Last Sunday I went to see the resident band Hares on the Mountain play at Dan’s Silverleaf and I was impressed with the band’s energy and sound. But more than that, being the total literature nerd that I am, I was blown away by the lyrics they sang. Storytelling seemed to be at the core of their music and they brought the bard tradition to life. So I sat down with front man George Neal to talk about lyrics—about the musician as a poet. We talked about lyrics in general, but focused in on one song, Matilda Jones, and here’s what the troubadour had to say: