Todayâs post is an âInterludeâ post, because we take a break from our normal cycle of exploring individual songs or song themes, and take a look at related works of art in other performance media. Although todayâs post involves a … Continue reading →
The title for today’s post comes from a line in Eric Taylor’s “Deadwood,” the third song we’ll explore. New songs about old stories I have been helped before by poet Meena Alexander‘s notion that poetry reconciles us to the world. It does not make … Continue reading →
We thought it might be fun this week to share with you some of why we do what we do in this blog. Â Each of the writers here has their own story about hearing their first murder ballad. Each of … Continue reading →
My favorite memories of being a parent involve the days when nothing happens. When weâre just laying around doing nothing but basking in each other’s joy and love. – Patterson Hood I donât believe sorry is strong enough. None of … Continue reading →
A Sharp Turn A girl. A daughter, a sister, a lover. A prostitute. Ruby lips. Thin, delicate, pretty. Big feet. A fat girl. A clutz, a clod, a chub. A drunk girl. Drowned, lost, forgotten, betrayed. A dead girl. A … Continue reading →
 Villainy on the Lowland Sea The ship was in a fix. Overtaken by an enemy galley, the captain looked for options to set her free. The cabin boy, at 15 the youngest member of the crew, offers to swim over to … Continue reading →
You can almost smell the coffee. Itâs morning, you’ve just pulled up a gravel road to sit at a kitchen table and listen to your friend June Carter Cash, or to your friend Wanda Jackson. Youâre here to listen to … Continue reading →
On this blog, we often play detective. In fact, thatâs pretty much all we do, and this post is no different, but Iâm going to start by turning the tables. What, if anything, do you make of these fragments?: A … Continue reading →
âFatal Flower Garden,â recorded in 1929 by Nelstoneâs Hawaiians, is only the second of eighty-four songs on Harry Smithâs epochal Anthology of American Folk Music – a collection justly celebrated in some macabre corners (mine, for instance) for its songs … Continue reading →
Prelude: Battle for the Charts, Battle of the Sexes In 1966, Cher released âBang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down),â her biggest solo hit of the 1960s and her first to make the top ten on Billboardâs Hot 100 – … Continue reading →
