detail from Twa Sisters â quilt by Dan Willig Six months ago, my first post for this blog dealt with the ancient murder ballad âTwo Sistersâ, also known as âWind and Rainâ as well as several other names.  Iâm happy with the … Continue reading →
James Chaneyâs mother, Fannie Lee Chaney, and his brother, Ben Now, having moved through a discussion of a number of musical responses to the Freedom Summer murders, Iâd like to go back to âThoseThree Are On My Mind,â and think … Continue reading →
âThose Three Are On My Mindâ was one of several songs born out of the tragic killings in Neshoba County, Mississippi in the summer of 1964. Â Itâs hard for me to say whether itâs the best known, but was the … Continue reading →
Peteâs Seegerâs musical memoir, The Incompleat Folk Singer, includes the following entry for August 5, 1964. Â I hope heâll pardon me for quoting it in its entirety, but I think it informs our conversation here about music, tragedy, and political … Continue reading →
âSouthern Justice (Murder in Mississippi)â by Norman Rockwell Freedom Summer Next week, June 21st to be exact, will mark the 48th anniversary of the day that civil rights activists Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman were murdered in Mississippi, … Continue reading →
âRed Hair and Black Leatherâ One of the things that Pat explored with âMatty Grovesâ is how such a brutal song managed to endure as a folk favorite down through the ages, partly through itâs ability to provide a compelling … Continue reading →
Richard Thompson. Esq., OBE A Songwriterâs Songwriter Youâll likely note that Iâve been reluctant to dive too deeply into a close reading or textual analysis of RTâs four-verse wonder (Iâm still a little intrigued that in the video I linked … Continue reading →
Red Molly and Tenbrooks So, how does a late 20th century English-style ballad about death and motorcycles become the 2002 International Bluegrass Music Association Song of the Year?  This is how. Dick Bowden, a friend of Del McCoury and his … Continue reading →
The Making of a Modern Classic Like Steve Earle said about picking which song to start with on his tribute album to Townes Van Zandt, youâve got to start by fighting the biggest con on the cell block to make … Continue reading →
Before the Battle aka Lady Affixing a Pennant to a Knightâs Spear â Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal, 1858 We started this week on Memorial Day with a great ballad from the Civil War that works in some ways like a murder … Continue reading →
