the legendary James Burton who makes all of those spine tingling sounds on the dobro.

The existential pain over lost love has wild and desperate beauty that shimmers in this heartbreaking version of Rock Salt and Nails. Steve never became as well known as the many musicians he influenced, but his cult following has lived long and grown by leaps and bounds over the past four decades.



Rock Salt And Nails
Words and Music by Utah Phillips
As Performed by Steve Young

By the banks of the river where the willows grow old
And the wild birds warble with the strange sound so
By the banks of the river where the waters run cold
It was there I first listened to the lies that you told

Now I lay here each night all alone and I weep
And nothing ain't worse than a night without sleep
The letter you wrote me it was written in shame
And I know that your conscience still echo's my name

If the ladies were blackbirds and the ladies were thrushes
I'd lie there for hours in the chilly cold marshes
If the ladies were squirrel's with big bushy tails
I'd fill up my shotgun with rock salt and nails