Discussing the 'By The Banks, In The Pines'
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 5:49 PM The song, ‘By The Banks, In The Pines,’ is a very good example of early american popular music. It shows an early stage of musicianship which can then be formed into music later to come. The harmony between the vocalists help express the song’s feeling, as well as the banjo suppling a little excitement to the jig.
However the version by Johnny Cash is sang a little differently. It was sort of what I would expect a cover done by Johnny Cash would sound like, not that it is necessarily a bad thing. But it shows how a traditional song like ‘By the Banks..’ can be modified to give the artist their own unique sound while keeping tradition along with it.
When talking about the style and format of these two different versions, you can hear how Cash didn’t use a lot of instruments and a band to stimulate the song. Instead he simplified it, using just his own voice and guitar. Which makes the song have a more sorrow tone, rather than the relaxing, banjo strumming, traditional tune that it once was.
Reader Comments (8)
Hi Maximille,
Which songs in particular are you referring to? "By the Banks of the Ohio" is one song you can choose, and "In the Pines" is a different song, but we're hoping for responses that compare two versions of the same song. If you could specify which artist you're referring to in the first part of your post, that would be great. I'm assuming you're referring to Johnny Cash's "By the Banks of the Ohio" later in your post. Thanks!
I like the the ending of your post, although I feel that you could get a little more indepth with the version of Johhny Cash or your comparisons period. There should be a secton of for in this paragraph, which will give your answer a lot more character. Other than that your reasoning of the song being sad and everything is a very good start to a great paper.:)
I think you should also consider the lyrics in the song if you want to show how sad it really is. The lyrics in Cash's version, along with all of the others, start off really happy and romantic with him talking about his love towards the woman he wants to marry and going on a romantic walk with her. Then they get really sad and depressing when she denies his marriage proposal, and he goes on to stab her and drown her. This idea is just something to think about if you decide to write your essay on this topic.
I think you should explore the lyrics of the songs much more indepthly and you will begin to have a good topic for an essay. Comparing two versions of the same song might also be an interesting essay topic. I liked your insight into the music.
I agree with what you wrote when you said that "the harmony between the vocalists help express the song’s feeling, as well as the banjo suppling a little excitement to the jig." I like that feel even though its small and simple but it gives it more of popular music/ realistically. Although I don't know which song your referring to that is considered popular music. I also agree with you about his style of music and how it has a steady flow. Out of all 3 songs of On The Banks Of Ohio, Johnny Cash was my favorite.
Hey Maximille,
You said the Cash song was "what I would expect a cover done by Johnny Cash would sound like, not that it is necessarily a bad thing"- what do you think of the authenticity of the song? Is he authentic to his usual style, does he present a authentic version of the song, or, 'cos it's a cover, is authenticity not a term you would use when discussing this particular song?
I agree with your idea of how the tone of the song is altered depending on the voice and instrumentation. What do you mean when you say how Cash modified the song to fit himself better. When i hear the tone he sings the song in with the little variation he gives it makes me think that maybe he is just unaffected by the lyrics and doesn't feel like any emotion is needed to sing this song. But i agree that just a guitar and his voice gives off a much darker feeling and that an upbeat banjo makes the song seem much more cheerful.
That's an interesting observation about Johnny Cash's style. Sometimes in music less is more. Just look at the Lead Belly versus the Monroe Bros. versions. All the accompaniment in the Monroe version takes away from the sadness of the song. It turns it into a more 'dancy' song. Less distraction in the background allows for more focus on the singer's voice and emotion. The Kurt Cobain version is a good example of this. Minimal music allows us to just listen to the pain in his vocals.