On the Banks of the Ohio
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 8:14 PM In Johnny Cash’s rendition of “On the Banks of the Ohio,” the Cash does not vary his tone of voice; it does not necessarily sound calm when the speaker proposes to his lover, nor does it become harsh or emotional when the murder takes place. Even when the speaker is clearly distraught and cries out loud, “Lord, what have I’ve done?” there is still no hint of change in Cash’s tone. This is a characteristic of folk music, as there is a striking contrast between the overall tonality of the piece and the subject matter of the lyrics.
As for the form of the song, both the verse and chorus share the same form. Additionally, there does not seem to be a discernible B section, but rather four As in a stanza, which vary very slightly each time. The chorus is noticeable only because of the repeating set of lyrics. In Bill Monroe’s version, the overall tone and manner of singing sounds much more upbeat and happy, possibly due to the harmony of two vocalists. In contrast, Cash’s version only features a solo guitar and Cash’s voice. Whether it is due to the absence of the harmony or Cash’s lower vocal register, Cash’s rendition sounds much more somber.
Reader Comments (9)
Edward - yes, Cash's voice does not convey the seriousness of what's being actually expressed. I'd encourage you, if you choose to write an essay, to think about whether or not you think the various differences between Cash's and Monroe's versions make each authentic or inauthentic. Also think about what other aspects of each version subscribe to the traditional folk aesthetic, and what seems to contradict that folk aesthetic that both seem to be going for (if anything).
Edward- I really like that you incorporated examples of the nonchalant attitude of this song. It made the paragraph build stronger thoughtout the post. I would suggest that you compare and contrast another version of this song to make your essay much more detailed. Like the above, make sure to incorporate the aspects and details in which make this folk music.
It would also be interesting to bring into the discussion a different version of the song by Olivia Newton John. Her version is sung from a different perspective, the female side, and is filled with the emotion that seems to be lacking in Cash's version. However, Cash's lack of emotion may not be solely a negative aspect to his song. Maybe he was trying to emphasize the lyrics or express the feelings of those around him?
I totally agree with you about Cash having an effect on how much more sullen the song is. Have you listened to any other Cash cover? The first one that come to mind for me, is his rendition of "Hurt," a song originally recorded by Nine Inch Nails. The original song is morose as it is, but Cash adds an entirely different layer of disenheartenment. The images paired up with the lyrics are tremendously touching to me. I wonder, if Johnny Cash would have made a music video to the song "On the Banks of the Ohio," would it have added that much more to the somber effect?
In Johnny Cash’s rendition of On the Banks, many of you commented that Cash’s vocals, instrumentation, and rhythm were monotonous and so interpreted the song as numb and unemotional towards the subject matter of the song. Also, many of your posts related Cash’s steady instrumentation/vocals with surprisingly dark disturbing lyrics to Professor Carson’s definition of folk music as having tension between melody and idea.
Though Cash’s monotony of the song is clear, there are some varied opinions among your posts as to whether or not it contains emotion. Do you think that Cash is expressing a different emotion through his monotony, or is he completely unmoved/unemotional by the female subject and his murder? Perhaps his low monotonous tone ironically serves to greater emphasize his depression, or his inability to cope with what he has done, resulting in a repressing numbness in his tone. Think deeply about Cash’s purpose for his vocal tone and instrumentation manner. Why do you think he chose to sing the way he did? What might he have wanted to convey to his listeners? If he sang with more melodic variation, what effect would this have on the song? Would it feel more/less authentic? Consider a few of your peers’ posts on these issues:
http://benleedscarson.com/by-banks-in-pines/author/hunterswanson
http://benleedscarson.com/by-banks-in-pines/author/navidramirez
http://benleedscarson.com/by-banks-in-pines/author/christopherwichmann
Please do not feel that you have to answer all or be limited to these questions. Comment to each other what you find interesting or how you feel about any of these issues raised. Even if this topic is not relevant to your original post, try to get involved with discussion anyway! I encourage you all to express your opinions to each other, and please, don’t be afraid of a little dispute!
Because Cash use's a much sadder tone then the Monroe brothers would you say that his version is less of an authentic folk cover because there is less contrast between the lyrics and the melody? Or do you think that the definition of what a folk song should be changed between the time periods of the Monroe brothers and that of Cash? About the verse usage and there only being an A verse, this could be another characteristic of folk music and by not changing from the A style verse is contradicts with the lyrics of the song
I think that Cash's version does represent depression and regret, rather than a complete lack of emotion. It's just his normal pitch and delivery. I think that this is also evident in the fact that he had almost no instrumental accommodation, which creates, in my opinion, a sort of melancholy feeling of a man who is now alone. This sounds much more authentic to me than say, the Olivia Newton John version, which does have a certain amount of emotion to it, but because of her body language and the whole kumbaya atmosphere, just felt fake to me. Also, and I might be over-thinking it, I think that Cash's choice to include the last verse, in which he talks about his sadness and which was not present in the older, Monroe Brothers' version, may indicate that there is plenty of emotion in his version.
Edward - Yes, Cash does not vary his tone of voice nearly at all throughout the entire song. For some reason, I thought this added a good deal of authenticity to the song. To make your response a bit more complete, you should probably add your thoughts on how Cash's nonchalant tone adds or detracts from the song. I also agree with you on the form of the song. To me, it seemed that all four stanzas and the chorus all shared the same form. You might also want to add a little about how the form, together with Cash's tone, give the song a sort of consistency throughout.
True, there is no explicit change in Cash's tone, Edward, but he does vary his pitch. With the exception of the first verse, each subsequent one has a slight peak, or a climax, and at that point, Cash extends one word or syllable and heightens the pitch of one note. This slight strain in his voice is the one indication of emotion. It is as if he is struggling to break free of his tone, but his efforts prove to be in vain-- after this rise, his voice wearily resumes its natural state.
I am listening to it now and I just noticed something new. One could also say that Cash's tone is not, in fact, void of emotion, but is a direct result of having been emotional: exhaustion. Maybe he's not detached, he is just exhausted.