jean ritchie sings blackwaters

[DenaGroff]

Wonderful video and a beautiful song.You truly have a beautiful voice Jean. We don't hear music like this anymore.  I was completely unaware the disasterous effect of coal mining in Appalachia. I'm ignorantly living here in California far from your nightmare. Why isn't this on 20/20 or Primetime? I should have known about this problem and I'm sorry I didn't.

[MyMoppet52]

Look at these photos. It tells it all. Thank you so much for this song AND the video. When I was small...younger than 7...my daddy taught me how to find food and water in the woods. After that he told me to NEVER drink the water. It has ruined the forests and woods...and homes if in a flood area...all for greed. The companies wanted the coal the easiest and CHEAPEST way they could get it. the Didn't care about the people, history, or environment. Thank you for your upload!

[NatalieGelman]

Beautiful voice, song and message :)

[gormley14413]

I do not have words to describe how much I love Jean Ritchie.

[loomofmetals]

This song is so touching, and beautifully performed. I'm from the Ozarks and was always so glad no coal was found there. Well now they've found natural gas deposits and boy the young men are lining up for jobs. I hope we can learn from the disaster of Appalachian coal mining before we've spoiled our beautiful mountains. It will take people speaking out like this. Thank you Ms. Ritchie for the song.

[hadashah34]

It is accompanied by an auto harp and guitar.

[michaeljking]

Beautiful song, does anyone know the type of fiddle playing that accompanys it?

[swampzoid]

wonderful

[EdgarLucas1000]

Dear 0lyella, Listen to me for one second just because there are lots of stereotypes about me and my fellow Kentucky-ans doesn't mean that we are like that. the places that you find this is in the head of some god forsaken "holler" where the snow plows wont go to clear the roads in the winter for fear of the the wild ass idiots' that live there. we are also some of the nicest people you will ever meet so please before you post give some thought to what your saying.

. sincerely,

Edgar

[gerthii]

This is one of Jean Ritchie's pieces I find so haunting, so hauntingly beautiful.

[fartmaster15]

FAKE AND GAY...

[PK292TSM]

@fartmaster15 you meant your fart?

[sammcdonald3]

jean...

get well from a friend of doctor bob and sunday night in lexington

[txhd92blue]

Thank you for an amazing experience. When téhe listen to music, forget the outside world. Thank you.

[WildeNotesMusic]

Great song about appalling practices that are devastating Appalachia. Thanks, Jean.

And I know you're in hospital now (Dec. 2009). Get well soon.

[zmov1]

Awesome! I was born in Middlesboro and raised in Harlan. Oh my, what the mining has done to us all!

[fuckslimshady420]

i know, i hate the saying "coal keeps the lights on" because no one asks "at what cost?" the coal companies have created this culture that doesn't even seem to mind the death and destruction they create. its no wonder they call this area cancer vally

[KaNyExEaSt]

Jean, i'm related to the Nobles, and the Halls. My grandma was Rayma S. Thompson. My mom and her were from Clear Creek. I just want to know if you can confirm our relation?

[KaNyExEaSt]

My grandmother always used to talk about Jean Ritchie before she died, and now after some research, I have figured out I am related to Jean Ritchie. She is my grandmother's cousin, which would make her my second cousin once removed, I think? I don't know, it's pretty awesome. The kentucky side of my family is full of musicians.

[0lyella]

@KaNyExEaSt yeah trying to figure our who's cousin is who's must be confusing in kentucky

[zewimsatt]

@0lyella choke

[resnash]

I saw her perform this today at the NJ Folk festival and was deeply moved by her and her song.

[groundhogpeggy]

Nobody tells it like Jean Ritchie! I keep learning and learning from her wonderful musical/poetry examples throughout the decades... her work and knowledge are just so rich, and always inspiring.

[pmbbike]

Jean Ritchey and Edward Abbey would have gotten along well.

[georgepickow]

Can someone translate this, Ivikas? Jean

[mmasny]

@georgepickow It's Czech and I'm Polish, so can understand most of it. It says, "Thank you for (don't get what 'uzasny zazitek' is). Whenever I listen to this music I forget about the world around me. Thank you. Vlkas"

[ivlkas]

Děkuji za úžasný zážitek. Když se zaposlouchám do téhe muziky, zapomínám na okolní svět. Thank you.

Vlkas

[madcowgirl4h]

This song is beautiful. I especially like the pictures behind it- very fitting.

[littleStomata]

can someone fix that?

p---pass

[littleStomata]

Thank you! Let's sing this around and [ass this around and spread this around and do something around. When leadership is about leading well and being part of the wider community, and followship is about being part of the leadership things will get better. When the people who want "it" all for themselves realize that it's not available unless the community's land and health and living waters and nutrition and spirit is respected, nurtured and cared for too, then we'll all have it all!

[georgepickow]

Thank you, everyone! Joy and blessings, Jean Ritchie

[redesau]

I have this on an old (vinyl)record I bought in the early 70s, Clear Waters Remembered. It's just been re-released! This is an absolute gem sadly not yet available in the UK. This was the album that turned me into an environmentalist.

[flossiekat]

This song is so beautiful but it makes me so sad. I've watched countless tracts of land in Tennessee be destroyed by developers out to make a buck. I hate them! They could care less that they are destroying the world, those money grubbing idiots!  Okay, I'm through ranting. . . Gorgeous song!

[ghii333]

This song is very haunting, the lyrics, the tune. Even when not hearing it, I close my eyes and I can hear her voice singing it in my head. It is like a kind of haunting. One which I appreciate greatly because it moves so much within me, feelings, emotions.

[happinesscounts]

Impressive, I wanna get this song on CD

[regiberry]

What a powerful song. 30 years ago I met an old miner, Nimrod Workman, singing this song at the San Diego Folk Festival. He was ancient and sang this with all his body and soul. I never forgot it.

Well I've met Jean Ritchie, the Queen of the Dulcimers and a real American Musical Living Treasure!

I've been sing this song for about 30 years myself and play it often at Bluegrass Festivals.

Jean Ritchie is a helluva songwriter!

[NancyDrewe]

Hey Ken in Harlan County. Hope you are not done the mines, bro. Hope to see y'all one of these days! :)

[riorander]

A Beautifully done and moving song sure to stir the soul of everyone who loves Nature's outdoors. Jean Ritchie and her sons did this song right, as always. Inspirational and from the heart.

[ibuyvinyl]

Very moving! There needs to be a folk music hall of fame so artists like Jean (and Pete, Phil, Cisco, Woody, Peter, Tom, Judy, Dave and so many others) have a place to be inducted and honored.

[AubreyAtwater]

This is my favorite song that deals with the horrors of coal mining in Appalachia.  Powerful, courageous and beautifully poetic--Jean is one of the great American writers.

[HORNProducer]

Jean's song is the truth of life all around Appalachia. Massey Energy uses about a Hiroshima's worth of explosives on our mountains every week. They blow the mountains away, bury our streams and leave billions of gallons poisonous black goo in small seas that used to be mountain hollers.

What would you do if it was happening to you?

[dread66mon]

I heard Jean sing this live at Kentucky Music Weekend last year (2006), but this is the first time I've heard the full version. Just beautiful.

[amosjess]

Aw, Jaysus that is beuatiful.

A.

[JacquiMorse]

This song would bring a tear to a glass eye. Powerful!