Way back in the day..way back then,I was on the Holyhead - Dublin ferry and who was sitting in the bar..(er,everyone really..) but Christy Moore.This was just after he had left Planxty.
A few of us got talking and when it came to favourite songs his choice was “The Well below the Valley”.
That is truly a creepy song and it put me off Christy Moore for months
For those who may not be familiar with Babes in the Woods that Walden mentioned, it’s thought to have been about the nephews of Richard III (Princes Richard and Edward), who were held in the Tower of London and later disappeared. It’s a real folksong, with lots of different versions.
Here’s the version my mother used to sing. It has a very pretty melody.
Babes in the Woods
My dears, do you know, how a long time ago,
Two poor little children, whose names I don’t know,
Were stolen away, on a bright summer’s day,
And leftt in the woods, so I’ve heard people say.
And when it was night, so sad was their plight,
The moon had gone down, and the stars gave no light,
They sobbed and they sighed, and they bitterly cried,
And the poor little things, they lay down and died.
And when they were dead, the robins so red,
Brought strawberry leaves, and over them spread,
And all the day long, they sang them this song,
Poor babes in the woods, poor babes in the woods.
There are lots of creepy folk and Bluegrass songs. One of my favorites is [[u]Henry Lee[/u]. I saw Ralph Stanley doing it in a non-Bluegrass performance on Austin City Limits. I especially like verse 3:
Come take him by his lily white hand
Come take him by his feet
We’ll throw him down in this deep, deep well
More then one-hundred feet
Lie there, lie there, little Henry Lee
Till th’ flesh drops from your bones
Th’ girl ye have in that merry green land
Still waits for your return
A more angry vocal performance you couldn’t hope to encounter. I’m not a fan of the former Mrs Cobain, by any means, but I do like good quality shouting. Hole have always been able to deliver fine shouting when required.
Someone mentioned creepy lullabies, “Ring around the Rosie” really does it for me. I always think of a scene in Nosferatu, whenever I hear it. The one where a poor familiy is joyfully feasting outside in the sun, barefoot amongst a swarm of rats, knowing it was their last meal as they all had caught the plague. I’ve seen my sister sing it with her kids and they all fall down laughing and I can’t help feeling more than a little creeped out. I remember singing it when I was little, thinking it was a cute song about putting flowers in your pocket
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer by the Beatles. Mostly because I loved the Beatles when I was little and was creeped out by the fact that they’d sing songs like that.