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Man of Constant Sorrow
"Man of Constant Sorrow" (also known as "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow") is a traditional American folk song first published by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. It was titled "Farewell Song" in a song book by Burnett dated 1913. A version recorded by Emry Arthur in 1928 gave the song its current title.
Several versions of the song exist that differ in their lyrics and melodies. The song was popularized by the Stanley Brothers, who recorded the song in the 1950s, and many others recorded versions in the 1960s including Bob Dylan. Variations of the song have also been recorded under the titles of "Girl of Constant Sorrow" by Joan Baez as well as by Barbara Dane, "Maid of Constant Sorrow" by Judy Collins, and "Sorrow" by Peter, Paul and Mary. It was released as a single by Ginger Baker's Air Force with vocals by Denny Laine.
Public interest in the song was renewed after the release of the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, playing a central role in the plot and earning the three runaway protagonists public recognition as the Soggy Bottom Boys in the film. The recording used in the film, sung by Dan Tyminski, was featured on the multiple platinum-selling soundtrack which won a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002.
The original song was first published in 1913 and named "Farewell Song" in Dick Burnett's six-song songbook titled Songs Sung by R. D. Burnett—The Blind Man—Monticello, Kentucky. There is some uncertainty as to whether Dick Burnett was the original writer; in an interview he gave towards the end of his life, he was asked about the song and said:
Charles Wolfe: "What about this "Farewell Song" – 'I am a man of constant sorrow' – did you write it?" Richard Burnett: "No, I think I got the ballad from somebody – I dunno. It may be my song ..."
Whether or not Burnett was the original writer, his influence on the song can be dated to as early as 1913. The lyric from the second verse—'Oh, six long year I've been blind, friends'— references the year he was blinded in 1907.[citation needed] Burnett may have tailored an already existing song to fit his blindness, and some claim that he derived it from "The White Rose" and "Down in the Tennessee Valley" circa 1907. It has also been said that Burnett claimed that he based the melody on an old Baptist hymn which he remembered as "Wandering Boy". No song with this or a similar title had a similar tune that can be identified with "Constant Sorrow," according to hymnologist John Garst. Garst also noted that parts of the lyrics suggest a possible antecedent hymn, and that the term 'man of sorrows' is religious in nature and appears in Isaiah 53:3. The song has some similarities to the hymn "Poor Pilgrim," also known as "I Am a Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow," which George Pullen Jackson believes to have been derived from an English folk song titled, "The Green Mossy Banks of the Lea".
Emry Arthur, a friend of Burnett's, released a recording of the song in 1928 who also claimed to have written it. Arthur titled his recording "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow", which has become the popular name for the song. Arthur's lyrics are very similar to Burnett's with one minor variation. Although Burnett's version was recorded earlier in 1927, Columbia Records did not release Burnett's recording; Arthur's single was thus the earliest widely heard recording of the song, and it is the ultimate source of most later versions.
Several similar songs were found in Kentucky and Virginia in the early 20th century. English folk-song collector Cecil Sharp collected four versions of the song in 1917–1918 as "In Old Virginny", which were published in 1932 in English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians. The lyrics were different in lyric from Burnett's but similar in tone. In a version from 1918 by Mrs Frances Richards who may have learned it from her father, the first verse is nearly identical to Burnett and Arthur's lyrics, with minor changes like the substitution of Virginia for Kentucky. The song is thought to be related to several songs, for example "East Virginia Blues." Norman Lee Vass of Virginia claimed his brother Mat wrote the song in the 1890s. The Virginia versions of the song show some relationship to Vass's version, though his melody and most of his verses are unique. This version is thought to be influenced by "Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies"/"The Little Sparrow".
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Man of Constant Sorrow
"Man of Constant Sorrow" (also known as "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow") is a traditional American folk song first published by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. It was titled "Farewell Song" in a song book by Burnett dated 1913. A version recorded by Emry Arthur in 1928 gave the song its current title.
Several versions of the song exist that differ in their lyrics and melodies. The song was popularized by the Stanley Brothers, who recorded the song in the 1950s, and many others recorded versions in the 1960s including Bob Dylan. Variations of the song have also been recorded under the titles of "Girl of Constant Sorrow" by Joan Baez as well as by Barbara Dane, "Maid of Constant Sorrow" by Judy Collins, and "Sorrow" by Peter, Paul and Mary. It was released as a single by Ginger Baker's Air Force with vocals by Denny Laine.
Public interest in the song was renewed after the release of the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, playing a central role in the plot and earning the three runaway protagonists public recognition as the Soggy Bottom Boys in the film. The recording used in the film, sung by Dan Tyminski, was featured on the multiple platinum-selling soundtrack which won a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002.
The original song was first published in 1913 and named "Farewell Song" in Dick Burnett's six-song songbook titled Songs Sung by R. D. Burnett—The Blind Man—Monticello, Kentucky. There is some uncertainty as to whether Dick Burnett was the original writer; in an interview he gave towards the end of his life, he was asked about the song and said:
Charles Wolfe: "What about this "Farewell Song" – 'I am a man of constant sorrow' – did you write it?" Richard Burnett: "No, I think I got the ballad from somebody – I dunno. It may be my song ..."
Whether or not Burnett was the original writer, his influence on the song can be dated to as early as 1913. The lyric from the second verse—'Oh, six long year I've been blind, friends'— references the year he was blinded in 1907.[citation needed] Burnett may have tailored an already existing song to fit his blindness, and some claim that he derived it from "The White Rose" and "Down in the Tennessee Valley" circa 1907. It has also been said that Burnett claimed that he based the melody on an old Baptist hymn which he remembered as "Wandering Boy". No song with this or a similar title had a similar tune that can be identified with "Constant Sorrow," according to hymnologist John Garst. Garst also noted that parts of the lyrics suggest a possible antecedent hymn, and that the term 'man of sorrows' is religious in nature and appears in Isaiah 53:3. The song has some similarities to the hymn "Poor Pilgrim," also known as "I Am a Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow," which George Pullen Jackson believes to have been derived from an English folk song titled, "The Green Mossy Banks of the Lea".
Emry Arthur, a friend of Burnett's, released a recording of the song in 1928 who also claimed to have written it. Arthur titled his recording "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow", which has become the popular name for the song. Arthur's lyrics are very similar to Burnett's with one minor variation. Although Burnett's version was recorded earlier in 1927, Columbia Records did not release Burnett's recording; Arthur's single was thus the earliest widely heard recording of the song, and it is the ultimate source of most later versions.
Several similar songs were found in Kentucky and Virginia in the early 20th century. English folk-song collector Cecil Sharp collected four versions of the song in 1917–1918 as "In Old Virginny", which were published in 1932 in English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians. The lyrics were different in lyric from Burnett's but similar in tone. In a version from 1918 by Mrs Frances Richards who may have learned it from her father, the first verse is nearly identical to Burnett and Arthur's lyrics, with minor changes like the substitution of Virginia for Kentucky. The song is thought to be related to several songs, for example "East Virginia Blues." Norman Lee Vass of Virginia claimed his brother Mat wrote the song in the 1890s. The Virginia versions of the song show some relationship to Vass's version, though his melody and most of his verses are unique. This version is thought to be influenced by "Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies"/"The Little Sparrow".