Rustic Ridge

Stories from the Ridge

The stories behind the songs.

Dust to Dust: The Story Behind the Song

Some songs start with a story. Dust to Dust started with words that have survived for thousands of years, built directly from the book of Ecclesiastes.

Family StoryMemorialSong Story

The Man We Knew: The Story Behind the Song

Some songs begin with an idea. This one began with a man: a tribute to the husband, father, and man of faith behind the larger-than-life presence.

Lizzie BordenMurder BalladSouthern Gothic

The Story Behind Lizzie Borden (The Wolf Wears a Dress)

The story behind Rustic Ridge's Lizzie Borden (The Wolf Wears a Dress), inspired by the 1892 Fall River murders, the rhyme, and a vanished dress.

FolkloreLegendSouthern Gothic

The Story Behind The Boatman

A crossing, a ferryman who knew she did not belong, and a warning that came only after she had already gone too far.

Traditional SongCover StoryFolk Roots

Why We Recorded The House of the Rising Sun

Most people already know The House of the Rising Sun, so there wasn't much reason for us to record it unless we were going to do something different with it.

Southern GothicFolkloreSong Story

The Story Behind Salt and Bone

Salt and Bone is about the things people do because they were taught that you simply do them, and what it means to carry something you never chose.

Local HistoryRural StoriesAmericana Storytelling

The Story Behind Old Ben's Road

Old Ben was a real man, and he became something of a local legend. The song is about what gets handed down when someone is gone: some facts, some family stories, and some things nobody can verify anymore.