Variations on a Classic American Song

     One of the earliest and most well known folk songs of the late part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century was called, “In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?)”. Over the years, many different versions of this song have been recorded. Each rendition of the song, however, usually differs slightly from one another, most likely because many performers wanted to make an effort to add their own touch to the song, thus making the song their own and more original. This desire to create something original from something traditional is a common theme in the evolution of folk music. Many folk artists of the time wanted to improve upon or at least add new elements to the genre in order to create new, original sounds that would aid the progression of the folk music scene. An example of this would be the contrast between Leadbelly’s version of the song “In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?)” and Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brother’s version of the song. The motivations’ of the two musicians to perform different interpretations of the song “In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?)” is most likely related to two main factors. One, the fact that the artists wanted to make the song their own in a sense by changing the speed and thus overall tone of he song, and two, because they were appealing to different audiences.
     One of the earliest recordings of the song “In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?), was performed by Leadbelly, a talented African American folk musician with a wide repertoire and a knack for appealing to white audiences. Leadbelly’s version of the song “In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?)” is played in a sad, slow tempo, and is sung in an emotion filled voice which more than adequately expresses the dark and gloomy theme of the song. He also uses the “Delta” style, a more simple way of playing the guitar which involves the use of heavy chords, little to no picking, and generally less intricacy, which in this instance gave the song a more raw and emotional feel. Leadbelly made the classic folk song his own by altering both the lyrics of certain sections of the song as well as by altering the overall tempo and picking style exemplified in previous recordings of the song. One of the more significant changes done to the song by Leadbelly was the removal of “In the Pines” from the title of the song and simply titling it “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” By leaving out the “In the Pines” section of the title, as well as by changing the entire first verse and starting instead it with the lines, “My girl, my girl, don’t lie to me / Tell me where did you sleep last night”, Leadbelly decided to focus on the underlying and more morbid aspect of the song. The song is, after all, about a girl who, after her husband’s decapitation by a train, goes into the pines “where the sun don’t ever shine” (Barker, Taylor 7).  Leadbelly’s artistic choices in this regard, coupled with his sad, emotion-filled voice point to a melancholic interpretation of the song. The song’s exclusion of any additional musical accompaniment aside from Leadbelly’s voice and acoustic guitar also help to paint a very melancholic, depressing picture.
     Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brother’s version of the song “In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?)” is performed at a particularly fast tempo and is sung and played in a lighthearted, almost joyful way. This upbeat rhythm conveys a much less somber tone than the lyrics imply. The Monroe Brothers decided to perform the song in the “Piedmont” style of playing, which is a very layered and more intricate form of playing than the “Delta” style. This worked to create a more optimistic feel to the song. In addition, the lyrics placement in the song, as well as the exclusion of certain, more morbid, sections of previous recordings of the song, worked to create a more positive and content atmosphere to the song. Another significant contribution to the overall lighthearted feel of the song is the musical accompaniment which includes multiple instruments and vocal harmonization.  The upbeat style of the song coupled with the overall lighthearted feeling created by the musical accompaniment, together place the focus more on the melody of the song than on the lyrics.
     Although both artists performed essentially the same song, there are nonetheless significant differences between the two versions. The main differences between the two involve the style in which they are played, the tempo of the song, the general focus of the song lyrically (through the inclusion or exclusion of certain lyrics), and the addition of musical accompaniment.
 

"On the Banks of the Ohio": Johnny Cash vs. The Kossoy Sisters

    Johnny Cash and the Kossoy Sisters, distanced by decades, by gender, and by style, both covered the  same song, “On the Banks of the Ohio”, in very different ways. The Kossoy Sisters bury the words under layers of banjo-picking and high-pitched harmonizing. By reducing the song to one speed and one pitch, the melody becomes concentrated and dominates over the lyrics: the cheer of the melody is unaffected by, and, even, contradicts the gruesome words, which are almost incoherent. In this way, the Kossoy Sisters deliver a distinct and authentic folk song. Johnny Cash, on the other hand, delivers “On the Banks” relying only on his voice as a performative tool. Unlike the sisters, he places an emphasis on every word of each verse, fluctuating in pitch in order to convey the story. Because of the complexity of Johnny Cash’s voice and the story it delivers, the overall simplicity of his cover cannot fully be appreciated until one juxtaposes it with the Kossoy Sisters’ version. Johnny Cash delivers an authentic cover; the Kossoy Sisters’ perform an authentic folk song; both are authentically “All-American.”
    Cash’s delivery of “On the Banks” is pure and “savagely simplistic”: all added elements (vocals and guitar) compliment the story he recounts. His voice varies in pitch, but it is not stylized. It supports the narrative and carries the song; it rises and falls mirroring the rise and fall of the story. The melody’s endearing primitivity highlights every word of each verse. Cash prioritizes the song over his performance; he does little to distract the listener from the content of the lyrics. His delivery is objective and detached, implying that he in no way claims this song to be his own. He is merely the mediator between listener and author, giving voice to the words of another. In this way, Cash presents the song in an authentic manner: allowing the listener to hear the song as it was intended.
    The Kossoy Sisters are similarly unaffected by the lyrics, but for another reason: they are too preoccupied with their appropriation of the song. Unlike Johnny Cash, the Kossoy sisters do not hesitate to leave their mark. Their distinct instrumentals and harmonizing voices divert the audience’s attention away from the lyrics, and claim the song as their own. One verse is blurred into the next; words are incoherent. It is no longer about the song; it is about their performance; it is about a genre: folk music.
    The Kossoy Sisters modify “On the Banks of the Ohio” to fit the standards of folk music just as Johnny Cash modified his pitch to compliment the story conveyed by the lyrics. It is clearly a folk song in that their high-pitched voices contradict the solemnity of the murder. For both Johnny Cash and the Kossoy Sisters, the ambiguity of emotion expresses authenticity. For the Kossoy Sisters, it is the authenticity of folk music; for Johnny Cash, it is the authenticity of being human. The Kossoy Sisters harmonize to highlight what they prioritize: the melody and performance of folk music. Similarly, Johnny Cash uses pitch to reveal the common link between his voice and the story: humanity. When Cash strains his voice, the song is personal; when the Kossoy Sisters stretch theirs it is performative.
    Cash and the Kossoy Sisters’ use of pitch and pace emphasizes their values and thus differentiates their covers of “On the Banks of the Ohio.” Despite the discrepancy between their covers, Johnny Cash and the Kossoy Sisters’, both “All-American” artists, strive towards a common goal rooted in a shared value: to preserve the authenticity of American Popular music.

In the Pines

The two songs that are being noted about here are two versions of the song “In the Pines,” one by Nirvana during the nineties, and one by Bill Monroe and his brothers back in the fifties.  It can be argued that if someone listened to these two versions of the same song, that person would say that Nirvana’s version had a more authentic feel than the version played by Bill Monroe almost forty years earlier.  The singing in Nirvana’s version of the song “In the Pines” is a more emotional and dark then its fifties counterpart by the Monroe brothers, which has more of an at-the-beach sort of feel to it, according to the beat, but the lyrics beg to differ.  Nirvana interpreted the song as a sort of sad love story that expressed heavy feelings.  Bill Monroe’s version of the song interpreted it as a journey back home, then, like Nirvana’s version, focuses on a love affair gone the wrong way.  Nirvana also takes the song in the direction of a relationship gone dark, hence the name of the song being “Where did you Sleep Last Night?”  Bill Monroe takes “In the Pines” and focuses on a walk back home and ends in a divorce.  Despite the pseudo-sad tone “In the Pines” had, “Where did you Sleep Last Night?” still had graphic images of death, as said in this part of the lyrics; “His head was found in a driving wheel, but his body never ever be found (Third Stanza).”

    In terms of authenticity, Barker and Taylor said in there article, “Where did you Sleep Last Night?” posed the question of what is authentic, and pointed out Cobain’s desire for authenticity; “By almost any standards, Kurt Cobain’s version of “In the Pines” seems “authentic.”  There doesn’t seem to be anything “fake” here (Barker 21).”  About fifty years before, the Lomax brothers recorded and archived authentic African-American music back in a search for the purest forms of music of that type.  Cobain had the same desire, as mentioned by Barker and Taylor in their article; “Cobain was also searching for something “authentic” and pure, but he wasn’t necessarily looking for the roots of American music (Barker 22).Meanwhile, applying the same concept of “authenticity,” Bill Monroe’s recording can be seen as “fake” in Cobain’s eyes because his version was more commercialized.  Even though MTV was present when Cobain sang his version of “In the Pines,” he still did the song in an authentic way that can be compared to the original version by Leadbelly. 

    When Barker and Taylor meant “…savage simplicity (23)…” they meant being tied to the commercial world and the media.  Cobain was one example of someone who would not allow them to be bound to the commercial ideal, rather than Bill Monroe, who did when he did his version of “In the Pines” in the late fifties.  This concept of “savage simplicity” goes back to the forties when Leadbelly had to put up with the same ideal.  Bill Monroe’s recording, when listening to it, felt “acquired” rather than authentic because of where he recorded his music at the time, given the song information, at a studio.  To Cobain, the idea of being a role model for future generations was something to consider.  If he was constricted to the norms of the commercial world, Nirvana would not have been as popular as they were while they were at the height of their popularity, and Cobain would not have been a very good role model if the scenario came true.  Barker and Taylor wrote a similar thing on their article; “So for Cobain, as for most rock stars and fans today, real rock’n’roll must be shackled to the kind of primitivism that accompanied Leadbelly’s career, an idealization of “savage” simplicity.  If Cobain had broadcasted the facts of his own painful life in the wordy, sophisticated tradition of Loudon Wainwright III rather than the bare-bones tradition of Leadbelly, he would have been a role model for next to nobody (23).”  By looking at the quote, one could argue that the commercial world is manipulating what music come and goes and what the audiences hear or don’t get to hear.
   
 

On the Banks of the Ohio: Cash and Monroe

The song “On the Banks of the Ohio” is a famous ballad telling the tale of a gruesome murder/suicide by a couple gone out of control. Despite its intense subject matter, the various artists who have covered the piece have added their own stylistic and dramatic changes to the song to the point where each can be interpreted as something completely new. Johnny Cash’s rendition marks a stark contrast to the version recorded just 10 years before by Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brothers in terms of storytelling and presentation. As such, it can be hard to see which version would be morea faithful to the original but it can be said that both convey a similar overall message.

While there are many differences in the songs, it is important to first note some similarities that both share. Both do not add any extra lyrics or personal notes between lines, and keep to the lyrics. Because of this, they both follow the same pattern for the verses, staying with the A and A’ forms. It is interesting to note that there seems to be no B form employed here, and it is up to the artists themselves to build up to the climax of the song where the man murders his wife, rather than relying on a shift in form at the chorus. Both also keep the instruments in the back at a relative minimum with Cash only relying on his guitar and Monroe with his banjo. 

Monroe does create some key differences in his rendition though. The song he creates has a very folksy atmosphere, with the quick and lively sound of the banjo to get a listener’s foot tapping along. He does an excellent judge of building up to the tension of the climatic killing through his progressively quicker singing. The banjo’s frantic pace conveys the insanity of this couple that has lost their senses causing a murder to occur. So despite the lively and seemingly friendly atmosphere, the song’s subject matter still ends in a tragedy and stays faithful to the original rendition.

In Johnny Cash’s version, the song takes on a different kind of feel. Cash plays the song much more mournfully, with his own deep voice detailing the sadness of the situation. The guitar is distinct in the background, but takes on a slow and even rhythm compared to the banjo’s quicker playing. It is interesting to hear that while Monroe relies on playing and singing quicker to build up to the climax of the killing, Cash seems to almost descend into the climax, making it that much more tragic when the murder occurs. His voice stands out here very clearly and frankly, which gave me the feeling that he was telling the story straightforwardly with a sense of coming to a realization of what he’s done. He also seemed to draw out certain syllables longer to add weight to his words and actions.

Despite their commercial nature, both songs rung out as authentic. “Whether or not it sounds foolish to you, he sings with absolute sincerity. I’ve heard his songs a hundred times, but I always get a thrill. To me his music is real music” (19 Barker and Taylor). Both artists, through their own unique ways, stick to the song’s lyrics and overall message.

It is amazing that just from listening on the surface, Johnny Cash and Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brothers are singing two very different versions of the same song. Looking at it a little close though, it turns out this is not the case. Both artists have managed to stay “authentic” by really approaching the song with their own styles while staying true to the lyrics and message of the original. Monroe utilized his banjo in such a way that built up tension at the climatic moment of the murder and lets it die down in the sorrow of the aftermath. Cash’s mournful and straight tone conveys the tragedy of the incident, with his even guitar gently ending the song in silence. 

On the Banks of the Ohio

Having different versions of a song would mean having different ideas and ways of interpreting things so that means there are differences among them as well. There are several differences between the song “On the Banks of the Ohio” that was recorded by Johnny Cash and that which was recorded by the Kossoy Sisters’. First of all, we can clearly see the difference in both of these musicians use of musical terms. Johnny Cash’s version of the song has a slower melody to it whereas the Kossoy Sisters’ sang with a faster melody. Melody is a tune or string of notes with distinctive rhythm and shape. Johnny Cash sang in the tune that he did because he can relate to the situation. He is the one who is experiencing it. Therefore, he is singing in a slow, depressing, and non- changing voice because he feels a sense of rejection. When he said “I plunged a knife into her breast”, this changes the tone as well as the mood of the song. He is no longer excited to marry who was once the love of his life but rather he is in the state of shock and anger which is why he decided to take her life away.

On the other hand, in the Kossoy Sisters’ recording of the song, we can see that they sang in another person’s perspective which shows that they do not necessary understand everything that is going on because they are not able to connect with it. They are women and the song was sung to a woman so it is quite difficult for them to cope with the situation if they are not the one who is facing it. My point is proven when the song goes, “Crying “Oh Willy!” don’t murder me”. The speaker here is clearly speaking to a man and not a woman. Now that we know this, we can understand why they sang in a fast-paced way. They do not feel the misery and pain that Johnny Cash feels so they sang in a faster and more energetic way which shows the audience no authenticity. In result, Johnny Cash’s recording is more realistic than the one recorded by the Kossoy Sisters’.

The demand for a particular song has to do with authenticity and how real it is. In other words, whether or not a song will attract people to listen to it depends a lot on how real the song is in the eyes of the media. Johnny Cash’s version of the song sticks out more to the audience because his message was more clear especially because of the fact that he himself was the victim so he is able to express that feeling out to the public a little bit better then the Kossoy Sisters’ could have done just because they did not experience it like Cash did. We can now conclude that this is an example of folk music because it was transmitted down from person to person. That is why we see multiple versions of the same song.