There’s no place like home.
For Charles Wesley Godwin, home is in the mountains of West Virginia. And when he and his wife moved to the midwest, he found himself longing for the Mountain State.
It was that time away from home that served as the inspiration for “Temporary Town,” the latest single from his upcoming sophomore album How The Mighty Fall.
“There’s a tide turning in this temporary town
Winds of change cut east
Blowing dust up off the ground
I’m all burnt out on heartland skies
Dreams of swinging on our porch
Gandering ridgelines”
But more than just being back in the state he calls home, Charles also wanted a house to make a home for himself and his wife:
“I can picture it now
A white house in a clearing
Humming a bluebird’s song
‘Til the days we’re hard of hearin’
Ancient blue ridges are just like big ol’ fences
Shelter from the world
Keeping senseless at a distance”
Well luckily, Charles did manage to find his way home and he’s once again living back in the Mountain State with his wife and their son – and yes, their own house to call home.
It’s the mountains of West Virginia that served as the setting for much of his first album, Seneca. But for How the Mighty Fall, Charles said he tried to get his inspiration from outside the borders of his home state too:
“I try to write with a sense of place. Up until now, that setting has always been my home, but I don’t think this new album is as locally-focused as my previous release. I hope these songs will connect with people wherever they live.”
But as we see on “Temporary Town,” it’s hard to completely leave West Virginia behind.
And as someone who’s from West Virginia and moved away myself, I completely understand how strong the pull of those mountains can be when you leave.
