Ghosts and Zombies: Ghostly Visitation Edition

Andrew King: Sweet William‘s Ghost

[purchase]

Back in 1987-88, I was involved with a folk music coffeehouse in New Brunswick, NJ, called the Mine St Coffeehouse. One night, we had an English folk singer in named Nick Dow. He did a great performance, including Sweet William’s Ghost. I had never heard the song before. Sweet William’s Ghost is a Childe Ballad, but a fairly obscure one. And that’s a shame, because it is a fine song. You may have noticed, however, that I did not post Nick Dow’s version. That is because I do not have it and can’t get it. So, there are two items on my Halloween wish list this year. If anyone has an mp3 of Dow’s version, please post it in the comments. And if anyone can put me in touch with Nick Dow, I would be forever in your debt.

That said, Andrew King does a fine version of the song, and a very unusual one. The song tells of a ghost who returns to his fiance, so that he can be released from his vows, and from this world. She releases him willingly, but only after her conditions are met. King delivers a strong vocal, and frames it with an eerie organ drone that changes very little throughout the song, but works beautifully. This is what a ghostly visitation sounds like.

Concrete Blonde: The Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man

[purchase]

Skip ahead a few hundred years, and things change. Concrete Blonde presents a ghostly visitation as an assignation. There are no lover’s vows here. Lust is closer to the mark. But again, the music perfectly captures the mood.

Justin Townes Earle: The Ghost of Virginia

[purchase]

Finally, here is a ghostly visitor who is not even human. The Ghost of Virginia is a train. Justin Townes Earle is Steve’s son, but at this rate, we will soon be saying that Steve is Justin’s father.

Ghosts and Zombies: Zombie, vol. 3

Jay Brannan: Zombie

[purchase]

I know we don't usually post new music here on Star Maker Machine, but I'm sure we're all thinking about The Cranberries' infamous radio poptune. I figured I'd preempt any temptation towards posting it last-minute by sharing this relatively recent cover from internet sensation Jay Brannan, which transforms the song from its original pop pap into melancholy musing.

Ghosts and Zombies: Ghost (x4)

We've had two songs simply named Zombie this week. Seemed high time to give some similarly stark, soundalike spirit-world song titles a spin. Thus: some favorite songs named, simply, Ghost.

Neutral Milk Hotel: Ghost

[purchase]

Lo-fi indie darlings Neutral Milk Hotel lasted less than a decade, but their envelope-pushing combination of odd lyrics, noodling electric production, and eclectic instrumentation are still cited by many children of the nineties now pushing their own indie blogs, and even more working to spread their own indie band names across the blogosphere. With catchy fuzzed out songs like this, it's easy to see why.


Mark Erelli: Ghost

[purchase]

Erelli's star never rose as high as it did immediately following the release of Compass and Companion, a slightly countrified contemporary folk disk which led me to the local folk artist. Since then, I've seen him several times in concert, and reviewed his work more than once, but I still come back to this and other tracks from his earlier years. That raspy, adolescent's tenor never sounded more apropos as it does here, as a narrator haunted by his preference for the ideal over the real.


Indigo Girls: Ghost

[purchase]

One of my favorite Indigo Girls songs, from my favorite Indigo Girls album - sweeter than their usual fare, and out of the context the album provides, almost too melodramatic for unembarrassed mixed company. Still, it starts so tender, and rises so far and so majestically, it's hard not to sing along.


Land of Talk: Ghost

[purchase]

A ghost just needs a home... A bit more recent than our usual fare here on Star Maker Machine, but I couldn't resist this intimate, unplugged take on indierock trio Land of Talk's Ghost, if only because where so many ghost songs use the spirit as unobtainable object of affection, here, a rare reversal puts the ghost in first person. I know what it's like to be unseen, to feel adrift and out of place in the mortal world; I suspect we all do.

Ghosts and Zombies: (Another) Zombie

Nellie McKay: Zombie

[purchase]

This is obviously a completely different song from our last Zombie. Nellie McKay starts us off with a walking (dead) bass line, and continues in a jazzy mood. She eloquently explains why it’s not always a good idea to go for a stroll in a Southern swamp.

Ghosts and Zombies: The Ghosts That Haunt Me

Crash Test Dummies: The Ghosts That Haunt Me

[purchase]

I may have written before that I'm not a big fan of 80's music (other than New Wave) - I feel as if I tolerated a decade of One-Name Bands (being purposely vague so as to protect the innocent... or guilty, as the case may be), hoping for an eventual reprieve (the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my fellow... and sister... Starmakers)...

So... may I just tell you how refreshing it was to usher in the 90's - Counting Crows and Crash Test Dummies were the first to hit my list of New Discoveries, with lyrics and humor and musicality, oh my!

I could not get enough of CTD's debut cassette (yes, you read that right), which I played incessantly - the songs in their repertoire are peppered with literary references (T. S. Eliot, Steinbeck and medieval characters, not to mention Superman)... plus who can resist Brad Roberts' deep, droning, dreamy voice? (rhetorical question)...

The Ghosts That Haunt Me is a catchy, bouncy little ditty in which the narrator admits to a life fraught with bony skeletons, plagueing demons and howling winds... yet feels confident that the object of his affection has the power to exorcise them all should she choose to spend her days (and nights) with him... even in the afterlife - wooooooooo...

Ghosts And Zombies: The Gun Club Edition

The Gun Club: Ghost On The Highway

The Gun Club: Fire Spirit

[purchase]

"You're a ghost on the highway,
your gesture´s meaningless,
you're lost to the living men,
trailing souls to the end..."

Ghosts and spirits on Jeffrey Lee Pierce´s trail. He sure sings like a man possessed here, as is in fact the case on all the manic punk-blues-´n-roll songs that make up the Gun Club´s fine ´81 debut Fire Of Love. Bonus points go to Ward Dotson´s sharp slide.

"I had to do something, I was wearing down,
I was goin´ down...
Why can no one ever touch a fire spirit?
Why can no one ever hold a fire spirit?
Why can no one ever feel a fire spirit?"

Good question that.

Ghosts & Zombies: The Ghost of Will Harbut

Wishing Chair: The Ghost of Will Harbut

[purchase]

Man O'War was one of the greatest race horses of all time, winning 20 of his 21 starts in 1919 and 1920. Will Harbut became Man O'War's groomer in 1930 after the horse retired from racing to become a stud.

The two were said to have had a very strong bond, and Harbut enthusiastically showed his steed to thousands of visitors annually at Lexington's Kentucky Horse Park. Many actually credit Harbut with helping to grow Man O'War from a Champion to a Legend with his many tales of the great animal he called "The Mostest Hoss That Ever Drew Breath."

Will Harbut died in the fall of 1947. Man O'War passed less than a month later... many say from a broken heart over the loss of his friend.

This song laments not only the loss of the noble champion Man O'War and his friend Will Harbut. It also mourns the passing of a way of life in Kentucky and chastises the "men who have sold out the Bluegrass for greed." The narrator seems sure that the ghost of Will Harbut will one day be waiting to pass harsh judgement on those responsible.

Wishing Chair is a folk duo from Kentucky made up of Miriam Davidson and Kiya Heartwood. The version of the song I'm sharing with you here is a live performance from Morehead State Public Radio's Americana Crossroads Live concert series (you can hear the original radio broadcast here). The studio version appears as the title track of an album Wishing Chair released in 2000. The "purchase" link points to that album.

Ghosts and Zombies: Ghouls Are on the Loose

Dave Rudolf: Ghouls Are on the Loose

[purchase]

“Kid’s Music” is a marketing label. It encompasses a wide range of styles. Some of it is ghastly stuff that record companies can only sell by passing it off to children, but we the unlucky parents still wind up having to listen to it. So, I make it my job to point out the good stuff whenever I can.

Halloween is an occasion that brings out some of the worst impulses in Kid’s Music artists. It’s not just their candy that is sticky a cloyingly sweet, and a menace to diabetics everywhere. So I am pleased to present Dave Rudolf. Rudolf has made a small name for himself as a kid’s artist. And he has recorded two entire albums of Halloween songs for kids. Ghouls Are on the Loose comes from the first one. Rudolf knows that kid’s respond to a strong beat, and he does a great job of providing it. This one kicks any Halloween party into high gear, and is just as much fun for kids or adults.

Question for the listener: is this a party of kids in costumes, or happy monsters? You decide.

**************************************************

By the way, there are some great Halloween songs that don’t fit our theme. I’ll be presenting a few of them for the Halloween party on my blog, Oliver di Place this week. And everyone is invited.

Ghosts and Zombies: The Hungry Ghost

Luka Bloom: The Hungry Ghost

[purchase]

Irish singer-songwriter Luka Bloom is generally found among the folk crowd, but then, they define folk differently on the far side of the pond. To these American ears, there's something perfectly 80s new wave about this track, like a B-side Midge Ure ballad: slack, jangly string accents driving the production, the haunting ebb and flow lyrics, the driving drumbeat and the wailed, echoing chorus fading away into the majestic haze of sound from which it first emerged.

Hungry ghosts are spirits driven by passion or desire; in many belief systems, they actually feed off human emotions. Like much of Bloom's influence, they are found throughout the Eastern religions, especially Buddhism, Taoism and Hindusim.

Ghosts and Zombies: Zombie

Fela and Afrika 70: Zombie

[purchase]

Fela Anikulapo Kuti was one unique dude. These days, many musicians think they are politicians, but in the dangerous political climate of 1970s Nigeria, Fela walked the walk. Yes, his music could be extremely political. But the guy also formed his own political party, and tried to form his own country, the Kalakuta Republic.

"Zombie", written about the harsh Nigerian military, was a big hit that caused him no end of trouble. His Kalakuta Republic compound was attacked and burned, he was beaten, and his mother sustained injuries that lead to her death. Fela responded by writing "Coffin for Head of State". The man had some serious stones. Oh, and he invented Afrobeat, a potent mix of jazz, funk, and highlife.

Just about any '70s Fela will do, but if you can only have one of his songs, "Zombie" is the one to get. Your head might not understand all of his Pidgin English, but your body will not be able to resist the infectious beat.

There is a show based on his life currently running on Broadway. I'd love to see it, but I can't imagine staying seated through the whole show.

Ghosts And Zombies: Ghost Rider

Suicide: Ghost Rider

[purchase]

"Ghost rider, motorcycle hero...

Babybabybabybaby he's a-screamin´ the truth...
America, America is killing its youth..."

Alan Vega may describe his Ghost Rider as a good looking guy "sneakin´ round round round in a blue jumpsuit", but we know better of course. Listening to Vega´s hyperventilating vocals and Martin Rev´s hypnotic synth, he´s actually quite easy to picture. High on the hog, the Ghost Rider is approaching fast, sporting a Captain America helmet and wearing ragged leathers, or maybe an olive green flak jacket with slogans written on the back in black marker. He´s the four horsemen of the apocalypse all rolled into one, and he´s coming right at you.

Ghosts and Zombies: Little Ghost and Living Dead Girl

The White Stripes: Little Ghost

[purchase]

Our Halloween playlist consists of over 400 songs second only to Christmas, but picking out a ghost song proved to be quite easy for us. Little Ghost by the White Stripes has to be one of our all time favorite ghost tunes. It tells the story of a guy who's fallen in love with an apparition that only he can see.

Rob Zombie: Living Dead Girl

[purchase]

And no Halloween party of ours would be complete without at least a few Rob Zombie songs. This guy was designed for Halloween. The trouble for us was picking out just one song from his insane catalog to share here in SMM . Among others, song titles like How To Make A Monster, Spookshow Baby,Superbeast and Living Dead Girl all have found their way to our Halloween playlist. So while you're carving your pumpkins be warned..Living Dead Girls and Little Ghosts are lurking. Happy Halloween everybody!

Ghosts and Zombies: Dead Man's Party

Oingo Boingo: Dead Man's Party

[purchase]

A heady Danny Elfman composition first encountered via Rodney Dangerfield vehicle Back To School. Quintessentially eighties, and perfect for a halloween mixtape or a bop around the haunted house.

Because sometimes, the undead just want to hang out a bit. Leave your body at the door...

Ghosts and Zombies: I Thought I Saw You Last Night

Steve Poltz: I Thought I Saw You Last Night

[purchase] (One Left Shoe CD)

I will go on the record (no pun intended) now as admitting that I loved Pieces of You, Jewel's first album, when it was released in 1995 - one of our local radio stations (WHSE, 103.5) was sponsoring her South Florida concert and, as a marketing ploy, selling tickets for $1.03 - I bought seven (a minivan full) and my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening (complete with Duncan Sheik as the opening act!)...

From what I recall, I bought Steve Poltz's first CD because of his Jewel connection - he "discovered" her, they co-wrote You Were Meant for Me, they were romantically entwined... and he toured with her as her opening act and a member of her band...

I love this catchy, upbeat song... about a guy who purports to be brave except when it comes to the idea of facing an ex-love - he imagines her everywhere, conjuring metaphors of ghostly apparitions from obviously still-haunted past memories (and yes, that is Jewel on harmony vocals)...

Here are two more Ghost songs I posted for our Duets theme in late-January, should you be interested: Conversation with a Ghost by Ellis Paul (with Patty Griffin)... and Kate and the Ghost of Lost Love by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer - enjoy!

Early: The Late Edition

Unlike some of my fellow Star Makers, I do not have a collection of rarities to draw upon. So I have had to approach this theme differently. But just as rarities have their stories, so, sometimes, do first albums. Before we leave our early theme, let’s hear some of those stories.

Michelle Shocked: (Don‘t You Mess Around With) My Little Sister

[purchase]

Michelle Shocked made her recording debut, quite by accident, in 1987. She never knew she was making an album until she heard that, not only had it been released, but it was charting in England. The album was The Texas Campfire Tapes. Shocked attended the Kerrville folk festival in 1986. She brought her guitar, and was singing and playing for her own pleasure when she was overheard by a producer named Pete Lawrence. Lawrence asked Shocked if he could record her, and made a tape of 21 songs with Shocked’s comments. Given that the recording was made on a cheap cassette recorder, (with low batteries, it turned out!), Shocked had no reason to think the tape would ever be released.

But Lawrence chose a sampling of the songs, left out all of the comments, made up his own titles to songs he didn’t know the names of, and released the album without Shocked’s consent. Eventually, Shocked gained possession of the tapes. And in 2003, she released the full recording, with the sound adjusted to compensate for the low batteries, and with all of her comments restored, as The Texas Campfire Takes.

One song included in both versions was (Don’t You Mess Around With) My Little Sister. If you are familiar with Shocked’s career, you may know the full band version she recorded on the album Captain Swing.

Billy Joel: Falling of the Rain

[purchase]

Billy Joel made his debut as a solo artist with Cold Spring Harbor in 1971. He had previously been in two unsuccessful bands, The Hassles and Atilla. His bad luck would continue a little longer. There was a mistake in the mixing of Cold Spring Harbor. It was released at the wrong pitch, giving Joel’s voice a high whiny sound. The album was the first of a ten album contract with Family Records. Family owner Artie Ripp, (who I hasten to add is no relative of mine), owned the master tapes. Cold Spring Harbor, as originally released, went out of print fairly quickly, and remained that way for many years as Joel’s popularity grew. Finally, in 1983, Joel’s contract with family was running out. Ripp decided to capitalize by releasing a remastered version of Cold Spring Harbor. Ripp stripped out the original orchestration and added synthesizer and drum machine parts to “give the album a more up to date feel”. This was done without Joel’s consent, and is the version of Cold Spring Harbor that we have today. Despite this, the songs are worth hearing. The album features the original recording of She’s Got a Way, as well as Falling of the Rain and several others that are as good as anything Joel ever wrote.

Jane Siberry: The Mystery at Ogwen‘s Farm

[purchase]

Jane Siberry is a Canadian artist. Far too many worthy Canadian artists never have there work released here in the United States. Others have their work released here, but without real marketing support. Siberry was luckier than most. Her self titled debut, which includes The Mystery at Ogwen’s Farm, was originally released only in Canada. She debuted in the United States with her second album, which established her here as an artist with a “cult following”. And her third album cemented this status. Her American label decided that that was enough to justify releasing her Canadian debut here, and I for one snapped it up immediately.

The debut is different from anything else of hers that I have heard. It is mostly acoustic, and has an innocence and simplicity to it that I find quite refreshing. Where her later work would often make my jaw drop in amazement, this one always makes me smile. And sometimes, that is all that is needed.

Early: In Spite Of All The Danger

The Quarrymen: In Spite Of All The Danger

[purchase]

Sometime in 1957, either in July or sometime in October or November, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lowe and Colin Hanton walked into the small shop and home recording studio of one Percy Phillips at 38 Kensington, Liverpool. With one microphone in the middle of the room they recorded That‘ll Be The Day and a tune written by McCartney and Harrison titled In Spite Of All The Danger. Sung by Lennon this little doo-wop ballad was recorded directly to vinyl in order to save money, avoiding the fee to transfer a master tape to acetate. The original 78 was lost until in 1981 when it was rediscovered by Lowe. The plan to auction it off at Sotheby's changed when McCartney paid him an undisclosed amount of money. McCartney later had 50 copies pressed to give to friends as Christmas presents. Here then is one of the earliest recordings by the Beatles, before they even knew they'd be the Beatles. And in spite of all it's scratchiness, it still leave a great preview of what was yet to come by one of the all time greatest bands in recording history.

Actually posted by Bert, technical issues will hopefully be resolved soon.

Early: Anti-Procrastination Edition

Let's face it - I'm not only never early for anything... but I'm rarely even on time. I seem to go through life with a 15-minute Bermuda Triangle of "how did it get to be (insert _____ o'clock I was supposed to be somewhere) already?!?". To that end, I'm attempting to be Early in all definitions of the word (rather than my usual 11:59 Saturday night post) - I think Stephen Wright said it best: "The early bird gets the worm... but the second mouse gets the cheese." (ha!)...

James Taylor: Rainy Day Man

[purchase]

Rainy Day Man was originally released in 1971, on his James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine album (of the four vinyl covers, I have the one that's plain white with penciled titles) - however, I'm including a version of the song from a bootleg of his October 29, 1970 Paris Theatre show in London, England with Joni Mitchell...


Joni Mitchell: Eastern Rain

[purchase] (never officially released/not commercially available)

The Joni Mitchell website lists her Early Unreleased Songs, many of which have been compiled on a CD for list members (thanks, Bob!) - from AllMusicGuide:

"At the beginning of her career, Joni Mitchell wrote so many songs that she never got around to recording a few of the ones she regularly performed on stage in the late 1960s. One of those was "Eastern Rain," which was covered by Fairport Convention as a highlight of their second album, What We Did on Our Holidays." More here...


Todd Snider: Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues [plus intro]

[purchase]

Boyhowdy covered this one over a year ago but, since it's the first song of Todd's that turned me on to his music (as the hidden track on his 1994 debut CD Songs for the Daily Planet), I had to revisit - however, rather than the studio track, I'm posting a live version from his August 19, 2001 performance at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest in Lyons, Colorado, which includes an hysterical introduction, as well as a few extra verses admitting he "borrowed" the talkin' blues style from Bob Dylan... but Dylan got it from Woody Guthrie!


Mary Chapin Carpenter: The Opening Act

[purchase] (never officially released/not commercially available)

From Country Universe:

"In a rare coup for a new artist, Mary Chapin Carpenter earned a coveted performance slot on the 1990 Country Music Association Awards [a YouTube video can be found here], and she used it to establish her identity as one of country music’s left-of-center talents. She decided to perform the biting “You Don’t Know Me (I’m the Opening Act),” a cutting dismissal of country star power gone awry. It was a risky move, with the less-than-famous artist taking a stab at the music industry who would determine the fate of her career...

She received a standing ovation at the end of the semi-scandalous story of a rising musician’s struggle. But Carpenter didn’t struggle for long. Two years later, she won the first of back-to-back Female Vocalist of the Year trophies in a CMA career that included 12 nominations, among them, a nomination for Album of the Year and Single of the Year (for the similarly sharp “I Feel Lucky”) in 1992."


Dave Carter: You Must Slumber

[purchase]

From my friend Ron's wonderful website:

"This is a song that Dave wrote when he was 17 years old, and which Tracy indicates was recorded for – but eventually left off – the "Tanglewood Tree" CD. Although it was never released on an official Dave & Tracy album, a recording of it is now available on the Signature Sounds 10th Anniversary Collection disc."

Early: Six-Song Set Edition

One thing I miss about being a DJ is putting together a a good set of music. This week I had a lot of songs I wanted to post but didn't really have a lot to say about them, so I thought I'd put a bunch of them together in one post. So, these songs are meant to be listened to sequentially.


The Squires: Aurora

[purchase]

You may not have heard of the Squires, but you know their guitarist quite well: Neil Young. He was quite enamored with the Shadows' guitarist Hank Marvin when he recorded this instrumental single in Winnipeg in 1963 at his first recording session.


Vashti: Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind

[purchase]

Before she recorded her seminal Just Another Diamond Day album, Vashti Bunyan released a few pop singles as "Vashti" under the tutelage of Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham. This one, her first, was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and released in 1965.


Lyme and Cybelle: Follow Me

[purchase]

Warren Zevon didn't hit his stride until the late '70s, but he started out his musical career in the sixties as one half of the duo Lyme and Cybelle, along with Violet Santangelo. "Follow Me" hit 65 on the pop charts in 1966. Zevon went on to release a little-heard solo album in 1969, then work as the Everly Brothers' musical director in the early '70s before he finally found his groove.


The Parliaments: (I Wanna) Testify

[purchase]

George Clinton's 1970s Parliament/Funkadelic empire started as a simple doo-wop quintet from New Jersey known as the Parliaments. "(I Wanna) Testify", from 1967, is probably the most well-known the the Parliaments' singles. It's already a long way from their doo-wop beginnings, possibly because Clinton was the only member of the group able to travel to Detroit for the recording. When the song became a hit, he assembled a new group of musicians to tour, and the P-Funk dynasty began.


Kaleidoscope: Egyptian Gardens

[purchase]

In the late '60s, there were two important bands named Kaleidoscope--one in the UK and one in California. This is from the California band, who are most well known for giving the world multi-instrumentalist David Lindley. Before he was sideman extraordinaire to the '70s California singer-songwriter movement (Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Crosby & Nash, etc.), he was part of this eclectic psychedelic group. The Middle Eastern-influenced "Egyptian Gardens" is the opening track on their 1967 debut album, Side Trips, an album that also takes in blues, psychedelic pop, old timey music, and vaudeville.


Red Onion: African Mask

[out of print]

Red Onion brings us back to that fertile New Brunswick music scene in the 1990s. Frontwoman Laurie Berkner went on to greater fame as a maker of music for kids, but I've always liked this psychedelic-influenced song from a cassette EP Red Onion released in 1995. Smokin' bass provided by All Gods' Children's Adam Bernstein.

Early: Inman Square

Bela Fleck: Inman Square

[purchase]

Béla Anton Leoš Fleck - named for three modern European composers - had already mastered a vast array of jazz, blues, folk and bluegrass styles at the tender age of 21, despite having only picked up the instrument at 15 while a student at the NYC High School of Art and Music. Two years later, he would join newgrass pioneers New Grass Revival; from there, it was a short journey to becoming perhaps the world's best-known fusion banjo player.

That his 1979 solo debut Crossing The Tracks aptly demonstrates his technical prowess even at that young age is undeniable: the music may be measured here, but from traditional bluegrass to more slippery jazztunes such as this one, the songs are exquisitely arranged, thoughtfully composed, and performed almost flawlessly. It's not Bela's best work, by a long shot, but there's more than a glimmer of his later genius, even if it would take a year or two more to truly loosen up.

As a total personal aside, this song is named after the small Cambridge, MA village where, at 21 myself, I had my first legal drink.

Early: Baltimore

Tori Amos: Baltimore

Tori Amos would probably be none too pleased that I was giving this song any air time at all considering she doesn't consider it one of her finest moments (she's been quoted as calling this song "fucking horrible" and "disgusting"), and it came from a time before she had found her own voice. In fact, it was written before she was even Tori Amos, it was back when she was still going by Ellen Amos (her given name being Myra Ellen Amos). "Baltimore" was written for a contest. She and her brother Mike wrote the song for a contest the Baltimore Orioles baseball team had commissioned for a theme song for the city back in 1980, when Tori was about 14 years old. Tori grew up in Maryland and was a sports fan, so it seemed natural, with her musical talents, to give it a go.

It was her first recording. There were 500 copies of the 7" printed, she won the contest, which included a citation from the mayor and a cash prize. The song is nothing of what we know of the long-standing, grammy-nominated songwriter now, other than her voice. She went on to perform in clubs and hotel bars throughout high school in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area before turning 18 and making her way out to Los Angeles.

EARLY: RYAN ADAMS

I’ve been absent here at SMM for quite some time now. At first, it was because I was having trouble keeping my own blog current. But I realized that back when I was consistently posting here my blog was seeing multiple posts per week. So I will make my return and hopefully inspire more activity overall.

One of my original goals here was to try to find a Ryan Adams song to fit every theme – with the piles of unreleased sets and nonsense recordings he’s unleashed, that’s not a farfetched idea. And this week’s theme is a perfect fit to resurrect that mission.

Blank Label: Non-Existence

[Out Of Print]

Ryan Adams began his musical career at age 14 at the place most overactive punk teens seem to gravitate to: the drums. In 1991 Adams, Shane Duhe (guitar/vox), Michelle Horn (bass), and Jere McIlwean (guitar) formed a garage band that, according to Ryan, “practiced like once a week.” The group was formed out of necessity after Ryan discovered a Black Flag record. They saved up a few bucks and recorded 3 tracks that were released on very limited 7-inch vinyl pressing by Fishbeat Records. I can’t quite say I endorse this music, but it is the earliest recording from Ryan Adams.





The Patty Duke Syndrome: Texas

[Out Of Print]

Ryan’s first turn at center-stage came two years later in the form of The Patty Duke Syndrome. Ryan provided fierce, Husker Du type guitar work, the aforementioned Jere McIlwean played bass (or as noted in the liner notes, ‘thunder broom’), and Brian Walsby took Ryan’s place on the drums. While still very punk-influenced, you can hear hints of what would become Whiskeytown in the provided track. ’Texas’ and ’History’ were originally released on a split 7-inch with the band GlamourPuss. Of course Ryan got his money’s worth in the studio and a full disc of demos from the session have since surfaced.

Early: Finest Lovin' Man

Bonnie Raitt: Finest Lovin' Man

[purchase]

I'm embarrassed to admit that for most of my adult life, I had no idea that Bonnie Raitt started her career with such a sweet, clear, authentic voice. At least I'm in good company: as Wikipedia confirms, though critics loved her work from the moment her first album hit the scene in '71, it wasn't until her sixth release that she finally began to hit the singles charts.

By then, of course, though she was still only 27, the years of heavy boozing had long taken their toll, leaving her vocals breathy by comparison, and her preference in production had turned much father towards pop-lite. The critics would never sound so strongly in her favor, but the public had spoken, and - given her string of hits ever since - we can only assume she prefers the limelight to the bottleneck blues.

Bonnie has built her career on the lyrics and melodies of others, so it's worth noting that Finest Lovin' Man is one of only two of Raitt's own compositions on her self-titled debut. But the album, which features straight-up blues renditions of well-selected tunes from Stephen Stills, Robert Johnson, Spider John Koerner and others, is redemptive, an effective antidote to all those years of cheesy late-night ballads.

Early: Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye

Leonard Cohen: Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (Live in London, July 2008)

[purchase]

I'm late for this week's Early theme because I'm only just now recovering from a religious experience I had this past Saturday night - I admit to hyperbolic tendencies but... I swear it was the best concert I've seen in my entire life (all 55 years' worth!)...

Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye was released in December 1967 on The Songs of Leonard Cohen album... but I didn't become aware of him until a year and a half later when, as a high school sophomore, a friend played me Roberta Flack's version - I of course liked her voice... but I adored *his* songwriting, and went on a mission to find the original. I still love to tell the story of typing term papers to put myself through college... and one guy didn't have quite enough cash so he offered up his copy of New Skin for the Old Ceremony... and we called it even...

My husband reminded me I turned him on to Cohen's music when we started dating - Cohen Live retains a place of honor in the 5-disc CD changer in our bedroom, 33 years later...

We spent a ridiculous amount of money for 2 ninth-row floor seats last weekend but, for all my devotion, I'd never had the opportunity to see him live... and it was the proverbial no-brainer as he had recently returned to the stage after a 15-year absence (since his manager had embezzled all his money) - I swayed, I swooned, I swore (f*ck me - is this a dream?!?) as he preached to the choir, turning the many-thousand-seat arena into an intimate lounge, connecting with each of us on a generous and gracious level, grateful that we still cared enough for his music to be in attendance...

I could go on (and I probably will, over at my own blog later this evening)... but enough to say that sometimes coming face-to-face with one's icon (even in a crowded concert hall) can not only meet but exceed one's expectations - I'm even more of a fan than I was, if that's at all possible...

Early: The One Thing

INXS: The One Thing

[purchase]

It was 1982. It would be another year before MTV went on the air, another year and a half before we had it on our local cable system. I found new music in those days in a few ways. I listened to our local college radio station. I saw a band I had never heard of on Saturday Night Live. I read about them in Musician magazine, and bought an album on spec. Normally, I did not find new music by channel surfing.

But one night, I was up entirely too late. It must have been at least one in the morning. And channel surfing is just what I was doing. I kept coming across this concert by this band, and they looked different. And I kept passing it by, knowing that the show was Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert, and the music must therefore be crap. But finally, the look drew me in, and I stopped and put the sound on.

The background was entirely black, and the band was entirely in white, and their instruments were white. There was the usual drums, bass, and guitar, and there was one band member seated at a bank of keyboards. The sound of the band was echoey in the manner of a pipe organ in a huge cathedral. Indeed, the overall effect of the guitars, bass, and keyboard was not unlike the awe inspired by a pipe organ, and the baritone vocals only enhanced the effect. The drums pushed the whole thing along beautifully.

The band, of course, was INXS, and the first song I heard was The One Thing. As I recall, there was one more song, Don’t Change, and they were done. Remember, I came in late. After the commercials, another band came on, and they were as lame as I had expected. But the sound of INXS stayed with me, and I made sure I got the album. It was just as good as the two songs I knew.

Of course, INXS went on to be one of the biggest hit makers of the 80s, and I enjoyed their later work. But, after there first album, they never sounded like this again. Did I still like the band? Well, Rock Star: INXS is the only reality show I have ever watched. But the wrong person won, and the band and I parted ways at that point. Their work with original singer Michael Hutchence is still great though.

Early: Early Morning Rain

Grateful Dead: Early Morning Rain

[purchase]

It's kind of funny, isn't it? The theme this week in "Early", yet we're late in getting the theme started.

So let me start it off with a song that is an early recording, but coincidentally also has "Early" in the title. The Dead's take on this Gordon Lightfoot song was recorded in late 1965, while they were still known as the Warlocks, and more than a year before their debut album came out. The jangly pop presented here is a long way from "Dark Star", but it has its own innocent charm.

Postage Paid: P.S. Edition

John Wesley Harding: To Whom It May Concern

[purchase] (scroll down to New Deal)

In August 1997, I began an e-mail relationship with someone through the Dar Williams discussion list - by virtue of our shared love for Dar's music, our correspondence escalated to in-depth cyber-conversations about books, movies, parenting, marriage, and of course other musicians... which led to us sending each other mix tapes through the mail... and, in his first one to me, my new friend included John Wesley Harding's Infinite Combinations. I completely fell in love with the song, and of course had to buy the CD, by an artist I'd heard of but never listened to - I also discovered To Whom It May Concern, another tune that described our long-distance connection. Over 12 years later, we are still in each other's lives, albeit less frequently than before... and we've met up twice (once in 2000 and again six months ago) - never underestimate the power of the written word..

Dar Williams: If I Wrote You

[purchase]

Speaking of Dar, I would be remiss if I didn't include this song for our weekly theme - I've heard her say it was semi-inspired by the passing of Townes Van Zandt. In her words:

"I started writing this song in Austin, Texas, and to me the influence of the area is obvious. There's more open space than in many of my songs, and there is an insinuation that the narrator is clean and sober now, which would describe many Texan songwriters I know today. Larry Campbell's guitar parts and Richard Shindell's harmony made me very emotional for a while, but I'm getting over that."

We‘re About 9: Writing Again

[purchase]

We're About 9 is a twenty-something trio (Katie Graybeal, Pat Klink and Brian Gundersdorf), home-based in Maryland, with literate lyrics (who uses the word concatenate in a song?!?) and stunning harmonies - this tune, written by Brian, underscores the theory that one's best writing is done after experiencing great pain ("this is my letter to tell you the truth, I can't tell if I'm better, I've been thinking about the way most things are difficult to open and easier to close"). I especially love the way the tapping on the guitar simulates a beating heart - reminds me of the quote: "Writing is easy. Just sit at the keyboard and open a vein."...

Postage Paid: Care of Cell 44

The Zombies: Care of Cell 44

[purchase]

The title of this song stretches the theme just a little bit. But the lyrics are the contents of a letter a guy is writing to his significant other, who is locked up in jail. Although the gender of the jailbird is never mentioned, one assumes it's a woman, which makes this a fairly unique pop song, even for 1968. As a single, it bombed.

"Care of Cell 44" is the opening track on the Zombies' magnum opus, Odessey and Oracle. The band's two hits, "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" were several years old when the they recorded the album in 1967, and it was their final stab at making it big. Unfortunately, the album was pretty much ignored when it was released in the UK, and the band quickly broke up.

Then Al Kooper heard the album and convinced his label, Columbia, to release it stateside. "Time of the Season" was pulled from it as a single and became a huge hit in 1969.

The band (or 3/5 of it) cashed in on its surprise success by recording a follow-up album. In 1991.

Over the years, the rest of Odessey and Oracle has garnered a cult following, and now it's considered a masterpiece. With its sophisticated arrangements, beautiful melodies, and Beach Boys-like harmonies, I wholeheartedly agree.

Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs: Care of Cell #44

[purchase]

A few years ago, Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs recorded an album of covers of some of their favorite songs from the '60s. Their version adds a number sign to the title and changes the gender of the narrator, with Susanna taking the lead.

Postage Paid: Postcard Collection

Postcards are a way of sending a short message, just enough to check in. Their shortness would seem to make them perfect for songs. Here is what three artists do with them.

Wendy Wall: Postcard to the Stars

[purchase]

I have previously told my Wendy Wall story here, and reviewed her latest album here. So suffice it to say, she is a favorite of mine.

Wall’s postcard is not bound for Hollywood. She sends it off into space, to whoever might be listening. The song is a humble account by one example of what it feels like to be human and on earth.

Mark Knopfler: Postcards From Paraguay

[purchase]

Mark Knopfler presents a white collar criminal, on the run and in a hurry. He must leave the scene of the crime now, and has not even the time to send a postcard.

Bare Naked Ladies: Another Postcard

[purchase]

Finally, Bare Naked Ladies find themselves on the receiving end of some very unusual fan mail.

Postage Paid: Please Mr. Postman

The Marvelettes: Please, Mr. Postman

[Purchase]

Yet another definitive postal song that I couldn't let pass by. This song was The Marvelettes', one of the first girl groups of Motown, only #1 song, though they had a number of other top 40 hits. The song was well loved enough to be covered by other popular bands, including The Carpenters and The Beatles. The Carpenters even took it back to #1.

In the song, a girl pleads with the postman to look in his bag one more time to check for a letter for her because it's been so long since she's heard from her man.

Postage Paid: Letter Song

Seigobillies: Letter Song

[currently unavailable]

Hey folks, it's time once again to set the Wayback Machine for New Brunswick, N.J., in the early 1990s. One of my favorite bands from the era were Seigobillies. (The flyer in the photo is from the first time I ever saw them, when they were still called the Seigolillies.) They combined elements of reggae, ska, bluegrass, and what was then called "college rock" into an intoxicatingly danceable mix. On this track from their self-titled debut cassette, they slow the tempo down for a banjo-lead lament that leaves the narrator weighed down by unwritten letters.

Seigobillies went through several changes over the years, but they still exist as Billy. They put out a new album this year. Do check it out.

Postage Paid: Anchorage

Michelle Shocked: Anchorage

[purchase]

"I took time out to write to my old friend
I walked across that burning bridge
I mailed my letter off to Dallas
but her reply came from Anchorage, Alaska..."

I'm a sucker for anything presented in epistolary form: songs, books and even TV shows and blogs - Michelle Shocked does the form justice in her tune of two women, who obviously shared some wild times in Texas, catching up after an over-two-years' lull in communication...

As with most female friendships, you can tell they are close enough such that they pick up just where they left off... with warmth, humor and a genuine desire to find out about, and fill the other in on, what they've been doing - a note of wistfulness creeps in as Chel's friend decries the isolation of her current situation, even as she describes the life she's now sincerely embracing...

"Leroy got a better job so we moved
Kevin lost a tooth, he's started school
I've got a brand new eight-month-old baby girl
I sound like a housewife
Hey Chel, I think I'm a housewife..."

And, as with all good stories, I want to know what happened next - I hope they kept in touch... and I hope they kept on rocking, each in their own way...

Postage Paid: Love Letter

Bonnie Raitt: Love Letter

[purchase]

Bonnie Hayes, like so many others, started life as a musician. In the early 1980s, she fronted a pop-punk band called Wild Combo. But, by 1989, Hayes was looking for other ways to pay the bills. She became a studio musician and songwriter for hire.

In 1989, Bonnie Raitt was a blues musician who had enjoyed a minor hit with a cover of Runaway. Active since the early seventies, Raitt had built a devoted following, but never put up the kind of numbers that major labels like to see.

In 1989, the two Bonnies came together. Hayes was hired to write two songs for the album that would be called Nick of Time. One was Have a Heart. And the other was Love Letter. I find it ironic that the bluesiest song on the album that would finally take Bonnie Raitt up the charts was written by someone whose background was in punk and new wave. But there it is. Love Letter is a smoldering blues love song, and a great showcase for Raitt’s slide guitar playing.

In 1996, Bonnie Hayes went back to Love Letter and recorded her own version. I don’t have it, and I have no idea how good it may be, but if anyone else has it, please feel free to post it in the comments.

Postage Paid: Return to Sender

Elvis Presley: Return to Sender

[Purchase]

It might almost be cliche to post this song since it's such a quintessential mail song, but alas, there are a few oldies but goodies I feel somebody ought to post this week, so I am going to go ahead and post this one to get it out of the way.

This song was a number one single for Elvis. It's a catchy little song that was featured in his film "Girls! Girls! Girls!", about a guy trying to get his lady back by sending her a letter and the letter being returned over and over again with the "return to sender" stamp on it. He finally gets the point when he hand delivers the letter and it still comes back to him. The boy might be a bit dense, but it makes for sweet little tune.

Postage Paid: Please Read The Letter

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss: Please Read The Letter

[purchase]

We have a mail chute of sorts. It's a slot in the outside wall of the house that feeds the box which is inside the wall, that is accessed from a flip door that's inside a closet. The box is narrow and not very accommodating for anything larger than a standard business envelope, and as a result, sometimes our mail gets chewed up in removing it from the box (to say nothing about removing our-self from the closet). That said, it's sometimes better for us to have an empty box than a full one.

Actually posted by Bert, with technical assistance from Darius

Postage Paid: The Letter

The Box Tops: The Letter

[purchase]

"Lonely days are gone, I´m a-going home, my baby just wrote me a letter..." The Letter (´67) by The Box Tops is one of those perfect pop songs. Under the 2-minute mark and deceptively simple, yet complete with majestic horns, strings, and even the sound of an airplane taking off. Memphis soulful, with the heartfelt urgency of a very young Alex Chilton as the cream on the cake. The lad´s just turned sweet sixteen and he scores a number one hit single in U.S.A. e in tutto il mondo!

Impossible under modern circumstances. My baby just sent me an email? My baby just texted my iPhone? My baby just twittered my facebook? No way.

Postage Paid: Death Letter

John Mellencamp: Death Letter

[purchase]

Cassandra Wilson: Death Letter

[purchase]

You may hear that the blues is dead. It has been done to death, and there is nothing more to say. After all, the blues consists of one simple structure, and the lyrics are just someone complaining. Unfortunately, a lot of the blues music that is out these days supports this point of view. But, if you love the blues as I do, you will want to have a rebuttal handy. And here it is.

Consider these two versions of Death Letter. The original is by Son House. A man receives a letter, informing him that his lover is dead. As he reflects on this news, he comes to realize just how much he loved her.

John Mellencamp takes the song and delivers a version that feels old. The arrangement is spare, with no bass that I can hear. The guitar and national steel have knife-like parts that cut through the singers heart. Mellencamp sings this with a passion. His performance makes you wonder how you could have heard him sing all of those hits, and never realized how perfect his voice was for blues. His version burns like a fresh wound.

Cassandra Wilson takes the same song in a completely different direction. Of course, she changes the genders, but that is the smallest part of it. Her version is new, a combination of sounds no one ever thought of before. There is a solo on a tenor banjo. The other instruments create a wall of support that wobbles, reflecting the unsteadiness of the singer’s emotions. And Wilson sings this as a sob. Some of the words almost disappear, as if singing them aloud will make them true.

So here are two different versions of the same song, two completely different approaches. Both are emotionally valid. Taken together, they demonstrate that there is plenty left to do with the blues.

Postage Paid: No Mail Today

Blind John Davis: No Mail Today

[purchase digital only]

We're off to a slow start this week, but that's okay: mail doesn't come on Sundays, and it doesn't usually get delivered on bank holidays, either.

Still, here's something light and bluesy from the back of the dusty stacks, in recognition of the day off from school that so many American schoolchildren and teachers are enjoying. And a bonus cover from a subsequent generation, a bit more folk-blues than Chicagoan Blind John Davis' original boogie woogie jazz lament.

Jorma Kaukonen: No Mail Today

[purchase]

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse: The Magdalene Laundries

The Chieftains (with Joni Mitchell): The Magdalene Laundries

[purchase]

“Today, if you walk into the centre of Stephen's Green, just to the right of where a magnolia is stretching in full blossom sits a new wooden bench. On it is a metal plaque enscribed with small faceless heads and the words: ‘To the women who worked in the Magdalen laundry institutions and to the children born to some members of those communities - reflect here upon their lives.' “ - Meadbh Gallagher

There can, perhaps, be no greater violation than when an institution whose ostensible purpose is to protect victims is itself the source of abuse. In Ireland, starting in the early 1800s, institutions were set up by the Catholic church to house “fallen women”, those who had bourn children out of wedlock. Some of these were victims of rape or incest, but all were considered sinners who needed their souls saved. They were put to work in what came to be known as the Magdalene Laundries, and the women came to be known as Magdalens. Of course, Mary Magdalene was a prostitute who was forgiven by Christ. So this all sounds noble, if misguided.

But, in the mid 1970s, part of the High Park Convent in Dublin was sold by its owners, the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, to developers. At that time, 133 unmarked graves were discovered on the grounds. Denied forgiveness or a Christian burial, this had been the fate of the Magdalens there. An investigation, which eventually involved 250 state supported institutions run by the church, and most of which housed children, was launched. Survivors began to come forward and tell their stories. It turned out that boys in orphanages had been raped. The girls and women, including the Magdalens, were beaten and emotionally abused. One victim reported that the nuns’ weapon of choice for beatings was wooden rosary beads. Another told of punishments that awaited any girl who failed to get her period on schedule. And there is much more.

Although the story began to break 30 years ago, resistance from both the church and the government slowed the flow of information. A commission was finally established, and, nine years later, in May of this year, it issued its final report. In the mean time, laws were passed that shield the perpetrators from punishment for their crimes.

Joni Mitchell caught up with this story in 1994, and wrote The Magdalene Laundries. At that time, the full extent of the abuse was not known. But Mitchell had enough information to create one of her most heartbreaking portraits. The Chieftans had been collaborating with artists from the world of popular music for some time. It is only natural, this being an Irish story, that Mitchell’s song would resonate with them. As a bonus, I have included Joni Mitchell’s original version of the song for comparison.

Joni Mitchell: The Magdalene Laundries

[purchase]

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse: Break the Cycle Edition

To wrap up my thoughts on this week's theme, I wanted to span the various ways women (and song) have dealt with domestic violence: confusing abuse with love... getting revenge on the abuser... walking away from the situation to make a better life - as Maya Angelou says, "when we know better, we do better"... and there is much emphasis these days, with the current generation, to Break the Cycle and do things differently...

FIVE THINGS TO SAY TO SOMEONE IN A VIOLENT RELATIONSHIP:
1) It will only get worse.
2) I'm afraid for your safety.
3) I'm afraid for the safety of your loved ones.
4) You don't deserve to be treated this way.
5) There's help when you're ready. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

The Motels: He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)

[purchase]

Since I do not own, and was unable to find, the original version of this song by The Crystals, I am sharing The Motels' cover - from Wikipedia:

"He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)" is a pop song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded by The Crystals under the guidance of Phil Spector in 1962.

Goffin and King wrote the song after discovering that singer Little Eva was being regularly beaten by her boyfriend. When they inquired why she tolerated such treatment, Eva replied, with complete sincerity, that her boyfriend's actions were motivated by his love for her. The song was written and intended as a sort of protest song from the point of view of an abused woman. Phil Spector's arrangement was ominous and ambiguous.

“It was a brutal song, as any attempt to justify such violence must be, and Spector’s arrangement only amplified its savagery, framing Barbara Alston’s lone vocal amid a sea of caustic strings and funereal drums, while the backing vocals almost trilled their own belief that the boy had done nothing wrong. In more ironic hands (and a more understanding age), 'He Hit Me' might have passed at least as satire. But Spector showed no sign of appreciating that, nor did he feel any need to. No less than the song’s writers, he was not preaching, he was merely documenting.” — Dave Thompson (AllMusicGuide)

Upon its initial release, "He Hit Me" received some airplay, but then there was a widespread protest of the song, with many concluding that the song was an endorsement of spousal abuse. The song soon became played only rarely on the radio, as now. More here...

Eliza Gilkyson: The Ballad of Yvonne Johnson

[purchase]

From the Austin Chronicle:

In her autobiography, Stolen Life, Canadian Cree Yvonne Johnson spares little in the telling of her life of abuse, incest, rape, physical deformity, poverty, and crime. Yet Johnson, who won't be eligible for parole until 2014, doesn't point fingers, make excuses, or otherwise deny guilt for the murder that got her a life sentence. Instead, she has used the experience to not just rehabilitate herself, but to redeem her battered, brutalized spirit. When Eliza Gilkyson ran across Stolen Life in a Canadian airport, she was stunned.

"I just inhaled it. I knew then I wanted to write her story in song, but I didn't know how to do it right. So much detail; how was I going to get all these elements in, this history of abuse, the murder, how she found herself? How to convey that and the emotion? It was so daunting."

The rest of the article here...

Kristina Olsen: Keeping This Life of Mine (Song for Battered Women)

[purchase]

This song won the New Folk songwriting contest at the prestigious Kerrville (Texas) Folk Festival in 1985 - in Kristina's words:

"I wrote it about a friend of mine who was in an abusive relationship. She ended up in the hospital and at that time realized she had to get away from this very abusive man, but she had no self-esteem left. She finally said, "I'm keeping this life of mine" and walked away. I was so impressed with the courage it took her to do that that I wrote this song from her point of view. The nice tag to her story is that she's doing great now."

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse: Strong Enough

Sheryl Crow: Strong Enough

[purchase]

On the face of it, Sheryl Crow's 1993 triple-Grammy debut doesn't seem to speak explicitly to this week's theme. But as I alluded to at our week's beginning, the threat of domestic violence lurks constantly in the way society portrays gender relationships.

As evidence, I note that I have always wanted to hear a male voice cover Strong Enough, with no other changes to the lyrics save one: changing the repeated refrain "Are you strong enough to be my man?" to "Am I strong enough to be your man?"

It's a different song, to be sure, when the roles are reversed - a song of masculinity, sarcastic and sensitive all at once, with undertones of anger against so many women's acceptance of violence as strength. But as an exercise, it also reveals the violence Crow's original narrator owns throughout. That it requires re-thinking the song to see this reveals how easily we overlook or excuse violence as just part of the gender dynamic of modern culture. We are all, in the end, part of the problem.

Which is to say: although my own gender-transformed lyrics reveal an interesting sense of self-as-perpetrator, aware and unapologetic, just under the surface, until someone with a strong, sensitive baritone takes on my challenge to cover the song, Strong Enough already contains its particular violence. Specifically, it is one of those rare songs which positions the female as offender, thus showing that domestic violence is not, in the end, a "woman's issue", but a human one.

Here's the lyrics, as modified for a male delivery.

God, I feel like hell tonight
Tears of rage I cannot fight
I'd be the last to help you understand
Am I strong enough to be your man?

Nothing's true and nothing's right
So let me be alone tonight
Cause you can't change the way I am
Am I strong enough to be your man?

Lie to me
I promise I'll believe
Lie to me
But please don't leave

I have a face I cannot show
I make the rules up as I go
It's try and love me if you can
Am I strong enough to be your man?

When I've shown you that I just dont care
When I'm throwing punches in the air
When I'm broken down and I can't stand
Will I be strong enough to be your man?

Lie to me
I promise I'll believe
Lie to me
But please don't leave...

Millions of men both gay and straight become victims of domestic violence each year, though numbers are hard to collect, as men are notoriously shy of reporting. For help and more information, online resources for and about battered men are available at MenWeb.

Domestic Violence : Family murder-suicide edition

Suicide : Frankie Teardrop

[purchase]

Doc & Merle Watson : The Lawson Family Murder

[purchase]

Two songs which are worlds apart musically, but which deal with the same subject : how men suddenly go amok and kill their whole family before comiting suicide. The first song by Suicide is probably one of the most frightening pieces of music ever made with its cold synthetizers and Alan Vega's inhuman screams.

The second one is a topical folk song about a real murder committed in 1929 by a tobacco farmer in North Carolina (the Watsons home state). Doc Watson took it from the Stanley Brothers. In contrast with Suicide's brutality, he sings it with a gentle voice and on a peaceful 3/4 beat, which make the story even more terrible.

While in the Suicide lyrics the killer acts out of desperation, the reason why Charlie Lawson killed his whole family is still mysterious, although there have been rumors of incest in the family, as you can see here.

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse: Dream, My Girl

Jo Serrapere: Dream, My Girl

[purchase] (scroll down to My Blue Heaven)

I first heard Jo Serrapere, a musician from the Detroit area, at our 1999 South Florida Folk Festival, where Dream, My Girl won the songwriting competition for "Best Ballad" - it's a contemporary song that sounds traditional, a lulling yet starkly-told tale of a woman who endures abuse for twelve years, never giving up the dream that "someday the burden will cease"... and it does...

Three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner each day in America, on average.

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse: You Don’t Have to Take It (Like I Did)

Gaye Adegbalola: You Don‘t Have to Take It (Like I Did)

[purchase]

I’m going to tell a story. It may not seem to have anything to do with our theme or this song, but bear with me. I promise, there is a connection.

When I was just entering my teenaged years, my oldest brother told me and my other brother something. He was in quite a state, and he had to tell someone. I don’t think he felt that he could talk to my parents about it. One of his best friends had had a bad trip, “flipped out on acid” as they said then. Said friend wound up being institutionalized, and as far as I know, he was never right again. My brother told all of this in more detail, and it was clear how shocked he was. I don’t know to this day if my brother had any intent, other than getting this off his chest, but the story had I powerful effect on me. When my opportunities to experiment with drugs came, I never tried anything stronger than weed. And this was why.

As I said, I don’t know if my brother had any intent. But there is certainly intent behind our theme this week. And I feel sure that many of the songwriters we are hearing this week had an intent. Gaye Adegbalola, with You Don’t Have to Take It (Like I Did), hopes that by sharing her story, she can save at least one other woman from falling into the same trap that she did. It is my fondest hope that our posts this week will serve the same purpose.

Incidentally, the other lead voice on this track is Rory Block.

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse: Behind the Wall

Tracy Chapman: Behind the Wall

[Purchase]

I thought a good follow up to Suzanne Vega's "Luka" would be to post Tracy Chapman's "Behind the Wall". I wasn't able to find any internet confirmation, but I was always told that this song was Tracy's response to "Luka". The song is a haunting a cappella song from the perspective of Luka's neighbor, to whom Luka is speaking in Vega's song.

Like in the song, in reality, many outsiders feel helpless to do anything when confronted with domestic abuse around them. We are either silenced by social rules that tell us to stay out of other people's affairs, or we reach out only to find our attempts fail because the powers that be are unwilling or unable to step in.