[Intro] (Banjo picking, fiddle humming underneath) Way back in these Tennessee mountains There was a man folks called Popcorn... And if you ever tasted that shine, You knew the mountains could make something mighty fine. [Verse 1] I was raised up in these mountains Where the fog rolls through the pines Where old men kept their secrets And moonshine crossed the county lines I heard about Popcorn Sutton Long before I knew his name Folks said he could turn corn and water Into that pure burning flame [Verse 2] I got a story from those days That I still remember clear I met a cousin of Popcorn's And damn, he looked just like him standing there Had that same mountain face That same wild look in his eyes And when he talked about that family You could hear those hills come alive [Chorus] Popcorn, Popcorn, mountain man Copper still and a five-gallon can Backwoods legend, born to roam Made that Tennessee shine at home I've tasted plenty in my time But I'll tell you straight, without a doubt That mountain shine Popcorn made Was the best I ever had [Verse 3] He wasn't making something fancy He was making what he knew Copper sweating in the moonlight While the mountain morning dew And when that first blue flame came burning You knew the run was coming right A little drop could light a story That'd carry through the night They called it illegal They called him something more But around these mountains people knew What those old stills were for It was history passed down From generation to generation Part of an Appalachian story Born from hard times and isolation [Chorus] Popcorn, Popcorn, mountain man Copper still and a five-gallon can Backwoods legend, born to roam Made that Tennessee shine at home I've tasted plenty in my time But I'll tell you straight, without a doubt That mountain shine Popcorn made Was the best I ever had [Verse 4] I ain't saying every story That you hear around these hills is true Mountain tales get taller Every time they make it through But one thing I remember And I know what I saw That blue flame burning clean Had a fire you couldn't ignore And somewhere in these mountains When the evening settles down You can almost hear that banjo Echoing from town to town Like Popcorn's still out there With that old familiar grin Keeping one more mountain story For the next time night rolls in [Bridge] (Fiddle and banjo break) From the hollers to the ridges From the valleys to the sky Some legends never disappear No matter how the years go by [Final Chorus] Popcorn, Popcorn, mountain man A piece of these old mountains In the palm of his hand Copper still, blue flame And a story with his name I've tasted plenty in my time But I'll tell you straight, no doubt That Tennessee mountain shine Was the best I ever had [Outro] (Banjo slows) (Fiddle fades) Mountain fog... Old roads... Copper stills... Some things disappear with time... But some stories stay in the mountains.
