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Ballad of Hollis Brown

October 20, 2023

For the band, see Hollis Brown (band).

"Ballad of Hollis Brown" is a folk song written by Bob Dylan, released in 1964 on his third album The Times They Are A-Changin'. The song tells the story of a South Dakota farmer who, overwhelmed by the desperation of poverty, kills his wife, children and then himself.

"Ballad of Hollis Brown"
Song by Bob Dylan
from the album The Times They Are A-Changin'
ReleasedJanuary 13, 1964 (1964-01-13)
RecordedAugust 7, 1963
GenreFolk
Length5:06
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Bob Dylan
Producer(s)Tom Wilson

Music and structure Edit

The Times They Are A-Changin' version was recorded on August 7, 1963. The song had been recorded during sessions for Dylan's previous album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, in November 1962, but remained an outtake. On this earlier version, Dylan played the harmonica and just strummed the chords, rather than picking the strings. (The live versions between 1962 and 1964 were also played that way, but without the harmonica.) According to Michael Gray, the guitar work and melodic structuring in "Hollis Brown" are taken from the Appalachians, "where such forms and modes had evolved, in comparative isolation, over a period of almost two hundred years".[1] More specifically, the chords, tune and verse-structure of "Ballad of Hollis Brown" are based on the ballad "Pretty Polly", a song Dylan performed at the Gaslight Club in New York City prior to recording "Ballad of Hollis Brown".[2][3][4]

The album version of the song is performed as a solo piece by Dylan with his vocal accompanied by an acoustic guitar in the flatpicking style. The guitar is in 'double-dropped D tuning': Both the first and sixth strings, which normally play two Es separated by two octaves, are tuned down a whole step, down to D. Also, Dylan uses a capo on the first fret. Therefore, while his fingers are positioned as if he were playing in the key of D minor, the song is actually in the key of Eb minor.[5]

Lyrics Edit

Lyrically, this song consists of 11 verses which bring the listener to a bleak and destitute South Dakota farm, where a poor farmer, his wife and five children, already living in abject poverty, are subjected to even more hardships. In despair, the man kills his wife and children and himself with a shotgun. Critic David Horowitz commented:[6]

Technically speaking, "Hollis Brown" is a tour de force. For a ballad is normally a form which puts one at a distance from its tale. This ballad, however, is told in the second person, present tense, so that not only is a bond forged immediately between the listener and the figure of the tale, but there is the ironic fact that the only ones who know of Hollis Brown's plight, the only ones who care, are the hearers who are helpless to help, cut off from him, even as we in a mass society are cut off from each other.... Indeed, the blues perspective itself, uncompromising, isolated and sardonic, is superbly suited to express the squalid reality of contemporary America. And what a powerful expression it can be, once it has been liberated (as it has in Dylan's hands) from its egocentric bondage! A striking example of the tough, ironic insight one associates with the blues (and also of the power of understatement which Dylan has learnt from Guthrie) is to be found in the final lines of Hollis Brown:

There's seven people dead on a South Dakota farm,
There's seven people dead on a South Dakota farm,
Somewhere in the distance there's seven new people born.

Live performances Edit

Dylan played "Hollis Brown" live from 1962 to 1964, including on a Westinghouse television special in 1963[7] and at Brandeis University in May 1963 (released in 2011 on Bob Dylan in Concert – Brandeis University 1963). He also performed it in 1965, during the "comeback" Bob Dylan and the Band 1974 Tour, and at Live Aid in 1985. The song was regularly featured during the Never Ending Tour through 2012. Dylan has played it over 200 times total.[8]

Recordings by other artists Edit

Some of the prominent musicians and groups that have covered "Ballad of Hollis Brown" include:

References Edit

  1. ^ Gray, Michael, 1946- (2000). Song & dance man III : the art of Bob Dylan. Gray, Michael, 1946-. London: Continuum. ISBN 0-304-70762-7. OCLC 42049290.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Slade, Paul (2015). Unprepared to Die: America's Greatest Murder Ballads and the True Crime Stories That Inspired Them. ISBN 9780992948078.
  3. ^ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2015). Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. ISBN 9780316353533.
  4. ^ . The Celestial Monochord. 2006-03-15. Archived from the original on 2017-12-17. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  5. ^ "Ballad of Hollis Brown". dylanchords.info. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  6. ^ David Horowitz, "Bob Dylan: genius or commodity?" Peace News, 11/11/64.
  7. ^ "Ballad of Hollis Brown". YouTube video of his Westinghouse TV performance (1963). Archived from the original on 2021-12-22.
  8. ^ "Ballad of Hollis Brown | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  • Matt Cowe and Arthur Dick. Acoustic Masters for Guitar. Wise Publications, 2004.
  • . Retrieved 14 March 2006.
  • Michael Gray. Song & Dance Man III: The Art of Bob Dylan. Continuum, 2000.
  • Oliver Trager. Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Billboard Books, 2004.

October 20, 2023
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For the band see Hollis Brown band Ballad of Hollis Brown is a folk song written by Bob Dylan released in 1964 on his third album The Times They Are A Changin The song tells the story of a South Dakota farmer who overwhelmed by the desperation of poverty kills his wife children and then himself Ballad of Hollis Brown Song by Bob Dylanfrom the album The Times They Are A Changin ReleasedJanuary 13 1964 1964 01 13 RecordedAugust 7 1963GenreFolkLength5 06LabelColumbiaSongwriter s Bob DylanProducer s Tom Wilson Contents 1 Music and structure 2 Lyrics 3 Live performances 4 Recordings by other artists 5 ReferencesMusic and structure EditThe Times They Are A Changin version was recorded on August 7 1963 The song had been recorded during sessions for Dylan s previous album The Freewheelin Bob Dylan in November 1962 but remained an outtake On this earlier version Dylan played the harmonica and just strummed the chords rather than picking the strings The live versions between 1962 and 1964 were also played that way but without the harmonica According to Michael Gray the guitar work and melodic structuring in Hollis Brown are taken from the Appalachians where such forms and modes had evolved in comparative isolation over a period of almost two hundred years 1 More specifically the chords tune and verse structure of Ballad of Hollis Brown are based on the ballad Pretty Polly a song Dylan performed at the Gaslight Club in New York City prior to recording Ballad of Hollis Brown 2 3 4 The album version of the song is performed as a solo piece by Dylan with his vocal accompanied by an acoustic guitar in the flatpicking style The guitar is in double dropped D tuning Both the first and sixth strings which normally play two Es separated by two octaves are tuned down a whole step down to D Also Dylan uses a capo on the first fret Therefore while his fingers are positioned as if he were playing in the key of D minor the song is actually in the key of Eb minor 5 Lyrics EditLyrically this song consists of 11 verses which bring the listener to a bleak and destitute South Dakota farm where a poor farmer his wife and five children already living in abject poverty are subjected to even more hardships In despair the man kills his wife and children and himself with a shotgun Critic David Horowitz commented 6 Technically speaking Hollis Brown is a tour de force For a ballad is normally a form which puts one at a distance from its tale This ballad however is told in the second person present tense so that not only is a bond forged immediately between the listener and the figure of the tale but there is the ironic fact that the only ones who know of Hollis Brown s plight the only ones who care are the hearers who are helpless to help cut off from him even as we in a mass society are cut off from each other Indeed the blues perspective itself uncompromising isolated and sardonic is superbly suited to express the squalid reality of contemporary America And what a powerful expression it can be once it has been liberated as it has in Dylan s hands from its egocentric bondage A striking example of the tough ironic insight one associates with the blues and also of the power of understatement which Dylan has learnt from Guthrie is to be found in the final lines of Hollis Brown There s seven people dead on a South Dakota farm There s seven people dead on a South Dakota farm Somewhere in the distance there s seven new people born Live performances EditDylan played Hollis Brown live from 1962 to 1964 including on a Westinghouse television special in 1963 7 and at Brandeis University in May 1963 released in 2011 on Bob Dylan in Concert Brandeis University 1963 He also performed it in 1965 during the comeback Bob Dylan and the Band 1974 Tour and at Live Aid in 1985 The song was regularly featured during the Never Ending Tour through 2012 Dylan has played it over 200 times total 8 Recordings by other artists EditSome of the prominent musicians and groups that have covered Ballad of Hollis Brown include Nina Simone Let It All Out 1965 Hugues Aufray Chante Dylan 1965 Trans Dylan 1995 Au Casino de Paris 1996 Cornelis Vreeswijk Kalle Holm 1974 Swedish Nazareth Loud N Proud 1974 Leon Russell Stop All That Jazz 1974 The Stooges Death Trip 1987 Open Up and Bleed 1995 Wild Love 2001 The Neville Brothers Yellow Moon 1989 Stephen Stills Stills Alone 1991 Billy Childish The Ballad of Hollis Brown 1992 Old Blind Dogs Legacy 1995 Mike Seeger performed with Bob Dylan Third Annual Farewell Reunion 1995 Stone the Crows The BBC Sessions Volume 1 1969 1970 1998 Entombed Wreckage EP 1997 Black Juju EP 1998 Kevn Kinney The Flower and the Knife 2000 Hootie and the Blowfish A Tribute to Bob Dylan Volume 3 The Times They Are A Changin 2000 Tony Joe White Swamp Music The Complete Monument Recordings disc 4 2006 The Pretty Things Balboa Island 2007 Rocco DeLuca The Village 2009 Francis Cabrel Vise Le Ciel 2012 Rise Against Chimes of Freedom Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International 2012 David Lynch The Big Dream 2013 Hans Theessink Wishing Well 2013 Paula Cole Ballads 2017 Karan Casey Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale 2018 References Edit Gray Michael 1946 2000 Song amp dance man III the art of Bob Dylan Gray Michael 1946 London Continuum ISBN 0 304 70762 7 OCLC 42049290 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Slade Paul 2015 Unprepared to Die America s Greatest Murder Ballads and the True Crime Stories That Inspired Them ISBN 9780992948078 Margotin Philippe Guesdon Jean Michel 2015 Bob Dylan All the Songs The Story Behind Every Track ISBN 9780316353533 Hollis Brown s South Dakota The Celestial Monochord 2006 03 15 Archived from the original on 2017 12 17 Retrieved 2017 01 26 Ballad of Hollis Brown dylanchords info Retrieved 2021 01 03 David Horowitz Bob Dylan genius or commodity Peace News 11 11 64 Ballad of Hollis Brown YouTube video of his Westinghouse TV performance 1963 Archived from the original on 2021 12 22 Ballad of Hollis Brown The Official Bob Dylan Site www bobdylan com Retrieved 2021 01 03 Matt Cowe and Arthur Dick Acoustic Masters for Guitar Wise Publications 2004 Bob Dylan s official website Retrieved 14 March 2006 Michael Gray Song amp Dance Man III The Art of Bob Dylan Continuum 2000 Oliver Trager Keys to the Rain The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia Billboard Books 2004 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ballad of Hollis Brown amp oldid 1179716814, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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