Down In The Willow Garden

[yutuber1001]

I love the banjo on this old ballad. I appreciate your voice sir, although it's a bit off tune...:)

[Wishuey]

@yutuber1001

Unfortunately, I was expelled from the Baltimore Operatic Academy for continuously cutting "Vibrato 101" and pretty much gave up on improving my, um, "instrument" as I battled the resultant depression.

[sdmf435]

I absolutely love your version of this song, and was wondering where you got the tabs for it if any?

[Wishuey]

@sdmf435 Thanks!

I`m afraid tablature is too complicated for me. I`ve never used it.

[SalAzad]

i keep coming back to this video, one of my favorite songs I have heard made, I only wish I could get an MP3 of this

[Wishuey]

Many thanks!

[mrdylanman666]

that was nice, thanks.

[Wishuey]

Thanks

Thanks to you too

[Silvaboapinta]

foi lah na beira do pantanal!

[Wishuey]

I`m afraid your Portuguese has me at a disadvantage. Translation?

[cydcharisse6]

Is this song the basis for the "Dream of the Future" song in the last scene of Raising Arizona? I can't tell if they're completely different songs or the same song with different arrangements.

[Wishuey]

Not that I can determine; can`t see any connection.

[jtallen12345]

the female lead character does sing a few bars of this song though while rocking the baby to sleep

[vivacuba7]

yes it is, absolutely. she even sings this song to the baby in the movie. the composer used this song as a basis. u r spot on!

[jtallen12345]

oh, someone's already said what i said lol

[Wishuey]

I stand corrected; will have to check out the movie again. It`s been a few years. Don`t know why I didn`t spot it before but, then again, maybe I did and forgot. I am very old.....

[lurkersteve]

Terrific! I wish I could play like that.

[Wishuey]

Thanks!

[lonewoodwose]

"Not content with poisoning poor Rose, he runs her through with a saber then, just to make certain, throws her in the river"

Haha, I was humming this song in the shower this morning and I realized that...why would he bother killing her three times.

Murder ballads are amazing.

[Wishuey]

He was, clearly, not a nice person......

[edichka83]

This is pretty common in murder ballads, and it's one of the most intriguing and peculiar aspects to them. And you are right -- they are truly amazing

[sgtmac46]

@lonewoodwose To clarify in the original version he didn't poison her with the wine, merely drugged her so that she wouldn't struggle. The act of killing was done with the sabre. Throwing her in the river was to get rid of the body.

[koleekonkong]

did holly hunter ever record her version? just can't find it.

[Wishuey]

Beats me; didn`t know she did one.

[SirCoughsalot]

I wish I could play like that.

[salzuk08]

Well done.  I agree with some of the others that your singing is great as well as the banjo playing.

[Wishuey]

Thanks. ( I haven`t been able to respond to comments for some time; just figured out I had "blocked" myself. People over seventy should be kept away from computers....)

[GremlinMayer]

omg! I love ur music and just u in generall!

you are hillarious!

keep it up cause youre amazing!

[Wishuey]

Thanks Amelia! I`ve posted just about my entire repertoire (a couple two or three times by mistake....) but every now and then something still pops into my head.

[laughs422]

Sir, it has nothing to do with age it happens to all of us from time to time and I thank you for putting these videos up for the public. Much appreciated. :)

[Wishuey]

Many thanks!

[SalAzad]

ive heard about 10 versions of this song, but I prefer your version to all of the studio recordings and covers... it seems to have more soul than all of them

[Wishuey]

Many thanks!

[jonbeme]

now that does sound fine.

listening to the lyrics puts a smile on my face (not because i find the topic enjoyable) because i can't help but think of all those arguments people raise about violence in rap lyrics or rock lyrics. as if it were a new development, or an indication of the downward spiral of society.

[Wishuey]

Excellent point and one that had not occurred to me.

[sgtmac46]

@jonbeme Here's the difference........at the end of this song the consequences is the evil deed is punished by hanging and going to hell. In the older songs the violence is ALWAYS punished, so it remains a cautionary tale......versus the 'laugh and kill' attitude of much modern violent lyrics. This song can hardly be seen as a glorification of violent acts when the violent offenders reward is the gallows and hell.

[unaHeroina]

why is every old bluegrass song about murder D:

[Wishuey]

Good question, but the old "murder ballads" aren`t bluegrass. Some go back as far as Elizabethan England; didn`t even originate here.

[bluegrassman87]

I've often wondered why he killed the girl. Can you shed some light on the subject? I love the banjo, by the way. Very different style than the Scruggs style I'm used to playing.

[Wishuey]

The words would indicate he thought he`d end up with her money but who knows?

[variatingmule]

Very cool vid. You should pick up Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Murder Ballads album: you might get a kick out of it. They also have a cover of the Willow Garden on their B-sides compilation album.

[citizentrenostrash]

absolutely beautiful.

always loved this song.....

[Wishuey]

Me too. Thanks for the kind words.

[sunn231]

I love this!

[Wishuey]

Thanks!

[ruslandon]

best version i found here, thanks for sharing

[Wishuey]

Many thanks!

[dimy3j]

thank you for this song!!!

[Wishuey]

My pleasure. Thanks for the kind words.

[kurtcobain2902]

You should all listen to Pretty Polly by Dock Boggs.

[Wishuey]

I was lucky enough to see him perform it in person years ago.

[kurtcobain2902]

Wow that's pretty awesome, man. What year? 60?

[Wishuey]

Not sure precisely but probably about 1965 or `66. Mike Seeger had convinced him to start playing again. He told me about Dock who, I think, might even have been at a big "pickin` party" my then wife and I threw for a whole bunch of musicians, including Mike, whom I`d met back in the 50s, and a bunch of our friends.

[kurtcobain2902]

That's a pretty righteous story, man. Did you happen to meet any other musicians? Id love to hear some stories...

[Wishuey]

Well, I`m an old coot who`s been around on the periphery for a long time; hard not to have run into a bunch. A couple of friends and I put on a concert starring Pete Seeger back in 1960(?). It caused all sorts of commotion due to his highly exaggerated communist history. I played music a couple of times with "Pop" Stoneman and his family (lusted after Donna like every other male who ever knew her) and played Don Reno`s banjo once for a few minutes ditto with Ralph Stanley`s. Reflected glory

[kurtcobain2902]

That's SO cool! It sucks that Ill never be able to tell stories like that. Im not interested in my generations music, therefore I never met any of them, and don't care too. All my heros are dead...most anyways. And the ones alive still I wont ever meet. Never mind play music with...

[freshgreens2006]

I used to sing ,"Down by the Greenwood Sideo," to my children ! ..." There was a lady lived in York..." along with many other Child Ballads They all grew up as non- murderers!- and very musical on all instruments. Is "Down in the Willow Garden" ls from The British Isles. new group OCMS

I haven't googled it yet.

Do you know "Bury me beneath the Willow

?"

A new group I discovered on you tube, Is "The Old Crow Medicine Show." Very interestingly sounds, what energy.

Keep up the great work !!

[Wishuey]

"Bury Me Beneath the Willow" is one I uploaded awhile back. Most of the "Appalachian murder ballads" probably originated in the British Isle and got altered once they got here.

[freshgreens2006]

Very, very haunting. I love those old timey murder ballads.Hmmm, what does that say about me?

[Wishuey]

Thanks! The oldtimers do seem to have been overly interested in that stuff but some good songs resulted.

[StikPivot]

This is a lovely version of this ancient song. Your voice has history in it.

[kurtcobain2902]

Thats how I learned about it. I wrote a comment about it in the Everly Brothers version

[Gaarak]

Great song. And a great rootsy nononsense performance.

[sunn231]

LOVE IT

[rosswoof]

Is Raising Arizona the film about Nicholas Cage kidnapping a kid or something? Like a comedy?

[OldTimeSoul]

Hi!

I'm an italian girl and i love the american old-time and mountain music...

i think that your version of this beautiful song is great!

thanks for this gift!

Martina

[Wishuey]

Hi Martina,

Many thanks, and thanks for subscribing. Don`t forget to have a listen to "Banjer". He`s amazing.

Pete

[ArriDawn]

this is one of my all time fave songs... nice job!

[Wishuey]

Many thanks!

[yerk3]

I love it. I rarely hear this kind of banjo playing, it's so different from mainstream bluegrass, so removed from this era. It has that genuine feeling of antiquity that a lot of contemporary stuff wholly lacks.

[Wishuey]

Thanks for the kind words. (Fact is I`ve never been able to master a lot of the "newer" stuff....)

[rosswoof]

Great old tune, you heard Nick Caves version? its a bit darker

[Wishuey]

I hadn`t but just checked it out. I didn`t think that song could get much darker but I see what you mean....

[espiel]

Great job on this, Pete...

[bilbo60]

If the murderer of this tune was rich he probably would have gotten away with it, then the tune would be called

"Down in the willow garden..if I did it"

Nice job on the tune

[2ndgeneration]

Another oldie but goodie. Thanks!

[Wishuey]

Thanks Dick,

While my kids and grandchildren take it for granted, the technology that allows the worldwide musical community never ceases to amaze me.

Your smallpipes have inspired me to have another go at mine. If only I could figure out how to work the bellows without looking like, according to my wife; "A chimpanzee with a flea infestation." At least I`ve got a blowpipe...

[achnamara]

Pete,I love the idea of 'folk' musicians sharing their songs and music around the world. It creates a real sense of a musical community, something this troubled planet really needs. Great stuff. Keep it up.

[Wishuey]

Hi Dick,

I think I put my reply to you in my own "comments" by mistake...