Listening Long and Late

The Beginning of Country Music

25 the beginning of CoUntry MUsiC Aimari the Bird came singing and entered the tree and became its pith and the tree filled with music and Cedar Cedar sang —Huichol song God was playing his fiddle in the shade of the garden, practicing the hymns he’d written in praise of himself. “Here,” he said to Adam, “I’m tired. You play it a while.” Adam rosined the bow, put his ear to the Great Tree that grew in the center of the garden and he listened. He tried a little seven note figure with a trill. Listened. Fiddled it again, louder. And Mockingbird came singing from the Tree and entered the fiddle. Adam kept on playing, and Gold Finch came singing, Oriole and Lark-o-the-Morn singing, Turtle Dove and Cluck Old Hen, and came singing Wood Thrush and Warbler, shy Pipit and evening Whip-poor-will. The Tree began to thrash its leaves 26 as if a great wind was rising. Over by the roses, God was stamping his feet, shaking his head No! No! at Adam. Adam began to sweat. He shuffled the bow a little faster, didn’t know how to stop now, so he shuffled the bow a little faster. Smoke began to curl up from the strings. O Lord! Adam cried. And Hot Canary came singing from the Tree and Weather Bird, Yard Bird, the Midnight Cockalorum and the Naked Jay Bird, the Tree was billowing and tugging like a high green sail. Oh there came Eve, running across the grass, a strange light being born in her eyes! God stood by the gate, gnashing his terrible teeth. ...