John Murrell
This song is written about a notorious outlaw from the 1800s. Murrell's dad was a circuit-riding preacher and his mother was a woman of ill-repute that taught him how to steal from a very young age. He was an accomplished horse thief by the age of 11. He went on to round up a gang of over 1,000 men that helped him in his treachery. He would steal slaves, promising them a revolution and freedom, only to resell them to the highest bidder. Murrell was so well-known that it was his treasure that "Injin' Joe" was searching for in Mark Twain's book. When he finally landed in prison in Nashville, tickets were sold so folks could come and see him. When he was released due to illness, and settled in our hometown of Pikeville, TN where he became a blacksmith. He later died and was buried there.
We co-wrote this song as a band from the perspective of the man that made his coffin (AP Green). We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.