Song Lyric Sunday: What Is Your Alibi?

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For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday Jim’s post Going Biblical tells us that he is going again with a suggestion by Nancy, the Sicilian Storyteller: the second in her (at least) six week takeover of themes. As I said last week, her blog – The Elephant’s Trunk – is well worth a look. This week’s invitation is to play you songs about God or the afterlife, and as I am not in the least religious I went straight for the afterlife. I just hope that doesn’t hasten my journey towards it! This song has been recorded many times since Lefty Frizzell first did it in 1959, but the one that I first recall hearing, and still my favourite, is this one:

And the lyrics:

Ten years ago on a cool dark nightThere was someone killed ‘neath the town hall lightThere were few at the scene and they all did agreeThat the man who ran looked a lot like me
 
The judge said “Son, what is your alibi?If you were somewhere else then you won’t have to die”I spoke not a word although it meant my lifeI had been in the arms of my best friend’s wife
 
She walks these hills in a long black veilShe visits my grave where the night winds wailNobody knows, no, and nobody seesNobody knows but me
 
The scaffold was high and eternity nearedShe stood in the crowd and shed not a tearBut sometimes at night when the cold wind moansIn a long black veil she cries over my bones
 
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Marijohn Wilkin / Danny Dill
Long Black Veil lyrics © Universal – Cedarwood Publishing
 
The Band recorded their version of Long Black Veil for their debut album, Music From Big Pink, which was released in July 1968 and made #12 in their native Canada and #30 in the US, but didn’t chart in the UK. I bought it on the strength of hearing the single taken from it in August of that year – The Weight (UK #21) – which is potentially a risky thing to do. Not in this case, though: I loved the album, and still do. The song tells the story from beyond the grave of a man who preferred to be executed for a murder he didn’t commit rather than use his alibi – which was that he had been enjoying nookie with his best friend’s wife at the time of the crime. The video I am playing today is from a concert DVD recorded in 1983, by which time Robbie Robertson had left, but Rick Danko’s vocals are still just as good as they ever were. The accompaniment is slightly more uptempo than the recorded version, but it is still a great listen.
 
I mentioned that there have been many other versions of this song, and thought I’d play you another as a little bonus. This one is from an album I also bought on its release in January 1995, from the traditional Irish folk band The Chieftains. They had previously made several albums on which they had invited guests to sing with them, and chose The Long Black Veil as the title track for this one. Here is their version, with Mick Jagger on vocals, in an atmospheric little video that someone has made to accompany it:
 
 

I do love The Chieftains, and this is also a great album, with other contributions from Sting, Sinéad O’Connor, Van Morrison, and Ry Cooder, among others. It has gone Gold in the US and Silver in the UK: Wikipedia doesn’t list any chart placings for it but the Official Charts Company show that it spent 13 weeks in the UK Albums chart, peaking at #17.

On balance, whilst both of these are good I’d go for The Band’s version. Maybe that’s because it was the one I grew up with, or perhaps it is just that little bit better. Who knows?
 
That’s all for today, and I hope you’ve enjoyed them. See you again for Tuesday Tunes, when I’ll be showing you how I’m bringing my six week mini-series to its conclusion. Be well and safe 😊

34 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday: What Is Your Alibi?”

    • Thank you, Carol Anne, I’m glad you liked it. SLS has become a regular part of my blogging week, though the one this coming Sunday is giving me a few problems!

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  2. Pingback: That Was March | Take It Easy

  6. Definitely The Band for me but I’ll pick the album version over this later version. I don’t know what it is, but whenever I hear Rick Danko’s voice a feeling of calm just washes over me. He looks really good in the live video which is nice to see. One of the best bass players ever, IMO.

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    • I went for this to give something for people to watch but I agree on the album version. The slightly slower pace suits it better, I think. Rick’s voice does have that calming effect, doesn’t it 😊

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    • When you say ‘original’ do you mean Lefty Frizzell? To be honest I prefer both of these to his – The Band’s was the first I heard and it hasn’t been bettered by any of the others I’ve come across 😊

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      • That’s the beauty of music – we can all have different tastes. I hadn’t heard his version before I started writing this, and it really didn’t do much for me. I like Johnny Cash’s cover but, as I said to Willow, this song doesn’t feel right to me as a female vocal, much though I’m a fan of Roseanne Cash.

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  10. This is my first time hearing The Chieftains cover and it was really good. I could actually see Mick Jagger being in the arms of his best friend’s wife, which would be a normal day for him. Nice choice Clive, as I have always loved this song.

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    • Thanks, Jim, I’m pleased you like the song too. To be honest I’m not sure Jagger’s voice fits it all that well, but maybe that’s why they chose him, keeping it in character 🤣

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  12. These are both great. I actually have the version by the Chieftains, a band I love and have seen perform a few times. They are awesome. But I have to say I love the Johnny Cash version as well. It’s a song done well by many performers.

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  13. Such a great song especially by the Chieftains. I remember singing this at the folk group at youth club…. Probably something to do with my heritage! My favourite version after the Chieftains is the Joan Biaz one 💜💜💜

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