Open thread for Sunday, February 23rd: Country Death Song

  Here is the open thread for Sunday, February 23rd; please feel free to post links to interesting articles and to discuss whatever issues arise during the course of the day. Nothing is off-topic here.

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  It is getting harder and harder for me to come up with musical selections which I can somehow link to the topics of the day so this week I am not even going to try. Instead I give you a song from one of my favorite ’80’s alternative bands, the Violent Femmes. This song is entitled ‘Country Death Song.’

  The Violent Femmes’ self-titled debut album is perhaps one of the best albums ever recorded in my opinion and if you are unfamiliar with the band and wish to hear more this is the logical starting point. ‘Country Death Song’ is not from the debut album, it is from the follow-up, but it is one of my all time favorites from this band.  There is no other band which sounds like the Violent Femmes, they are one of a kind.

  This country sounding song is based on a true story from 1862  about a man who can no longer provide for his family so he makes the decision to sacrifice his younger daughter so that he can better provide for the rest of his family. He justifies this because he believes his daughter will be in a better place–Heaven–but eventually he realizes that while he thought what he did was what was best for his family he will be going to Hell for murdering his daughter. He can no longer live with his decision and the song ends with him hanging himself in the barn.

  I apologize for the morbidity and for being a downer, but this is a brilliant song and it is one of my all time favorites.