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about

originally recorded in 2012

a slightly altered acapella version of this 500+ year old
traditional murder ballad that originated in oxford
england and moved to tennessee at some point
in the long and exhaustive history of murdering women
and writing songs about it.

If you'll notice, there are millions of them.

yet, so few songs written from the opposite
perspective... there's one by the 2 women
who created the blues, murdered a man
then wrote a song about it -
Geeshie Wiley & Elvie Thomas
Skinny Legs Blues

lyrics

i met a girl in knoxville
a town we all know well
and every sunday evening
out in her home i'd dwell

we went to take an evening walk
about a mile from town
i picked a stick up off the ground
and knocked that fair girl down

she fell down on her bended knees
for mercy she did cry
"oh willie dear don't kill me here ~
i'm unprepared to die!"

she never spoke another word
i only beat her more
until the ground around me
with her blood did flow

i took her by her golden curls
and drug her round and round
i throw'd her in the river
that flows thru knoxville town

go down go down you knoxville girl
with dark and roving eyes
go down go down you knoxville girl
you'll never be my bride

i started back to knoxville
got there 'bout midnight
my mother she was worried
and woke up in a fright

said "dear son what have you done
to bloody your clothes so?"
i told my anxious mother
i was just bleedin' from my nose

i called for me a candle
and crawled myself to bed
i called for me a handkerchief
to bind my aching head

i rolled and tumbled the whole night thru
as troubles was for me
like flames of hell around my bed
and in my eyes could see

it were about 3 days before
this fair girl was found
floatin down the river
that goes thru knoxville town

and all that saw her head down bare
knew she'd been a handsome bride
fit for any hand or strife
but none now with she'd lie

they carried me down to knoxville
and put me in a cell
my friends all tried to get me out
but none could go my bail

i'm here to waste my life away
down in this dirty old jail
because i murdered that knoxville girl
the girl i loved so well

credits

from AFTER WE HAVE BEEN DISAPPEARED ONLY IN OBJECTS WILL OUR MEMORY BE KEPT, released April 5, 2015

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DELETIST

autonomous multimedium
embracing hopelessness
((((((0))))))


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