Darn Tough Vermont

Dwight Lakey

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darntoughvermont vermontstrong vtstrong vermontflood calvincoolidge

Dwight Lakey

Vermont singer/songwriter; transplanted from the plains of Colorado over forty-five years ago.

Singer/songwriter living in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom with strong connections to the plains of Colorado, my childhood home.

Song Info

Genre

Acoustic • Acoustic Folk

Charts

#510 today Peak #22

#121 in subgenre Peak #3

Author

Dwight Lakey

Rights

July 12, 2023 Dwight Lakey Danville VT

Uploaded

February 02, 2024

Track Files

MP3

MP3 7.8 MB • 320 kbps • 3:24

Lossless

WAV 56.2 MB

Character

Energy

relaxed, cool

high-energy

Danceable

coffee-place

dancefloor

Positivity

dark, sad, angry

happy

Appeal

unique

radio-friendly

Story behind the song

I'm excited to be releasing my latest song, Darn Tough Vermont (Brave Little State), featuring wonderful narration by Gov. Jim Douglas (2003-2011).  I wrote it just after the catastrophic flooding across much of Vermont last July.  While crafting this song, the devastating Flood of 1927 came to mind and the powerful words of Calvin Coolidge found their way into the lyrics.  Gov. Douglas serves as Vice Chair of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation and is a devotee of our 30th president (who was born on July 4th. 1872 in Plymouth Notch, Vermont).  He graciously made an extra effort to come over to Danville's Roadside Recording Studio (Ryan Dauphin, Prop) to lend his voice to the “Coolidge sections of the song.
FREE downloads are available in the hope that you'll consider a donation to the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023
https://vtfloodresponse.org/

Lyrics

DARN TOUGH VERMONT
By Dwight Lakey

 Intro

Verse 1It’s Darn Tough living in Vermont, among these soft green hills  
Cause you can’t bank scenic income and it doesn’t pay the bills
At least the State can’t tax ityet; someday they’ll probably try
But the beauty makes life sweeter as we work hard to get by
            
ChorusYou’re Darn Tough Vermont 
You mostly do what you want       
And what you want is mostly fair and true
You often do hard days of labor       
You often do things for your neighbor
Things you’d like your neighbor to do for you

Verse 2It’s Darn Tough followin’ a VTRANS plow, kickin’ up sand and rocks
But it’s cozy sittin’ by a fire warmin’ toes in your Darn Tough socks
It’s Darn Tough livin’ by a mountain stream when high water comes along
But your neighbors come to lend a hand, and prove they’re Vermont Strong!
       
ChorusRepeat

Bridge**Silent Cal spoke proudly of his “brave little state       
He bragged about Vermonters and the traits that make em great
He told of their persistence and resolve when hope was gone
When faced with difficulties Calvin Coolidge said, “Press on!
   
ChorusRepeatsKey Change
       
 OutroThings you’d like your neighbor                                           
Do kind things for your neighbor
Things you’d like your neighbor to do for you


** President Calvin Coolidge gave his “Vermont is a State I Love speech in Bennington on September 21, 1928, nearly a year after the devastating Flood of 1927.  He spoke of his love for his home state and praised the reconstruction efforts of the “indomitable people of the “brave little state of Vermont.

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