Shady Grove

For Jessamyn, who's been listening to many versions of this song. Here's another.

(She's right; it is a pretty tune.)

Lyrics adapted from this version.

This is also the first thing I've recorded in a long, long time.

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by not_on_display (10 comments total)

n_o_d, just wanted to say that I'm out in the sticks (on a rainy day!) with only a dialup connection, and this thing ain't gonna finish loading til next Thursday...

Look forward to checking it out when I get back to civilization.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:11 PM on May 3

Wow. That's a great combination of the "back to Harlan" lyrics which are more (to my mind) Appalachian and the murder ballad version about water taking her away. Man this is so great!
posted by jessamyn at 7:54 PM on May 3

What I never understood is why they didn't just like aggressively prune the grove so there was more sunlight. Is what.

I, uh, that is, nice work, sir.
posted by cortex at 9:11 AM on May 5

...why they didn't just like aggressively prune the grove...

Too many syllables to fit in the line...

Aggressively pruned grove, my li'l love,
Aggressively pruned grove, my darlin'

...just doesn't have the same ring, y'know?

I, uh, that is, nice work, sir.

That's what I thought you said.

[Thanks! :)]
posted by not_on_display at 6:39 PM on May 5

I dig the minor treatment. And I dig it when people breathe new life into old folk songs. Keeps them alive, and that's what's supposed to happen. Nice, n_o_d.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:57 AM on May 6

That was sweet. To be honest, I didn't know that this was a folk song. I bought Quicksilver Messenger Service's eponymous album years ago, and that was one of the songs that put me off the band for years. They should have left the lyrics alone.
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 6:08 PM on May 6

Oops. Sorry, not_on_display. Just went back to the top of the page...Your lyrics are fine.
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 6:22 PM on May 6

Thanks again, flapjax & K_to_E. It's also one of those rare times where the recording sounds like what I heard in my head before recording it. So: everybody wins!

Thanks for the appreciative comments, everyone. And I'm SO glad you liked it, Jess.
posted by not_on_display at 8:26 PM on May 6

Ah, so THAT explains the refrain of "Goin' Back to Harlan" on Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball album. I love finding those nuggets of songs that date back a hundred years (or even hundreds of years) but continue to show up in songwriting today...
posted by roombythelake at 12:13 AM on May 7

Nice version. I'm not sure how I'd like being so closely associated with a murder ballad, but whatever.
posted by OmieWise at 4:59 PM on June 18