Murder Ballads

[ralphj]

What have you got?
My preference is for folk style ones, where the blackness shines through, but I'm open to all suggestions.
I'll kick it off with this one. It usually is sung in a full on drunken singalong Dubliners style, or it even has a nursery rhyme past.
This version from Lisa Hannigan ( The Hole in the Ground soundtrack) really puts the chill back into the verses.

 

[zarniwoop]

 

[ralphj]

 

[rough edges]

Bob Dylan - The Ballad of Hollis Brown - I particularly like the Stephen Stills or Nina Simone covers, but the Bob Dylan original is also excellent.
Nazareth did a great cover of this song on “Loud and Proud” if you want to hear a rock version…

 

[Yank]

Hanged I Shall Be - Albion Country Band

Edwin - Steeleye Span

 

[uncl_nigel]

Karen Elson, "The ghost who walks" from the album of the same name

 

[uncl_nigel]

It's the title of at least two albums on my NAS by

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

and

Kimmo Phjoinene & Heikki Laitinen

 

[Wolfmancatsup]

Nick Cave’s collection is excellent. I like this too, although it’s almost upbeat, in a way:-

Mick

 

[Johnjo]

 

[Jamie]

Better than Tom Jones!

 

[Alex N]

We’ve all done it...

Early one morning while making the rounds
I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down

 

[gavreid]

Serial killer even!

 

[notaclue]

A hardcore punk take on the genre...

 

[Joe Hutch]

John Hardy:
The Carter Family

Leadbelly:

 

[Weecrackpot]

This is based on the Glencoe Massacre in the highlands in Jacobean times.

 

[billo]

What? No Tom Waits yet?

 

[Joe Hutch]

Tom Waits for no man.

 

[zarniwoop]

John Hardy:
The Carter Family

Leadbelly:

And another for this chap:

 

[zarniwoop]

A couple of Fairports:

Crazy Man Michael

Matty Groves

 

[kasperhauser]

A couple of gems.