Comments on Particular Folk Songs

Suzanne

This Leonard Cohen song is based on a real person. Suzanne Verdal was a dancer who lived in Montreal from the 1960s until some time in the '90s. At the time that Leonard wrote the song, she lived in Old Montreal, near the Old Port on the St. Lawrence River. (Her "place by the river.") The Jesus verse was inspired by the presence of an old church in that neighborhood, Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours, that dates back to the late-1600s. It was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt again in the mid-1700s. In the 1800s, it became known as the "Sailor's Church" because it is right by the port area. The church has a big wooden bell tower that looks out over the port and the river. ("He spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower.") You can visit the church if you're in Montreal. BTW, Leonard has two children, Adam (also now a songwriter) and Lorca, whose mother's name is Suzanne Elrod. She is not the Suzanne of the song. --Mike Regenstreif

Maggie's Farm

This Bob Dylan song is the first song that he played "electic" at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.

Uncle John's Band

This Grateful Dead song, according to the "Annotated Grateful Dead," refers to the New Lost City Ramblers, which consisted of Tom Palely, John Cohen and Mike Seeger, originally. John Cohen was known as Uncle John. He played banjo and guitar, and was also a well-known photographer. The song has been covered by folk groups such as Wake the Dead.

American Tune

Lyrics by Paul Simon. The tune was used by J.S. Bach in the "Passion Chorale" of his St. Matthew Passion (1727) and other works. It was not original to Bach, however. He took it from a love song written by Hans Leo Hassler in 1601. Recorded by:
Paul Simon - There Goes Rhymin' Simon (also Greatest Hits, the Paul Simon Collection, and the Concert in Central Park)
Eva Cassidy - American Tune
Indigo Girls - Turn of the Decade
Willie Nelson - Across the Borderline
Mae Robertson - Smile

Kilkelly

Written by Peter Jones, an Irish-American who lives in Washington, D.C. Based on letters received by his great-grandfather, John Hunt. The original letters were written by schoolmaster Pat McNamara. Recorded by:
Moloney, O'Connell & Keane on "Kilkelly" (1988)
Laura Burns & Roger Rosen - Kilkelly, Ireland - Fast Folk - Smithsonian Folkways
Robbie O'Connell - Kilkelly - Green Fields Of America (Green Linnet)
DANNY DOYLE- Kilkelly - Spirit of the Gael (Cracker Barrel Heritage)
Peter and Robert Blake\ Kilkelly, Ireland\ Please Don't Ask\ Mountain Thyme
Matt Molloy and Friends\ Kilkelly\ Music at Matt Molloy's\ Caroline

Prodigal Daughter (Cotton-Eye Joe)

Michelle Shocked does this song based on Cotton-Eye Joe. I've been told that in her live shows she says that Cotton-Eye Joe is about abortion. Others have told me that Cotton-Eye refers to someone with cataracts. Perhaps these explanations could both be true.

Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls?

Recorded by Jeannie Murphy on the Victory Music (Tacoma, WA) 20th Aniversary compilation CD. In the Bible, I Corinthians 11:6 favors long hair for women.