Little Musgrave
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John Fitz
balladmonger 1. noun: a seller of ballads, esp on broadsheets. 2. Noun: a writer of mediocre poetry. One of the earliest traditional folk songs I learned was "Shady Grove," a fairly innocuous and vague enough love song. Over the years I realized that it was an adaptation and condensing of the much longer ballad "Matty Groves" made well-known by the singing and playing of Doc Watson. A bit more digging reveals the older cousin to be this fine ballad "Little Musgrave." None of the songs is better than the other, but I certainly love this recording by Planxty that captures the story and delivers it in a musically enchanting and rich way.
~John Fitz History & SynopsisFor a wonderfully written and scholarly history of this song, go to Murder Ballad Monday and learn everything there is to know about this ballad!
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