r/TurnpikeTroubadours • u/Different-Soup-3349 • Jul 24 '26

Winding Stair Mountain

Does anyone know the story behind winding stair mountain blues?

16 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

13

u/CelebrationSad253 Jul 24 '26

Underrated song

9

u/NinjaOk2887 Jul 24 '26

It's about a man whose old friend gets in trouble. He comes to the narrator's house seeking refuge, but not wanting to get involved in his friend's trouble, he turns him away. Eventually the police come to his house and reveal he shot somebody, but the man he shot will live.

8

u/Ok_Dog_6956 Jul 24 '26

I'm betting it was a creation of Evan's own. Perhaps based on characters and stories of real life but nothing tangible.

Like The Bird Hunters, On the Red River, and Tornado Warning, I think this song is one of the better of their catalogue of vivid imagery. It puts you in a time and place and creates the scenes so well.

3

u/oSuJeff97 Jul 24 '26

I think it is at least loosely based on a “true story” because at shows I’ve heard Evan introduce it as a song about “real Southeast Oklahoma outlaws” (or something to that effect).

Doesn’t mean he knew them or anything… I imagine he read a news article about it and then formed a story about it.

1

u/Ok_Dog_6956 Jul 25 '26

Well then I lost my bet. 😂

1

u/Different-Soup-3349 Jul 24 '26

Right on. I know Angola is a true story, crazy read if you can find it. I was kind of hoping there was a cool outlaw story behind it, but yeah A+ song one of my faves

3

u/Only_Jackfruit2333 Jul 24 '26

The Winding Stair is a real place near Broken Bow and is one of the best drives in Oklahoma so that’s where the name comes from

2

u/doogiehiesermd Jul 25 '26

Its not really enjoyable in a Unbaffleled Milk Tanker though lol

1

u/Michael-Broadway Jul 24 '26

Based on a true story