When Thomas Fox Averill first heard Jimmy Driftwood's ballad Tennessee Stud, he found the song hauntingly compelling. As he began to imagine the story behind the lyrics, he set out to research the song's history. Travelling the same route the song chronicles, from Tennessee into Arkansas, through Texas and into Mexico, Averill visited racetracks, Spanish missions, historical museums, a living history farm, and national parks, inventing characters of his own along the way.