Introduction
Welcome to the home of original Pennsylvania Bluegrass music and folk songs by Lannie Dietle. These tracks capture the heart of rural western Pennsylvania life — such as hunting stories, river adventure, small-town memories, and heartfelt tributes — inspired by real people and events in the hills and mountains of the Keystone State.
The stories that inspired many of these songs are included in the book "In the Land of Used to Be." After writing the lyrics, Lannie created the songs using digital music production techniques so you can feel the energy of traditional Bluegrass picking & fiddling mixed with intriguing folk storytelling.
Instructions
Birds of a feather
More About the Music
About the Artist
Lannie Dietle writes and records original Bluegrass music and folk songs drawn straight from real life in the hills and hollows of the Keystone State. Born in Kentucky and raised in Mercer and Somerset Counties of Pennsylvania, Lannie turns personal memories, family stories, and local history into heartfelt Bluegrass tracks and traditional folk tunes. From hunting rabbits and chasing escaped hogs to runaway trucks on Wellersburg Mountain, the raging floodwaters of the Little Shenango River, and solemn tributes to American combat veterans, every song is rooted in true events. Many of the stories behind these original Bluegrass songs and folk pieces appear in his 2024 memoir "In the Land of Used to Be." After writing the lyrics, Lannie brings them to life using digital music production techniques that capture the drive of classic Bluegrass picking and the storytelling warmth of folk music.
Whether you're looking for nostalgic Pennsylvania folk songs about farm life and first jobs or high-energy Bluegrass tunes about motorcycle wrecks and fast cars, Lannie's music celebrates the people, places, and spirit of western Pennsylvania. Read the free lyrics, and click any album cover to listen to and download the song tracks.
Lannie Dietle — keeping western Pennsylvania stories alive through his books and his original Bluegrass and folk music storytelling!
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This is the complete collection of Lannie's Bluegrass and folk songs, each with free streaming, downloads, and lyrics. To play a song, click on one of the cover artwork images below. On computers, a menu allows free downloading so you can add the songs to your music library.
This lively Bluegrass song is about Lannie's life as a hunting dog in the 1950s. (Lyrics)
Ham on the run
This energetic Bluegrass song was inspired by the day Lannie and his cousin were searching for an escaped sow and her wild litter of piglets. (Lyrics)
Take time when it comes
This fast-paced Bluegrass song is about Lannie's first paying job, as a youngster. Victor Marburger, the neighbor who paid Lannie to drive his tractor to bale hay at the age of six, is featured on the cover artwork. (Lyrics)
Kidd's Mills Road
This high energy Bluegrass song is about a 1970s motorcycle accident that catapulted Lannie through the air. Although the song mentions February, he is not sure what month the accident occurred. (Lyrics)
The Little Shenango
This Bluegrass adventure song tells the story of braving the raging floodwaters of the Little Shenango River in a tiny fiberglass boat that lacked built-in flotation in January of 1975. Lannie knows the story well because he was the individual who tore a small tree out of the ground in a failed attempt to stop the boat. Click here to see a map of the boat ride, which ended in Greenville, Pennsylvania. (Lyrics)
Scaffold Camp Creek
This evocative Bluegrass song was inspired by three things. The first inspiration was a story Lannie's uncle Ralph — a lifelong fishing enthusiast — told him about fishing with a safety pin as a child. The second inspiration was a photo that shows boys fishing with saplings on the Pennsylvania farm where Ralph and his siblings were raised — the photo used for the cover artwork. The third inspiration was knowledge that, as a child, Lannie's father also fished in the creek that passed through the farm. The song title is based on an older name for the creek. (Lyrics)
Walnut Lane
This poignant Bluegrass song is a pastoral elegy about western Pennsylvania. (Lyrics)
Runaway
This Bluegrass runaway truck song is a cautionary tale that was inspired by the various accidents on the steep and winding descent from the crest of Big Savage Mountain on Pennsylvania Route 160. Several versions of the song have been recorded. (Lyrics)
Don Brown is dead
This mournful Bluegrass song was written to memorialize the murder victims of Donald Leroy Brown. The murders took place in western Pennsylvania in late 1966 and early 1967. (Lyrics)
Victor, Wallace, and Katie
This haunting Bluegrass song, which is an instrumental version of "Don Brown is Dead," was created in remembrance of the victims of Donald Leroy Brown: Victor Dillaman, Wallace Brooks Coulson, and Ada "Katie" Lumley.
The invisible car
This playful Bluegrass song is a tribute to the only radar-invisible car Lannie ever owned. (Lyrics)
Almost thirteen
This is a Bluegrass love song, and a testament to how horrible Lannie is at telling stories in person. It was inspired by the day he clumsily tried to explain how far back he and his wife go. He began the story with, "I started dating my second wife when she was just twelve," which drew a disgusted look. What he should have said is they started dating back in 1968, when they were both kids! (Lyrics)
Angels on the wing
This powerful song is the story of how a life was mysteriously spared in a deadly situation. (Lyrics)
Quiet heros
This heartfelt folk song tells the stories of several Pennsylvania and Texas combat veterans, and is meant to honor them and their service. The stories and people are real, but two of the names (Jim & Joe) are pseudonyms. Tom, Phil, and Sam lived in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Jerry and Irving lived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Lannie met Bill, Mr. Green, and "Jim" while living in Texas. (Lyrics)
The Pennsy Aerotrain
This railroading folk song is about watching the Pennsy streamliner passing through the Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, Pennsylvania circa 1956. (Lyrics)
The Painter Cat
This Irish folk-style song was inspired by Lester Korns's youthful encounter with a Panther in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Lannie only knows a few of the details of the encounter, which is described on page 194 of "In the Land of Used to Be." The rest of the lyrics are drawn from his imagination, and knowledge of the area. Click here to see a map of Lester's ride. (Lyrics)
Applejack
This defiant Irish folk-style song was inspired by the homemade liquor Lannie encountered as a teenager in rural 1960s Pennsylvania. (Lyrics)
The 1964 Corvair
This Irish folk-style song is about some of the hair-raising experiences Lannie had with his first car. (Lyrics)
If you love Pennsylvania Bluegrass music or traditional folk songs rooted in real Appalachian and western Pennsylvania history, these original tracks are for you. From nostalgic Bluegrass tunes about rural life and adventures to folk stories honoring local veterans and primitive mountain roads, every song celebrates the people and places that make western Pennsylvania special. All lyrics are available online, and the free downloadable music is yours to keep.
