January 15–22, 1998

music|roots

"Once I rode an orphan train/

And my brother did the same"

True Stories

Singer/ storyteller David Massengill hits the road with a lifetime of good tales set to music.

By Mary Armstrong

David Massengill states firmly that his favorite song, of all he's written in the last 20 years, is the one he chose to place first on his new recording The Return (Plump Records), "Rider on the Orphan Train." His inspiration was a letter he got out of the blue three years ago. The writer had heard Massengill singing on the radio. He had been born a Massengill but was separated from his brother when adopted as a small child. He wrote that he'd spent the time since then looking for his brother. He was hoping Dave might be the one.

Shaping true stories into songs and fables gives Massengill great contentment. He allows that it's a wonderful life, touring and playing the small but appreciative clubs. Was it worth nine years of dishwashing in New York, while writing songs and making the singer/songwriter scene, to get to this? He assures us unequivocally that it was. Touring has turned out be much more pleasant than he had anticipated.

"For a long while, none of us felt like we had to go out and tour. We had our own little world there in the folk scene for about 10 to 15 years. Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, the Roches, Steve Forbert, lots of people went on to major careers." That helped the others like himself who were still plugging away. But by 1988 Massengill says the scene began to peter out, and he realized he'd have to go on the road if he wanted to continue to be a practicing singer and writer. "I didn't want to, but I had to quit that dishwashing job."

That dishwashing job—"We were all different nationalities back in the kitchen, but we all worked hard together"—helped provide the story behind two of Massengill's best-loved songs, "My Name Joe" and "Number One in America."

As happens often in folklore, the truth is polished up to make a good story, he says, but yes, the theme of "Joe" is taken from an actual incident. One of Massengill's kitchenmates was an undocumented worker who slipped away from the Immigration Service to work another day, thanks to friends in the kitchen all claiming to be the "Joe" the authorities were looking for.

"Number One in America" evolved from equal parts restaurant inspiration and a news story from Massengill's hometown of Bristol, TN. Back home, right on the state line, it seems the Klan wanted to have one of their marches. Part of Bristol is over the Virginia line, where a permit was issued. Tennessee, on the other hand, would have no part of it. The march went on as planned, with the Klan permitted to march only on one side of the street. It made Massengill proud to learn that the sheriff on the Tennessee side stood watch to make sure none of the Klan crossed over the line.

That vignette is one of many involving the ups and downs of this country's battle with racism in "Number One in America." The title came from shared lunchtimes with the restaurant's hostess, an African-American woman. She spoke of how when she was growing up her girlfriends would classify their dates by the shade of their skin, with a number one meaning they were going out with a white guy.

Nowadays Massengill is moving to include more stories in his performances, inspired by folks like Rosalie Sorrels and Utah Phillips. He describes his approach as very relaxed, relying mostly on true stories about family and friends, polished up for the stage.

His pal Edsel Martin is the subject of many of these tales. Edsel is a Cherokee, a famed woodcarver and maker of dulcimers, whose work is in the Smithsonian. Despite all his distinctions, Edsel is too busy pulling your leg to put on airs, according to Massengill. "Edsel and the Liar's Club" or "Edsel and Socrates" are two of the stories Massengill likes to tell on his pal.

What made Massengill choose the dulcimer? That's another good story. Back in his college days he took a year off to work for the McGovern campaign. When it was over he'd lost an election and a girlfriend from being away so long.

In trying to figure something to take his mind off this heartbreak, he hit upon the dulcimer his mother had bought some years ago. He developed his unique finger-picked, standing style of playing to allow him to wander in the woods and play at the same time.

When he'd gotten five or six songs under his belt he figured it was time to head for New York. There he planned to take the town by storm and renew a long-distance relationship he had with Lisi Tribble. Y'know how projects always take more time than you figured? The Return is record number two for Massengill and he and Lisi were married last summer.

David Massengill, Sunday, March 1, Cherry Tree Music Co-op, 3916 Locust Walk, 386-1640.