Project 7: Louis Collins

Lyrics:

Mrs. Collins weeped, Mrs. Collins moaned,
To see her son Louis leavin' home
The angels laid him away
The angels laid him away,
They laid him six feet under the clay
The angels laid him away

Mrs. Collins weeped, Mrs. Collins moaned,
To see her son Louis leavin' home
The angels laid him away
Oh, Bob shot once and Louis shot too,
Shot poor Collins, shot him through and through
The angels laid him away

Oh, kind friends, oh, ain't it hard?
To see poor Louis in a new graveyard
The angels laid him away
The angels laid him away,
They laid him six feet under the clay
The angels laid him away

Oh, when they heard that Louis was dead
All the people they dressed in red
The angels laid him away
The angels laid him away,
They laid him six feet under the clay
The angels laid him away

Mrs. Collins weeped, Mrs. Collins moaned,
To see her son Louis leavin' home
The angels laid him away
The angels laid him away,
They laid him six feet under the clay
The angels laid him away

This song is very interesting -- I enjoyed the lyrics. Mrs. Collins stood by idly, weeping and moaning, as her own son was leavin' home when the angels laid him away. There was nothing she could do but watch. The way the song is sung and the fact that the angels "laid him away," as opposed to buried him or took him, emphasizes a slow progression of events. It sounds peaceful because no one really protests the facts; things just happen and people can't fight it.
I kind of see myself as Mrs. Collins, in some strange way. I used my art this week as a sort of release for my frustrations and I am happy with what came out of it. Not sure if I completely love the text, so I left it in a temporary manner.

I quite enjoyed Jas Olbrecht's biography on Mississippi John Hurt. It painted him in a very bright light -- he came from humble beginnings, working on the farm and helping his mother in a small town of under 100 people. He worked very hard on his own family farm, and also offered his services on neighboring farms. I had just learned about the WPA in another class, so it is interesting to see the overlap between that class and this class. It was interesting that Jas mentioned that Hurt's music is a souvenir of his childhood. It is an interesting idea -- that we never forget our childhood; in those formative years, we learn so much about ourselves and the people around us shape who we become. John Hurt grew up in a rural area, helping people, starting from the ground up and earning his way to the top. He was also described as "perfect" and "Christ-like"; somehow I believe that is related to his childhood experiences, helping others and perfecting his craft when he had time.