I found Mark on Facebook after 30 years or so, and was amazed by some song bios that trailed down his timeline for years. We attended Earle B. Wood Jr. High School together, and had many similar interests then, and have grown old sharing a love for the old music which spans America’s history and gives […]
DESOLATION ROW “Desolation Row” is a 1965 song written and sung by Bob Dylan. It was recorded on August 4, 1965 and released as the closing track of Dylan’s sixth studio album, Highway 61 Revisited. It has been noted for its length (11:21) and surreal lyrics in which Dylan weaves characters from history, fiction, […]
DIDN’T IT RAIN “Didn’t It Rain”, sometimes given as “Oh, Didn’t It Rain”, is an American gospel song. It originated as a Negro spiritual or work song, and appeared in sheet music for piano art song form in a 1919 arrangement by Henry Thacker Burleigh (1866–1949). Some of the most famous modern version were […]
FOUNTAIN OF SORROW “Fountain of Sorrow” is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. Released as the second single from his 1974 album Late for the Sky, at 6:42, it was the longest song on the album, and the longest song Browne had yet released (“For Everyman” was approximately 6:20). Two […]
LAS VEGAS (IN THE HILLS OF DONEGAL) “Las Vegas (In the Hills of Donegal)” is a song by the Irish folk rock group Goats Don’t Shave. It was a top 10 hit for the band in 1992, reaching #4 on the Irish singles chart. The lyrics of the song tell of the speaker’s desire […]
LEAVING ON A JET PLANE “Leaving on a Jet Plane” is a song written by John Denver in 1966 and most famously recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. The original title of the song was “Babe, I Hate to Go” but Denver’s then producer Milt Okun convinced him to change the title. The song […]
LOVE IS OUR CROSS TO BEAR “Love Is Our Cross To Bear” is a song by John Gorka from his album “Land Of the Bottom Line”. A song with many possibilities – different for each listener. The act of loving someone can be a painful process. Loving some one puts our heart in the […]
THE NIGHT PADDY MURPHY DIED “The Night Paddy Murphy Died” is a popular Newfoundland folk song regarding the death of a man and the antics of his friends as they engage in a traditional Irish wake. It is often attributed to Johnny Burke (1851–1930), a popular St. John’s balladeer, however, there is no record […]
RETURN OF THE GRIEVOUS ANGEL “Return of the Grievous Angel” is a song written by Gram Parsons and poet Tom Brown. The song depicts the experiences of the character during a road travel across the United States. The song was produced during the recording sessions of his second and last album, Grievous Angel. Parsons […]
SHE MOVES THROUGH THE FAIR “She Moved Through the Fair” (or “She Moves Through the Fair”) is a traditional Irish folk song, which exists in a number of versions and has been recorded many times. The melody is in Mixolydian mode. John Loesberg speculates: “From its strange, almost Eastern sounding melody, it appears to […]