Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'

Subject: Origins: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: GUEST,Pat Blackman
Date: 15 Sep 12 - 10:27 AM

This week at Murder Ballad Monday, two posts on the murder ballad "Rain and Snow" or "Cold Rain and Snow", made popular by Obray Ramsey and the Grateful Dead in the mid-60's.

"Cold Rain and Snow" - Introduction - This week, Pat invites us to break out our shovels and dig deeply with him into the history of "Cold Rain and Snow." In today's post we find quite a few old friends; some false witnesses, some true to the source of this ballad that grew into a Grateful Dead standard.

"I ain't gonna be treated this way" - In a fascinating second installment on "Cold Rain and Snow" Pat gives us reason to believe that the resonances of this song, particularly along the lines of gender and violence, may not play out as we expect. Women's voices performing this song help Pat uncover something distinctive about the song's own "voice."

Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, Sam Amidon, The Be Good Tanyas, Rose Laughlin, and The Lonesome Sisters, plus Pat's Spotify playlist, give us more than a few haunting and powerful performance to inform the conversation.

Subject: RE: Origins: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Sep 12 - 10:38 AM

I'm thinking we have discussed this song before in one of our threads. I first heard Obray Ramsey singing this song at a private party back in 1963 while Franz Schneider and I were visiting friends in North Carolina. But there are earlier versions.

A lot is left to the imagination in the version Obray sang, which may make it even more haunting.

Here's the version I currently sing:

Traditional
Learned from the singing of Obray Ramsey

Rain and Snow

Oh, I married me a wife,
Gave me trouble all my life,
Ran me out in the cold rain and snow.

Refrain:

Rain and snow, rain and snow, rain and snow, oh, Lord,
Ran me out in the cold ran and snow.

Well, she came down the stairs,
Combing back her long yellow hair,
And her cheeks just as red as a rose.

As a rose, as a rose, as a rose, oh, Lord,
With her cheeks just as red as a rose.

Oh, I did all I could do,
To get along with you,
And I ain't goin' be treated this-a-way.

This-a-way, this-a-way, this-a-way, oh, Lord,
And I ain't goin' be treated this away.

She came into the room,
There she met her fatal doom,
And I ain't goin' back there no more.*

No more, no more, no more, oh, Lord,
And I ain't goin' back there no more.

Repeat first verse.

* Changed by Charlie Ipcar from "And I ain't goin' be treated this-a-way."

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Origins: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Sep 12 - 10:40 AM

Here's a link to one of the old threads: click here

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Origins: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Sep 12 - 10:43 AM

Here's a thread with more discussion: click here

Charley Noble/Guest Roll & Go-C

Subject: RE: Origins: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Sep 12 - 11:14 AM

Thanks for the links, I had forgotten about this song. Several of the related songs were posted.

Subject: RE: Origins: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Sep 12 - 11:34 AM

Pat-

Reviewing your links, you've really done some nice work.

Elizabeth LaPrelle also has recorded an excellent traditional style version of this ballad on her recent CD titled Rain & Snow.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Origins: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: GUEST,Pat Blackman
Date: 15 Sep 12 - 12:06 PM

Charley, thanks for the compliment and the tip. I'll try to find LaPrelle's track right now!

Pat

Subject: RE: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: Marcy
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 07:43 AM

I heard an extra verse to this ballad somewhere and don't remember exactly where, but here it is if anyone knows it...
Well, I seen her sitting in the shade,
Counting every dime I made.
I'm so broke and I'm hungry too.
Hungry too, oh Lord,
I'm so broke and I'm hungry too.

Here's a link to an audio file if it's any help...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCezDb8IacU

Subject: RE: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: Tim K
Date: 16 Jan 23 - 06:06 PM

The "I'm so broke and I'm hungry too" verse shows up in the Be Good Tanyas version (which is characteristically lovely). They also sing the "red apple juice" verse, so you might trace their source through those variations.

Subject: RE: Murder ballad - 'Rain and Snow'
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 16 Jan 23 - 06:33 PM

Pentangle sang that last verse as well. It was on their Reflection album.