I walked about all week long with song stuck in my head, singing it under my breath in the daytime and high over it at night. Gosh this song is unreal — it sounds so eerie, unearthly. Like it may be eaten by mountains or the singer may be gobbled by mountains, full of despair in a valley.
For some strange reason, I really wanted to draw a specific image I had in my mind; a man, tall, gaunt, lone with a big pack hanging with pots and pans and handkerchiefs that would clack as he walked. He has no face, no eyes and no tears, but he does have big blue boots, worn, from which blue paint leaks. Every step he takes leaves a mark.
I just heard Mississippi John Hurt's "You got to walk that lonesome valley" for the first time and while the melody and mood don't quite fit, the idea that "there's nobody here can walk it for him"fits just right. Sidenote: he's always wearing the same plaid shirt. What a man.
I couldn't draw this — goodness knows I tried. I just haven't got hands that can draw what's so clear in my mind. It's almost nightmarishly frustrating, but there you go. It didn't help that I was terribly intimidated by all the stunning art the rest of the class has created — I just feel I couldn't encapsulate the feeling I felt if I couldn't capture the picture in my head.
So I wrote a poem. I'm not quite sure I do the song justice, but there it is. I'm still working on scanning everything I create, but I'll have a scanned copy of it posted soon and transcribe it below once it's up.
Leadbelly's version is absolutely great, particularly because he was in jail himself and so he really made the song his own. He emphasized the jailhouse aspects of the song over the romantic aspects. It's stellar, but I guess I should say that I really identify Down in the Valley (at least the "traditional" version) with a woman's voice. I looked through some renditions of it and somehow this, suburban as it is, seemed to fit best:
I also found a song by a modern folk band called "Down in the Valley" that has no direct similarities to the original folk song, but is rather nice. There are some themes of incarceration and love which still stand:
For some strange reason, I really wanted to draw a specific image I had in my mind; a man, tall, gaunt, lone with a big pack hanging with pots and pans and handkerchiefs that would clack as he walked. He has no face, no eyes and no tears, but he does have big blue boots, worn, from which blue paint leaks. Every step he takes leaves a mark.
I just heard Mississippi John Hurt's "You got to walk that lonesome valley" for the first time and while the melody and mood don't quite fit, the idea that "there's nobody here can walk it for him"fits just right. Sidenote: he's always wearing the same plaid shirt. What a man.
I couldn't draw this — goodness knows I tried. I just haven't got hands that can draw what's so clear in my mind. It's almost nightmarishly frustrating, but there you go. It didn't help that I was terribly intimidated by all the stunning art the rest of the class has created — I just feel I couldn't encapsulate the feeling I felt if I couldn't capture the picture in my head.
So I wrote a poem. I'm not quite sure I do the song justice, but there it is. I'm still working on scanning everything I create, but I'll have a scanned copy of it posted soon and transcribe it below once it's up.
Leadbelly's version is absolutely great, particularly because he was in jail himself and so he really made the song his own. He emphasized the jailhouse aspects of the song over the romantic aspects. It's stellar, but I guess I should say that I really identify Down in the Valley (at least the "traditional" version) with a woman's voice. I looked through some renditions of it and somehow this, suburban as it is, seemed to fit best:
I also found a song by a modern folk band called "Down in the Valley" that has no direct similarities to the original folk song, but is rather nice. There are some themes of incarceration and love which still stand:
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Noor--this is just what I'd hoped you do...a thoughtful, open-ended, grounded-yet-personal exploration of the songs (and their singers) (and even their plaid shirts)--all of which is to say--good start! By the way, I'd be glad to talk with you about "how to get better" as a singer and player and singer (I liked it when you opened up on that blues song--we'll try more). I'll continue this by email...
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