Murderers, Gunslingers, Outlaws, & Prison Songs

[Ghost of Electricity]

I actually own the Anthology of American Folk Music as a result of a project I did while an American Studies graduate student. I'd be lying if I claimed it was something I listen to with any frequency.

 

 

 

Your loss. The origins of everything are in there. I'm particularly fond of the notes, which give Harry Smith the opportunity to write sentences like "Zoologic Miscegeny Achieved."

[marino13]

Most definitely "Decoration Day" by Drive By Truckers. A song about two feuding families knocking each other off.

 

 

 

It’s Decoration Day.

And I’ve a mind to roll a stone on his grave.

But what would he say.

“Keeping me down, boy, won’t keep me away”.

 

It’s Decoration Day.

And I knew the Hill Boys would put us away,

but my Daddy wasn’t afraid.

He said “We’ll fight till the last Lawson’s last living day”

 

I never knew how it all got started

a problem with Holland before we were born

and I don’t know the name of that boy we tied down

and beat till he just couldn’t walk anymore.

But I know the caliber in Daddy’s chest

and I know what Holland Hill drives.

The state let him go, but I guess it was best

cause nobody needs all us Lawsons alive.

 

Daddy said one of the boys had come by

the Lumber Man’s favorite son.

He said, “Beat him real good but don’t dare let him die

and if you see Holland Hill run.

Now I said, “they ain’t give us trouble no more

that we ain’t brought down on ourselves”

But a chain on my back and my ear to the floor

and I’ll send all the Hill Boys to hell.

 

It’s Decoration Day

and I’ve got a family in Mobile Bay

and they’ve never seen my Daddy’s grave.

But that don’t bother me, it ain’t marked anyway.

Cause I got dead brothers in Lauderdale south

and I got dead brothers in east Tennessee.

My Daddy got shot right in front of his house

he had noone to fall on but me.

 

It’s Decoration Day

and I’ve got a mind to go spit on his grave.

If I was a Hill, I’d have put him away

and I’d fight till the last Lawson’s last living day.

I’d fight till the last Lawson’s last living day.

I’d fight till the last Lawson’s last living day.

[LouieB]

Gypsy Davy - countless versions including Woody Guthrie and Dave Alvin (a good one.) (and somewhat the source of Vincent Black Lightening...)

I fought the Law - Bobby Fuller 4 plus many others or did someone mention that.

Check out Blood in My Eyes on Dylan's World Gone Wrong or the original by Mississippi Sheiks

Other stuff that is appropriate on that album too.

 

I love this place...first I benignly suggest that the mix taper look to older material (pre-1960s) (much of which is the source later material anyway) and then someone rips me for suggesting that and then someone rips someone else for never listening to this type of material.

 

Can't we all just get along? Murder ballads, outlaw songs, prison laments, etc are some of the oldest songs ever written.

Such material as Delia's Gone and Frankie and Johnny and Pretty Polly and Stakerlee (Stagger Lee, etc. etc. you could do a whole mix tape of this alone...Wiki) have been sung by countless singers.

 

LouieB

[CortezTheKiller]

I love this place...first I benignly suggest that the mix taper look to older material (pre-1960s) (much of which is the source later material anyway) and then someone rips me for suggesting that and then someone rips someone else for never listening to this type of material.

 

Can't we all just get along? Murder ballads, outlaw songs, prison laments, etc are some of the oldest songs ever written.

Such material as Delia's Gone and Frankie and Johnny and Pretty Polly and Stakerlee (Stagger Lee, etc. etc. you could do a whole mix tape of this alone...Wiki) have been sung by countless singers.

 

LouieB

I would hardly qualify either responses as "ripings." In fact, I agreed with your suggestion that the 20's/30's is a more fertile time period for such songs. I read your response of "you are going to have to get out of the 1960s to present" as saying they weren't enough songs from a quantity and/or quality standpoint to make a compilation on the subject. Covers aside, that is the part I disagree with. While not as celebrated, well-known, and/or covered as some of the pre-60's classics, there are a lot of originals since the 60's that satisfy the criteria of the request.

 

I wasn't offended at all by Ghost's comment about it being my loss. I own the box set. I've listened to it on more than one occasion. I understand the historical significance of it and how it has shaped and influenced the music of many modern-day troubadours. I just don't find myself possessing a strong desire to listen to it myself. Personally, I do not feel as if I'm losing anything.

[Ghost of Electricity]

I would hardly qualify either responses as "ripings." In fact, I agreed with your suggestion that the 20's/30's is a more fertile time period for such songs. I read your response of "you are going to have to get out of the 1960s to present" as saying they weren't enough songs from a quantity and/or quality standpoint to make a compilation on the subject. Covers aside, that is the part I disagree with. While not as celebrated, well-known, and/or covered as some of the pre-60's classics, there are a lot of originals since the 60's that satisfy the criteria of the request.

 

I wasn't offended at all by Ghost's comment about it being my loss. I own the box set. I've listened to it on more than one occasion. I understand the historical significance of it and how it has shaped and influenced the music of many modern-day troubadours. I just don't find myself possessing a strong desire to listen to it myself. Personally, I do not feel as if I'm losing anything.

I don't listen to it myself everyday either, but everytime I do listen to it I'm glad I did.

 

An almost related anectdote: About two years ago I started playing in a band; the singer/frontman is as much a Beck fanatic as I am a Wilco fanatic. One of the songs in the repetoirehe would always announce as a Beck cover, but when I learned it bells were ringing that weren't Becl bells, so I went into my collection of old time music ans sure enough, it was an old Carter Family song. (though actually not one of the Carter Family songs on the Anthology).

 

When you start looking, you can find theses sort of connections: Bob Dylan has done a version of King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ky Me Oh and Maggie's Farm is based on an something in the Antholgsogy. As is Drunkard's Special, which shows up later done byh Sonny Williamson (if I remember correctly.) Some of these song geneologies are well documented, some aren't. A couple of times I've discovered them by listening (as opposed to reading) and that is pretty exciting.

 

which is not to say that the songs that aren't worthwhile in their own right, they are (in my humble opinion). For example, the one about the farmer whose wife is taken away by the devil. Much to his chagrin, though, he later brings he back and says something to the effect of "no way man you can keep her."

 

Anyway, didn't mean to rip on anyone, just wanted to make a recommendation.

[KevinG]

Get Myself Arrested - Gomez

Trials and Tribulations - Cracker

The Killer - Twilight Singers

Dirty Knife - Neko Case

Fantastic Mr. Fox (aka Petey's Song) - Jarvis Cocker

True Dream of Wichita - Soul Coughing

[LouieB]

Did I say "On a Monday" by Ledbelly? It think I did. Both Arlo and Ry Cooder did good versions.

 

The fun part of putting together a mix like this is going back to the source material and finding the original or closer to original versions. The Kingston Trio didn't probably know anyone who murdered someone (Hang down your head Tom Dooley), but Grayson and Whitter may have and they certainly were around when the Tom Dula story was all the talk of Wilkes County and that part of North Carolina. Likewise it is fun to listen to the Anthology to find where alot of the more staid and sophisitcated versions of well known folk songs came from. Knowing Dylan borrowed liberally from Penny's Farm for Maggies Farm, gives the newer song that much more meaning.

 

LouieB

[howdjadoo]

[howdjadoo]

Patterson Hood - Killers & Stars - The Assassin

Patterson Hood - Murdering Oscar