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Theme and variations

“Streets of Laredo” presents almost too many minor variations to count, but the essence of the song is fairly constant. Some songwriters add a romantic verse about sending the dying man’s words to his sweetheart. Others heighten the remorse by having the dying cowboy send word to his mother. You can explore the variety through the Spotify playlist below.

Unsurprisingly, “Laredo” finds its way into the repertoire of cowboy singers old (Roy Rogers) and newer (Michael Martin Murphy) as well as country music legends like Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, and Willie Nelson. Johnny Cash recorded the song a few times. The difference between the song’s appearance as a period piece on his Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West, and its appearance in his American recordings is remarkable.

In the second, Cash seems to live inside the song, conveying that he gets it, that he’s convicted by it, and he convinces us as well about a deeper meaning inside the song. Understanding how this song fits in the album, and understanding where the American albums fit in Cash’s life and career adds to this profundity.

Despite the many prominent artists who have performed the song, I can’t say that I’ve found any one performance that has proven definitive for influencing subsequent versions. One reason may be different artistic instincts relative to a tension between the authenticity, if you will, of the “Tom Sherman’s Barroom” versions, or those who see the border town of Laredo as a more evocative setting than eastern Kansas. Although “Streets of Laredo” probably dominates as a title, it’s clear that the folk process is not done with this song yet. You’ll find rock and trip-hop versions of the song on the playlist.

And, I almost forgot (rather, I did forget and was reminded) that Norman and Nancy Blake had recently turned their considerable talents to “The Dying Cowboy.” The song will be released next month as part of the anthology On Top of Old Smoky: New Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music put out by Appalachian Music Works. You can listen to it here on Soundcloud:

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Tributaries

“Laredo” inspired some film adaptations, and at least two novels. Western writer Larry McMurtry used “Streets of Laredo” as a title for the fourth novel in his Lonesome Dove series. I haven’t read it, so can’t comment on how much inspiration it draws from the song itself. I can commend to you, with enthusiasm, Leif Enger’s So Brave, Young, and Handsome. Published in 2009, Enger’s book draws from the song’s themes, but nevertheless presents an original tale that is both eminently readable and serendipitously moving. It also goes in some surprising directions. It would figure prominently in my Murder Ballad Monday Summer Reading List.

Turning back to the music, we should also take advantage of Kenneth Goldstein’s good work in noting that the Cowboy Variant of “Rake” has proven the most successful in inspiring parody versions, or songs that adapted the song to different workplaces. These are more mutational changes fitting the song to the work of miners, linemen, lumberjacks, and longshoreman, among others. You can listen to those on the Smithsonian Folkways album here (Spotify). I will single out for special mention, though, a “protest parody” version, “The Ballad of Sherman Wu.” This song, written by students at the University of Chicago, described how Wu was rejected from the Psi Upsilon fraternity at Northwestern University, Chicago’s neighbor to the north. It’s sung here by Pete Seeger, who could usually be counted on for celebrating novel contributions to the “folk process.”

Thanks for reading and listening. Happy trails to you, until we meet again.