Maybe it’s the rainy spell and maybe it’s the flu-like reaction to a yellow fever vaccination, but today I find myself reflecting on ballads about the noose and how synchronicity and association can lead to some of the best explorations in music. Consider Lead Belly, The Dubliners, Bill Monroe, Odetta, Doc Watson, and Led Zeppelin. They each recorded a version of a late 1600’s British folktale. A folktale that inspired variations across all borders and language barriers, a tale that has spread around the globe in countless incarnations such as “Maid Freed from the Gallows,” “Gallis Pole,” “Black Velvet Band,” “Gallows Pole,” and “The Girl in the Blue Velvet Band.”
Earlier versions of “Gallows Pole” were sometimes based on a female protagonist, sometimes male. Sometimes the lead character escaped the noose, most did not. The song travelled from Britain, was widespread by convicts working on the chain gangs, and then further migrated on down into the Mississippi Delta area, where Lead Belly most likely picked it up while serving time. Legend has it that Lead Belly’s music so impressed the governors and wardens that they were persuaded to release him early.
Here’s Lead Belly (Huddie William Ledbetter) and “Gallis Pole”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsgGNWlNAfA
And the incomparable Odetta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8jcwBW1agg
When I was a youngster, my mom used to play “Gallows Pole” on her 12-string, slowly, almost like a lullaby. Music like that kept me attracted to “story songs” and we used music as a jumping off place to explore history, social justice, geography, race, and the human condition. From Irish folk ballads to bluegrass prohibition songs and rock anthems, I learned about the world and humanity through music.
Because of this background, my ears perked up recently while watching the series “Peaky Blinders.” It was a scene where the main character’s love interest, Grace, sings an a cappella version of “Black Velvet Band” that effectively forebodes their relationship arc. Because I knew the background of that song choice I was able to put the scene into a more relevant perspective.
Some months ago as serendipity would have it I was enjoying a pint at my favorite pub in Monterey, “The Crown and Anchor”. Somewhere along the way a tenor voice floated above the jovial din, “In a neat little town they called Belfast, apprentice to trade I was bound…” and a hearty sing-along ensued. I joined in on the verses I knew and was rewarded with vigorous approving claps on the back and a complementary pint. Listen to “Black Velvet Band” by the Dubliners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmlSBy1cNt0
One of the first songs I learned to play on guitar was “Long Black Veil” which has a similar theme. Here you can listen to my favorite bluegrass version of “The Girl in the Blue Velvet Band” from Doc Watson and David Grisman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Mkf-wYcRg
Led Zeppelin recorded their version of “Gallows Pole” in 1970, and you can hear how guitarist Jimmy Page was influenced by the blistering pace of the Lead Belly recording. Bassist John Paul Jones played mandolin on this track, and Page added banjo in addition to his driving 12-string. Page hadn’t played the banjo before and borrowed one from Jones for the recording. When asked about his banjo style Page responded, “My finger picking is sort of a cross between Pete Seeger, Earl Scruggs, and total incompetence.” And from such humility a rock and roll classic was born.
Led Zepplin and “Gallows Pole.” The rock and rollers in the room may want to turn this one up. Way up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSZca1Q9IWA
