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Thread: Murder ballads

  1. #26
    M@ñdº|¡ñ - M@ñdºce||º Keith Erickson's Avatar
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    Long Black Veil was done on Johnny Cash's Live at Folsom Prison.

    One of my favorite tunes indeed
    Keith Erickson
    Benevolent Organizer of The Mandocello Enthusiast

  2. #27
    Registered User cooper4205's Avatar
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    wasn't Left Frizell the first to record it?
    Wes
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  3. #28
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Oh dear, there are rather a lot of them. Here are a few personal favourites:

    Delia's Gone
    Murder Of Maria Marten
    Poor Murdered Woman
    Sheath And Knife
    Edward
    Two Sisters
    Oxford Girl (Oyster Band)
    Little Sir Hugh
    Bruton Town
    Famous Flower Of Serving Men (if you don't know it, drop everything and get the Martin Carthy version!)
    Sir James The Rose
    Pretty Polly
    False Sir John

    Martin

  4. #29
    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    "Delilah" by Tom Jones.

    '....I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more.' Yikes.

    Mando comps original trumpet solo.

    Mick
    Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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  5. #30
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    Already mentioned, but my favorites:

    Katy Dear
    Caleb Myer
    Pretty Polly
    Dreadful Wind and Rain

    One not mentioned, by J.P Cormier (Cape Breton fiddle, mandolin, and guitar player):

    Kellys Mountain

  6. #31
    Registered User Dan Cole's Avatar
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    Timothy by the Bouys. #Tune about these 3 guys that get trapped in a cave or mine, only 2 come out cuz they ate Timothy.

    Lyrics for: Timothy
    by Rupert Holmes

    Trapped in a mine that had caved in
    And everyone knows the only ones left
    Were Joe and me and Tim
    When they broke through to pull us free
    The only ones left to tell the tale
    Were Joe and me

    Timothy, Timothy, where on earth did you go?
    Timothy, Timothy, God why don't I know?

    Hungry as hell no food to eat
    And Joe said that he would sell his soul
    For just a piece of meat
    Water enough to drink for two
    And Joe said to me, "I'll have a swig
    And then there's some for you."

    Timothy, Timothy, Joe was looking at you
    Timothy, Timothy, God what did we do?

    I must have blacked out just around then
    'Cause the very next thing that I could see
    Was the light of the day again
    My stomach was full as it could be
    And nobody ever got around
    To finding Timothy
    Timothy...



    Go Vandals!

  7. #32
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    "Down The River" by Chris Knight
    "Pontiac" by Fred Eaglesmith
    "El Paso" by Marty Robbins
    "Lights of L.A. County" by Lyle Lovett
    "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" by Johnny Cash
    "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash

    Not a ballad, but "Crazy Eddie's Last Hurrah" is a great murder song

  8. #33
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by
    Some that haven't been mentioned...
    Litte Sadie
    Little Sadie was already mentioned.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  9. #34

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    "Send Me to the 'lectric Chair" and "That's the Way the Girls are in Texas." #
    But more seriously, maybe "In Bruton Town."

  10. #35
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    Surprised "Flora, Lily of the West" hasn't gotten more mention here. Go check out the Crooked Still version.

  11. #36
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    A few Bluegrass favorites are:
    Blackbirds and Crows by the Nashville Bluegrass Band
    Turn it on, Turn it on, Turn it on by Rock County
    Carrie Brown by Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band

    Jason

  12. #37
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    El Paso
    Big iron on his hip
    Pancho and Lefty
    I told you a million times, I don't exagerate.

  13. #38
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    Tim O'Brien's "Dow in the Willow Garden" is one of my favorites.
    --Fletcher

  14. #39
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    Has

    Gathering Flowers from the Hillside

    been mentioned?

    Hank Thompson-Billy Gray (his musical director):

    "I Saw My Mother's Name"

    http://www.cowboylyrics.com/tabs....14.html

    They don't write songs like that anymore.

  15. #40
    Professional Dilletante Rick Banuelos's Avatar
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    "Wild Bill Jones" - AKUS
    Rick Banuelos

    Burien, WA


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  16. #41
    Registered User CharlieKnuth's Avatar
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    Since this was started by a lawyer, we have to add "Philadelphia Lawyer."

  17. #42
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    Not murder, but Wreck of the 97.
    I told you a million times, I don't exagerate.

  18. #43
    Registered Mandolin User mandopete's Avatar
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    Who said they all have to be bluegrass songs?

    Run For Your Life - Lennon/McCartney

    Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl
    than to be with another man
    You better keep your head, little girl
    or I won't know where I am
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  19. #44
    Notary Sojac Paul Kotapish's Avatar
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    A few of my favorites:

    "Banks of Red Roses" (This could be a precursor to "Banks of the Ohio." In most versions the killer is a fiddler who charms his love with a tune before burying her on the banks of the river. There's a nice version by Johnny Moynihan on one of the early De Dannan recordings.) http://www.mysongbook.de/msb/songs/b/bkofredr.html

    "Cruel Mother" (AKA "Fine Flowers in the Valley." There are at least 13 versions of this in the Child collection. It doesn't get much creepier than infanticide or spookier than the specters of murdered babies.)
    There are several versions at http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=1400

    "Mr. Fox" (Not to be confused with the chipper "Fox Went out on a Snowy Night" or "Daddy Fox." This one is really spooky, although the murder is all the more creepy for being implied rather than explicitly described.)
    http://www.poemsplace.net/html/165/689402.html



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  20. #45
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    Not bluegrass or murder, but great, Artifical Flowers by Bobby Darin.
    I told you a million times, I don't exagerate.

  21. #46

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    NICK CAVE!!!!! for those who dont know...nick cave and the bad seeds....english? band....choice instruments, poor singing...just what we love..

    I am not a fan, but his "murder ballads" album (title) is REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD!!!
    there is a female singer he is collabing with...she keeps him in tune, its bearable..and the songs are so eerie and well written and quite beautiful!!!

    check out:
    henry lee
    they call me the wild rose

    you can find these online,,,"they call me the wild rose" has a video...

    GREAT STUFF!!!!




  22. #47
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    Blood On The Saddle.
    I told you a million times, I don't exagerate.

  23. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by (mandopete @ May 22 2007, 13:12)
    Who said they all have to be bluegrass songs?

    Run For Your Life - Lennon/McCartney
    Well for Beatles songs, how about Maxwell's Silver Hammer!




  24. #49

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    Booth Shot Lincoln

  25. #50
    Registered Mandolin User mandopete's Avatar
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    Maybe we should ask a ninja.
    2015 Chevy Silverado
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