"Hickory Wind" is a song written by country rock artist Gram Parsons and former International Submarine Band member Bob Buchanan.[2] The song was written on a train ride the pair took from Florida to Los Angeles in early 1968, and first appeared on The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo album.[3][4] Despite Buchanan's input, "Hickory Wind" is generally considered to be Parsons' signature song.[5][6] Parsons' decision to play "Hickory Wind" instead of the planned Merle Haggard cover "Life in Prison" during The Byrds' performance at the Grand Ole Opry on March 15, 1968 "pissed off the country music establishment"[5] and stunned Opry regulars to such an extent that the song is now considered essential to Parsons' legend.[5]
Johnny Rogan, in his book The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited, offers the following interpretation for the song: "The alluring 'Hickory Wind' serves as a powerful image for Parsons' bittersweet nostalgia, as he imagines an Edenic childhood of simple pleasures like climbing trees. During successive verses, he reflects on the pursuit of fame, the curse of wealth without spiritual satisfaction, and the perils of city life. What really makes the song, however, is Parsons' aching vocal performance, set against a superb steel guitar backing, whose whining combines with his yearning voice to create a mood of unbearable poignancy."[2] Chris Hillman, Parsons' partner in The Byrds and later The Flying Burrito Brothers, offers the following interpretation of the song:
It's his [Parsons'] signature song, just as 'I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better' is Gene Clark's signature song. If Gram had never written another song, "Hickory Wind" would have put him on the map. The song says it all – it's very descriptive, with vivid imagery. It's actually quite literary, but Gram was, we know, was a very bright kid. If you know the guy's life story, however he conjured up that scenario – it's right at home. Gram was shuffled off to a prep school, lots of money... that's a lonely song. He was a lonely kid.[5]
Parsons first recorded "Hickory Wind" with The Byrds on March 9, 1968, at Columbia Records' Nashville recording studios during sessions for the Sweetheart of the Rodeo album.[7] The song features the noted session musicians Lloyd Green on pedal steel guitar and John Hartford on fiddle.[7] In addition, Parsons plays acoustic guitar and piano, with bass, banjo and drums being played by Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn and Kevin Kelley respectively.[7] Although the song is often regarded as one of the best of Parsons' career,[4][5] it was not released as a single.[8] The song was re-recorded for Parsons' 1974 album, Grievous Angel, as part of the "Medley Live from Northern Quebec", along with the song "Cash on the Barrelhead".[9]
^Fontenot, Robert. "What is Country Rock?". ThoughtCo. About.com. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
^ abRogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 271. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
^Rogan, Johnny. (1997). Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1997 CD liner notes).
"HickoryWind" is a song written by country rock artist Gram Parsons and former International Submarine Band member Bob Buchanan. The song was written...
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with his self-coined phrase, as "Cosmic American Music". HickoryWind An excerpt from "HickoryWind" featuring Gram Parsons harmonizing with Chris Hillman...
pinnately compound leaves and large nuts. Hickory flowers are small, yellow-green catkins produced in spring. They are wind-pollinated and self-incompatible....
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Leadon makes reference to Parsons' song "HickoryWind" ("like a flower he bloomed till that old hickorywind called him home") which appeared on the Byrds'...
The Washington Post. Retrieved July 22, 2020. Fong-Torres, Ben (1998). HickoryWind: The Life and Times of Gram Parsons. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 160. ISBN 978-0312194642...
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the United Kingdom singles chart. Hickory Records released the single in the United States in April 1965 (Hickory 45-1309), where it reached No. 23 in...
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took husband David Harris into custody "Joe Hill" "Sweet Sir Galahad" "HickoryWind" "Drug Store Truck Driving Man" (duet with Jeffrey Shurtleff) "One Day...
Dwight Yoakam Listed as "Gillian Welch & David Rawlings" July 13, 1999 "HickoryWind" Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons Tribute album...
establishment by ignoring accepted protocol when they performed Parsons' song "HickoryWind" instead of the Merle Haggard song "Life in Prison", as had been announced...
music".: 11 On the album, Green was featured on You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, HickoryWind, Nothing Was Delivered, and "One Hundred Years from Now". In Los Angeles...
songs from her previous records and a cover of the Gram Parsons song "HickoryWind". It was recorded at Third Man Records live before an audience of 200...
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