Mountain Mover
By Bennett Konesni
May 2021
On the Schooner J&E Riggin
Penobscot Bay
Lyrics
Chorus
The one who moves the mountain begins
By carrying small stones
The one who makes the soup begins by boiling up the bones
The one who builds the ship begins by walkin' the woods alone
The one who moves the mountain begins
By carrying small stones
First one step and then the next
Is what they always say
Step back and behold your pebble pile
At the closing of the day
But who can leave a stone unturned
And who won't gnaw a bone
I know I should, I wish I could
Just find my old backbone
Chorus
Well some folks find an easy sleep
and freedom by the mile
But when I die you find me deep
Beneath my old rock pile
So move your mountains piece by piece
And suck the marrow from the bones
Find your path in the forest deep
And start carrying small stones
Chorus
The Story
Back in 2021 we were out on the Schooner J&E Riggin out of Rockland, Maine, for a 5 day sail around Penobscot Bay. It was a music tour with the Gawler Family, and on account of the pandemic, one of the first times I had been able to play music or hang out in close proximity with folks in over a year.
Somewhere off of the north shore of North Haven one afternoon I went below and took a nap. When I woke up I was thinking about how it would be even more of a challenge on shore, where the dreaded virus was looking like it was about to rage into another peak. So many gigs had been canceled, and so much had changed, how would I ever make it through?
Somewhere from deep in my consciousness came the old saying often attributed to Confucius: "The one who moves the mountain begins by carrying small stones." I started singing a little line in my head, editing it down to make it simpler and simpler.
As sometimes happens when I wake up with a song inside my head, this one emerged almost completely cooked. A few edits and it was ready. I took it up on deck and sang it for folks. It was a hit! Luc, one of the deckhands, texted me a few weeks later asking for a recording. So here you go Luc, here you go world. Enjoy Mountain Mover, and thanks for encouraging me to record it!
Notes
Lead Vocals and Guitar: Bennett Konesni
Harmony Vocals: Jeff Lewis
Fiddle: Ed Howe
Pedal Steel: Baron Collins-Hill
Upright Bass: Noah Fishman
Produced and Mixed by the inimitable Jeff Lewis in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Mastering by John Helfrich in California.
This recording is sponsored by the good souls at Rebop Farm, Brattleboro, VT. Growers and sellers of grass fed meat and milk and patrons of fine music for their community. Check out their amazing concert series at rebopfarm.com.
This recording was made possible by the patronage of these mountain movers:
Theadocia Austen, Tamar Wolfson, Robin Bleicher, Cara Harshman, Maria Grill, Hilary, Kathleen Hickey, Andrew Todd, Michelle Henkin, Rachel Maxwell, Maya Cates-Carney, Chris Borden, Alexis Barbalinardo, Carl Larson, Sarah May Schultz, Arista Holden, Baron Collins-Hill, Jack Morgan, Joanne Moesswilde, Eli Around, Sara Gordon, Isabel Parkey, Bonnie Brown, Kenny Raskin, Margaret Pulkingham, and Elizabeth Nolf.
Thank you soooo much!