My mom was a folk singer, I was born n 65, she sang this song my whole life. Everytime she got her guitar out, all of us kids would beg her to sing this song...brings back great memories..
It is derived from the 19th-century Irish ballad "The Wexford Girl", itself derived from the earlier English ballad "The Bloody Miller or Hanged I Shall Be" (Roud 263, Laws P35) about a murder, in 1683, at Hogstow Mill, 12 miles (19 km) south of Shrewsbury. This ballad was collected by Samuel Pepys, who wrote about the murder of Anne Nichols by the Mill's apprentice Francis Cooper. Other versions are known as the "Waxweed Girl", "The Wexford Murder". These are in turn derived from an Elizabethan era poem or broadside ballad, "The Cruel Miller". Possibly modelled on the 17th-century broadside William Grismond's Downfall, or A Lamentable Murther by him Committed at Lainterdine in the county of Hereford on March 12, 1650: Together with his lamentation., sometimes known as The Bloody Miller.
I first heard this song when it was recorded by the Louvin Bros. around 1957 when I was growing up in Toronto. Also, first heard 'In The Pines' by the Louvin's as well. Jim and Jesse were always great when they were members of the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree in the 50's. Ken, Toronto
I just love how he cracks up when he's explaining the plot. It is sooooo ridiculously violent and graphic. I suppose you'd better have a dark sense of humor if you're gonna sing murder-ballads.
@@ed9492 The narrative in this one kinda goes from 0 to 100 rather quickly. I'm now listening to "Banks of the Ohio," which I did not know previously, and at least there is a set up, motivation, and a scintilla of remorse. Even so, both songs are a bit, shall we say, cavalier regarding murdering one's intended partner.
Interesting to compare with the fittingly grisly Nick Cave version, to which a commenter below alerted me, and which has lyrics omitted from this performance: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GL0I8YasI-U.html
My mon used to play this for me back in the 50s. It was done by the Wilburn Brothers. Mon was a cousin to the boys and they came from our hometown of Hardy, Arkansas. I remember they came by to see her a couple of times while I was living at home. Always drove a big black caddy. They did a couple of homecomign shows here and were a real class act. I love this version just as well
this reminds me of 2 other songs from the 70s but not by Bobbie Gentry, both had to do with murder - one was 'Knoxville Girl' and one was 'Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley'
"[L]oved his girl so well" - I know Otello says in his last monologue that he "loved not wisely but too well," but I question the word "well" both by Jim & Jesse and by Otello.
@vireogilvus with your comment,i live in the logwoods in s.e.,okla.there was a drunk passed out in the south bound lane of the hi-way.this was way before daybreak.the log truck driver topped over a small grade,straddled the poor boy.the undercarriage of the truck caught his clothing and drug him to death.that was the laugh of our town for many a months.i think of the story and i still tell it,we still get a laugh out of it today.even though this happened in the early '70's.
got here by looking for the nick cave version, where he sounds like he really just got back from beating a girl to death... interesting to hear it with cheery sounding bluegrass harmonies. never knew the song had so much history.
Thanks for calling my attention to the Nick Cave version, which is extraordinary (especially juxtaposed with a mugshot of the singer, the origin of which I do not know). I dare say it is rather more appropriate: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GL0I8YasI-U.html Note that Jim & Jesse here cut the part about his mother questioning asking about the blood and the vision of the Devil pointing at him in accusation. Their harmonization is magnificent, but I have no idea why they are giving such an upbeat account of such a grisly and frankly psychopathic song.
It was apparently rough being a Bluegrass Woman. According to this, "Banks Of The Ohio" and "Down In The Willow Garden", you had to watch out because when a guy really loved you, he proved it by proposing marriage then murdering you in some gruesome fashion! In "Down In The Willow Garden", he loved her so much that he poisoned her, and ran her thru with a saber. Then to make sure, he threw her in the river to drown! Ya can't love a girl more than THAT, now can ya?
Hylo Brown had a slightly different version ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KJ3jZ9JeycU.html The Louvin Brothers version by Charlie Louvin had at least two extra verses I started back to Knoxville, got there about midnight My mother, she was worried and woke up in a fright Saying "dear son, what have you done to bloody your clothes so?" I told my anxious mother I was bleeding at my nose I called for me a candle to light myself to bed I called for me a handkerchief to bind my aching head Rolled and tumbled the whole night through, as troubles was for me Like flames of hell around my bed and in my eyes could see
There are a lot of old songs of this theme. Before an execution in old Britain and Ireland, songwriters would go through the crowd with the lyrics to a song about the crimes of the condemned man. Since killing a girlfriend or ex-girlfriend was not an unknown crime, there were a lot of murder ballads known collectively as Pretty Polly ballads. This one has been around for a very long time under different names. In Ireland, it's known as the "Wexford Girl," but there are many versions. It probably became a hit again because of the vocal harmonies.
@@valerie3955Often, yes. Weird, I know. You couldn't get away with that in country music nowadays, although a woman can take a Louisville slugger to a man's car. If we let men get away with writing violent songs about women, I'm afraid there'd be no end to it. But I figure turnabout is fair play. There were so many songs about men killing women for so long -- enough, already. Listen to "On the Banks of the Ohio," by anybody. So it goes.
Sucks to be me? LOL I don't think so. I hardly think I'm squeemish and I enjoy life more than most. It's just that unlike you I don't need to go around porking floozies then murdering them to enjoy life. As I said I am a big fan of Jim and Jesse and enjoy bluegrass overall but enjoying fanticies of murder is simply sick!
