Amy Ray: Johnny Rottentail

This is a song I’ve been listening to a lot on repeat, lately. I mentioned it some time ago, so technically this is a repeat. But I’ve had a strong history with this song, so I think that makes it ok.

What’s odd is that I have the ability to look back, and remember the exact moment I heard this song. I was in Alabama, teaching a week long course on Flash to a group of graduate students in the Creative Writing department.

It was an odd time – pre-YouTube, back when Flash was still a thing. I was a Coal Royalty Visiting Chair, and felt like quite the big deal (everyone I met was so incredibly kind, and went out of their way to make me feel at ease).

There was a party at the end of my time there, close to Halloween. One of the students, Justina, invited me over and while hanging out there… I heard this song. I recall liking it immensely, and Justina insisted I take the CD home with me.

That song was Amy Ray’s Johnny Rottentail. I don’t know what happened to that CD, but I still think of Alabama and those students, every time I hear this song. And this song has stayed with me since then, for some twenty-three years now. But hey, who’s counting?

I think this song is ultimately just two chords (sounds like C and G, back and forth). Still can’t quite figure out what the instrument is (sounds like a mandolin, but an eight string mandolin).

This song is also just slightly out of my range. I continue to wish I was a tenor.

Related:
Johnny Rottentail, by Amy Ray
Alabama, Revisited
Hi From Alabama!