Roots Music Report

Credits:

Lyrics

“The Shepherd and The Star” draws its spirit from the rugged faith of Appalachia and the Scots-Irish heritage that shaped so much of Eastern Kentucky’s story.

In Scripture, shepherds were the poorest of the poor—outsiders, laborers, men with hard pasts who lived closer to danger than comfort.

That truth echoes deeply in the mountains, where generations of farmers, miners, and wanderers carried their scars but held fast to hope.

This song imagines one such man: an outlaw-turned-shepherd whose life mirrors the grit and redemption found in Bluegrass music itself.

Like many Appalachian tales, it honors imperfect men—those who’ve stumbled, fought, survived, and still look heavenward for meaning.

When the Star of Bethlehem splits the night, even this rough-cut soul is called to witness the birth of Christ.

The heart of the song is simple and timeless: God chooses the unlikely. From the hills of Judea to the hollers of Eastern Kentucky, grace reaches those the world overlooks.

In that way, the shepherd’s story becomes every mountain man’s story—proof that the true meaning of Christmas is mercy, redemption, and the light that still calls to us across the dark.” – Marty Falle November 2025

“The Shepherd and The Star” (words and music by Marty Falle)

Verse 1

Cold wind bit my ragged coat, out on the stony plains,
A thief once / now tending’ lambs, to pay for my old stains.
The moon hung like a silver coin, the sheep all laying’ still,
I kept one eye for wolves and men, and one upon that hill.

Verse 2

I’d fought off wolves and Roman blades, I’d robbed to keep alive,
The lawmen said I’d lost my soul, but somehow, I’d survived.
Then fire from the heavens burned the dark right off my name,
And voices cried, “Fear not, my son, the world won’t stay the same!”

Pre - Chorus

And the sky split open like thunder rolling’ free,
I braced for wrath and ruin, but the Lord looked down on me.”
Then GOD CHOSE ME! God Chose me. God Chose Me

Bridge

I ran through thorns and desert stone, my heart near burst with grace,
I found that child in swaddling’ cloth, His mother’s tear-streaked face.
The air stood still, the stars leaned close, the cattle bowed their heads
And every lie I’d ever told lay silent, cold, and dead……Dead……

Verse 3

Now I ain’t rich nor righteous yet, I still walk rough and scarred,
But mercy took this outlaw’s hand and carved a shepherd’s heart.
Each time the winter wind blows cold, I think of that bright flame,
How God looked down on men like me and loved us just the same.

GOD CHOSE ME! God Chose me. God Chose Me