Man of Constant Sorrow
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| "Man of Constant Sorrow" | ||
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| Single by Ginger Baker's Air Force | ||
| from the album Ginger Baker's Air Force | ||
| B-side(s) | Man Of Constant Sorrow (Live) (Atco) Doin' It (Polydor) |
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| Released | 1970 | |
| Format | 7' | |
| Recorded | 10-15 February 1970 | |
| Genre | Jazz-Fusion | |
| Length | 3:35 | |
| Label | Atco/Polydor | |
| Writer(s) | Traditional (arr. Denny Laine) | |
| Producer(s) | Ginger Baker & Jimmy Miller | |
| Chart positions | ||
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"Man of Constant Sorrow" is a traditional American folk song written originally by Dick Burnett, a blind fiddler from Kentucky.
The song was first made famous by the Stanley Brothers. The song appears on Bob Dylan's 1962 eponymous debut album and Dylan performed the song during his first national television appearance in 1963. In their 1962 debut album, also self-titled, Peter, Paul and Mary recorded another version as "Sorrow".
Rod Stewart performed the song on his debut solo album in 1969. It was also recorded by Ginger Baker's Air Force on their eponymous debut album in 1970, sung by the Airforce guitarist and vocalist (and former Moody Blues, future Wings member) Denny Laine. The band used the same melody, and for the most part the same lyrics (but substituting 'Birmingham' for 'Colorado'). The arrangement differed, though, as this was a loosely improvised live version, with violin and saxophones, that stays very much in the major scales of A, D and E, unlike its future bluesier brethren. It was the only band single, who charted #56 in USA and #86 in UK.
The song appears in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, under the title "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow". Performed by the fictitious Soggy Bottom Boys in the movie, it was recorded by Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen, and Pat Enright. It was a hit in the movie for the Soggy Bottom Boys and later became a hit single in real life. It received a CMA for "Single of the Year" and a Grammy for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" and it peaked at #35 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Dan Tyminski also performed this song at the Crossroads Guitar Festival with Ron Block.
The versions by Dylan and Soggy Bottom Boys utilize somewhat different melodies and while the lyrics have many similarities, they are by no means identical. In this version the singer said goodbye to "old Kentucky" (in a reference to George Clooney's home state).
[edit] Other cover versions
In 2003, musicians Skeewiff remixed "Man Of Constant Sorrow". The song was so popular in Australia that it featured at number 96 in the Triple J's hottest 100 songs of 2003. That same year, it also ranked #20 in CMT's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.
The Brooklyn-based country-hip-hop band Battlestar recorded another version of the song on their 2002 album "Above Market Value."
Osaka Popstar recorded a punk rock cover of this song for their debut album Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk.
Canadian hard rock group Tin Foil Phoenix covered the song on their 2004 album Living In The Shadow Of The Bat.
[edit] Parodies
Filk performer Luke Ski recorded a parody of the Tyminski/Allen/Enright recording of "Man of Constant Sorrow" for his 2002 album, Uber Geek, entitled "I Am A Vamp Of Constant Sorrow", about Angel, a vampire from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.
American country music parodist Cledus T. Judd recorded a parody of the song, called "Man Of Constant Borrow" (about a man who never returns what he borrows from his neighbors) on his 2002 album Cledus Envy. Judd's version featured hip-hop instrumentation, and background vocals from country group Diamond Rio.
