Jack Straw
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 →
My heart it lies on him, it will not remove
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 →
April, May (Margaret), and June
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 →
Mother’s Malison/Clyde Water/Drowned Lovers
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 quick and the dead
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 →
Why on earth did I ever let him go?
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 →
They would lay Jesus Christ in his grave
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 →
“On a Hill Lone and Gray”: Jesus and the murder ballad, pt. 1
Golgotha Jesus and the Murder Ballad This week we’re going to take a small detour from the traditional murder ballad. Shaleane’s post on Nick Cave’s “The Mercy Seat” prompted me to consider just how frequently and in what guises Jesus figures … Continue reading →
NERFA to Host Two One-Day Mini-Conferences This Spring
Because of the success of the first one-day mini-conference which drew more than 175 people in Massachusetts last April, the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) is set to host two more conferences in Bethesda, MD and Boston, MA on May … Continue reading →
God Make You Safe and Free
Romeo and Juliet – Sir Frank Dicksee, 1884 Note: This is Part 3 of a three part series. See also Part 1 and Part 2. Introduction What is it about this week’s song, “Matty Groves”, that attracts us so? (If you’re … Continue reading →