As I sit down to write this post it dawns on me that yesterday’s selection had a similar, somewhat macabre theme of death. I swear that in picking Dreadful Wind and Rain I’m not making some type of commentary on killing people, especially women.
One of the interesting things about folks songs is not only the tragedies that occur, but how the protagonists in the story deal with these setbacks. In this case the body of the corse takes an unexpected turn when it is fashioned into a fiddle. Much like Rubin and Cherise this musical instrument had a mind of its own so to speak in that it only played one song, which is clearly intended as a lament or a warning. Reading through the lyrics makes me think of a procedural crime show on TV or a film like Silence of the Lambs. It’s actually kind of messed up, especially when you consider the lovely melody that accompanies it. A fascinating juxtaposition to say the least.
They start in on this tune, a pleasant mix of acoustic instruments, guitar and mandolin, obviously. Jerry sings out the verses that tell the story of two sisters and their perilous journey. Jerry holds down the song structure as he sings with straight chords while David plays all kinds of runs, fills, and interjections. Jerry’s solos remain pretty true to the melody, varying only slightly in that typical Garcia way. A somewhat abrupt ending and Jerry says “That’s all there is to that tune.”
