One day as I was passing through a town called Louisville
I saw an advertisement that struck me as surreal
A painting on an epic scale, to put other works to shame
Painted by an unknown man, John Banvard was his name
It was the river Mississippi as it flows through seven states
Banvard rowed his boat two years and stretched it all the way
I saw it with my own eyes as Banvard rolled it by
Three miles of canvas, I tell you it's no lie!
(He said) "It is the biggest in the land, watch me roll it out
Yes! I'm gonna show it to the whole damn crowd
Believe me when I tell you, and don't you get me wrong
I tell you that this thing of mine is three mile long!"
Sure it was the biggest that I had ever seen
Banvard had all other painters turn a jealous green
Who cared if there were painters with a subtle brushtechnique?
From now on it's the size that counts: SMALL EQUALS WEAK!
Well... but Banvard was a braggart prone to exaggerate
His painting was not half as big as he himself did state
He met his fate with Barnum, who called for his dimise
And lured all Banvard clients away with even bigger lies
(He argued) "It's the biggest in the world, please do take a seat
Observe the Mississippi, I ain't no cheat!
Believe me when I tell you and don't you get me wrong
I tell you that this thing of mine is three miles long!"
credits
from Rompin' and Stompin',
released January 8, 2018
Hans: leadvocals + banjo
Ludo: dobro + vocals
Manus: guitar, vocals + objections
Chris: bass + vocals
Utterly gorgeous songs that combine traditional folk and bluegrass with the Jewish Sabbath liturgy to moving effect. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 24, 2023
A re-envisioning of Tony Rice's classic album "Church Street Blues" from Brooklyn progressive bluegrass quartet Punch Brothers. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 19, 2022
The second EP from Northern Irish singer-songwriter Bea Stewart runs from gentle folk to pillowy pop ballads, all perfectly executed. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 15, 2024