While artists release CDs throughout the year, the fall seems to bring the most new recordings to my mailbox. While this doesn’t seem to thrill my mail carrier, I am able to deliver some extraordinary new songs to our radio … Continue reading →
Introduction Ken started us last week on a new, short, and lighter path for a few posts – murder ballad comedy. We learned the obvious from John Cleese – that indeed, dark humor can be good humor, and really has … Continue reading →
Introduction We here at Murder Ballad Monday are soon fixing to close our second year of writing about our topic of choice! Don’t worry; we have a few more weeks to go before we get to our holiday hiatus, and … Continue reading →
“I, said the Sparrow, with my bow and arrow” Introduction There are at least two things I’m not going to do in today’s post. There are at least two things I am going to do. The first thing I am … Continue reading →
This is the second post concerning the ballad Child 4. See also Part 1. Introduction In my first post this week, I looked briefly at the history of the ballad Francis Child cataloged as his #4, known by many names; … Continue reading →
This is the second post on Child 243. Read the first post here. The short answer is “nobody.” Nobody weeps for the house carpenter. In our last post, we saw how artists through the years molded and shaped the original … Continue reading →
In the last post on Led Zeppelin’s “Gallows Pole,” we looked at how a centuries-old English tale about a fair maiden who loses a golden ball evolved into two different stories – one with a fairy tale ending in which … Continue reading →
Introduction My first post this week introduced “Hiram Hubbard”, a Kentucky murder ballad from the era of the Civil War. The performance of Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson was our springboard. For the sake of avoiding multiple clicks across posts, … Continue reading →
“Come all you friends and neighbors…” Every spring, as I finish teaching my unit on the American Civil War, my thoughts turn towards that most terrible of American experiences. Me being who I am always makes that rather intense. This … Continue reading →
Cain Leadeth Abel to Death – Chromolithograph book plate, James Tissot, 1904 Note: This is Part 1 of a 4 part series – see also Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 This week we’re back in to the Child Ballads. It’s been … Continue reading →
