Who Killed…Cock Robin?
“I, said the Sparrow, with my bow and arrow” Introduction There are at least two things I’m not going to do in today’s post. There are at least two things I am going to do. The first thing I am … Continue reading →
Ken Bigger
Ken Bigger is a writer based in the Midwest. He co-founded Murder Ballad Monday in 2012.
May they all be well
Dave Van Ronk, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, and Chad Mitchell(this photo looks a little off to me, I can’t vouch for its authenticity) As I mentioned in the first post this week, my friend, Cayce, put me up … Continue reading →
Katy Dear
Ian & Sylvia Tyson In this week’s second post, we’re going to give a relatively quick listen to “Katy Dear.” It’s in the same song family as “Silver Dagger,” although with a different focus and a more gruesome end. The … Continue reading →
Silver Dagger
Morning Sun by Edward Hopper (1952) When I meet new people, it’s just a matter of time–sometimes more, sometimes less–before I mention this murder ballad hobby of mine. I recently started a new job. (You may have inferred as much from … Continue reading →
Interlude: Bob Dylan, Voice and Word
Bob Dylan, 1978 “You can do anything with your voice if you put your mind to it. I mean, you can become a ventriloquist or you can become an imitator of other people’s voices. I’m usually just stuck with my own … Continue reading →
“The Ballad of Anne Hathaway”
Portrait by George Romney (not that George Romney) [April 1, 2013] A truly exciting day here at Murder Ballad Monday! A new discovery! William Cullen Bryant Hidden away in an obscure volume of poetry collected by William Cullen Bryant is the seemingly … Continue reading →
Life in Prison
Did you happen to watch the American Masters biography of Haggard that I posted earlier this week? It’s long, so no worries if you didn’t, but Gillian Welch makes an important comment in the interview with her in that documentary.“I’ve … Continue reading →
Let my guitar playing friend do my request
Jerry Garcia I first remember hearing Merle Haggard’s song “Sing Me Back Home,” which we introduced in the previous post, in a cover version performed by Richard Shindell. It’s possible I heard a taped Grateful Dead version before then, but … Continue reading →
Sing Me Back Home
Merle Haggard‘s 1968 hit, “Sing Me Back Home” gives us three chords and the truth about compassion and the power of music. In it, we hear forgiveness and reconciliation, but with an unwavering certainty of outcome. There is clinging to … Continue reading →
He Had It Coming
Wilmoth Houdini As a rough estimate, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan’s performance of “Stone Cold Dead in the Market,” which we introduced in the previous post, appeared at the half-way point in the song’s career thus far. The song originated … Continue reading →