Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'

Subject: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 09:24 AM

I saw a program last night about Frank and Jesse James - a very interesting show. During the section on the James Brothers and the Civil War a banjo played what I know as Horace Brown. The music credits said "Original Music by ..." but I missed the name.

Is this a traditional tune? I have never heard it used by anyone else.
What I remember of the lyrics:

Horace Brown, he lived on the outside of town.
Horace Brown he lived on the outside of town
With his wife and five children in a cabin broken down.

He lived for work and money and he walked a ragged mile.
He lived for work and money and he walked a ragged mile
xxxxxxxxx

The xxx has got his corn and bad blood it got his mare
The xxx has got his corn and bad blood it got his mare
Is there anyone who knows? Is there anyone who cares?

There are seven breezes blowin' all around the cabin door.
Seven breezes blowin' all around the cabin door
Seven shots ring out like the ocean's mighty roar.

There are seven people dead on a South Dakota farm.
Seven people dead on a South Dakota farm.
Somewhere in the distance there are seven new people born.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 09:32 AM

Hollis Brown?

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 09:33 AM

Dylan's song is "The Ballad of HOLLIS Brown", not Horace

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 09:37 AM

Yup!
Now was it traditional or original?
I recognixed the tune but haven't heard the lyrics since about 1968.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 09:37 AM

"ized"

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: Goose Gander
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 10:14 AM

If I recall, the melody Dylan used for Hollis Brown was borrowed from the American adaptation of The Gosport Tragedy, the recently discussed Pretty Polly.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: GUEST,Whistle Stop
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 11:36 AM

Melody? What melody? It's a great song, but I always laugh when someone claims that a melody was borrowed, when the song is more spoken than sung.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: Goose Gander
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 12:20 PM

It's a very simple 5-note melody, but a melody nonetheless. The fact that it's more spoken than sang does not negate this.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: BanjoRay
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 12:29 PM

The words are of course Dylans.
Ray

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Horace Brown'
From: GUEST,Whistle Stop
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 12:39 PM

Mike, you're right that it doesn't negate it entirely. But when a melody is as simple as this one (and therefore as similar to so many others), I think it makes the "borrowed melody" assertion a little more questionable. It's like saying that the melody of every rap song ever written was "borrowed" from John Lee Hooker, because they're all similarly monotonic. Given that Dylan has often been criticized for such borrowing, I thought this was worth pointing out.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: Goose Gander
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 12:45 PM

The meter and stanza pattern are very close, too. But I don't think that's a bad thing, someone less talented than Dylan would might have unnecessarily complicated the arrangement and interfered with the stark tone of the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: michaelr
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 07:45 PM

Someone please correct the lyrics -- I don't have a Dylan songbook handy.

IIRC, the Neville Brothers recorded a brilliant version of the song.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: number 6
Date: 07 Feb 06 - 10:59 PM

Sinsull ... I also watched that PBS special on Jesse James (it was interesting)

Anyway here's the Bob Dylan lyrics of "The Ballad of Hollis Brown". It is indeed a very dark song.

Hollis Brown
He lived on the outside of town
Hollis Brown
He lived on the outside of town
With his wife and five children
And his cabin fallin' down

You looked for work and money
And you walked a rugged mile
You looked for work and money
And you walked a rugged mile
Your children are so hungry
That they don't know how to smile

Your baby's eyes look crazy
They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
Your baby's eyes look crazy
They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
You walk the floor and wonder why
With every breath you breathe

The rats have got your flour
Bad blood it got your mare
The rats have got your flour
Bad blood it got your mare
If there's anyone that knows
Is there anyone that cares?

You prayed to the Lord above
Oh please send you a friend
You prayed to the Lord above
Oh please send you a friend
Your empty pockets tell yuh
That you ain't a-got no friend

Your babies are crying louder
It's pounding on your brain
Your babies are crying louder
It's pounding on your brain
Your wife's screams are stabbin' you
Like the dirty drivin' rain

Your grass it is turning black
There's no water in your well
Your grass is turning black
There's no water in your well
You spent your last lone dollar
On seven shotgun shells

Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Your eyes fix on the shotgun
That's hangin' on the wall

Your brain is a-bleedin'
And your legs can't seem to stand
Your brain is a-bleedin'
And your legs can't seem to stand
Your eyes fix on the shotgun
That you're holdin' in your hand

There's seven breezes a-blowin'
All around the cabin door
There's seven breezes a-blowin'
All around the cabin door
Seven shots ring out
Like the ocean's pounding roar

There's seven people dead
On a South Dakota farm
There's seven people dead
On a South Dakota farm
Somewhere in the distance
There's seven new people born

sIx

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 03:53 AM

I seem to recall reading in the 60s that Dylan read about the deaths in a newspaper. At that time he tended to use real names (Zantzinger, Emmet Till, etc), so, anyone know if Hollis Brown was the guy's real name. Also, is the song factually accurate?

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 10:20 AM

I haven't seen that program, though it sounds interesting, particularly since a film version of Ron Hanson's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is in the works now. (That is a marvelous novel, by the way. Hanson is extremely talented.)

The song calls to mind something that James Michener used in his novel Centennial, the impetus for the story coming from real events.

Was the song played as a period piece, or as stand in for something that happened concerning the James Gang?

SRS

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 10:42 AM

Didn't Dylan pinch it from Donovan?

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: jojofolkagogo
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 08:52 AM

Message for No 6

Who is No 1 ??

(Bet you get that all the time !!! Ha Har !!

from Jo-Jo (loved that series - been to Portmerion too !)

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 09:33 AM

From Donovan! Is that a Joke ?

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: Greg F.
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 09:40 AM

A search of the New York Times database from 1955 to 1970, inclusive, for "Hollis Brown" turns up a number of folk music/Bob Dylan articles that mention the song, but no news story about Mr.Brown & Family.

These sorts if incidents - impoverished, hopeless folks' murder/suicides- are regrettably pretty frequent occurrances.
Had one locally a couple of year back. No lack of incidents to inspire the song.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 04:36 AM

Thank you Greg. I still think that the song didn't come purely from Dylan's imagination but was based on a true report that he had heard or read, which was also the way that Woody Guthrie work much of the time.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: GUEST,merv
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 05:26 AM

words stolen from arlo guthrie. again.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 08:30 AM

and Donovan... again!

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Ted
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 08:53 AM

Just checked Shelton's biog of Dylan. On p.212 he says, "Hattie Carroll", "Only a Pawn", and, "Hollis Brown", had been triggered by news items".

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: SINSULL
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 09:11 AM

Thanks, Number 6. I have it on LP somewhere but was not about to dig it out.
So what is the connection between the tune and the Civil War? It was played on a banjo during brutal scenes of slaighter.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: GUEST,Palastinian
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 05:49 AM

Hollis Brown was originally penned by Cliff Richard when he was on holiday at his uncle's cabin in Canada during the late fifties. He played it on banjo at a local hoe-down where it is believed that a young dylan was passing by whilst on summer camp. Dylan must have subconsiously remembered the tune. This adds to the long list of stuff that this so called "genius" talent free-zone frizzy haired money worhipping wanker stole.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: GUEST,Guest, Isreali
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 08:49 AM

I like frizzy hair.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dylan's 'Hollis Brown'
From: number 6
Date: 11 Feb 06 - 11:06 PM

Sinsull ... it was the tune played when Jesse had teamed up with Bill Anderson's band of guerrillas. The program centered around the brutal massasacre of 86 (supposedly unarmed) Federal troops going home on leave. I can't see any connection between that banjo tune and Hollis or Horace Brown.

Jojofolkagogo ... I dare not reveal the identity of No. 1 :)

sIx