Marty Falle’s “Up Against the Big Hill Line” is a powerful bluegrass ballad that embodies themes of faith, justice, and mountain pride, telling a David-and-Goliath story where a daughter from Kentucky confronts corporate greed to defend her family’s land.
Kentucky-based bluegrass artist Marty Falle, who is a storyteller from the rich Appalachian region rather than a coal miner, presents "Up Against the Big Hill Line" from his latest album, Wanted in Kentucky. This track illustrates the common struggle across the nation when corporate development, claimed to bring progress, threatens traditional ways of life. While many of Falle’s lyrics are rooted in history, this particular song highlights a current conflict unfolding both in legal venues and on social media, as locals resist an energy company eager to exploit mineral resources with little regard for the consequences on family-owned farmland.
In typical songwriting fashion, Falle envisions what a devoted Christian woman might do to defend the land passed down from her great-grandfather:
A Kentucky daughter with a Cherokee spirit,
Mama's heritage runs deep, akin to graphite coal,
Her mountain pride flows through her blood,
She’s a faith-driven woman, living her life in Jesus’ name.
Falle, along with producer Jonathan Yudkin, assembled a talented group of Nashville studio musicians – including Carl Miner on guitar, Mike Bub on upright bass, Josh Metheny on dobro, and Matt Menefee on banjo, with Kim Parent providing harmony vocals. The song begins with an unexpectedly gentle melody:
Everything was going just fine
Until she received that call from the Big Hill Line.
Falle clearly identifies the adversaries in this local struggle, depicting corporate agents who arrived “wearin’ suits flashin’ greenbacks in her face… slicker than a slop jar, claiming eminent domain / Pissin’ down her back and tellin’ her that it’s rain.” The outcome is predictable when their “shovel machines rigged with big steel claws” encounter “Mama’s big 45.” The song’s protagonist symbolizes divine justice, defending “All God’s creatures and the trees that would die,” while a local jury officially recognizes her actions as justified.
The classic instrumentals, featuring impressive solo breaks, anchor the song in the enduring tradition of Appalachian bluegrass. With his knack for Southern idioms and perspectives, Falle skillfully brings contemporary issues to life, exploring the age-old theme of conflicts arising when power and greed challenge deeply held values.
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“Up Against the Big Hill Line” – Marty Falle
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Marty Falle's "Up Against the Big Hill Line" is a powerful Appalachian bluegrass ballad centered on themes of faith, justice, and pride in the mountains. It tells a David-and-Goliath story, showcasing a Kentucky woman standing up against corporate greed to protect her family's land.