- Hidden deep beneath the Cumberland Mountains in Grundy County, Tennessee lies one of the world's most magical, musical adventures, the Caverns Sessions.

Three million years in the making, pure acoustics offer music from the heart of the American experience, center stage and deep inside the mountain.

This time welcoming, Big Richard.

♪ When the road runs out ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ - It's deep down sound in The Caverns.

Coming up next!

(cheering and applauding) (upbeat bluegrass music) ♪ At first the world was fire burning hot and fast and dry ♪ ♪ Oh we watched the land go hotter ♪ ♪ Ashes fell down from the sky ♪ ♪ Then we watched the forest blacken ♪ ♪ And we cried out and prayed for rain ♪ ♪ Oh but the wind it just blew stronger ♪ ♪ All around us burning flames ♪ ♪ However big ♪ ♪ However strong you're gonna build it ♪ ♪ Someday it's gonna fall ♪ ♪ No matter how big ♪ ♪ No matter how strong you can build it ♪ ♪ Someday it's gonna fall ♪ (upbeat bluegrass music) (upbeat bluegrass music) ♪ And then the rain it started ♪ ♪ And our world came pouring down ♪ ♪ We packed our things we spread our wings ♪ ♪ And we head for higher ground ♪ ♪ It washed away so much we love we're left standing here ♪ ♪ All of this broken land made new again ♪ ♪ The water washed it clear ♪ ♪ However big ♪ ♪ however strong you're gonna build it ♪ ♪ Someday day it's gonna fall ♪ ♪ No matter how big ♪ ♪ No matter how strong you can build it ♪ ♪ Someday it's gonna fall ♪ (upbeat bluegrass music) (upbeat bluegrass music) ♪ Our air has turned to poison and our water catches flame ♪ ♪ You know we're blowing out the ground ♪ ♪ Under our beds in which we lay ♪ ♪ We are digging holes we'll never fill ♪ ♪ The ground shakes to protest ♪ ♪ But we just close our minds and eyes and ears ♪ ♪ There ain't no stopping progress ♪ ♪ However big ♪ ♪ However strong you're gonna build it ♪ ♪ Someday it's gonna fall ♪ ♪ No matter how big ♪ ♪ No matter how strong you can build it ♪ ♪ Someday it's gonna fall ♪ ♪ However big ♪ ♪ However strong ♪ ♪ Well you can build it ♪ ♪ But someday it's gonna fall ♪ ♪ No matter how big ♪ ♪ No matter how strong you can build it ♪ ♪ But someday ♪ ♪ Someday, someday, someday ♪ ♪ Someday... ♪ ♪ Don't you know it's gonna fall ♪ (upbeat bluegrass music) (upbeat bluegrass music) (cheering and applauding) - That's Bonnie Sims playing mandolin for you.

She wrote both of those tunes.

(audience cheering) You put Big Richard in a cave and crazy stuff's gonna happen.

(gentle bluegrass music) ♪ When the fish don't bite ♪ ♪ When the creek runs dry ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ (gentle bluegrass music) (gentle bluegrass music) ♪ The flowers are all faded now the birds don't sing a tune ♪ ♪ You never heard their song ♪ ♪ 'Til it was right in front of you ♪ ♪ All the truth and all the lies ♪ ♪ Are written clearly in the sky ♪ ♪ Signs you couldn't read through your half closed eyes ♪ ♪ No, no, no ♪ ♪ When the fish don't bite ♪ (When the fish don't bite) ♪ ♪ When the creek runs dry (When the creek runs dry) ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ ♪ When the lights go down (When the lights go down) ♪ ♪ When the road runs out ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ (upbeat bluegrass music) (upbeat bluegrass music) ♪ It's getting hard to breathe ♪ ♪ When you're choking on the past ♪ ♪ And nothing that we build these days is made to last ♪ ♪ The water will not wash you clean ♪ ♪ The veins that you bled dry ♪ ♪ You've taken all I have to give ♪ ♪ And you're still not satisfied ♪ ♪ No, no... ♪ ♪ When the fish don't bite (When the fish don't bite) ♪ ♪ When the creek runs dry (When the creek runs dry) ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ ♪ When the lights go down (When the lights go down) ♪ ♪ When the road runs out ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore... ♪ ♪ Past the point of no return ♪ ♪ We watch the fire burn... ♪ ♪ Past the point of no return ♪ ♪ We watch the fire burn... ♪ (upbeat bluegrass music) (upbeat bluegrass music) ♪ When the fish don't bite (When the fish don't bite) ♪ ♪ When the creek runs dry (When the creek runs dry) ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ ♪ When the lights go down (When the lights go down) ♪ ♪ When the road runs out ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ ♪ When the fish don't bite ♪ ♪ When the fish don't bite ♪ ♪ When the creek runs dry ♪ ♪ Oh when the creek runs dry ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ ♪ When the lights go down (When the lights go down) ♪ ♪ When the roads runs out ♪ ♪ You don't come this way now anymore ♪ (upbeat bluegrass music) (upbeat bluegrass music) ♪ You don't come this way now anymore... ♪ (cheering and applauding) - My favorite part about co-writing is I always learn something.

I got to learn about something called the missing stair theory.

Has anyone ever heard of that?

So the missing stair theory is the idea that if you have a staircase and there's a missing stair, and you're walking down it, and you know that stair is missing you're fine, you just step over it, but if you don't know that stair is missing what you have is a really dangerous staircase.

So it takes that philosophy and applies it to human relationships.

And why as humans, and especially as women in this world, when we encounter someone who makes us feel unsafe, we usually tend to change our own behavior to get around that person.

And this song just asks the question why.

It's called, "The Missing Stair."

(audience applauding) (gentle bluegrass music) ♪ End of the hallway ♪ ♪ Door on the left ♪ ♪ In the darkness don't forget to skip a step ♪ ♪ Down in the basement ♪ ♪ There is a hole ♪ ♪ And they won't fix it though it's claimed so many souls ♪ ♪ So we whisper ♪ ♪ So we warn ♪ ♪ So we won't burn down the house where we were born ♪ ♪ Is a monster hidden there ♪ ♪ Tell me why won't we repair the missing stair ♪ ♪ Walking on eggshells ♪ ♪ Walking away ♪ ♪ Always so careful with the words I choose to say ♪ ♪ Here in the lamplight ♪ ♪ Everything glows ♪ ♪ Blurring the lines between the lies and what I know ♪ ♪ So we whisper ♪ ♪ So we warn ♪ ♪ So we won't burn down the house where we were born ♪ ♪ Is a monster hidden there ♪ ♪ Tell me why won't we repair the missing stair ♪ ♪ The missing stair ♪ ♪ The missing stair ♪ ♪ Oh the missing stair ♪ ♪ The missing stair ♪ ♪ Oh the missing stair ♪ ♪ The missing stair ♪ ♪ Tell me why won't we repair the missing stair ♪ (gentle bluegrass music) (gentle bluegrass music) ♪ Could have done something ♪ ♪ You know I should have done more ♪ ♪ But I didn't see you when you opened up that door ♪ ♪ And they're gonna blame you ♪ ♪ For breaking your bones ♪ ♪ They're gonna call it gravity ♪ ♪ While casting all their stones ♪ ♪ Still we whisper ♪ ♪ Still we warn ♪ ♪ 'Cause we can't burn down the house where we were born ♪ ♪ We made a monster and hid him there ♪ ♪ Tell me why won't we repair the missing stair ♪ ♪ The missing stair ♪ ♪ Oh the missing stair... ♪ ♪ The missing stair... ♪ ♪ Oh the missing stair... ♪ ♪ The missing stair... ♪ ♪ Tell me why won't we repair the missing stair ♪ (cheering and applauding) (gentle folk music) (gentle folk music) (upbeat folk music) (upbeat folk music) (cheering and applauding) - We're called Big Richard from Colorado.

We have one more song for you.

Thank you so much for having us.

This is amazing!

(cheering and applauding) (uptempo bluegrass music) (uptempo bluegrass music) ♪ I don't drink and I don't smoke ♪ ♪ And I don't wear no greasy coat... ♪ ♪ I don't spit and I don't chew ♪ ♪ And I don't go with the boys that do... ♪ (uptempo bluegrass music) ♪ I love my ma and I love my pa ♪ ♪ And I love that boy from Arkansas... ♪ ♪ A man and a woman deep in love ♪ ♪ Ain't got no use for the sheepskin glove... ♪ (uptempo bluegrass music) (uptempo bluegrass music) ♪ I don't cheat and I don't lie ♪ ♪ I'll get to heaven when I die... ♪ ♪ I don't kiss and I don't tell ♪ ♪ And all you sinners can go to hell... ♪ (uptempo bluegrass music) ♪ Tell the preacher tell the pope ♪ ♪ That I don't wear no greasy coat... ♪ (uptempo bluegrass music) (uptempo bluegrass music) (cheering and applauding) (cheering and applauding) ♪ ♪