Josh Ritter - Folk Bloodbath

Folk Bloodbath - A song from the new Josh Ritter's album 'So Runs The World Away'


Louis Collins took a trip out west
When he returned, little Delia had gone to rest
The angels laid her away

Louis said to Delia 'That's the sad thing with life: there's people always leavin' just as other folks arrive.'
The angels laid her away

When the people heard Delia was dead
All of them gentlmen they dressed in red
The angels laid her away

Angels laid her away
Laid her six feet under the clay
the angels laid her away

Louis went downtown for a new suit of clothes
He's gonna dress up for Delia like a fine red rose
The angels laid him away

He brought a ten-gallon Stetson
It was ox blood red
Stackalee shot Louis in the back of the head
The angels laid him away

Oh Stackalee said to Louis,
'Oh now don't you grieve. I'm sending you to Delia, you won't ever have to leave.'
The angels laid him away

Angels laid him away
They laid him six feet under the clay
The angels laid him away

Well the judge was a mean one
His name was Hangin' Billy Lyons
He said 'You've always been a bad man, Stack, you gonna hang this time.
The angels lay you away.'

And the jailer said to Stackalee 'What's the problem with you?'
'Aw jailer, Louis Collins' ghost brought Delia's with him, too.'
The angels laid them away

Angels laid him away
They laid him six feet under the clay
The angels laid him away

Well they buried little Delia
In the church yard deep
With Louis Collins at her head
Stackalee at her feet
The angels laid them away

And out of Delia's bed came briars
Out of Louis's bed a rose
Out of Stackalee's came Stackalee's cold lonely little ghost
Angels laid them away

And I'm looking over rooftops
And I'm hoping that it ain't true
That the same God looks out for them Looks out for me and you
Angels laid them away
Angels laid them away
Angels laid them away

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Josh
• Ritter
• So
• Runs
• The
• World
• Away
• Folk
• Bloodbath

[SuperRockinronnie]

Its Stackalee, not Stacker Lee.

[MrCoketron]

@SuperRockinronnie thanks! corrected!

[hamsandwichnation]

i wish i could write like this.

[loverlei79]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SONG. tHANK YOU STARBUCKS FOR PLAYING IT NON-STOP!

[rhyzorg18]

amazing and so mezmerizing

[lottjn]

The song refers to "Stagger" Lee Shelton (aka StaggaLee and many other variants). He was a black taxi driver and pimp who murdered William Lyons in 1895 in St Louis. Lee was part of a gang of pimps known as "The Macks". He was the subject of many folk legends where he was portrayed as a trickster. His story has been told in song by many artists, but notably by Mississippi John Hurt, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan. Lloyd Price took his song Stagger Lee based on this character to no 1 in 1959.

[bb6640]

From a songwriting point-of-view, this song is the equivalent of achieving a double-pirouette. Ridiculously difficult, bridging centuries of Gothic folk songs into one seamless narrative.  Ritter makes it look easy.

[darinfl1]

It is almost ridiculous how Ritter's command of prose makes every lyric sound like the most profound, soulful thing you've ever heard. This is only eclipsed by how topical all of it seems to be. He has the unique ability to stay on topic and spin the words with a dizzying profundity that relates completely to the story he's telling, as well as the "chapter" each line represents. The result is inspirational and disheartening as his mastery makes me want to take flame to my own offerings.

[BluesBurner]

@SuperRockinronnie Everybody's said it different, some say/spell it Stackalee, Stacker lee, Stack o Lee, Stagger Lee etc. anyway really works.

[rtuckerb4]

@SummersBaker, haha, it's not even worth the argument. nice comment.

[SummersBaker]

Ah I love this. It reminds me of Justin Bieber

[curlyQrobin]

every song of his is a profound story that makes me want to live and love more than i ever have before.

[possiblymaybenot]

LOVE.