FLATROCK HILL
May-09-2014, 9:43am
I have a question about the origin and lyrics of the song 'Bury Me Beneath the Willow'.
Is there (was there) any particular reason that the Stanley Brothers chose to sing that song using the pronoun 'He'? ("So HE will know where I am sleeping and perhaps HE'LL wait for me" etc.)
I only ask because every other version I've ever heard uses "She" when sung by a man, and "He" when the song is performed by a female.
I'm not trying to start some kind of rediculous controversy here over what might be offensive, politically correct (or incorrect). I'm just wondering if there was a reason they might have done that. Or, has the subject ever even been discussed/written about? Is (was) there someone with copyright to the lyrics or was it in Public Domain? Was this just the 'usual' way to treat traditional songs/lyrics in the past?
I haven't read any of the bios of the Stanley brothers. I do know that at least one 'mystery' lyric was discussed concerning Bill Monroe in the book "Can't You Hear Me Callin'". If I recall correctly, Bill instructed his band singers to sing "A million times I lloved you BESS" as opposed to BEST.
Thanks to any who might shed light on this. I'm just curious I guess. Whenever I perform an old song in public, I like to do it in a way that reflects best upon the original artist. Learning S.B.'s songs by listening to Skaggs or Rice is fine, but I always try to go back and hear how it was done by the 'real-deal'. Every time I hear the Stanley Bros. sing that 'Bury Me' song I wonder...what the heck were they thinking?
Is there (was there) any particular reason that the Stanley Brothers chose to sing that song using the pronoun 'He'? ("So HE will know where I am sleeping and perhaps HE'LL wait for me" etc.)
I only ask because every other version I've ever heard uses "She" when sung by a man, and "He" when the song is performed by a female.
I'm not trying to start some kind of rediculous controversy here over what might be offensive, politically correct (or incorrect). I'm just wondering if there was a reason they might have done that. Or, has the subject ever even been discussed/written about? Is (was) there someone with copyright to the lyrics or was it in Public Domain? Was this just the 'usual' way to treat traditional songs/lyrics in the past?
I haven't read any of the bios of the Stanley brothers. I do know that at least one 'mystery' lyric was discussed concerning Bill Monroe in the book "Can't You Hear Me Callin'". If I recall correctly, Bill instructed his band singers to sing "A million times I lloved you BESS" as opposed to BEST.
Thanks to any who might shed light on this. I'm just curious I guess. Whenever I perform an old song in public, I like to do it in a way that reflects best upon the original artist. Learning S.B.'s songs by listening to Skaggs or Rice is fine, but I always try to go back and hear how it was done by the 'real-deal'. Every time I hear the Stanley Bros. sing that 'Bury Me' song I wonder...what the heck were they thinking?