Evil Folk Music

As those who know me well will tell you, I've always had a strong fascination with folk music. What many of my friends may not know is that this enthusiasm is mostly concentrated on the very dark, sinister side of folk. I love murder ballads, songs about lost and unrequited love, demons and other unsavory topics. My dad used to sing me to sleep at night with a song about miners being slowly suffocated to death 2 miles below the earth...

Lately I've been obsessed with the old ballad, "Flora, the Lily of the West." It goes something like this:

When first I came to Louisville, some pleasure there to find,
A damsel there from Lexington was pleasing to my mind.
Her rosy cheeks, her ruby lips, like arrows pierced my breast --
The name she bore was Flora, the Lily of the West.

I courted lovely Flora, some pleasure there to find,
She turned unto another man, which so distressed my mind.
She robbed me of my liberty, deprived me off my rest --
I loved my faithless Flora, the Lily of the West.

'Way down in yonder shady grove, a man of low degree
Conversing with my Flora there, it seemed so strange to me.
And the answer that she gave to him, it so did me oppress --
I was betrayed by Flora, the Lily of the West.

I stepped up to my rival, my dagger in my hand.
I seized him by the collar, and I boldly made him stand.
Being mad to desperation, I pierced him in the breast --
I killed a man for Flora, the Lily of the West.

I had to stand my trial, I had to make my plea;
They placed me in the criminal box, and then commenced on me.
Although they swore my life away, deprived me of my rest --
I loved my faithless Flora, the Lily of the West.

I'm currently enjoying the version by Crooked Still, which has the proper amount of ass-kicking drive and bluesy cello that folk music this dark requires.

A new opera in Dennis' future? Possibly. First I have to finish the current vee device project, I suppose. And the other opera I have kicking around in my head. Oh, and that ballet I've got hiding in there somewhere too.

There's just not enough time to write music these days.

I'm too busy listening to it.