This Western Wednesday, we bring you the terrifying tale of evil incarnate- the sickening psychotics of Stagger Lee (aka Stack O Lee.) This American murder ballad stands the test of time with its disturbing narrative of (Stagger) Lee Shelton hellbent on snuffing out rival Billy Lyons, with the first inklings of a Stack-a-Lee murder ballad rising up in 1897 after Billys murder and Stags trial that same year and the official first recording following in 1923 by Warings Pennsylvanians. Like many traditional songs before it, Stagger Lee has crossed genre boundaries in the plethora of artists offering their renditions, from the blues, to folk, to Motown, and beyond. While we Heathens are (naturally) partial to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds reimagining, it behooves us to share this definitive 1928 recording by the legendary Mississippi John Hurt. Happy listening, and as always, happy #westernwednesday! youtube/watch?v=4scedJs6hC8&sns=em
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 05:43:57 +0000