Cain
“Cain and Abel,” by Titian When I wrote last year about Jesus and the murder ballad, I thought I would finish that week by looking back to other Biblical stories that also provided symbols for music in this genre. I … Continue reading →
And his mama cries: In the Ghetto
Elvis Presley, 1970 In considering Chris Smither’s song “Every Mother’s Son” in preparation for this week’s first post, I kept being drawn to the contrast between it and Elvis Presley’s blockbuster “In the Ghetto.” The two songs appeared within three … Continue reading →
Every Mother’s Son
Chris Smither I envisioned our December break as a chance for me to dip into some other interests and, perhaps, generate some new ideas for the blog through unrelated reading. It hasn’t exactly worked out that way. I pay attention … Continue reading →
Re-ragged in Red
This is the third part of a three part series. See also Part 1 and Part 2. Introduction – “re-ragged in red…” In our first post this week, we looked at the historical event, the murder of Patrolman James Brady … Continue reading →
Twinkle, twinkle, little star…
This is the second part of a three part series. See also Part 1 and Part 3. Introduction In my first post this week, I introduced the bad man ballad “Duncan and Brady” and explored the historical origin of the song. We saw, … Continue reading →
“Duncan and Brady” / “Been on the Job Too Long”
This is the first part of a three part series. See also Part 2 and Part 3. Introduction When I first moved to the Berkshires in 1992, I was in my early 20’s and my knowledge of American folk music extended only a … Continue reading →
The Killing Type
When Ken asked me if I’d be interested in participating in this conversation I was thrilled – there are so many songs, so many questions, and so many half-baked theories, that this blog provokes. A big one is “why do … Continue reading →
On the lam
Scene from The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Greetings, faithful Murder Ballad Monday readers! Greetings, completely new readers who have just stumbled on to the blog! We are now on a temporary hiatus. It’s time to let the field lie fallow. It’s time … Continue reading →
“He’s dressed himself in silk so rare.”
Tim Eriksen – from his Facebook fan page Our initial post this week took up the first of our two goals; to look more closely at Tim Eriksen‘s work and place it in the context of how we experience murder … Continue reading →
“Tim Eriksen – Sowing a Silken Seam”
Tim Eriksen – hardcore americana This week at Murder Ballad Monday will be a mix of celebration and reflection, with a bit of correction thrown in for balance.Celebration? Quite simply, we’re still here and still finding plenty to write about even after … Continue reading →