How many fallen women does it take? (songs)

Subject: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 03:01 PM

I was reading the thread on the Great Speckled Bird in which James in Bristol, RI, mentions that the melody was also used for Hank Thompson's "WILD SIDE OF LIFE" and Kitty Wells' "IT WASN'T GOD WHO MADE HONKY TONK ANGELS," songs dealing with women who had fallen from the narrow path, victims of strong drink, thoughtless men and maybe even tobacco.

I can think of a few other songs along those lines---the Stanley's "SHE'S MORE TO BE PITIED (Than Scolded)" comes to mind---but I thought it might be fun to see how many such songs Mudcatters can come up with. The one to contribute the most verifiable titles will be awarded a genuine invisible facsimile.

      - Mark

[Many song titles in this thread have been converted to links by a Mudelf.]

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: SDShad
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 03:05 PM

Steve Earle's "SOMETIMES SHE FORGETS," and "NOW SHE'S GONE"

Chris

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: GUEST,JenEllen
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 03:06 PM

"victims of strong drink, thoughtless men and maybe even tobacco".....you been peeking in my window again Mark?*bg*

Let me look around and see what I can find
~Elle

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: TerriM
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 03:08 PM

How about 'LOUISE'? Bonnie Rait does a nice version of that song.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 03:21 PM

Hank Williams:

The Bad Girl Who Lives Down The Street. [see BE CAREFUL OF STONES THAT YOU THROW]

TOO MANY PARTIES AND TOO MANY PALS.

PICTURES FROM LIFE'S OTHER SIDE

and

KATY CRUEL

HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

More later.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 03:25 PM

WHO'S GONNA HOLD HER HAND?

(You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me) LUCILLE

Interesting that there are a lot more of these than "Men who regret infidelity".

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Amos
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 03:26 PM

"HER MOTHER NEVER TOLD HER" and, on a slightly different angle, "(She's Only) A BIRD IN A GILDED CAGE" (the 1890's equivalent to "(You Can't Hide Those) LYIN' EYES".

A

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 04:53 PM

"SHE WAS POOR BUT SHE WAS HONEST"

Regards

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 05:10 PM

RUBY DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Caitrin
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 05:16 PM

JenEllen! You don't have to put on the red light! *bg* Sorry...For some reason I'm drawing a blank on everything but the Police. I'll be back with folk songs in a bit.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 05:27 PM

"They say that she's sunken, they say that she fell
From the narrow and virtuous path
But her French formal gardens are sunken as well
And so is her pink marble bath"

[See WE NEVER MENTION AUNT CLARA]

To which I can add, from the top of my head,

I RIDE AN OLD PAINT (...son went to college, his daughter went wrong)

"THere's a name that's never spoken..." [See "PICTURE THAT IS TURNED TOWARD THE WALL"]

"'twas a cold winter's evening, the boys were all leaving, O'Reilley was closing the bar..." [See "THE LADY IN RED"]

BAD GIRL'S LAMENT

NANCY BROWN..."She came down that mountain early, more a woman than a girly..."

CHARLOTTE THE HARLOT

KAFOOZALEM

....there's a lot

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: GUEST,JenEllen
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 05:42 PM

Damn you folks are fast, shoot off to make a cup of tea and have a think, and this is what happens?
Caitrin:LOL I thought of that one too! gotta luv 'em.
The only other one that got stuck in my skull that isn't represented here is the C&W one, "FANCY", I think it was Reba.
~Elle

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Mbo
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 06:26 PM

What about "I DREAMED A DREAM" from Les Mis?

--Mbo

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: sophocleese
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 06:35 PM

does it take to change a light bulb?

depends on how you want it done, mister.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Mbo
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 06:38 PM

What about that line from "DOWN WHERE THE DRUNKARDS ROLL" by Richard Thompson....does that count?

--Mbo

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 11:02 PM

Let's not forget "Laurie Foster" or every "lowdown, cheatin', razor totin', woman that turned all those lazy guys into Blues singers. Real bad, 'cause they're barely outta bed when it starts..."Woke up this mornin'.."

Rick

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: JamesJim
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 11:13 PM

QUEEN OF THE SILVER DOLLAR. Jim

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: GUEST,Frankie
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 11:53 PM

CLOSE UP THE HONKY TONKS,

VENOM WEARIN' DENIM,

TURNING OF THE TIDE

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Mbo
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 11:54 PM

Hey, isn't "Venom Wearing Denim" by Junior Brown?

--Mbo

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 12:03 AM

Personally, me and Hardiman like, "Yo Mama Sleep in Pay Toilet." Blues of course, by Miz Vendetta Threats, although rather obscure even for King Max.

Paul, Paul, Paul!!

Don't you realize we can just make up titles and someone will be requesting them from DT a year later????

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: jofield
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 12:16 AM

"(YOU'RE) NO LONGER A SWEETHEART OF MINE":

Go back to that bar down the street, love,
And stay with your honky-tonk kind.
Go back to the life you been livin'
YNLASOM.

All the verses work over the same subject.

"SHE'S NO ANGELL", by the Stanleys.

Great, little-known Jim Ringer song called "TIJUANA":

She got led off by someone's lies,
But TJ opened up her eyes completely,
And now she realized what home was worth."

There's a-plenty of em...

James, still in Bristol, RI.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 12:29 AM

THE MAKER by Daniel Lanois from the album Acadie

Brother John can you see the homeless daughters
Standing there with broken wings

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 12:39 AM

Does any one besides me, wish that whenever there are threads like this, they could just push a button and the song or songs they have just posted could be immediately accessed by everyone else on the thread?

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 12:48 AM

This is turning out to be a really great list. Do you think "GIRL IN THE BLUE VELVET BAND" is close enough to be included?

- Mark

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 02:26 AM

Say Mark, how 'bout the one in the "BLACK VELVET BAND"? Think they know each other?

Rick

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 02:47 AM

www.salfolks

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Escamillo
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 02:52 AM

Sorry, I can´t contribute with a folk song, but if you want, could name some 400 TANGOS ! LOL
Un abrazo - Andrés

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: GUEST,Greta
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 04:05 AM

Well, there's "SWINGIN' FROM YOUR CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS " by the Austin Lounge Lizards:

"Satin pillows lie beneath your head
Satin sheets adorn your queen-sized bed
Still someday you'll get sick of truffles and imported beers
While you're swingin' from your crystal chandeliers."

But maybe when it's not 1 am I'll be able to think of some non-satirical ones.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 07:51 AM

Have to throw in my "theme song" -- "WE NEVER MENTION AUNT CLARA" which I learned from a woman who learned it from the father of her college room mate.

"They say that she's sunken, they say that she fell
From the narrow and virtuous path
But her French formal gardens are sunken as well
And so is her pink marble bath.

Linn, the Bat Goddess

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 07:54 AM

Oops, almost forgot Madeleine Peyroux's "WAS I? (Drunk, Was He Handsome, and Did Mama Give Me Hell?)".

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: GUEST,John Gray / Australia
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 09:08 AM

PENICILLIN PENNY - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Grab
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 09:20 AM

"CINDY'S CRYINGCINDY'S CRYING", by Tom Paxton - lovely song. And "HOTEL CALIFORNIA" probably kind of qualifies too. And plenty of Chris Isaak stuff - slightly off-beat pop, but anyway. "SOLITARY MAN" by Neil Diamond, sung by CI, is pretty good with some great lyrics.

Garth Brooks, "PAPA LOVED MAMA", for something a bit more upbeat. And entirely un-folk (but good music and fun all the same), Ace of Base with "ALL THAT SHE WANTS" - love to arrange a guitar and fiddle version of that!

Grab.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: SDShad
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 09:43 AM

How could I forget? Guy Clark's "RITA BALLOU":

She's a rawhide rope and velvet mixture
Walkin' talkin Texas texture
High-timin' barroom fixture kind of a girl
She's the queen of the cowboys
Look at old Willard grinnin' now boys
You'd of thought there's less fools in this world

Guy Clark rules.

Shgad

Or Shad, even

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: BuskerBard
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 09:50 AM

How about "TECUMSEH VALLEY?" Granted, the 'thoughtless man' was her father who died, but in any case...

"So she turned to whoring, out on the street with all the lust inside her..."

And there's always the infamous "PATRICIA THE STRIPPER" by Chris De Burgh...

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Stewie
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 09:55 AM

On the drug side, Dick Feller's 'CRY FOR LORI', Lee Clayton's 'LITTLE COCAINE' and Kris Kristofferson's 'SUGAR MAN' spring to mind.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Ely
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 10:34 AM

Hazel Dickens' "TOMORROW'S ALREADY LOST"

Nanci Griffith's [LOOKING FOR THE TIME (WORKIN' GIRL)] one about "you say you're looking for the time, well I'm a working girl, you just wasted mine. And if you ain't got money, take it down the avenue, 'cause I ain't got the time for you."

"GIRL BEHIND THE BAR" ["West Side Tavern"] (probably trad.; I've got it on the Red Clay Ramblers & Fiddlin' Al McCandless record, and I think on Jay Ungar's _Catskill Mt. Goose Chase_)

Freakwater's "A SONG YOU COULD CRY FOR"

"PRETTY PEGGY": What will your mother think for to hear the guineas clink, and the soldiers all marching behind you?

"LITTLE SADIE"

I've always wondered about Norman Blake's "CHATTANOOGA SUGAR BABE"--the verse about "standing on the corner with your mouth in a pout". I'm assuming he means sulking, but it could be something else . . .

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Hyperabid
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 10:52 AM

ROXANNE - The Police

LOLA - The Kinks - provided cross dressers count

HONKY TONK WOMAN - The Rolling Stones

PATRICIA THE STRIPPER - Chris Rea

GYPSIES, TRAMPS AND THIEVES - Cher

Hyp

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 10:53 AM

BEESWING by Richard Thompson

Last I heard
She was sleepin' rough
Back on the Derby beat
White horse in her hip pocket
And a wolf hound at her feet.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 11:06 AM

Hm..........guess not.............

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: DADGBE
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 11:21 AM

Listen to any bluegrass? A LARGE percentage of them are on this theme, usually from a..."You done stomped on my heart and squashed that sucker flat"...male hurt pride point of view.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 11:38 AM

ROYAL FORESTER by Steeleye Span

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: L R Mole
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 11:42 AM

Just to throw this into far left field, the NYT yesterday mentioned that some song from the Three Stooges movie omitted the sentence "She was bred in old Kentucky but she's just a crumb up here". Wasn't there a vogue for variations on this formula, and if so, were they sung (good evening, friends.....)?

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 11:52 AM

and more from the not so Gay 90's

"SHE MAY HAVE SEEN BETTER DAYS" and "SHE'S MORE TO BE PITIED (THAN CENSURED)"

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 11:55 AM

and "JUST TELL THEM THAT YOU SAW ME". Boy there sure was a lot of fallen women then......

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Midchuck
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 12:11 PM

DADGBE said: "Listen to any bluegrass? A LARGE percentage of them are on this theme, usually from a..."You done stomped on my heart and squashed that sucker flat"...male hurt pride point of view."

I'm sorry, but this is incorrect. Those songs are country, not bluegrass. They're only bluegrass if the woman dies.

Speaking of Country, did anyone mention "STREETS OF BALTIMORE?"

Peter.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: annamill
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 12:21 PM

"Back out on the streets again" Eagles.

"I wish I was a fascinating Bitch"
"I never would be poor, I alway would be rich"
"I'd sleep all day and work all night"
"and live in a house with a big red light".
I don't know who wrote it.

Any woman song by Mickey Newbury.
"SAN FRANCISCO MABEL JOY" comes to mind.

"MATERIAL GIRL" Madonna.

This is going to be a really long thread.

Love, annap

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: SINSULL
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 01:01 PM

More country:
(When the New Wears Off of Your) CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS.

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Ely
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 02:55 PM

"LOST HIGHWAY" could apply to a woman just as easily if you switched a few words.

Sorry to slip her in here, but wasn't Joan Osborne's "Saint Theresa" about a drug dealer?

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: Wesley S
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 04:17 PM

"(The Police Want You and) MY WIFE THINKS YOU'RE DEAD" by Junior Brown - a classic

Subject: RE: How many fallen women does it take?
From: GUEST,Paddy(1)
Date: 26 Apr 00 - 07:43 PM

Is there no end to this?

LYIN' EYES
(City girls just seem to find out early . . )

WHISKEY IN THE JAR
(The divil take the women for you know she tricked me easy . . )

LONG BLACK VEIL
(I had been in the arms of my best friend's wife . . )

HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY
(He kept her picture by his bed ...)

LET HIM ROLL
(She turned his last proposal down, in favour of being a girl about town . . )

TEQUILA SHEILA
(But I can't make love to a squealer, Sheila . . .)
and, of course,

DELILAH
(I saw the light on the night . . . )

But what would we do without you, girls ? ? ?

How about a "faithful women" thread?

To start it off how about

Old Flames
(Old flames can't hold a candle to you . . )

Paddy(1)