Wednesday, January 27, 2016

A Middle of the Night Music Post - The World I Used to Know - Glenn Yarbrough

Great voice, and I'm a sucker for this sort of bittersweet song. I'm a melancholy guy sometimes.


6 comments:

Scott D. Parker said...

Never heard the song, but I like it. And I'm right there with you with melancholy songs. Sting can really write them well, with Fields of Gold a great example. Actually, another great example is from his musical, The Last Ship. "Practical Arrangement." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEn7KYHEpAk) is excellent as is "The Night the Pugilist Learned to Dance" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SptmkMYQdRs).

Peter Brandvold said...

I had an uncle, Mike Brandvold, who not only resembled Glen Yarbrough but could do a not to shabby imitation singing and playing guitar up on the old farm near Bottineau, North Dakota. I, however, was and still am in love with Bobbie Gentry.

James Reasoner said...

Scott,
"Fields of Gold" is one of my favorite songs. I'll check out the others you mention.

Pete,
I think many of us of a certain age are still in love with Bobbie Gentry. "Ode to Billie Joe" was in heavy, heavy rotation on KBWD in Brownwood the summer I lived in nearby Blanket, Texas. I think I still know all the lyrics.

Jerry House said...

That's a great album. It was, I believe, Yarborough's first album after leaving the Limelighters. Yarborough lost it for me for a while when he was recording Rod McKuen's poetry to music, but he managed to get back on track later, IMHO.

Adventuresfantastic said...

I've not heard this one, but I like it. It reminded me a bit of Harry Chapin at first. Now there was a guy who could do melancholy.

I heard "Ode to Billy Joe" some on the radio when I was a kid, but this was several years after the song charted. Even so, I think I also know most of the words.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the Flashback!