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09 Apr 09 - 11:31 AM (#2608067) Subject: Songs About Prisons? From: GUEST,Davey Does anyone know any songs in the folk tradition about prisons? Davey |
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09 Apr 09 - 11:45 AM (#2608083) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Terry McDonald The Gaol Song, collected by the Hammond Brothers in Dorset. It's in the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. |
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09 Apr 09 - 12:03 PM (#2608097) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Terry McDonald There's also, 'Limbo', about a debtor's prison. It's been recorded by Brass Monkey among others. |
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09 Apr 09 - 12:03 PM (#2608098) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Nigel Parsons "It takes a worried man" |
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09 Apr 09 - 12:06 PM (#2608101) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Dave Sutherland "The Auld Triangle" "Durham Goal" |
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09 Apr 09 - 12:09 PM (#2608102) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Jack Blandiver Jim Eldon's I Wish there Was No Prisons is traditional. Have a look & listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H-td43zcQg |
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09 Apr 09 - 12:13 PM (#2608109) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Jack Blandiver Here's a link to Tommy Armstrong's Durham Gaol: http://www.mudcat.org/Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=197192 |
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09 Apr 09 - 12:16 PM (#2608112) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: SINSULL Take A Message To Mary Boston Burglar The Prisoner's Song |
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09 Apr 09 - 12:21 PM (#2608115) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Weasel Ace of Base - Strange Ways. Sorry. |
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09 Apr 09 - 01:30 PM (#2608153) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Jack Campin There was a Folkways LP (now Smithsonian CD) of prison songs, "From the Cold Jaws of Prison". I presume CAMSCO can get it. There's a good prison song in the Penguin Book of English Folksongs. |
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09 Apr 09 - 02:12 PM (#2608186) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: BobKnight Allentown Jail (Trad) That's The Sound Of The Men Working On The Chain Gang (Sung By Lee Dorsey if I remember correctly. Must be lots more though. |
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09 Apr 09 - 02:48 PM (#2608213) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: topical tom Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny Cash Shackles and Chains-Hank Snow, Mac Wiseman In the Jailhouse Now-Hank Williams Sr. Ninety-Nine Years-Flatt and Scruggs Blue Wing-Tom Russell |
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09 Apr 09 - 03:35 PM (#2608239) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: BobKnight I thought of some others - but not traditional. Johnny Cash also had San Quentin - how could you overlook that, when you mentioned Folsom Prison Tom? Jailhouse Rock Coffeyville - mentioned in Doolin Dalton. |
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09 Apr 09 - 03:54 PM (#2608249) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Marion The Midnight Special - about a mythical train that would pick up the prisoners to take them away from jail. Recorded by Leadbelly, among others. |
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09 Apr 09 - 04:38 PM (#2608268) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego "Parchman Farm" by Mose Allison - a slice of wry: Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm And I ain't never done no man no harm Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack With a twelve guage shotgun at my back I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine Well I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine And all I did was drink my wine Well I'm gonna be here for the rest of my life I'm gonna be on this farm for my natural life Well I'm a gonna be here for the rest of my life And all I did was shoot my wife Also covered by John Mayall, among many others |
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09 Apr 09 - 06:17 PM (#2608319) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: GUEST,Blueknight Ewan Mcall's "Go Down You Murderers" |
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09 Apr 09 - 06:54 PM (#2608332) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: GUEST,mg 21 Years Birmingham jail Prison ship in Fields of Athenry Kevin Barry |
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09 Apr 09 - 07:16 PM (#2608342) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Steve Gardham Try www.yorkshirefolksong.net and click on the song 'Hedon Road Gaol' |
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09 Apr 09 - 07:20 PM (#2608347) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: PHJim Free From The Chain Gang Now - trad The Trains Never Stop In Kingston Prison - Roy Payne The last verse of many old murder ballads would qualify. |
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09 Apr 09 - 07:45 PM (#2608365) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Barry Finn These Old Walls (Barry Finn) These old wall have held me, I've been here since 83 Day by day is the way I do my time Oh the weeks turn to yrs, a ship could float on all my tears I'm haunted by a good kid that I once knew Chorus: I can't go back & make a change Every day I cry & age I wish to God the hands of time would end my pain Every day when I awake, I can't believe I'm in this place I see myself & look & say what have you done I thought I was cool, I didn;t know I played the fool But there you go I'd never ilstened to anyone Chorus: I swear I hear these old walls weep when I lay me down to sleep I know at times I must be out of my mind I may not make it out alive, I may be here untill I die There's not a one who'll dig my grave long, wide & deep Chorus: So now there you go my friend, so good of you to come again It's not often in my day when it's not dim I really thank you for your time & be glad your times not mine And thank the stars that they can shine down on you. Chorus: Sorry, I don't know how to put up the music Barry |
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10 Apr 09 - 01:38 AM (#2608493) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: GUEST,Huw Chris Hastings and I have written a song called "The Gates Of Cardiff Jail" which is about Dic Penderyn, welsh working class hero. It was performed as part of the recent Song of the Earth show in South Wales. Huw Pudner |
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10 Apr 09 - 02:08 AM (#2608500) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Ebbie Barry, if I ever get to the Getaway again, I want to hear that song! Buddy Tabor of Juneau wrote a couple of songs after he performed at Folsom Prison. One is 'Wait for Me' and another is 'Why the Caged Bird Still Can Sing" and it has a line that I love: "Some of you will walk out of here, some of you will fly" |
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10 Apr 09 - 07:42 AM (#2608591) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: BB I don't know whether the '21 Years' mentioned by Guest mg above is the one on the Veteran CD 'When the May Is All in Bloom', but on there it's called 'Twenty-One Years on Dartmoor' sung by Louie Fuller. A most unusual song and very striking - at least, I found it so. Barbara |
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10 Apr 09 - 08:22 AM (#2608604) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: curmudgeon The Lag's Song by Ewan MacColl |
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10 Apr 09 - 09:05 AM (#2608626) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: JeffB Treadmill Song in Marrowbones |
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10 Apr 09 - 09:05 AM (#2608627) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Barry Finn Come to the Getaway this yr Ebbie & I promise to sing it It would be nice to see you again Tom, that song's older than MacColl, though he's my source too Barry |
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10 Apr 09 - 09:50 AM (#2608641) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: GUEST,John from Kemsing "The Prisoner`s Lament" sung by "Elsie`s Band". |
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10 Apr 09 - 09:56 AM (#2608642) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Jim McLean The Big Mansion Hoose ca'd Barlinnie Hotel. (Glasgow) |
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10 Apr 09 - 11:45 AM (#2608700) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Amos One of my favorites is Charlottesville. I laid all around the old jailhouse I didn't know what I could do. Had no money to keep out of prison, My friends had deserted mer, too. So quiet, now, little darlin' It grows so cold in Charlottesville The birds can hardly sing. And the leaves keep falling offthe trees, And won't be back until Spring. So quiet, now, little darlin' |
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10 Apr 09 - 12:00 PM (#2608708) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: VirginiaTam Another Man Done Gone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZE6HfWbg1E |
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10 Apr 09 - 12:05 PM (#2608713) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Snuffy Curly Williams, (he's moved to a bigger house now) |
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10 Apr 09 - 05:20 PM (#2608885) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: topical tom Doing Time: http://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=1619 Click by Flatt and Scruggs. |
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10 Apr 09 - 08:22 PM (#2608966) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: kendall Old Abner's Shoes (The war to resist northern aggression) Convict and the rose. Prettiest 2 chord song ever. |
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10 Apr 09 - 10:57 PM (#2609012) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Barry Finn Tom, my thoughts were of "Virginia Lags" (which I had from Ewan's singing & which would be more towards slavery than prison) rather than MacColl's "Lags" Barry |
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11 Apr 09 - 03:29 AM (#2609069) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: GUEST Sleep come free me by James Taylor. More of an animal and less like a man, What they leave you ain't worth keeping, Brother let me tell you I have a clock with no hands, And the only way out is through sleeping. |
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11 Apr 09 - 03:58 AM (#2609079) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Shalini Big Rock Candy Mountain in O Brother, Where Art Thou? |
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11 Apr 09 - 04:45 AM (#2609086) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Bonnie Shaljean Not traditional, but I can't let it go unmentioned, especially as there are other songwriters' works cited here. Give a listen to Anne Lister (Tabster) 's utterly brilliant song Locked In which looks at the situation from the viewpoint of the prisoner's loved ones, who also suffer. It's on her latest album A Twist in The Story and you can hear it if you click on the link for "Locked In" (second title down). http://www.annelister.com/twiststory.htm |
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11 Apr 09 - 04:52 AM (#2609090) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Bonnie Shaljean PS: Full track in the playlist on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/annelister |
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12 Apr 09 - 05:50 PM (#2609852) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: BB 'Janitors and Jailers' by Martin Long - but actually about animals in a zoo! Recorded by Keith Kenrick on 'Home Ground'. Barbara |
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12 Apr 09 - 06:59 PM (#2609873) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Bernard 'To Althea from Prison' - poem by Richard Lovelace, tune added by Dave Swarbrick. Lovelace was a supporter of Charles I and wrote the poem in 1642 whilst imprisoned for seven weeks in Gate House prison, Westminster, London for his support of the king... Swarb wrote the tune, recorded on Fairport's 'Liege and Lief' album, though he missed out the verse about King Charles! The classic lines 'Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage' begin the last verse. |
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12 Apr 09 - 07:03 PM (#2609876) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Bernard Ooops! That should have read 'Nine', not 'Liege and Lief'!! |
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13 Apr 09 - 03:12 PM (#2610335) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Leadfingers 'The Ballad of Winston Green Gaol' - Which may well be a Canal song as it refers to 'Th B C N ' - The Birmingham Canal Navigation . |
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13 Apr 09 - 06:35 PM (#2610500) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: robinia Let's not forget "Hang on the Bell" -- not exactly "about prisons" but it's a wonderful, sentimental prison song (and a favorite, along with "Molly Malone," of my generally unmusical father) |
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13 Apr 09 - 08:12 PM (#2610581) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: Thompson Priosún Cluain Meala here sung in English by the lost Jinny-Joe, Luke Kelly. Fields of Athenry In the Jailhouse Now Sam Hall and Johnny Cash's cheery version Grace The Old Triangle (at about 6.15, sung by Brendan Behan) etc, etc |
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14 Apr 09 - 05:52 AM (#2610792) Subject: RE: Songs About Prisons? From: GUEST,Black Hawk on works PC The Wall - Sung by Johnny Cash Walls of a prison - Sung by Johnny Cash I heard that lonesome whistle blow - Hank Williams Cold Hard facts of life - Porter Wagoner Only Loved three women - J.Rodgers Grey Stone Chapel - Glyn Shirley (spl.?) Cocaine Blues - Various Death Row - Slim Dusty Electric Chair(?) Marty Robbins Austin Prison - Sung by Johnny Cash Looking Through Prison Bars (title?) - Slim Dusty Eleven More Months & Ten More Days - Tex Morton(?) |