Comments on: Shady Grove

Shady Grove

not_on_display — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:20:45 -0800

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.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:11:57 -0800

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.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:54:46 -0800

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!

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:11:11 -0800

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.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:39:50 -0800

...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! :)]

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:57:13 -0800

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.

By: Kronos_to_Earth

Kronos_to_Earth — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:08:39 -0800

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.

By: Kronos_to_Earth

Kronos_to_Earth — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:22:06 -0800

Oops. Sorry, not_on_display. Just went back to the top of the page...Your lyrics are fine.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:26:19 -0800

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.

By: roombythelake

roombythelake — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:13:25 -0800

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...

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:59:16 -0800

Nice version. I'm not sure how I'd like being so closely associated with a murder ballad, but whatever.