Song of the Day 4/16: Ralph Stanley, “O Death”
If Donald Trump gets his way, this will become the new national anthem. The Appalachian folk song dates back to the 1920s, but it only got wide exposure when the Coen brothers used Ralph Stanley’s a cappella version in their 2000 film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” in a scene depicting a Klan rally.
The movie’s musical director, T-Bone Burnett, originally wanted Stanley to record it with banjo accompaniment in the style of its first known recording, by Dock Boggs in 1928. This version is a re-recording from 1938.
It was only in 2004 that the Journal of Folklore Research traced the song to its original version by Free Will Baptist preacher and musician Lloyd Chandler’s “A Conversation With Death,” which he performed in his travels through Appalachia in the 1920s. Chandler claimed he wrote it after receiving a vision of God in 1916. It has more verses and a clearer plot, making clear that Death has come to claim the singer’s soul.
Once the Coen brothers opened the door, the song started appearing on soundtracks of TV shows. The most affecting is by Jen Titus on the show “Supernatural.”
One of my fondest memories of Dr. Ralph was seeing him up on stage at the Bridge School benefit concert in 2010. He was on stage with Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello, Kris Kristofferson, and others, singing along to “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
His earlier solo set was well received by what was basically a rock ‘n’ roll audience. He got a standing ovation from a crowd estimated at about 20,000.