Behind the Song :: Andy May

Blackberry Jam – Song

©Lauren LeCroy May, Andy May (Swift River Music/BMI)

Lauren (words): I wrote this lyric the first summer we lived in Tennessee, after we have been once through all the seasons. We had moved from Colorado at the end of the previous May with our then 2-year-old, and wild blackberries, which didn’t grow in the part of Colorado where we had lived, were a revelation to us. (So were chiggers, but that’s another story entirely!) Every bit of this song is true: Blackberry picking with our kid and our old black dog became a part of our summers, and blackberry jam became a part of our winters.

Andy (music): When Lauren first showed me this lyric, she asked if I could work in a break using a bit of the old fiddle tune, Blackberry Blossom when I scored it. I worked with it a bit and realized that the structure of her lyric fit Blackberry Blossom perfectly – it just needed a “b part.” Lauren re-worked one of her verses into a b part/chorus and I based the entire melody on Blackberry Blossom – including working in the break that Lauren has asked for.

Several years later, my buddy, Tabby Crabb, made a music video of this song for us. (Below)

Listen

(… more, credits, lyrics)

Same Ol’ Blues

©Andy May, (Swift River Music/BMI)

Behind the Song

Coming soon

(See credits, lyrics…)

My Small Town

©Andy May, Lauren LeCroy May, Brycen Fast (Swift River Music/BMI)

Andy: What a gift it is when you find yourself in a good place among good people.

Lauren: Brycen came to us with the idea for this song and a start on the lyric. I loved where he was coming from, and worked on it over a period of time. The song didn’t make it on to Brycen’s CD, Flyin’ Fast, but Andy put it on his 2016 release, Room for Roots, the title of which is actually from a line in this song.

(See credits, lyrics…)

The Woman in the Wings

Andy: Many folks ask me if this song is about my mom. As I started to write it, I surely was inspired by her example. Then, Lauren LeCroy May added her wise touch to the lyric, and Jim Heffernan brought some good insight, as well. When the song was complete, I felt like we had created something that not only honored my mom but also made a statement about all people who encourage good things in the lives of those around them. Their encouragement lives on long after it is given. (… more, credits, lyrics)