Elizabeth cotton wrote this song when she was just 12 years old. She grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, near a railroad track, and spent countless hours playing her older brother’s banjo. When she was old enough to work, she saved her money and bought her first guitar, a Stella. Left handed, she played the guitar “upside down” (just like Jimi Hendrix). Combining elements of ragtime and country blues, she grew up to develop a style of syncopated fingerpicking that has influenced some of the most loved guitar players of the last 50 years, including John Fahey and Jerry Garcia. Her songs and her recordings are essential, among the most cherished, most significant, and most inspiring music we know. She’s a great banjo player too! There’s a beautiful recording of her song “Shake Sugartree” featuring her granddaughter singing. It’s a huge hit in our family.