Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?

Subject: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 06:05 AM

With all the records of horrid murder in the old ballads,I have not come across anything about these legends. As these stories apparently come from many times and places,where are the songs?I wonder if such legends merely record murders so foul that no one could believe they were done by humans?

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 07:03 AM

Reynardine perhaps ?

Dave H

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 11:19 AM

Griesely Bride comes to mind.
In trad songs and ballads, most shape-changing is either a punishment inflicted by a bad person (Kemp Owen, Laidely worm) or as a contest (Two Magicians, Taam Lin)

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 11:23 AM

Thank you very much for the information;I will investigate these. I just suddenly realized that it seemed odd to have so few songs on the subject,if the traditions across the world have discussed this for centuries.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 12:59 PM

I'm sure a few more old songs will surface.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 01:01 PM

Reynardine perhaps ?

I think we established that the teeth were false in this case. ;>)>

Regards

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 01:03 PM

Denture dare to suggest such a thing!

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 01:05 PM

As I recall the Canadian folk group Tanglefoot composed a were-wolf ballad "Loup Garrou" about ten years ago about two lovers, The Music in the Wood.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 01:37 PM

Here's one

The Werewolf: (Barry Dransfield)

CC

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 01:43 PM

Dransfield's werewolf song is certainly interesting; the melody seems inspired by "The Cuckoo She's a Pretty Bird."

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 01:49 PM

I was always interested in the archetypes of the werewolf and the vampire. I eventually wrote 3 songs about a vampire named Marissa, and 2 different songs about werewolves, and they remain among my favorites, though I've "revamped" the first vampire song a couple of times over the years.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 01:54 PM

The song recorded by Barry Dransfeld was written and recorded several times by Michael Hurley.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 05:34 PM

It does remind me of the cuckoo. I had never heard this fellow;is he doing his own guitar work?Quite a performer;just what I wanted.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: BTNG
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 05:58 PM

It ain't folk folks
Werewolves of London

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's
Going to get himself a big dish of beef chow mein
Werewolves of London

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
Better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again
Werewolves of London

He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor
Werewolves of London

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect
Werewolves of London
Draw blood

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 06:17 PM

Tigger

Its from his first solo album after he split from his brother Robin. Although he is mainly known for his fiddle playin the guitar work is probably his. And he does credit it to Michael Hurley.

CC

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 07:49 PM

I'm also thinking Jez Lowe had a were-wolf song.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 07:33 AM

Somebody used to sing one back in the 70s at Pontardawe folk club. Something about the were-wolf regreting what happened to his victims but not being able to stop himself.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 07:39 AM

That's a common dilemma in some folk clubs, not necessarily restricted to were-wolves.

Sorry, I couldn't stop myself!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: GUEST,Andy
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 10:26 AM

Kipling wrote a poem called The Vampire. Don't know if it's about a vampire as we think of 'em' or has a more metaphoric meaning though.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 12:16 PM

We have our own version of a werewolf here in Yorkshire called a Barghest. Don't know if there are any songs about it (I did start to write one once) but it's propably where Bram Stoker got the idea of Dracula coming ashore at Whitby in the shape of a black dog.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Brian Peters
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 12:29 PM

How about Graham Pratt's 'Black Fox'
?

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: Bounty Hound
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 01:45 PM

Not exactly a werewolf, but close. A little tale of a huge black dog that roams East Anglia.

The story is known all over the region and up to Lincolnshire, the dog has various names, 'hellhound of Cromer' and most common 'Black(or old)Shuck' When I wrote the song I chose to set it in the Fens.

See the dog and you've had your lot!

http://www.bountyhounds.co.uk/?page_id=17

Click 'Eyes of Flame' in the music player.

John

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: GUEST,davemc
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 01:59 PM

Marilyn Middleton-Pollock sings a lovely song called "Vampire" (from the Vampire's perspective) on the Fellside recording 'Nobody Knows You'. I'm not sure who wrote it as I don't have the sleeve notes to hand.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 02:11 PM

Has anyone ever been moved to write a song about The Hexham Heads I wonder?

I wrote a werewolf song for a project recently; it's currently under wraps until the project I wrote it for comes to fruition. It's dark and gothic with darkly droning fiddle, drum and two voices in bleak weird harmony. I'm not given to writing songs as a rule but I can share a verse or two with you:

My tracks, my signs, my kills,
Are feathers ripped by hedge and ditch and wall -
My claw cuts deep in bone;
A glimpse, no more, where I once danced alone.

There is no truth, no God;
No fevered prayer by candle in the cold.
But all is death and I
Must join the morning grief as yet untold.

Subject: RE: Songs about werewolves,vampires etc?
From: mayomick
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 04:11 PM

Wasn't Silver Dagger supposed to have had associations with vampires ?
"In some countries, it was also believed that not unlike a werewolf, a vampire could be killed with a silver dagger, spear, knife and such."

Don't sing love songs; you'll wake my mother
She's sleeping here, right by my side
And in her right hand, a silver dagger
She says that I can't be your bride.

My daddy is a handsome devil
He's got a chain five miles long
And on every link a heart does dangle
Of another maid he's loved and wronged.