Supernatural aspects were deleted from American singer's repertories because the nation was settled by puritans! That's it, pure and simple, from where I sit.

Once in a while though, a supernatural song motif will stay around in spite of that; as in one of my favorite songs of the lumberjacks---The Lost Jimmy Whalen. I included it on my cassette that I titled "ON THE RIVER." It is not on a CD other than one I made here at home with ALL of the songs and tales I ever did over the years that had that river connection.

In "Lost Jimmy Whalen" -- the ghostly Jimmy is summoned by his mourning lover and rises wearing "robes of red crimson" from the "depths of the river" where he drowned in a lumbering accident! The song should be in the Digital Tradition. If not, I'll post it. Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen learned it from me and put it on one of their fine CDs.

Art Thieme