The Ballad of Louis Redmond was written and performed by John Jump
The Ballad of Louis Redmond is the true story of the "King of the Bootleggers". Redmond lived in Oconee County, SC in the foothills of the Smokies. While I was staying in Oconee county I researched his life and times. Redmond was tirelessly hunted by government hired thugs recently out of jail called revenuers. Their job was to collect "back taxes" on the dirt farmers of the area ostensibly to seize their property and place it under ownership of corrupt officials. It was thievery. Louis resisted and began selling his Shine all over the mountains to provide for his family. Countless attempts to capture him failed and he was, ironically, eventually hired by the government to produce "legal" whiskey in a government owned distillery. His whiskey being better than they could produce. I figured that a man with the title of "The King of the Bootleggers" deserved a song written about him. This is my attempt at that memorial.
Lyrics
The Ballad Of Louis Redmond...written by John Jump
The name is Louis Redmond, Carolina is my home.
My family was put out for back taxes on our home.
Damn revenuers, just thieves out of jail,
Come down to kill my parents
Just to steal their very home.
Chorus:
But you’ll not catch me live, not while my legs can move.
I am Louis Redmond, the outlaw bootleg man.
Your revenuer men may come and go, no one will recall their name.
For I am Louis Redmond, I do not live in shame.
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One fitful day in Oconee deputy marshal come on down.
To take me by the collar just to march me into town.
He wasn’t just kiddin’ he wasn’t makin’ no fun.
And he talked to me most rudely and he tried to pull his gun.
But I was surely faster, and I was not undone.
I put a slug right through his throat and left him to die out there is the sun.
Chorus:
But you’ll not catch me live, not while my legs can move.
I am Louis Redmond, the outlaw bootleg man.
Your revenuer men may come and go, you’ll not recall their name.
For I am Louis Redmond.
...mark it down
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I ain’t the only one in this county put out by these revenuer scum.
Outlanders and mineral buyers stole all that we own.
So we take to sellin’ shine and we we bootleg wheres we can.
We live in the caves and cabins of our friends back in the hills.
Come all you desperate family men put out by the lawless creed.
Come join our band of brothers.
Come join us, we aim to take back what is rightfully ours.
Chorus:
But you’ll not catch me live, not while my legs can move.
I am Louis Redmond, the outlaw bootleg man.
Your revenuer men may come and go, no one will recall their name.
For the name of Louis Redmond, shall be an eternal flame.
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You thought you could lure me out, kill me, send me to my grave.
You got me out in the open by sending in a friend.
The fire leapt out from your pistol, you cut me to the ground.
You left me for dead there dyin’, but I am not done yet.
Chorus:
But you’ll not catch me live, not while my legs can move.
I am Louis Redmond, the outlaw bootleg man.
Your revenuer men may come and go, no one will recall their name.
For I am Louis Redmond, I do not live in shame.
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The name is Louis Redmond, Carolina is my home.
My family was put out for back taxes on our home.