Has this song always been so dark?

[Crackpot]

[Long Run]

Yes, popular version is a happy sounding song. Like Springsteen Born in the USA blues version fits the lyrics much better.

[BoSoxGal]

Don’t know the YouTube code doesn’t lead to a YouTube link. How about posting the whole link for those of us accessing via iPhone?

[Crackpot]

https://youtu.be/1MevYCdn5S8

[BoSoxGal]

Yes the song has always been that dark, people just focus on the nice bits like they do by calling Romeo & Juliet a romantic (!) tale.

https://www.salon.com/2013/05/26/you_ar ... s_classic/

My mother used to sing the refrain of the song to her babies when very little. Probably a lot of mothers of her generation did - the song was written in the late 30s and recorded first in 1940, I believe. I’m sure there are many other people who grew up with mentally ill mothers like I did who consider the song pretty dark, because of the weird kind of love associated with it.

Ironically in my travels - a prosecutor training on sexual assault crimes prosecution in Savannah, GA - I found a wonderful street artist and bought this piece from her, which hangs on my bedroom wall. It reminds me daily of the many facets of ‘love.’ When I attended that training the active case I workshopped in clinicals was of an 8 year old victim whose stepfather had been raping her for two years. (Yeah, I come by my misanthropy honestly.)

Don’t know why some attachments post sideways, but you get the picture.

[Crackpot]

What I have seen online had a different last line to the second verse and don’t have the 3rd verse all together. I don’t know if that is selective edit vs traditional lyrics or an “innovation” on the part of this band who do tend to have their lyrics slant toward the darker side of things.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Don't say I don't never give you nothing.

[Big RR]

I always thought the lyrics were much darker than the way it was ordinarily sung, about an unrequited (or maybe something more sinister)-dreams of holding her in his arms, and warnings of her shattering his dreams if she left. Not certain of its background, but I think it must be based in those sort of blues songs with happy tempos, kind of like the Beatles Run for Your Life ("Well, I'd rather see you dead, little girl, Than to be with another man, You better keep your head, little girl, Or I won't know where I am"--years ago, when I used to sing at weddings, I recall doing this and always thought it was strange for such an occassion). It's not uncommon in folk and blues music

[BoSoxGal]

Awww, you’re a ray of sunshine Andy!

BigRR check out the link I posted for background on the song and links within to several versions, including the original.

[Burning Petard]

I first knew it as a performance by Gene Autry. It was bleak, or sunny, depending on the perspective of the listener.

snailgate.

[Sue U]

I honestly never listened to the lyrics of this song (or most songs, for that matter). But man, nothing like playing it in a minor key to make it sound grim!

[Bicycle Bill]

My cousin sent me this from her Facebook feed, and I felt it needed to be shared in this thread ....



-"BB"-

[Crackpot]

https://youtu.be/NqBh8hFC5NQ

[TPFKA@W]

Don't say I don't never give you nothing.

Given the described circumstances associated with the picture it is likely appropriate to hang it sideways.

[TPFKA@W]

So here's a banjo performance favorite of mine:

For those who suffer chronic apple annoyance syndrome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyHipL45pwM

The rest of you:

[Guinevere]

I am mildly obsessed with these guys now - love this performance!

[Crackpot]

They have an interesting thing going on. They fuse a bluegrass sound with a punk sensibility and it work really well