Here I was thinkin' that the lyrics were talkin' about shine. You know... lightnin. I've never been a moonshiner but I've seen some stills. Didn't they used to fire these up with wood and wasn't it also necessary to have a smokestack?

Depending upon what you used to make your shine, I imagine that it could both "look" just like gold and of course, perhaps be as valuable as gold or at least a prime source of revenue, liquid gold for the maker. Drinkers of the illegal stuff could have troubles that might extend to beyond the unlawful act of making it, to troubles at home. The act was something that had to be done away from prying eyes, often in rural wooded locations and the process would necessitate the maker being away from home and away from loved ones for long periods of time in order to complete the work. Part of the process was also taste testing the finished product, no doubt for quality control. That act might make for long nights of howling and singin' the blues about being lonely and expressing one's suspicions about what might be going on at home while away.

These are just my musings about this subject and have no basis in any verifiable facts.