Burnt the Sawmill Down

Album: State I'm In (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Aaron Lewis recorded this never-before-heard Keith Whitley-penned song for his State I'm In album. The story goes that Whitley, who died in 1989 at age 33 after years of battling alcoholism, had recorded part of the tune in a hotel room, onto a cassette. The recording remained untouched for years until his son Jesse handed the cassette tape on to Lewis to see what he could with it.

    "Keith was in his hotel room when he taped this song, and let's just say that the over indulgences had already taken place," Lewis told Taste of Country. "It was just so pure. I mean, the 12-string guitar he was playing was completely out of tune, but there was something there. We took what he had represented. It was a pretty amazing experience."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.