Well, for some reason, I decided that all of my songs this round would be Gillian Welch-inspired tunes based on different Flannery O'Connor stories. Why? Dunno. But here we go.
What's the old story about walking up to the biggest bully on the first day in the prison yard and punching him in the face? I figured I'd better go ahead and look the Devil in the eye, so I took on "A Good Man Is Hard To Find." If you've read it, you know. Having to spend all week trying to get inside these characters doesn't exactly put one in the holiday spirit, but I'm relatively happy with this, nonetheless.
So, what does this all have to do with Susan's assignment to write about "discovery"? There's been a great deal of talk over the years about this story, and what it means in light of O'Connor's Catholicism. Many are able to find some sort of cold redemption in the final moments of the story, but I choose to read it as a simple acknowledgement of the discovery of the limits of grace, cold as that may be.
lyrics
that’s a mighty fine shirt
on a sweltering day such a
day that the Lord has seen fit
to bless us with this consecrated
Georgia clay and pines
gonna need you to have a little sit
maybe you don’t know me
like you almost put a finger on
the face cast a shade so deep
and I don’t wanna pray, all my
praying days behind
you can pray your own soul to keep
Take ‘em out back, got
Something gotta show you, gonna
Take ‘em out back, got
Something to see
And if they don’t come back
Gonna meet ‘em soon enough
Neath the shadow of the chinaberry tree
baby’s gone to sleep and the
fat boy’s laughing like it’s
all been told before
scratching in the dirt with the
barrel of the gun
and I don’t hear those shouts no more
Don’t seem right one
Man’s gotta suffer and
Another man walks in the sun
Never asked for grace
Doing fine for myself
Don’t need forGIVEness for the
Things that I done
Take ‘em out back, got
Something gotta show you, gonna
Take ‘em out back, got
Something to see
And if they don’t come back
Gonna meet ‘em soon enough
Neath the shadow of the chinaberry tree
must be SOME kind of mess
brought you down to these woods
some kind of MESS cut you
down in your prime
never was a body gave an
undertaker tips and all your
money couldn’t buy you any time
no real pleasure for the
man don’t remember, there’s
no real pleasure in life
there’s no real pleasure but the
meanness and the fire
get your heaven from the
chaos and the strife
Take ‘em out back, got
Something gotta show you, gonna
Take ‘em out back, got
Something to see
And if they don’t come back
Gonna meet ‘em soon enough
Neath the shadow of the chinaberry tree
The second EP from Northern Irish singer-songwriter Bea Stewart runs from gentle folk to pillowy pop ballads, all perfectly executed. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 15, 2024
Michelle Stodart’s folk music captures hope in melancholy, addressing the transformational aspects of the most challenging times. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 3, 2023
Folk artist Josienne Clarke revisits music from her back catalog, infusing these lonesome songs with a new luminosity and drive. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 18, 2023
