“Disturbing” is perhaps a genre in itself, regardless of musical style. Music is a form of abstract entertainment and so are books and movies. Horror stories sell… In terms of examples, the imagery that Dylan displayed in The Ballad of Hollis Brown was not only clever but hit the button. In one verse, the gun is on the wall then is in his hand in the next verse. Beats anything from Hammer House of Horror. Richard Thompson’s We Sing Hallelujah” is disturbing in the cynical way it looks at society, but to be fair, he pricks the bubble of hubris in many excellent songs. In the trad world, I am presently revamping a version of The Lover’s Ghost / The Grey Cock and whilst it is a storyline old as the hills, it’s rather creepy all the same……
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