Poor Old Stobo. He never had a chance.
The first full-length track on August is a lament, a plea to Death himself, for people and poets past.
The refrain is Latin for, "The fear of death bewilders me." Not death itself, but the fear of it. The song's based on a poem by William Dunbar. He saw many of the greats die, having lived through the Black Plague and all, a time when 70% of Europe's population fell to boils and scabs.
As for the musical arrangement, anyone who doubts that Dunbar's descendant's settled in Appalachia hasn't heard Ralph Stanley sing "O Death"
Simon - one nitpick, I think you're thinking of (other famous banjoist) Ralph Stanley singing "O Death."
ReplyDeleteI love the track, by the way. The banjo line sounds great and the rhythm and tune are catchy. Looking forward to August!
Noted!
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