Song of the Day 3/6: Rowland Salley, “Killing the Blues”

Donviti has inadvertently triggered a lot of blues lovers by saying he hates the blues. I don’t think he meant it literally, but it reminded me of this song. Most people know it by John Prine’s cover — lots of people think he wrote it — or the duet by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant on “Raising Sand.” Rowland Salley doesn’t mean it literally, either. And don’t worry, DV, this is more country than blues.

Salley is best known as the bass player in Chris Isaak’s band, which he joined in the ’80s after serving as a session and touring musician for 20 almost years. This is by far his best known tune, having been covered by lots of people, from Chris Smither to Shawn Colvin. Nobody matches the original.