The Most Beautiful Song In The World

 

I am a fan of the Coen Brothers’films, especially since O Brother Where Art Thou? After seeing Oh Brother in the cinema I went out the next day and bought the soundtrack. 

The brothers have a hotly anticipated new film out soon called Inside Llewyn Davis, which deals with the early 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene.

I am NOT on the whole a fan of folk music….though when Elvis first hit public consciousness  he was dubbed “the Folk Music Fireball” by one confused critic.

The song used in the trailer is called Dink’s Song (or Faretheewell). Covered by Dylan and other folkies the song dates back to a 1908 when it was collected by John Lomax, no doubt it is much older.   

One of these days and it won't be long
Call my name and I'll be gone
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

I remember one night, a drizzling rain
Round my heart I felt a pain
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

I went looking for the version in the movie and instead found this 1962 version by Judi Resnick, proving once again that the best music is unknown, just waiting for us to discover. 

Judi Resnick(not the astronaut who died in the Challenger tragedy) seems to have only released one album recorded in a Boston coffee house. Apparently she passed away in 1982.

Something in her voice seems to hint at Phil Spector's girl group sound, perhaps it was something in the air back in then. When I like a tune I play it over and over again, so needless to say this track has been on infinite repeat at the April Bunker.

Her version of Faretheewell seems to elegantly capture the sadness many of us have to endure in seeking to right nature’s wrongs.

I was particularly moved last week by Sophie’s tribute Lisa (A Woman Named Sophie blog) . Transition is a hard road and we must never give in to despair, we must strive to see the beauty not the sadness.