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Fiona and Me

from Graveyard Train by Dirty River

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about

The murder ballad has a long and prominent history within traditional music. Songs like "Banks of the Ohio", "Frankie and Johnnie" and "Pretty Polly" are known to almost everyone who has banged on a guitar or blown a harp at a music festival or around a campfire. There's a feeling of living history to these songs; one has the sense that there really was a man named Tom Dooley who really was "bound to die" for his evil deeds. In fact, it has been a long tradition to write songs about infamous acts of passion. The songs are at once cautionary tales, group therapy, and shared history. A case in point: At the turn of the 20th century a man in Knoxville TN beat his girlfriend to death and threw her body into the Tennessee River. Somebody wrote a song about the murder, called "Knoxville Girl". The most memorable line from the song, "Go down, go down, you Knoxville Girl", captures the killer's desperate plea for her body to sink so his crime will not be discovered. There was a little girl who lived in Knoxville at the time, named Ida Mae Strevel. She grew up and married a gruff farmer named Alphonso Sands. Years later, she sat in an old chair by her wood cook stove, telling me, her grandson, about the murder, the trial, and the song. It was a transcendent moment for me, because now I KNEW, absolutely KNEW, that this was real: Our music is our history, and when we write and sing songs about events of the day, our descendents will connect to us through them. Years later, I was in Knoxville, working on my Masters. I discovered that a replica of the Robert E Lee steamboat was docked there, where it was used for dinner cruises. The image of that boat resonated with me and a song began growing. "Fiona and Me" is my vision of the events that might have led to the murder. It is dedicated to the memory of Ida Mae Sands, and to everyone out there who feels the urge to write and sing songs.

- Evan Sands

credits

from Graveyard Train, released August 1, 2009
Written by Evan Sands. Arranged & performed by Dirty River.

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Dirty River Washington

Forming in 2006, this band of notable songwriters and hot pickers combines traditional, contemporary, and original bluegrass arrangements that share with their audiences plaintive lyrics, gritty instrumentals, and timeless stories. The title track of their debut album [Graveyard Train] is emblematic of the band’s unique contribution to the modern bluegrass and acoustic roots landscape. ... more

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