“Ex-Farm Family, now on WPA.” Photo credit: Dorothea Lange. Farm Security Administration, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library Archives. In regard to “Fair Ellender” – the subject of this blog’s first post – I suggested that the Brown Girl’s murderous act … Continue reading →
“None recover, they are just replaced.” – Robert Hunter, 1995 Note: This is Part 3 of a three part series. See also Part 1 and Part 2. Introduction At the free concert at Altamont Speedway on December 6, 1969, an eighteen … Continue reading →
The last 10 minutes of the 1939 version of Of Mice and Men Note: this is Part 2 of a three part series. See also Part 1 and Part 3. Introduction Bob Weir’s revelation that John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and … Continue reading →
Note: this is Part 1 of a three part series. See also Part 2, and Part 3. Introduction “We can share the women, we can share the wine. We can share what we got of yours, ‘cos we done shared … Continue reading →
The Lass of Loch Royal As Hamish Henderson noted in the link we discussed in the post that started this week with the deception May Margaret’s mother perpetrates on Willie matches that found in “Lord Gregory” (lyrics) or “The Lass of … Continue reading →
River Clyde, near Abington Drawn into the Clyde Water My introduction to “Drowned Lovers” began with hearing a spare bit of guitar playing, opening up with regular, almost transmitter-like pulses as the tenth track on Kate Rusby‘s solo debut album, … Continue reading →
The River Clyde “Mother’s Malison” (Child 216) If the first song discussed in this blog was about the potentially dire consequences of following the counsel of one’s parents instead of the counsel of one’s heart, this week we’ll show just how … Continue reading →
The Last Judgment by Jean Cousin The Man Comes Around This will be a relatively short post. Also, I’ll offer apologies to our loyal readers who may have seen some of what I’m about to discuss in comments to an earlier … Continue reading →
Mary Magdalene in the Grotto, by Jules-Joseph Lefebvre The Ballad of Mary Magdalene This one is perhaps the biggest stretch, but as you may have noticed before, I’m interested in how artists tell stories around a central, more well-known story. … Continue reading →
Woody Guthrie Working Class Hero Less graphically than “On a Hill Lone and Gray,” Woody Guthrie provides his own rendering of the Jesus story. In this one, the multitude is still implicated, but in a slightly different way; and, the … Continue reading →
